Tag: itinerary

Escape Plan to USA and the Caribbean in December 2012

Escape Plan to USA and the Caribbean in December 2012

Posted on by ziyi

A brief summary on the itinerary

Escape Plan to USA and the Caribbean in December 2012:

Total duration 21D19N
Singapore is 13hr ahead of New York, USA.
Flight time is 18hrs flight on Emirates from Singapore to Dubai and then to JFK.
Friday evening flight on 18th Dec and arrival in JFK in the evening of the 19th.

Day 1 Flight
Day 2 Arrival at Orlando
Day 3 Epcot Theme Park
Day 4 Island of Adventure
Day 5 Royal Caribbean Cruise boarding at San Juan
Day 6 Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, USVI
Day 7 Cruising
Day 8 Castries, St. Lucia
Day 9 Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe
Day 10 St. John, Antigua
Day 11 Christiansted, St. Croix
Day 12 San Juan, Puerto Rico and flight to Washington DC
Day 13 Washington DC
Day 14 New York City – Central Park, Times Square countdown
Day 15 New York City – Museum of Natural History, Madison Square Garden
Day 16 New York City – Woodbury Premium Outlet
Day 17 New York City – Statue of Liberty, 9/11 Memorial, Brooklyn Bridge, South Street Seaport, Empire State Building
Day 18 New York City – Highline, Broadway Musical
Day 19-21 Home Sweet Home

This escape plan was planned to do one of the “to-do” item of the bucket list, which was to celebrate New Year in one of the biggest party in the world – New York Times Square, and also take the opportunity to visit the Caribbean and at the same time escape the freezing cold.

Budget nature: Budget buster 

Though SGD gained against the greenback which made the spending just a little less painful, the holiday season plus the cruise with similar thinking Americans (who wanted to escape the cold) really dealt the finishing blow to the budget.

Complexity: DIY possible for the beginners

Since there is already no language barrier (less the accent), and with good infrastructure in terms of roads and public transport, making your way around is very straight forward.

Escape Plan to Bangkok in July 2012

Escape Plan to Bangkok in July 2012

Posted on by ziyi

A brief summary on the itinerary

Escape Plan to Bangkok in July 2012:

Total duration 3D3N
Singapore is 1hr ahead of Bangkok, Thailand.
Flight time is 2hrs 25mins direct flight on Airasia from Singapore to Bangkok.
Thursday evening flight on 12th Jul and arrival in Bangkok in the night.

Day 1 – Flight
Day 2 – Platinum Mall and dinner at Mezzaluna, Lebua hotel.
Day 3 – More Shopping and Massage at Urban Retreat Spa
Day 4 – Home Sweet Home

This escape plan was planned to celebrate wife’s birthday out of Singapore with a shopping trip to boot.

Budget nature: Easy on the wallet 

Airplane tickets are cheap with budget airlines especially when booked 3 months before the actual flight date. Everything else if pretty cheap, a real makan and shopping and massage haven.

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.

Escape plan to Doha, Jordan and Israel April 2012

Escape plan to Doha, Jordan and Israel April 2012

Posted on by ziyi

A brief summary on the itinerary

Escape Plan to Doha, Jordan and Israel 2012:

Total duration 16D17N
Singapore is 5hrs ahead of Doha,Jordan and Israel.
Flight time is 7,5hrs direct flight on Qatar Airways from Singapore to Doha.
Night flight on 20th April and arrival in Doha at just after midnight..
Return flight is a slightly more than 2.5hrs direct flight on Qatar Airlines from Amman to Doha, a transit of 5.5hrs and another 8hrs flight back to Singapore. Return journey started on a Saturday afternoon and touching down in Singapore on Sunday mid-day.

