Cliff(y) Goes Travelling

18 Marina Gardens Drive, Gardens by the Bay, Singapore Daily: 6.30pm - 11.00pm I hope everyone has been having a great Christmas season! Known to be the biggest yuletide event in Singapore, Christmas Wonderland is back to illuminate the Supertree Grove area of Gardens by the Bay from 3 December 2021 to 2 January 2022. Visitors can enjoy light displays, have fun with carnival games and shop for gifts at the Christmas market.

3 Upper Pickering Street, Singapore Officially opened in 2013, PARKROYAL COLLECTION Pickering (5*) is a testament to the fact that architecture and greenery can blend very, very well. Given its stunning appearance, it's hard not to be tempted to have a staycation there, but I'd been resisting the idea for some time it since the hotel is located way too near my house. 

351 Cranwell Road, Singapore Here comes another throwback to 2018 before COVID-19 hit our shore: a relaxing staycation at Changi Cove (4*) that's located in the tranquil part of the Changi area. In fact, recently I scored a pretty good deal and would be going back to the hotel soon, which is a restored heritage site occupying 4 hectares of lush natural greenery.

1 Fullerton Square, Singapore Welcome to Part 2 of The Fullerton Hotel Singapore (5*)! Don't forget to check out  Part 1 , if you haven't done so. In today's post, let's explore the rest of the areas and the history of the heritage building that covers a floor area of 41,100 square metres. Playing a pivotal role in the history of Singapore, it's been gazetted as a National Monument since December 2015.

1 Fullerton Square, Singapore Not being able to go overseas has spurred me to explore more hotels here in Singapore. At last, I went to The Fullerton Hotel Singapore (5*), the heritage hotel situated near the mouth of Singapore River that I'd always been wanting to go for staycation. It was a pity, however, that my stay coincided with Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) that dampened the experience quite a bit.

500 Jalan Sultan, Singapore Hello, everyone! I'm back to slowly update my blog as and when I can. Despite the launch of the various Vaccinated Travel Lanes to and from Singapore, I won't be going overseas this year, so I'll continue to rediscover this place I call home. Anyway, during Phase 3 of Reopening earlier this year, I stayed at Hotel Boss (4*). I found the star rating to be off though.

366 Orchard Road, Singapore Given that leisure overseas travel is still off the cards since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, I really wonder when will be the next time I can fly somewhere to satisfy my wanderlust. In February 2021, I booked for a staycation at YOTEL Singapore (4*), pretending that I was flying in a First Class suite once again after the experience at  YOTELAir Singapore Changi Airport  (3*) in December 2020.

Guangzhou, Guangdong, China We've come to the last post to cap the major throwback to my virgin trip to China back in 2012. Also known as Canton, Guangzhou is the capital city of the province of Guangdong in southern China. With more than 2,000 years of history, it was a major terminus of the maritime Silk Road. Today, it continues to play a pivotal role as a major port and transportation hub.

Pearl River, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China Zhujiang (lit. Pearl River) is an extensive river system in southern China, which is so named due to the pearl-coloured shells that lie on the riverbed. They say it's a must to go for a scenic river cruise, particularly after dark, when you're a first timer in Guangzhou. My BFF and I chose to sail with GZ Star.

Liwan District, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China Shamian Island is a small sandbank island with an area of 0.3 square kilometres that's separated from the mainland by an artificial river dug by the British and the French in 1859. Literally meaning 'sandy surface', the island is gazetted as a historical area that sees the preservation of quite a number of colonial buildings.

155 Longjin West Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China Daily: 6.00am - 10.30pm Located in the bustling Liwan (lit. Lychee Bay) district of Guangzhou, Liwan Lake Park is a beautiful park comprising four lakes. Besides being a venue for various cultural activities in the old quarter of Guangzhou, it's a comprehensive park that includes facilities like swimming pool and gym.

