Saturday, 16th September 2017 Chubu Airport >> Nagoya (44.5km, 53 mins, 870 Yen) The sky was drizzling away when my flight landed at Chubu International Airport. The rainy weather would continue throughout the day as Typhoon Talim was expected to make heavy landfalls in Japan that same evening. From the airport, I took the Meitetsu Train (870 Yen, JR Pass not eligible) to Nagoya Station. I then transfered to the subway to Sakae district for my final destination where my hotel, Meitetsu Inn Nishiki was located. After leaving my luggage at the reception, I headed for lunch at the nearby underground mall before starting my subway DIY tour. The weekend pass cost an amazing value-for- money 600 Yen which provided unlimited rides on the city's subway lines. I had allocated 2 nights in Nagoya even though ... read more

22nd July 2017 Weekend This was a weekend staycation @ the Quincy Hotel Orchard Road for KW and myself. The main reason that we booked the Quincy is that this is one of the few hotels where all rooms enjoy complimentary club benefits. In a nutshell, all our meals were fully taken care of during the duration of our stay which was an excellent choice since we did not wish to step outside the hotel during our staycation. The swimming pool at the roof top was rather small even though it didn't seem to be crowded when I was using the facilities on both occasions. The hotel appeared to be a favourite choice among birthday guests since we noticed the service crew going round the tables during dinner and presenting small treats to the birthday boy ... read more

Thursday, 27th April 2017 Today is not exactly a perfect day to visit Mount Pilatus given the snowy conditions that sent overnight temperatures plummeting beyond freezing point. The snow-covered streets and trees greeted me as I made my way out of the hotel this morning. My hopes for clear blue skies were dampened as the BBC weatherman had predicted that the snow would persist right up to Friday evening. These were the pictures that I took during my visit to Pilatus. I'm sure I would be back again someday for a different perspective when the weather is more forgiving and when the blue skies abound. For now, I will live with those snowy memories of the mountain.... read more

Tuesday, 25th April 2017 Jungfraujoch (3454m) or Top of Europe remained one of the must-visit sites for tourists coming to Switzerland. Early into the journey, I've decided NOT to pursue all the way to the summit. Hefty fees aside, the skies were overcast with dark clouds and storm looming this morning. The weatherman had made an accurate prediction. I was worried about altitude sickness too, since I did not know how well my body would react if I reached the top. Besides, there were hoards of tourists trying to make their way up in such a bad weather condition. I thought I should just take a step back and admire the Jungfraujoch from where I stood. Anyway, I started my ascend from Interlaken Ost (567m) for my journey to Lauterbrunnen (796m). From there, I made a ... read more

Monday, 24th April 2017 Since there is no direct train service between Geneva and Interlaken, I decided to make a brief stopover at Bern, the capital city of Switzerland for a couple of hours. On my way to Bern, my train passed by the city of Lausanne where it is home to the Olympic Museum. Due to time constraints, I had to forgo the museum but I'm pretty sure that I would have the chance to be back and visit it. Intercity train travels within Switzerland is an absolutely amazing experience thanks to the stunning postcard perfect vistas that greeted me everywhere from where I was seated. This is akin to watching a live National Geographic documentary unfolding before my eyes. Snow-capped mountains, crystal clear waters and bright blue skies in spring weather - the view ... read more