Day 1 and 2 Flight to Doha and Amman – Souq Waqif & Amman City
Day 3 – Dessert Castles, Jerash and Aljoun Castle
Day 4 – Citadel, Madaba and Mt. Nebo
Day 5 – Memorial of Moses, Bethany beyond the Jordan and the Dead Sea
Day 6 – Kerak Castle, Shobak Castle and Petra
Day 7 – Petra all day
Day 8 – Wadi Rum, Rivage outlet and back to Madaba
Day 9 – Jordan crossing to Israel and Tiberias
Day 10 – Golan Heights, Nazareth and Church of Annunciation
Day 11 – City of Acre, Bahai Gardens, Druze village, Caesarea and Jaffa
Day 12 – Jerusalem
Day 13 – Yad Vashem museum, Mount of Olives, Shrine of the Book, Malcha Mall
Day 14 – Bethleham in the Palestinian Authority and Masada Fortress
Day 15, 16 and 17 – Crossing back to Amman and Home Sweet Home

This escape plan was planned as our long trip for the year. We chose this trip because we wanted to see one of the wonder of the world, Petra in Jordan and also to hop over to Israel for a visit (though we aren’t the religious sort).

Budget nature: Budget buster.

This trip took some time for saving up as the Singapore dollars are smaller than the currencies of the Jordanian Dinar and although it is bigger than the Israeli New Sheqel and the Qatari Rial, the expenses there are expensive too. Petrol prices in Jordan are cheaper than Singapore but not in Israel. Accommodation have been chosen for the affordability and thus not luxurious. Food prices are higher than Singapore but still affordable. Entrance fees and transportation to attractions are also contributing the the costs.

Complexity: Driving a car is required to move around Jordan and Israel.

These two countries are huge and a car to move around is the most ideal. We did not take any of the public transportation during our time except in Doha where it was just a stopover for us and taxi is the easy way around and in Amman, where driving in the city is too challenging.

With a GPS on hand, navigation is a breeze. Speedtraps in Jordan were especially common and thus one has to be careful not to get caught or risk a fine on the spot.

Escape Plan to Boracay January 2012

Escape Plan to Boracay January 2012

Posted on by ziyi

A brief summary on the itinerary

Escape Plan to Boracay 2012:

Total duration 3D2N
Singapore is in the same time zone as Boracay.
Flight time is 4hrs on Jetstar from Singapore to Manila and 1hrs on Cebu Pacific from Manila to Caticlan airport Boracay.

Morning flight on 21st January at 2:20am and arrival in Manila at 6:20am, transfer to Cebu pacific at 9am and arrival in Boracay at 10am.
Return flight is on the 23rd January at 4:40pm and arrival in Manila at 5:40pm by Cebu Pacific, transfer to Jetstar 8:35pm flight and arrival at 1235am in Singapore.

Day 1 – Arrival at Boracay and Mt. Luho
Day 2 – Day trip to Crystal Cove Island and snorkeling at sea
Day 3 – Home Sweet home

This escape plan was to get away for the long weekend due to the Chinese New Year. Wanted to go to places where it’s not predominantly Chinese so we chose a place known for it’s beautiful beaches, Boracay. We weren’t there for the scuba diving though it would be one of the nicest dive places (because we can’t scuba).

Budget nature: Affordable

Beach resorts came with touristy prices but in Boracay, it was not over the top, still affordable comparably.

Complexity: Easy to get around on Boracay, different forms of transportation to get there

Having taken 2 flights and an airport transfer, there was still a short trike ride to the jetty and a boat trip to Boracay. Not difficult though.

On Boracay itself, due to the size of the island, getting from place to place is usually in a trike and from station 1 to 3 can be done on foot, strolling on the beach of course!

Escape Plan to Munich December 2011

Escape Plan to Munich December 2011

Posted on by ziyi

A brief summary on the itinerary

Escape Plan to Munich 2011:

Total duration 4D3N
Singapore is 6hrs ahead of Munich.
Flight time is 12hrs on Lufthansa from Singapore to Munich.

Morning flight is on Lufthansa on 17th December at 11.59pm and arrival in Munich at 6:05am.
Return flight is on Lufthansa on the 20th December at 7:05pm and arrival in Frankfurt at 8:15pm and  transfer to 10:05pm flight and arrival at 4:55pm in Singapore on the 21st December.