105-1 Tianshou Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China I wonder if it was a blessing in disguise that my BFF and I only stayed for one night at  Bailing Hotel  (4*). We found the next hotel of choice to be much better, although the situation at breakfast left much to be desired. Built in 2012, J Hotel (4*) is a modern hotel with a total of 224 guest rooms. It's located not far from Guangzhou East railway station.

299 Yanjiang Middle Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China From Shenzhen, let's move to Guangzhou. Situated somewhere along Zhujiang (lit. Pearl River), Bailing Hotel (4*) is the first out of the two hotels where my BFF and I spent a night. I shall say right from the start that we had a bad experience there. For someone who's usually non-confrontational, I lost my patience and had to raise my voice.

Shenzhen, Guangdong, China Formerly romanised as Sham Chun, Shenzhen is a major sub-provincial city in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong. It saw rapid growth following the Chinese economic reform in 1979. To go to Shenzhen from Hong Kong, my BFF and I took the train to Lo Wu MTR station, which is the northern terminus of the East Rail line.

Shennan Avenue, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China Daily: 9.00am - 9.00pm Welcome to Part 2 of Splendid China, a theme park that showcases the most iconic sights of China in the Overseas Chinese Town of Shenzhen. While  Part 1  covers the cultural village area, Part 2 focuses on the miniature park section. At least Pikachu and Melon can say that they've conquered the Great Wall without having to go to Beijing.

Shennan Avenue, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China Daily: 9.00am - 9.00pm Window of the World  brings the world to us, but have you noticed that there's nothing about China there? Anything and everything about the mainland can be found at Splendid China, another theme park in the Overseas Chinese Town of Shenzhen that was opened in 1989. For a first timer in China, I certainly had a good introduction of what the country has got to offer.

Shennan Avenue, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China Daily: 9.00am - 10.30pm Fancy seeing the world through miniatures of highly recognisable landmarks? Opened in 1993, Window of the World in the Overseas Chinese Town section of Shenzhen is a theme park that provides us with such an experience. There's indeed charm in the miniatures squeezed into 48 hectares. It's a small world after all, isn't it?

Xiangshan Middle Street, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China Overseas Chinese Town is the colloquial name for a cluster of scenic spots in Nanshan District of Shenzhen that features a number of theme parks, such as Window of the World and Splendid China that my BFFs and I visited during our trip. Included in the area is Portofino, a residential area that's a mini recreation of the charm of Italy.

68 Fanshen Road, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China After looking back at the trip to Okinawa, Japan that happened in December 2015 before the inception of my travel blog, it's time to do another throwback to an even earlier trip in 2012. That was my very first trip to China from Hong Kong, covering just a little bit of Shenzhen and Guangzhou. My BFFs and I stayed at Mellow Orange Hotel (3*) for a night in Shenzhen.

HKG-SIN (2h 45m) Airbus 380-800 ETD: 2.10pm (GMT + 8) ETA: 6.10pm (GMT + 8) Are you excited about the Singapore - Hong Kong travel bubble that's set to launch in the middle of May 2021? I hope it's not going to burst again though. While waiting for that to happen, join me in reminiscing about this particular flight home onboard one of Singapore Airlines' jumbo jets in December 2015. 

OKA-HKG (2h 45m) Airbus 330-300 ETD: 11.55am (GMT + 9) ETA: 1.40pm (GMT + 8) It's time for another quick post on Hong Kong Airlines today. Despite it being a short leisure trip in Okinawa, my BFFs and I really had lots of fun discovering the unique heritage of the southernmost prefecture of Japan. We I flew out of Naha Airport to Hong Kong for the second part of the year-end trip in 2015. 

150 Kagamizu, Naha, Okinawa, Japan In a blink of an eye, we've reached this post on Naha Airport, which means that I've shared almost everything that I experienced during my short trip to Okinawa in 2015. It's been great reminiscing about it in the midst of my hectic schedule. Naha Airport is the primary air terminal for passengers and cargo traveling to and from the southernmost prefecture of Japan.

