Tag: itinerary

Escape to Sun Moon Lake, Taichung in May 2014

Escape to Sun Moon Lake, Taichung in May 2014

Posted on by ziyi

A brief summary on the itinerary

Escape Plan to Sun Moon Lake in May 2014:

Total duration 4D3N
Singapore is in the same time zone as Taichung, Taiwan.
Flight time is 4hr45mins direct flight on China Airlines from Singapore to Taipei.
Morning flight on 10th May and arrival in Taipei at 3pm on the same day.

Day 1 Arrival in Taichung
Day 2 Sun Moon Lake
Day 3 Back to Taipei, Raohe Night market and Wu Fen Pu
Day 4 Ximending and Home Sweet Home

This escape plan was to getaway on a long weekend due to Vesak day. Due to wife expecting, we had a change of plan for our long Europe trip into a shorter getaway. Took China Airlines as all the budget airlines were really expensive as we booked very late and close to the travel date. The tickets weren’t out the initial time we saw and we actually intended to book Jetstar. It was until when we wanted to purchase the tickets (after planning) that there was another price hike which forced us to relook again (luckily), and it seemed like an extra trip offered by the airlines, co-sharing with Garuda.

Budget nature: Affordable travel and cheap eats. 

Moving around Taiwan was easy and pretty affordable compared to Singapore. The public transport was cheap, even the taxi was of compatible costs. Of course, expect tourists price at the Sun Moon Lake, but these costs aren’t also sky high.

Eating is definitely cheap, though quantity wise, it was smaller too. But it is so that you can eat as much variety as you move around the night markets. The food is pretty tasty too.

Complexity: Easy to get around

Travelling between cities is really easy, linked by the ultrafast bullet train and MRT networks. Getting to Sun Moon Lake required a bit of reading up although the hotel receptionist and the taxi driver can easily guide you to the long distance coaches. Our main transportation tools at Sun Moon Lake was the ferry but due to time constraints, we did not venture out, which the buses could easily do the job.

Escape Plan to Penang in February 2014

Escape Plan to Penang in February 2014

Posted on by ziyi

A brief summary on the itinerary

Escape Plan to Penang in February 2014:

Total duration 3D2N
Singapore is in the same time zone as Penang, Malaysia.
Flight time is 1hr direct flight on Jetstar from Singapore to Penang.
Friday evening flight on 14th Feb and arrival in Penang at 9pm on the same day.

Day 1 Arrival in Penang
Day 2 Shopping and Makan at Gurney Drive
Day 3 Home Sweet Home

This escape plan was to getaway on Valentine’s Day where everything was expensive. Thought we might as well fly somewhere to spend the same amount of money. Took Tigerair back instead of Jetstar as it offered a better time slot of 735pm, which was not too early leaving the 3rd day wasted or late so that it was too tiring to get to work the following day.

Budget nature: Cheap eats. 

Definitely a makan heaven since everything was half price considering the very good 2.6 ringgit to 1 SGD. Transport by taxi wasn’t too bad though it ranged from 15ringgit within Georgetown to 45ringgit to airport. There was free hop-on bus, but required to know your location before getting on.

Complexity: Easy to get around, but easier with own transport

Georgetown was a rather small area for visit and easy to move around. Tourist destinations were apparently served by the local buses but we didn’t take these buses as we didn’t know where the bus stops for these buses were. There were bicycles for rental and we did see people riding around to various tourists locations. Taxis could get you around but it depended on the locations for the availability and costs could vary and required negotiation.

Escape Plan to Sydney in January 2014

Escape Plan to Sydney in January 2014

Posted on by ziyi

A brief summary on the itinerary

Escape Plan to Sydney in January 2014:

Total duration 4D3N
Singapore is 3 hr behind of Sydney, Australia.
Flight time is 8hr direct flight on Scoot from Singapore to Sydney.
Friday early morning flight on 31st Jan and arrival in Sydney at 1240pm on same day.

Day 1 Arrival in Sydney and shopping at QVB
Day 2 Featherdale Wildlife Park, Darling Harbour
Day 3 Blue mountains, Manly Beach
Day 4 Home Sweet Home

This escape plan was to take advantage of the long weekend for Chinese New Year to escape to Sydney, where it was still operational, unlike a Singapore that was pretty much shut down. Also, the tickets were pretty cheap, SGD $350 all in for return on Scoot and presented a good opportunity to test out this budget airline.