Day 1 – Arrival at Munich, Erding, Neuschwanstein Castle and Hofbrauhaus
Day 2 – Xmas markets in Munich and dinner with the awesome folks of Erdinger
Day 3 – Erdinger factory tour, Erding Xmas market and Home Sweet home

This escape plan was a free trip that I won over a Facebook contest jointly held by Erdinger and Lufthansa. A trip to Erding a couple of days before Xmas to get the Xmasy feel with snow and a drive to Munich and Neuschwanstein was a perfect end to a great year of escapes.

Budget nature: Affordable in this particular escape.

With the tickets and accommodation already taken care of, its just some of the beers that we would need to pay for.

Complexity: Easy to get around with public transportation and driving on the Autobahn.

It was very simple to get from Erding to Munich using the train and driving on the Autobahn even during snow was not difficult, though it was a first. Of course, we had free transfer to and from the airport.

Escape Plan to South Korea October 2011

Escape Plan to South Korea October 2011

Posted on by ziyi

A brief summary on the itinerary

Escape Plan to South Korea 2011:

Total duration 13D12N
South Korea is 1hrs ahead of Singapore.
Flight time is 11hrs 50mins on Cathay Pacific with a transit at Hong Kong before arrival at Incheon Airport.

Morning flight is on Cathay Pacific on 26th October at 1:15am and arrival in Hong Kong at 5:10am and depart Hong Kong at 9:30am and arrive at Seoul at 2:05pm.
Return flight is on Cathay Pacific on the 7th November at 10:15am and arrival in Hong Kong at 1:15pm and transfer to 4pm flight and arrival at 7:45pm in Singapore on the 7th November.

Day 1 – Arrival in Seoul, Jogyesa Temple and Jonggak shopping.
Day 2 – Palace hopping, Seodaemun Prison and Shopping
Day 3 – Mt. Sorak and Sinheungsa Temple
Day 4 – Seoraksan cable car, Gwongeumseong Fortress and bus to Daegu
Day 5 – Day trip to historical town of Gyeongju
Day 6 – Beomeosa Temple, Geumjeong Fortress, Seokbul-sa Temple and Jagalchi Market
Day 7 – Yonggungsa Temple, Gwangandaegyo Bridge and Busan shopping
Day 8 – From Busan to Jeju and Mysterious Road, Miniature Land and rocks
Day 9 – Seongsan Ilchulbong, Manjanggul Lava Cave, Sangumburi Crater, Jeju Folk Museum and Haenyeo Woman Divers
Day 10 – Daepo Jusangjeolli Cliff, Teddy Bear Museum, Sanbangsan and flight from Jeju to Seoul
Day 11 – DMZ tour – world’s most heavily fortified border
Day 12 – Shopping again at Seoul
Day 13 – Home Sweet Home

This escape plan was planned to cover 2 days of public holiday consecutively to minimise the number of leave days required, so that 7 days leave yielded 13 days of holidaying.

Budget nature: Affordable outside city.

Other than the big cities where prices were expected to be higher, moving around the other areas of this big country can be pretty affordable. Take public transportation and stay at non-luxurious accommodation to bring costs down.

Complexity: Not so straightforward.

Cities and tourist places were very well connected with public transport. However, language became a barrier for communication especially outside Seoul. The hand language worked though, and the translation on Lonely Planet guide book made it easier.

Driving in Jeju helped to us to get from places to places effectively in the huge island and since traffic was light, it was not difficult to drive.

Escape plan to France, Italy, Greece and Britain March 2011

Escape plan to France, Italy, Greece and Britain March 2011

Posted on by ziyi

A brief summary on the itinerary

Escape Plan to France, Italy, Greece and Britain 2011:

Total duration 16D15N
Europe is 6hrs behind Singapore.
Flight time is 13hrs 25mins on Singapore Airlines direct to Heathrow Airport.

Flight was on Singapore Airlines on 27th March at 12:45pm and arrival in London at 7:10pm.
Return flight was on Singapore Airlines on the 11th April at 11:10am in London and arrival in Singapore at 7:20am.

