Wanaka Lavender Farm (New Zealand)

I always had a soft spot for lavender. Not lavender oil or lavender essence, just lavender in its original state. It never fails to bring a sense of peace and calm and I enjoy looking at beautiful lavender fields. The last time I visited a lavender field was in Furano, Hokkaido. This time, it is in Wanaka, New Zealand. Next stop will hopefully be Provence, France.  While we were walking around the lavender fields, my mum asked, "Why...

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Hotel Michael

Described as an "art lover's dream come true", we went to Hotel Michael a couple of months back for a staycation.  1) Room  When checking in, we specifically told the lady at the reception that we wanted a non-smoking room. The moment we exited the lift, we could smell smoke and the smell intensified as we walked into the room. It was not a light whiff of smoke but as though someone had spent a couple of hours smoking in the room....

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Snake Bite Brewery (New Zealand)

Due to a fire a couple of months ago, the original 88 Asian Fusion was closed for a while. They have now reopened as Snake Bite. Snake Bite offers both Western and Asian fare on their menu so there's no need to worry that someone in the party does not eat a particular type of cuisine. It was a cold day and I craved for some warm noodles. I ordered the Duck Noodle Soup ($18). The duck was tender and the portion was generous. The soup...

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Fergburger (New Zealand)

I would have kicked myself in the foot if I went to Queenstown and did not get myself a burger from Fergburger. It's like stepping into Singapore and not getting yourself a plate of nasi lemak or chicken rice- it's a culinary crime. No matter what time of the day it is, the queues outside are long and at dinner time, it took us a good 45 minutes before we managed to take away our food. There are limited seats and I wouldn't count on waiting...

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Stuttgart Blackforest Boutique S-Cafe

This is one of my favourite places that I dined at this year.  Stuttgart is in Southwest Germany and is known for its automative industry. Both Porsche and Mercedes-Benz have their headquarters in Stuttgart. Blackforest is a large forested mountain range in Southwest Germany.  I love the decor here- it's almost being teleported to another country! As we ordered the platter, we were served with an enormous pile of mashed...

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5 Reasons Why I Love Uniqlo

If someone asked me, what would you ideal partner be? I would answer, "the equivalent of a Uniqlo- simple, fuss-free and comfortable".  I think that's the highest level of praise anyone can render to a brand and people who know me know how much I love Uniqlo.  I once told a friend that my wardrobe was getting overtaken by Uniqlo. He looked at me with a skeptical look, "Seriously? But Uniqlo is just all about basics." Yes,...

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Sabio By the Sea

As we were having a staycation at Sentosa, we decided to hop over to Quayside Isle to celebrate a birthday. Sabio By The Sea seemed like the perfect choice after a relaxing swim.  We reached at around 8 p.m. on a Friday evening and surprisingly, there was plenty of space. I guess Sentosa Cove isn't the most accessible of locations! We had to get a cab even though we were in Sentosa because the shuttle bus that was supposed to reach Sentosa...

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Brotzeit (Katong)

Everytime we walked past Brotzeit, we would get a whiff of something fragrant- the smell of roasted meat.  We couldn't resist it further and went in for some German food. It is not possible for us to enter a restaurant serving German food, without trying their pork knuckle. We ordered the Schweinshaxn (Oven Roasted Pork Knuckle) ($36). We didn't know the portion size when ordering - this is definitely good enough for 2 / 3 to...

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Cafe Melba

Whenever I pass by Cafe Melba, the area outside is always filled with children bouncing on bouncy castles. However, due to the haze, everybody decided that it was better to move in and enjoy the air-conditioning instead.  No doubt, this place is very child-friendly. Grass for children to run, bouncy castles, colouring pencils and drawing material for children to occupy themselves while their parents enjoy a few moments of peace. Couple...

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Telunas Private Island (Indonesia)

It was some time since I took a break from work and we decided to go somewhere over one weekend. We were looking for somewhere near, not too expensive and somewhere special. After looking through many options, we decided to go Telunas Private Island.  Expectations were high, but I am glad to say that it didn't disappoint.  1) How to get there  We had booked a ferry with Batam Fast in advance ($48 for return trip). From Harbour...

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