Naha, Okinawa, Japan Officially founded on 20 May 1921, Naha is t he political, economic and education centre of the southernmost prefecture of Japan . The modern city covers an area of close to 40 square kilometres with the city centre located about 4 km away from Naha Airport. In the past, it was the commercial centre of the Ryukyu Kingdom, prominent as a major port.

1336 Tamagusuku, Maekawa, Nanjo, Okinawa, Japan Daily: 9.00am - 5.30pm Located in the southern part of Okinawa Island is an attraction called Okinawa World, which comprises three sections: a massive limestone cave, a replica of a traditional Ryukyu village and a snake museum. Due to the limited time that we had, my BFFs and I only had the chance to go for the first two with the focus on the magnificent cave.

1-5-15 Kumoji, Naha, Okinawa, Japan Daily: 8.30am - 6.00pm Shuri Castle is one of the most significant landmarks of Okinawa, which made it to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2000. It enjoyed its heyday as the palace of the Ryukyu Kingdom between 1429 to 1879. The world was saddened by the news on the morning of 31 October 2019 that the main courtyard structures of the castle were engulfed by flames.

1-5-15 Kumoji, Naha, Okinawa, Japan From the town of Motobu, let's move on to the city of Naha. Hotel Sun Okinawa (3*) is the last hotel where my BFFs and I stayed at during our short trip. Situated by a channel, the hotel is within walking distance from Kencho-mae (lit. front of Prefectural Office) monorail station and RYUBO Department Store.

424 Ishikawa, Motobu, Okinawa, Japan As mentioned in the previous post , Japan's best aquarium is the centrepiece of Ocean Expo Park that's located on the tip of Motobu Peninsula in northern Okinawa, which is about 90 km away from Naha. Of course, there are many other attractions that one can look forward at the large park that stretches about 3 km along the coast.

424 Ishikawa, Motobu, Okinawa, Japan Daily: 8.30am - 6.30pm Opened in late 2002, Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium used to be the largest aquarium in the world until it was surpassed by Georgia Aquarium in the USA in 2005. The name of the aquarium comes from the Okinawan word chura (lit. beautiful) and the Japanese word umi (lit. ocean). It welcomed its 20 millionth visitor on 30 March 2010.

1147-1 Bise, Motobu, Okinawa, Japan One of the attractions that my BFFs and I'd really like to visit during the trip is Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, which is one of the largest in the world, located in the town of Motobu. From  Tokyo Dai-Ichi Hotel Okinawa Grand Mer Resort  in Okinawa City, we moved to Hotel Yugaf Inn Bise (3*) that's not far from the aquarium.

9-1 Mihama, Chatan, Okinawa, Japan It's no surprise that there are still numerous American military bases in Okinawa if one thinks about the history surrounding the prefecture. One of the most notable military facilities that's been redeveloped as a commercial area is Mihama American Village. The entertainment complex first opened its doors to the public in 1998.

2-8-1 Yogi, Okinawa City, Okinawa, Japan Tokyo Dai-Ichi Hotel Okinawa Grand Mer Resort (4*) is the first hotel that my BFFs and I went to from Naha Airport. Given that we didn't have the intention to hire a car, I wonder why I booked a room at a hotel located in Okinawa City that's not particularly near any attraction. Nevertheless, we enjoyed our stay in one of the Japanese style rooms.

HKG-OKA (2h 30m) Airbus 330-300 ETD: 7.25am (GMT + 8) ETA: 11.55am (GMT + 9) Having the slogan 'Fresh and Very Hong Kong', Hong Kong Airlines started off as CR Airways in 2001. It was in 2015 that I flew with it for the very first time from Hong Kong to Okinawa, Japan in the Economy Class. I've also previously written about my experience with its Business Class onboard HX773 and HX768 from Hong Kong to Bangkok, Thailand and vice versa respectively.

