Archive for the ‘travel’ Category
Wednesday, July 2nd, 2014
Photo of the Day: We chanced upon this charming town while driving en route from Munich to Salzburg. The castle sitting on top of the hill looked majestic while the houses along the river looked so colourful and quaint.
Burghausen Castle, which has a length of over 1,000 metres, is one of the longest castle complexes in the world, sitting along a narrow ridge above the town. Photo taken with a Sony A7 with Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS full-frame E-mount zoom lens. Photo credit: John Tan.
We were driving from Munich to Salzburg when we chanced upon the quaint little town right beside the fast flowing Salzach River, which marks the border between Germany and Austria in these parts.
This photo was one of the first few shots that took with the Sony A7 that I had brought along for the trip.
The compact full-frame mirrorless interchangeable lens camera did not disappoint and impressed with fast focusing, strong low-light performance and good detail throughout the rest of the vacation.
This photo was taken using the Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS full-frame E-mount zoom lens, which was really versatile for both street photography, portraiture and landscape shots.
If you’re looking for a compact travel camera but still desire good image quality, do check out the Sony A7.
The route that we were driving was a bit off the beaten track and we hadn’t expected to come across any touristy places along the way.
So imagine our surprise when we drove into this charming little town that was obviously a tourist destination.
After driving across the bridge straddling the Salzach, we stopped by the river bank and snapped some photos of Burghausen and its castle from across the river.
We didn’t realise at that time that by crossing the bridge, we had crossed from Germany into Austria, and that we were snapping photos of the German town from the Austrian bank.
The Austrian village on the other side of the river is called Ach and is so tiny you won’t find it if you do a search for it on Google Maps, although it’s actually marked on the map.
View of Burghausen Town across the Salzach River. By driving across the bridge, one crosses from Germany into Austria. Photo taken with a Sony A7 with Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS full-frame E-mount zoom lens. Photo credit: John Tan.
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Tags:A7, Austria 2014, Burghausen, Carl Zeiss, castles, full-frame, Germany, photography, photos, potd, Sony
Posted in A7, Austria 2014, Cameras, Events, Gadgets, GALAXY, Holiday, MIL, Photography, Photos, POTD, POTD, S5, Samsung, Sony, Travel, travel | No Comments »
Friday, February 14th, 2014
It’s Valentine’s Day today. This year, it coincides with Chap Goh Meh – the fifteenth and final day of the Chinese New Year – which many consider the Chinese Valentine’s Day. Here’s wishing all lovers a most romantic day/night!
Lots of lovey-dovey couples here, in the form of hugging salt and pepper bottles. I took this photo at the Hakaniemi Market Hall in Helsinki, Finland in summer. There were plenty of such charming craft stores for tourists and local Finns alike. Taken with a Nikon D600 with AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm f/4G ED VR lens. Photo credit: John Tan.
In many places in the world that celebrate Valentine’s Day, boys buy flowers, chocolates and gifts for their girlfriends, wives, mistresses or lovers.
Actually, marketing practitioners should examine this so-called unique Japanese culture more closely.
Apparently, the practice has its roots in 1936 as part of the advertising campaign of chocolate makers in Kobe, but has captured the imagination of the Japanese populace such that it is widely practiced today.
Those chocolate makers must have been laughing to the bank, having created nation wide, recurring demand out of thin air.
Brilliant!
Sometimes the girl reciprocates.
In Japan, it is the girl who buys for the guys.
I know – because I received plenty on Valentine’s Day when I was in Japan.
The tradition in Japan is for girls to buy white chocolates (called giri-chocos – 義理チョコ) and give them to the guys.
This does not happen just between couples that are in a relationship.
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Tags:Finland, Finland 2013, Hakaniemi, Helsinki, holidays, Japan, NIKKOR, Nikon, photography, photos, potd, travel, vacation, Valentine's Day
Posted in Finland 2013, Holiday, NIKKOR, Nikon, Photography, Photos, POTD, POTD, travel | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 29th, 2014
Have you ever wondered when is the best time to book the air ticket for your travels?
