Shopping, packing & Changi were on the menu  for day 3. Unfortunately as soon as we left the hotel it started pouring, I thought all my plans were ruined. To my utter surprise most of the shopping areas Little India, Mustafa, Bugis Street are all covered and street shopping is possible in the rain.
Bugis Junction, located above Bugis MRT Station, has a couple of great food courts where we tried our hand at Japanese Octupus Balls, Crepes and Thai food.

We walked across to Bugis Street Flea Market situated along a walkway …

Day two was blocked for the Jurong Bird Park. Even if you aren’t a bird lover, this place is a treat to visit. There are more than 9000 birds here (of over 600 species), in a variety of themed exhibits.
Highlights include a special climate-controlled home for five species of penguins; the world’s first underwater viewing station where visitors can see the watery activities of all seven species of pelicans; the world’s largest walk-in aviary with man-made waterfall and 1500 free-flying African and South American birds; 500 parrots from 110 species; …

Uniquely Singapore has some seriously exceptional stuff. Actually, it’s unique because one doesn’t expect such things in such a small area. One has to bear in mind that Singapore is an island country half the size of Delhi. The law & order is amazing, so-much-so that you’ll find T-Shirts mocking it by saying ‘Singapore is a FINE city’.
Here is a list of what I think you might not have known about Singapore … in no particular order…

It’s a multi-racial country with the main races consisting of 77% Chinese, 14% Malays …

The first part is getting there:
Tickets: We went by Tiger airways (nothing to write home about, absolutely no leg room), you can get the cheapest fares here, no doubt. Singapore Airlines is another option & I believe, you can call there call-centers & enquire about special rates. Also, if you book 90 days in advance you may get the cheaper fares. So try your luck!! There are other options – Indian Airlines, Jet and so on.
Visa: TT services in Bangalore is where we got are visa done, it’s reasonable, fast, …

Traveling is fun & 2008 has been a lot of fun for us!! After Srinagar, Goa, Pune, Delhi, Bangkok – Singapore was Unique. Well! I’m not saying the other places were bad, trust me, I had a blast at each & every place. The difference was that this was spur-of-the-moment plan. No research, No itinerary & also No Shopping (will tell you about this one later). But I’d  heard somewhere that ‘Half the fun of the travel is the aesthetic of lostness’, Now I can tell you…its true!

The weekend & …

1ne : MARZ – O – RIN
Self Service/ No Smoking/ Veg, Non-Veg – that’s what Marz-o-rin’s menu card reads. One of Pune’s most loved & known café, situated right on MG road opposite Buddhani wafers – Marz-o-rin is a must visit when in Pune.
Still maintaining the old world charm of the British, the cozy little balcony upstairs is ideal for a coffee and sandwich break. The place is a favorite with the oldies (the regulars, who come to discuss the hot topic of the day) as well as the teenage …

My first visit to Panchgani (and Mahabaleshwar) was also my first real ride on my new Motorcycle, the Royal Enfield Thunderbird. This was back in 2004 and I still remember the planning I put in for that. Of course, I was new to Pune and didn’t know anything about any highway around the city and this was my first trip out of the city. My planning was almost flawless.
Considering that Panchgani is just about 100 kms from Pune, the planning was overkill, but its better to be prepared than Sorry, …

My favorite mountain resort in India is most definitely Gulmarg. Like Barney from HIMYM would say… Gulmarg’s beauty is LEGENDARY.
Srinagar, the capital of Jammu and Kashmir is the nearest Airport and Gulmarg is about 2 hours from Srinagar.
It’s proximity to Srinagar makes it easily accessible and visitors flock from far and near to take in its splendor. The journey to Gulmarg is half the attraction of reaching there, in any season. In the summer the sight of the rolling hills sprinkled with wild flowers makes Gulmarg look like a Van …

A reminder of the excellent time we had at Gulmarg last month.
The red building in the picture is a Shiva temple, probably the only one in the country with a Muslim priest.
This temple has been featured in a number of bollywood movies and the guides around the place will happily fill you in with the names even if you aren’t interested :-)
Gulmarg is also the venue for the most famous winter festival in India in which hordes of international tourists also participate. Gulmarg is covered with snow during that time …

Bangkok is a big and bustling metropolis and, for a first time traveller, it can actually get a bit overwhelming to take in all that the city has to offer.