TANKS Travel Tales - a travelogue.......

As the title of this blog post suggests, this photograph is all about the nostalgic beauty of a Balinese padi field.  The lush green and young padi in the field set against the bright blue sky, while the sculpture of a traditional Balinese statue standing guard all come together for that nostalgic rural scene. A photo moment captured to remember my trip. Padi Field, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia (2023)

It has been a while since I last wrote a review of my inflight experiences. In hindsight, "inflight" is actually a rather incorrect term for this series of reviews because the experiences include pre-boarding and at times, disembarking from the plane. So, the reviews do not exclusively focus on just experiences that occur inflight.  In-between my last inflight review posted in this blog sometime in 2020, I had flown on a small number of flights, both for work and for vacations. However, during the period from Feb 2020 to May 2022, I stayed totally grounded because of worldwide travel restrictions due to the COVID pandemic. Thankfully, for everyone and especially for the industry, those days are over. This is a review of my experiences when I flew on Business Class (i.e. 'J' Class) on Singapore Airlines (SIA) from Singapore's Changi International Airport to Bali's Denpasar Airport in December 2023.  The flight tickets were redeemed using my expiring frequent fl

Gearing up for my next trip......  In less than a week's time, I will be going on my planned vacation. This will be my second trip of the year. After this, I have no other trips either planned or confirmed for 2024. I am still trying to come to grips with the astronomical increase in travel costs. Thus, I have been searching and waiting for discount deals on flight tickets and accommodations, but no luck so far. And so, the search and wait continue. The coming trip is a relatively short and unadventurous 5 days/4 nights return cruise from Singapore to Penang and Phuket. I had booked this cruise sometime in the middle of last year, paying a lot less than what I would need to pay if I am to book a similar cruise itinerary today. And, I love the ship, Spectrum of the Seas. Sadly for me, this ship will leave Singapore next month (April 2024) for its new home ports in China. Thus, this will very likely be the last time I cruise on Spectrum unless it returns to be home ported in Singapor

Japan, Tokyo, Nakano This video was originally published in this blog in July 2021. The photographs shown in the video are based on my visit to Nakano in 2017. Before the trip, I had read about this quaint part of the greater Tokyo Metropolitan area and resolved to pop by for some sight-seeing and a walking tour if time on my itinerary permitted. And yes, I did visit Nakano on that trip. But why a video and not an article? Sometimes, pictures do speak more than a thousand words! Another reason was that I wanted to share what I saw and experienced in Nakano from a visual perspective.  And of course, my side trip to Nakano was an item in my travel bucket list.  ****************** I visited Nakano as a side trip while in Tokyo in the spring of 2017. Just minutes away from Shinjuku, Nakano is a world away from the hustle and bustle that defines Shinjuku. Here, serenity reigns. Being a rural area, the ambience is all about being slow paced and quiet. This is also an amazing place to catch s

Travel is getting expensive......  While working on my travel plans for 2024, I realised that travel is becoming really expensive. While I expect the usual price increases due to inflation, but the astronomical increase in ticket and accommodation prices far out-strip the percentage rises in inflation, at least based on my searches when checking out airline tickets and hotel accommodations. How this is so, I have no explanations. Add the fact that I am not traveling in luxury classes or staying in 5-star accommodations, the exponential increase in prices year-on-year is even more baffling. Admittedly, I am not backpacking or the like but still, middle-class travel is getting a bit out-of-reach and out-of-hand, pun intended. Thus, while I will still travel, I am cutting back on the number of trips and also on my discretionary expenses when traveling. No more souvenir hunting, no more buying something nice but my travels henceforth will focus merely on taking in the sights and experience

Ah..... the things that tourists do on their vacations. While beach combing ay Jimbaran Bay during low tide, I noticed many tourists casually riding ponies along the beach at dusk. Guided by their sure-handed handlers, the ponies casually trotted along the beach, each with only one tourist allowed on their backs, unless it was an adult accompanying a toddler. Unlike in many places, I also noticed the ponies here were relatively well-fed and were only carrying one passenger on their backs each time. Also, at dusk, the sun is not strong, thus ensuring the ponies were not subjected to heat stress. I concluded that this was a triple-wins. The ponies got to earn their keep, their handlers had a job and the tourists paid for and enjoyed their short rides along the beach.  Tourist, Pony and Handler, Jimbaran Bay, Bali, Indonesia (2023)

After a whole day of walking, sightseeing, eating and shopping, my favourite way to wrap up a hectic vacation day is to relax with a warm cup of beverage.  In Busan, head to the Jeonpo Cafe Street. Packed with hip cafes offering a myriad of themes and different ways to enjoy one's favourite cup of coffee, this is a haven for coffee lovers like myself. Cafes at the famous Busan Cafe Street a.k.a. Jeonpo Cafe Street, Dongcheon-ro, Busanjin-gu, Busan, South Korea (2019) Getting There Jeonpo Cafe Street is easily accessible.  It is located just minutes walk from the Seomyeon Metro Station. Tips Walk around, soak in the cafe culture and atmosphere, choose a cafe that appeals to you most, head in, order you favourite roasts, grab a seat, relax and enjoy your cuppa. What if there are more than one cafes that catches you fancy? Easy solution. Patronise them all! A warm cup of my favourite roasts made my vacation day a much more enjoyable one, Jeonpo Cafe Street, Dongcheon-ro, Busanjin-gu,