Skyscanner – a global travel search site – recently analysed three years of booking data and found that on average, you can snag the cheapest flight tickets if you purchase 26 weeks ahead of your travel date.
How far in advance are flight prices typically at their lowest? Check out the interactive inforgraphic at Skyscanner.
And do you know that the best time to book airtickets to Thailand is 8 weeks before your departure date?
“The earlier in advance you book, the better, especially for long haul destinations. It is also important to note that prices can really increase at the last minute, especially on budget airlines,” according to Kevin Foo, Skyscanner’s Head of Communications for APAC.
Skyscanner’s Best Time to Book analysis revealed that on average, the cheapest flight tickets from Singapore are available 26 weeks in advance of travel dates.
However, three years of booking data has also shown that price patterns can vary by type of airline and between short and long haul travel, and is very much destination dependent.
| Top 5 destinations by search analysis |
Average return flight price |
Best time to book (weeks before departure) |
| Indonesia |
SGD203 |
16 weeks |
| Thailand |
SGD247 |
8 weeks |
| Malaysia |
SGD155 |
9 weeks |
| Philippines |
SGD257 |
5 weeks |
| Australia |
SGD558 |
22 weeks |
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Tags:flights, infographic, promotions, Skyscanner, tickets, travel
Posted in Figures, Howtos, Infographic, infographics, Internet, Reference, Study, Travel, travel | No Comments »
Saturday, November 30th, 2013
Andrew Ng checked out Kluang’s attractions last Saturday courtesy of Tourism Malaysia Singapore.
멀라이언쿠기 (Merlion Cookie) shares HER experience at Kluang, especially the Coffee Factory, since she is a coffee lover herself. This journal is dedicated to the Korean readers out there :-).
* All the pictures in this article were provided by Merlion Cookie.
The Kluang Rail Coffee welcomes visitors to Kluang upon arrival at the railway station.
싱가폴 라이프중 이로운 점 하나를 꼽으라면 다른나라로 여행이 용이하다는 점이겠다.
Dato’ Husni Zai Yaacob, High Commissioner of Malaysia in Singapore enjoying a hot cuppa with us.
많은 항공사들이 싱가폴을 경유하기 때문이기도 하지만, 인도네시아는 배로, 말레이시아는 버스나 기차로 당일치기 또는 1박2일 여행이 가능하다.
말레시아 관광청에서 많이 알려지지 않은 소도시를 홍보하는 당일치기여행 프로그램에 초청되어 이번 여행에 참여하게 되었다.
클루앙은 말레이시아 수도에서 버스로 2시간정도 떨어져있는 작은도시라고 하지만 서울크기의 약 4배정도 되는 규모이니 작다고 하긴 그렇지만 아무래도 수도인 쿠알라룸프에서 떨어진 곳이다 보니 발전된 시골정도의 느낌이었다.
싱가폴에서 우드랜드 체크포인트에서 출발하는 기차를 타고 여행이 시작되었다.
기차안에서는 말레이시아 관광청의 여행일정소개와 이번여행에 협력해준 말레시아 열차관계자 및 재 싱가폴 말레시아 외교관부부의 인사가 있었다.
Simple but delicious food in Kluang Rail Coffee.
내가 탔던 기차는 1994년 현대에서 만들어진 꽤나 오래된 기차였다.
Roasted coffee glittering like black crystals.
우리나라 무궁화열차정도라고 보면되겠지만 도착지인 클루앙까지 2시간반동안 불편한 점은 전혀없었다.
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Tags:coffee, holiday, Johor, Kluang, Korean, Malaysia, sightseeing, tourism, travel, vacation
Posted in Events, Holiday, Photos, Review, Travel, travel | 5 Comments »
Monday, November 25th, 2013
Kluang is a town and district located in the state of Johor, in the southern portion of peninsular Malaysia. The city is named after the fruit bats that were once common in the region.