Budget nature: Really expensive city. 

Transportation costs were so much higher than Singapore, be it parking fees or taking the train to the city from the airport. Be ready to pay if eating in restaurants for all 3 meals.The accommodations were expensive too. The only cheaper stuff were probably Ipads and Quiksilver.

Complexity: Easy by public transport, madness to drive in Sydney

Travelling around Sydney by public transport was easy peasy. It would be effortless if there were some preplanning down before by checking this site as it a search engine to provide all the possible routes from your location to your destination. Driving in busy Sydney was frustrating if you weren’t familiar, and so was parking. Read all about it before attempting.

Escape Plan to Port Dickson in January 2014

Escape Plan to Port Dickson in January 2014

Posted on by ziyi

A brief summary on the itinerary

Escape Plan to Port Dickson in January 2014:

Total duration 2D1N
Singapore is on the same time zone as Port Dickson, Malaysia.
Drive time is 3hr direct Singapore to Port Dickson.
Early morning 8am at checkpoint, arrival at 4pm at Port Dickson with 3hr stop at Malacca.

Day 1 Lunch at Malacca and arrival at Avillion Hotel.
Day 2 Home Sweet Home

This escape plan was to spend the weekend at Port Dickson for our anniversary. It was planned as a getaway, visit Port Dickson for the first time and drive in Malaysia for the first time.

Budget nature: Cheap fuel, affordable food, value for hotel. 

Malaysia was generally more affordable than Singapore in terms of food and the cheap fuel allowed for nice road trips from Singapore. We paid for a over water chalet, which was the cheapest you could find compared to other more popular places such as Maldives or Bora Bora. However, what you pay is what you get.

Complexity: DIY

Notwithstanding the media reports of how dangerous it is to drive in Malaysia, we had an easy time and the GPS was very useful to make the virgin drive a success. Pre-planning and getting a Touch-N-Go card was essential and roads were easy to drive. No reason not to do so again.

Escape Plan to Krabi in December 2013

Escape Plan to Krabi in December 2013

Posted on by ziyi

A brief summary on the itinerary

Escape Plan to Krabi in December 2013:

Total duration 6D5N
Singapore is 1 hr ahead of Krabi, Thailand.
Flight time is 1.5hr direct flight on Tiger airways from Singapore to Krabi.
Friday afternoon flight on 27th Dec and arrival in Krabi at 3pm.

Day 1 Arrival in Ao Nang
Day 2 Phi Phi Island tour and Krabi Town night market
Day 3 Tiger Cave and Railey beach
Day 4 Hong Island tour and Railey beach kayaking
Day 5 Phra Nang Cave, Viewpoint, Tonsai Beach and New Year countdown
Day 6 Home Sweet Home

This escape plan was to celebrate New Year over at Krabi. We have never been to Krabi before and this presented a good opportunity to verify the testimonies of beautiful beaches and also visit Phi Phi island.

Budget nature: Expensive during the peak periods. 

I arrived with the impression that the trip was going to cost. It did, on the accommodation especially. However, along the way, we managed to avoid overspending by taking public transportation. Tuk tuk and taxis were a luxury to get around and we did not take a single one during this trip that kept it within budget.

Complexity: DIY

We managed to get to places that we wanted using public transport and it was easy. A lot had to do with asking the hotel reception for help. Getting to the islands could be arranged by oneself but with the compromise of not seeing more for less in a fixed time. Getting onto tours were also pretty hassle free, having the tour arranged pick up and drop off at hotel, recommended for those without too much time.

Escape plan to Hanoi in November 2013

Escape plan to Hanoi in November 2013

Posted on by ziyi

A brief summary on the itinerary

Escape Plan to Hanoi in November 2013:

Total duration 5D4N
Singapore is 1 hr ahead of Hanoi, Vietnam.
Flight time is 3hr direct flight on Tiger airways from Singapore to Hanoi.
Thursday morning flight on 7th Nov and arrival in Hanoi at 10 mins after 10am. The return flight was on Singapore Airlines as it offered a better return time and costed just as much as the budget carrier.