SIN-HKG (3h 45m) Airbus 330-300 ETD: 7.55pm (GMT + 8) ETA: 11.40pm (GMT + 8) Happy Lunar New Year! May the new year bring unfading joy and renewed hope to the world. To kickstart the Year of the Ox, follow me in a major throwback to my trip to Okinawa, Japan via Hong Kong that happened in December 2015. In fact, that was before the inception of this travel blog of mine. Oh, Happy Valentine's Day too!

2 Andover Road, Singapore Here's another throwback to pre-COVID-19 days. Started out as Changi Swimming Club in 1972 and subsequently privatised in 1988, Changi Beach Club (3*) has grown into a comprehensive sports complex equipped with guest rooms for staycation. Its vision is to be a premier lifestyle club in Singapore.

88 East Coast Road, Singapore Let's look at another hotel where I stayed at before COVID-19 wreaks havoc on our lives. As of 2019, there are more than 2,800 branches of Holiday Inn Express worldwide owned by the InterContinental Hotels Group. In Singapore alone, there are four Holiday Inn Express hotels at the point of writing, one of which is Holiday Inn Express Singapore Katong (3*).

33 Hendon Road, Singapore Raintr33 Hotel was an oasis of calm nestled in the Changi area. Notice the use of past tense in my first sentence as the hotel folded its business sometime in 2020. Still, I'm writing a tribute to this hotel that unfortunately had a purported reputation of being haunted as a significant portion of the population thought it occupied the site of the infamous Old Changi Hospital.

60 Joo Chiat Road, Singapore As Singapore has made good progress in curbing the spread of COVID-19, we've moved into Phase 3 of Reopening since 28 December 2020. My first staycation during this final phase before the eventual normalcy returns, soon enough hopefully, was a simple one at Champion Hotel (3*) on New Year's Eve.

581 Orchard Road, Singapore My last staycation during Singapore's Phase 2 of Reopening was at Hilton Singapore (5*), thanks to the corporate discount that I was entitled to. The ageing hotel was built in 1970, a year older than its competitor,  Grand Hyatt Singapore  (5*). With a rooftop swimming pool, it's got a total of 423 guest rooms.

Clementi, Singapore In October 2020, a Singaporean by the name Brice Li captured a stunning footage of the misty foliage of Clementi Forest, which has since attracted the attention of many. It was a fun experience trekking in the muddy forest, which led me to an old Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) railway tunnel.

From Bukit Timah Road to Holland Road, Singapore Keretapi Tanah Melayu, the main railway operator of Malaysia, used to operate train services between Tanjong Pagar Railway Station and Woodlands Train Checkpoint till mid-2011. Somewhere along the 24-km route is now a nature trail named Green Corridor. The legendary Clementi Forest, which has recently enjoyed the limelight, is accessible from the trail. 

21 Ocean Way, Sentosa Island, Singapore W Hotels around the world are breaking the norms of traditional luxury, positioning themselves as chic hotels replete with playful vibes. Managed by Marriott International, W Singapore - Sentosa Cove (5*)  is one option to escape from the fast-paced city life. The hotel was one of the first five hotels approved for staycation during Singapore's Phase 2 of Reopening.

1 Larkhill Road, Sentosa Island, Singapore Digging out old photos has made me realise that I've actually done a fair bit of staycations here in Singapore before the COVID-19 pandemic. We shall travel back in time to a few years ago when I stayed at Amara Sanctuary Resort Sentosa (5*), a tranquil resort offering a total of 140 guest rooms, suites, villas and a colonial bungalow named Larkhill Mansion.

80 Middle Road, Singapore Happy New Year, everyone! Let's hope that 2021 will be much better for all of us. More than just a luxury hotel that's well-loved by many, InterContinental Singapore (5*) is a heritage landmark in the heart of Bugis. It's the the flagship hotel of the InterContinental Hotels Group in Singapore. I had the opportunity to stay in one of its Heritage Suites with Club Lounge access last year.