Day 1 – Arrival in London
Day 2 – Eurostar to Paris, Sainte Chapelle and Paris city walk
Day 3 – Palace of Versailles and flight to Rome
Day 4 – Pompeii and flight to Athens
Day 5 – Ferry to Mykonos and explore Mykonos
Day 6 – Delos and ferry to Santorini
Day 7 – Roam around Santorini and visit Fira
Day 8 – Oia in Santorini
Day 9 – Return to Athens and explore Athens
Day 10 – Day trip to Delphi
Day 11 – From Athens to Kalambaka, visit the monasteries
Day 12 – 2nd round of visit to the monasteries before heading back to Athens
Day 13 – Explore the ruins in Athens
Day 14 – Day trip to Manchester for a Manchester United soccer match
Day 15/16 – Bicester Village outlet shopping, Oxford visit & Home Sweet Home

This escape plan was initially one that was plan for a visit to Japan but Fukushima happened and we had to change our plan to a return to central Europe with specific places of interest, such as Versailles and Pompeii, a visit to Greece and a “pilgrimage” (as a Man United fan) to Manchester to catch a football match “live” and tick off my bucket list.

Budget nature: Not cheap.

As there were multiple flights in the journey, we tried to exchange Krisflyer miles for partner flights, such as Aegean air for the journey to Athens. The greek islands were on a low season and therefore more affordable but overall, we had to save up for this trip.

Complexity: With planning, it would be manageable.

We managed to get from city to city via public transport and while on the greek islands, rent a car to get around. The temples at Kalambaka were accessed via motorcycles.

We had missed the train to Mont St Michel due to fumbling at the DIY kiosk and we couldn’t retrieve our tickets, as we had purchased earlier online. It was a waste of money and a lesson for us to just proceed to the ticketing counters next time.

Escape plan to India and Nepal January 2011

Escape plan to India and Nepal January 2011

Posted on by ziyi

A brief summary on the itinerary

Escape Plan to India and Nepal 2011:

Total duration 8D6N
India is 2.5hrs behind Singapore.
Flight time is 5hrs 30mins on Sri Lankan Airlines to Bandaranaike Airport in Sri Lanka, transit of 4hrs 25mins followed by 3hrs 35mins on Sri Lankan Airlines to Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi India.

Flight time is 1hrs 55mins on SpiceJet Airlines to Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Flight was on Sri Lankan Airlines on 29th January at 7:05am and arrival in Colombo at 10:05am and departure on the same day at 2:30pm and arrival in New Delhi at 6:10pm.
Return flight was on Sri Lankan Airlines on the 4th Febuary at 7:10am in New Delhi and arrival in Colombo at 10:45pm and departure on the same day at 11:40pm and arrive in Singapore at 6:05am.

Day 1 – Arrival in New Delhi and check in
Day 2 – Red Fort, Rajghat, Swaminarayan Akshardham temple, India Gate, Humayun’s Tomb & Lotus Temple
Day 3 – Day trip by train to Agra, Fatehpur Sikri & Taj Mahal
Day 4 – Flight to Kathmandu, Swayambhunath Stupa, Tibetan Refugee Camp & Patan
Day 5 – Kirtipur town, Kathmandu Dubar Square & transfer to Nagarkot
Day 6 – Nagarkot and journey back to Kathmandu
Day 7,8 – Flight back to Delhi and Home Sweet Home

This escape plan was planned during the Chinese New Year of 2011. We wanted to go to places where the festival is not being celebrated for fear that the entire place would be dead due to the festivities. So we chose India and Nepal so that we can also visit one of the new Wonder of the World, the Taj Mahal

Budget nature: Not too bad.

As much as I tried to get 3-4 stars hotel accommodation, we had to spend quite a bit of the VISAs for India, which had to go through some local agent to get it done (Nepal is VISA on arrival). We had gotten the better seats on train for the day trip to Agra and also a return flight to Nepal (which is cheaper to do so flying from Delhi compared to Singapore), and Nepal tour arranged through a local agent.

Complexity: With planning, it would be manageable.

We managed to get around Delhi by taxi and in Nepal, those were managed by pre-arranged tour agent. Stayed near the train station for the early train to Agra.

Visa for India was a pain to arrange.