Day 1 Hanoi half day city tour to Temple of Literature, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum & residences, one pillar pagoda and Dong Xuan Market
Day 2 Halong Bay cruise on Alova Gold, Titop island and kayaking
Day 3 Sung Sot Cave(Surprise Cave), Hoan Kiem Lake, Water puppet show.
Day 4 Trang An and Hoa Lu
Day 5 Home Sweet Home

This escape plan was planned as I wanted to celebrate my birthday overseas and was looking for a affordable location with a beautiful and UNESCO listed landscape and at the same time, suitable for my parents.

I have always wanted to visit Halong Bay with an overnight cruise and this was the opportunity to do so.

Budget nature: Affordable. 

If you want to save, this similar itinerary can be carried out in less than SGD700 ALL IN. For us, as we preferred to spend a bit more for better comfort, we spent a little more. The food and accommodation was cheap by standards and that was the primary reason. 

Complexity: DIY possible but require to join local tours

Though Hanoi is a tourist location, communication can still be challenging. Transportation to various places in the city can be done by cab but I don’t know whether scamming is prevalent since I went by tour. Day trips are taken care by tour operators that pick up direct from hotels and should not be a problem. Attempts to drive would be suicidal and day trips drive are too far to be worth the effort.

Escape Plan to Kuala Lumpur in November 2013

Escape Plan to Kuala Lumpur in November 2013

Posted on by ziyi

A brief summary on the itinerary

Escape Plan to Kuala Lumpur in November 2013:

Total duration 4D3N
Singapore is on the same time zone as Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Flight time is 1hr direct flight on Airasia from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur.
Saturday noon flight on 2nd Nov and arrival in Kuala Lumpur at 10 mins after 1pm.

Day 1 Shopping at Pavilion
Day 2 Petronas Twin Towers, Shopping at Berjaya Times Square, Sungei Wang, Fahrenheit 88
Day 3 Home Sweet Home

This escape plan was triggered by sudden acknowledgement that it was a long weekend (Monday given leave due to Sat being a holiday, by company). There wasn’t anywhere cheaper in terms of flights and accommodation and something that we could do on 3 days and less. More savings made when I converted some Starhub points to BIG points and using the BIG points to offset some costs from the tickets.

The trip consisted mainly of shopping places and food that was eaten – the main objective of the trip anyway.

Budget nature: Affordable if manageable 

With a strong SGD against the Ringgit, everything else was less than half the price published, but mostly food and non-branded items were really cheap while others were comparably expensive. 

Complexity: DIY possible for the beginners

This is an easy place to navigate with planning and English was spoken in tourist locations. Touring the city with little planning is possible and should be DIY for maximum costs savings and flexibility.

Escape Plan to South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe in August 2013

Escape Plan to South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe in August 2013

Posted on by ziyi

A brief summary on the itinerary

Escape Plan to South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe in August 2013:

Total duration 17D16N
Singapore is 6hrs ahead of South Africa
Flight time is 12hrs direct flight on SQ (converted Krisflyer points for free tix!) from Singapore to Johannesburg
Night flight on 2nd Aug, arrive on 3rd Aug Saturday, early in the morning.

Day 1 Pretoria and Joburg City tours (guided)
Day 2 Lion and Rhino Nature Reserve and Cradle of humankind (guided)
Day 3 Tydon Safari in Sabi Sands
Day 4 Tydon Safari in Sabi Sands
Day 5 Tydon Safari in Krueger National Park
Day 6 Return to Joburg via Paranorma Route
Day 7 Fly to Zambia, transfer by land to Botswana, Mowana Safari lodge, Chobe National Park
Day 8 Mowana Safari in Chobe National Park
Day 9 Transfer to Zimbabwe by land, Vic Falls Heli trip
Day 10 Vic Falls tour (guided), explore Vic Falls town
Day 11 Transfer to Zambia by land, Fly to Cape Town via Joburg
Day 12 Cape Peninsula full day tour
Day 13 City tour and V&A waterfront
Day 14 Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden and Hermanus
Day 15 Hermanus and Ostrich Farm
Day 16 Lambert’s Bay
Day 17 Home sweet home

This was not the initial plan that we have as we wanted to do a partial garden route. The weather was bad on our final leg in Cape Town and thus we changed the Garden Route planned on Day 14-Day16 to the those stated above in order to try spend more time in Cape Town.