Andrew Ng checks out a few of the many attractions that draw tourists to Kluang. If you’re a coffee lover, read about 멀라이언쿠기 (Merlion Cookie)’s journal about HER visit to Kluang.
* All the pictures in this article were taken by Andrew.
Kluang Coffee Powder Factory workers roasting coffee.
It was a trip down nostalgia. The last time I took a train to Malaysia, I was still in high school a few decades ago. Back then, I boarded the train at the former Tanjong Pagar station.
Grooving to the tune of Cek Mek Molek in the entertainment car.
Fast forward to 2013, I had the opportunity to relive that memory when I was invited to make a trip to Kluang.
The event was organised by the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board, at the direction of Noor Aine Ismail and assisted by Putrie Rozana Soraya.
I have to say, Malaysia pulled out all the stops to ensure the participants experience a Truly Asia hospitality.
(from the right) Dato’ Husni Zai Yaacob, High Commissioner of Malaysia in Singapore; Jamaluddin Mat Lazim, Locomotive Inspector; Mohd Zain Mat Taha, General Manager KTM Intercity.
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Tags:holiday, Johor, Kluang, Malaysia, sightseeing, tourism, travel, vacation
Posted in Events, Holiday, Photos, Review, Travel, travel | 14 Comments »
Tuesday, November 19th, 2013
The Golden Mount temple in Bangkok is a landmark of the city and a popular tourist sight.
Located roughly between Khaosan and Siam Square, the temple has a chedi (stupa) built on a small artificial hill, affording a panoramic view of the entire city.
Wat Saket Ratcha Wora Maha Wihan, or Wat Saket – more commonly known as the Golden Mount Temple, sits atop a steep artificial hill in Bangkok. Taken with a Samsung NX 2000.
We got to the Golden Mount temple by taking the local Khlong Saen Saep canal express boat from our hotel in Sukhumvit.
The Khlong Saen Saep canal express boat is a very useful boat ferry taxi to visit many of the tourist sights in Bangkok – if you can stomach the murky water and the thrills of hopping on and off the boat before it pushes off from its very momentary stop at each pier. Taken with a Samsung NX 2000.
That ride in itself is a little adventure and a good way to sit among the locals and get a taste of how they actually commute.
It was also the most direct, cheapest and effortless way for us to get to the temple.
Panoramic view of Bangkok city from the top of Golden Mount. Taken using Panorama mode with a Samsung GALAXY Note 3.
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Tags:Bangkok, Bangkok 2013, Golden Mount, holiday, panorama, Saket, temple, Thailand, travel, vacation
Posted in Bangkok 2013, Cameras, Events, GALAXY, Holiday, MIL, Note, Photos, Samsung, Travel, travel | 16 Comments »
Monday, November 18th, 2013
A temple with a panoramic view, safari of wild animals, shopping every step of the way, massages and perennially congested traffic.
End of year is a good time to visit Bangkok, when it’s not so hot and it doesn’t rain so much or at all. Taken with Samsung GALAXY Note 3.
Thailand used to be a frequent destination for our year-end break, being so near to Singapore, and the friendliness of its people.
Our whole family had a whale of a time, “interacting” with the wax figurines. Visitors are allowed to touch and pose with wax replicas of Beyonce, Justin Bieber, Ronaldo, Tiger Woods, Oprah Winfrey and other celebrities. Taken with Samsung NX2000.
What we liked most was how doting they were to little children – wherever we went with our young children, you could see the face of the locals brighten up with a smile, some going out of their way to chat with them and pat them.
Water fountain outside Siam Center. Taken with Samsung NX2000.
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Tags:Bangkok, Bangkok 2013, holiday, shopping, Suvarnabhumi, Thailand, travel, Tussauds, vacation
Posted in Bangkok 2013, Cameras, Events, GALAXY, Holiday, MIL, Note, Photos, Samsung, Travel, travel | 16 Comments »