Escape Plan to Beijing and Xi An, China May 2010

Escape Plan to Beijing and Xi An, China May 2010

Posted on by ziyi

A brief summary on the itinerary
(Due to lost camera and details, I also can’t recall most of the details)

Escape Plan to Beijing and Xi’an, China:

Total duration 10D9N
Singapore is on same timezone as Beijing and Xi’an.
Flight time is 6hrs 10mins on Singapore Airlines from Singapore to Beijing. Return flight is 6hrs 15mins on Singapore Airlines from Beijing to Singapore.
Flight time is 1hrs 50mins on Air China from Beijing to Xi’an. Return flight is 2hrs 20mins on Air China from Xi’an to Beijing.

Early morning flight on 20th May at 110am and arrival in Beijing in the same morning at 720am. Return flight from Beijing on the 30th May at 845am and arrival in Singapore at 3pm in the same afternoon.
Morning flight on 22th May at 720am and arrival in Xi’an in the same morning at 910am. Return flight from Xi’an on the 24th May at 930pm and arrival in Beijing at 1120pm.

Day 1 – 2 Arrival into Beijing, Forbidden City visit
Day 3 – 5 Fly into Xi’an, visit Terracotta museum, Xi’an old city and side trip to Famen temple
Day 6 Temple of Heaven, Beijing Summer Palace and Tiananmen Square
Day 7 Visit the Great Wall of China – Badaling section and the Ming Tombs
Day 8 Train to Chengde, visit Mountain Resort and mini Potala Palace
Day 9 – 10 Shopping and eating, Wang Fu Jing foodstreet
Day 11Home Sweet Home

This escape plan was planned as trip to China during the month of May to take advantage of the long weekend due to Vesak Day.

Budget nature: Generally affordable

Costs to travel in China are generally not too expensive when outside the main city center. We were taking taxis everywhere we went.

Complexity: Relatively easy if taking taxi and knows Chinese

We took a taxi everywhere we went and booked a driver while in Xi’An and in Beijing.

Escape Plan to Uluru, Ayers Rock February 2010

Escape Plan to Uluru, Ayers Rock February 2010

Posted on by ziyi

A brief summary on the itinerary

Escape Plan to Uluru, Ayers Rock 2010:

Total duration 4D4N
Darwin and Ayers Rock is 1.5hrs ahead of Singapore.
Flight time is 4hrs 35mins to Darwin International Terminal in Darwin, transit of 3hrs 25mins followed by 2hrs flight to Alice Springs Airport in Alice Spring, transit of 4hrs 30mins followed by 50mins flight to Ayers Rock.

Flight was overnight flight on Jetstar Airlines on the 12th February at 9:55pm and arrival in Darwin at 4:05am.
Flight departure on Qantas Airlines on the same day at 7:30am and arrival in Alice Spring at 10:30am and departure on the same day at 2pm and arrival in Ayers Rock at 2:50pm.

Return flight was on Qantas Airlines on the 16th Febuary at 9:35am in Ayers Rock and arrival in Alice Springs at 10:20am and departure on the same day at 11:00am and arrive in Darwin at 12:55pm.
Flight departure on Jetstar Airlines on the same day at 4:10pm in Darwin and arrival in Singapore at 7:10pm.

Day 0/1 – Short visit to Alice Springs town, arrival in Ayers Rock and Sunset at Ayers Rock
Day 2 – Sunrise at Ayers Rock, Ayers Rock climb, Mount Olga visit and sunset
Day 3 – Rest and Relax at accommodation
Day 4 – Sunrise at Ayer’s Rock and Home Sweet Home

This escape plan was planned as a getaway for Valentine’s day and Chinese New Year super long weekend in 2010. We chose a place where it was not cold so we went south where it was summer time in Australia. And a short Ayers Rock fit the bill for a short getaway.

Budget nature: A little bit pricey

There were at least 2 flight ransfers required to get there and thus plane tickets alone were not cheap. Ayers Rock is in the middle of a desert and accommodation is also expected to be not cheap for a simple place to sleep in.

Complexity: Not too difficult

Other than timing the flights so that there was enough time for transfer, the tour around Ayers Rock can be done with self drive which really simple.