Budget nature: Budget Buster 

The total costs spent is about SGD5.5k per pax (inclusive of main flight taxes, meals, souvenirs, books (lots of them), toys and macadamia nuts and wasted no-shows on hotels). The amount looks alot but considering the itinerary and the duration and comparing with some of the quotations I have inquired, it is of good value in my opinion.

Complexity: DIY for the seasoned traveller

I guess there’s going to be alot more planning to do if you are to arrange everything yourself. I was really concerned with the crime in SA and thus had prearranged all tours and transfer back at home. But it is really nothing much to worry about if you maintain the usual street smartness required and not visit places that you really shouldn’t go and you should be fine. I have seen many DIY tourists whilst travelling similar route and they seemed fine on their own.

Escape Plan to Semarang in July 2013

Escape Plan to Semarang in July 2013

Posted on by ziyi

A brief summary on the itinerary

Escape Plan to Semarang in July 2013:

Total duration 3D2N
Singapore is 1hr behind Semarang, Indonesia.
Flight time is 2hrs direct flight on Silkair (won a pair of free tix for its inaugural flight!) from Singapore to Semarang
Morning flight on 29th Jul and arrival in Semarang also in the morning.

Day 1 Yogya Night market on Malioboro street
Day 2 Borobudur, Prambanan Temple, Mt Merapi
Day 3 Home Sweet Home

This escape plan was triggered from the winning of a pair of tickets to Semarang which is close to the UNESCO Borobudur that I very wanted to visit. I was joined by a good old friend who volunteered to his time to travel with me (since not everyone was really interested in Indonesia and taking 3 days of precious leave for this) and also doing up a flawless itinerary that ensured affordable fun.

Budget nature: Easy on the wallet 

Winning the tickets helped to reduce the overall costs by a bit but the cheaper route was to fly direct to Yogyakarta instead. There are, of course, other cheaper budget airlines that fly there and thus the win is of not much significance. Travelling in Indo is cheap by international standards and with proper planning it can be achieved easily. We did it under SGD$300 all in.

Complexity: DIY possible for the novice

Some planning is definitely required but it is not too difficult to travel. Some difficulty in communication might be expected but heading to Yogyakarta is not difficult. Prearranged drivers would make traveling to various stops at Yogya easier and save up on some time but expect to pay a little bit more for the hassle free travel.

Escape Plan to Bangkok in April 2013

Escape Plan to Bangkok in April 2013

Posted on by ziyi

A brief summary on the itinerary

Escape Plan to Bangkok in April 2013:

Total duration 5D4N
Singapore is 1hr ahead of Bangkok, Thailand.
Flight time is 2hrs 25mins direct flight on Airasia from Singapore to Bangkok.
Friday evening flight on 26th Apr and arrival in Bangkok in the night.

Day 1 Flight
Day 2 Wat Phra Kaew, Wat Pho, Wat Arun, Chinatown, River cruise
Day 3 -4 Shopping and Massage at Urban Retreat Spa ( return visit as this was a good spa) and Body Tune (massage was strong and good, though we would prefer more privacy since it was in a room full of people)
Day 5 Home Sweet Home

This escape plan was triggered by the lack of travel from our 2012 year end trip till date and envisioned that this travel drought would continue till August 2o13 due to work commitments, we took this short break to escape to Bangkok for some R&R and shopping. Returned before Labour Day 1st May 2013 as it was cheaper and allowed for a day rest before going back to work.

Only Day 1 and 2 would be mentioned in detail as the 3 other days were mainly shopping in the many malls of Bangkok.

Budget nature: Easy on the wallet 

With a strong SGD against the baht, everything in Bangkok became cheap and good. 

Complexity: DIY possible for the beginners

This is an easy place to navigate with good transportation structure and English everywhere signs. Touring the city with little planning is possible and should be DIY for maximum costs savings and flexibility.