Archive for Trip

Hanoi Vietnam Trip (17th to 19th July)

19 July 2014 Trip No comments

I had to take a business trip to Hanoi, a place I always wanted to visit, so whilst the business trip same ol’, same ol’, the non-work part was very enjoyable.

I had to go the day before, due to the timings of the flight, and went with Vietnam Air – as this was a fair bit cheaper than Singapore Airlines – probably due to the lateness in booking. The main challenge was to get the Business Visa, so as my business trip was only confirmed a couple of days prior, I ended up going to the Vietnam Embassy to ensure I was able to pick-up the morning on the day of my departure…call it down to the wire – it certainly felt like that!! Phew!

When I arrived at the airport, I decided to visit the Butterfly Exhibition – something only a few people know about exists at the airport – it was actually quite nice, not a huge display, but very enjoyable to view and relax, as I waited for my flight.

My Vietnam Airlines Flight Arriving

My Vietnam Airlines Flight Arriving

After another hour, the flight arrived, so we waited to board and then took our seat.

The flight took around 3 hrs 15 mins, so it wasn’t too long. The flight was uneventful – luckily – food was so-so, but I wasn’t that hungry, so it wasn’t all bad.  I managed to sleep most of the flight – which was a great opportunity to catch-up on your sleep.

We arrived on time, and I managed to get a taxi to the Sheraton hotel, which lasted about 40 minutes or so.  Not too bad, although I couldn’t see much of the journey in the darkness.

 

The Friday lunch was a nice treat – as we were taken to a very nice restaurant in Hanoi – taking the tastes and delights of true Vietnam cuisine – yummy indeedy!

I also got to enjoy the local Vietnamese beer – tasted pretty okay actually, and the trip went very well. The hotel itself was located very nicely, overlooking the lake – a nice view indeed.

I left on Saturday morning, but didn’t have much time to enjoy the sights and sounds of Hanoi in all its glory, so I do think I will come back and visit again at some point for pleasure!

Team Build @ The Aquarium Resorts World Sentosa

3 October 2013 Entertainment, Marina Bay, Trip No comments

Well I am so glad that the world of Team Builds still exists – it is a great way to get to know your team better…and also have a bit of reflection on the year gone by and the expectations on what we can do better for the year ahead.

So we had a 3-day meeting, followed by a trip to the Aquarium at the Resorts World Sentosa – I always wanted to go, so finally managed too.

Aquarium Singapore

Aquarium Singapore

As you can see from the below, it was a great trip, definitely worth a visit when you are in Sentosa…

The best thing about this place is that it is meant to have the largest acrylic aquarium display – according to the Guinness Book of Records – so it was a great opportunity to see it in all its glory.

The World Record Aquarium Display

The World Record Aquarium Display

I am always a bit apprehensive about whether they can pull off something like an aquarium – and still make it feel and look natural, and I must admit, I think they did it well!

…And what happens after a long day at the Aquarium, well a fish dinner with the team. Very delicious and delightful – and more importantly, very filling 🙂

More Holiday’s Planned

18 August 2013 Family and Friends, Holiday, Trip No comments

Well having come back from the wedding and my extended holiday in Langkawi, I knew I had to book some more holiday’s. I already have a self-made long weekend trip to Penang in early September so that’s a start.

I also am planning a trip to Boracay in Philippines with a few work colleagues and friends, and also looking to do another trip to Taiwan again. I also need to schedule a trip back to the UK to catch-up with my friends and family – and I think if I can work it out, I could do a part-holiday, part-work in the Brighton office, as one option to minimise the utilisation of my 2013 holiday leave. I then need to see what I want to do around Christmas – I was thinking of working towards the end, and do the odd day off, but maybe I could visit Hong Kong over Christmas again. We’ll see.

I better get cracking with the scheduling – as they say, work never finishes, so unless I get my finger out, none of the above will ‘happen’!!

Neha’s and Neel’s Indian Wedding in Langkawi

12 August 2013 Holiday, Trip No comments

It has been months in the planning, but we have all been anticipating the wedding of the year – with a good work colleague and her fiancé, inviting a number of her Amex colleagues to the Indian wedding located at the WestIn in Langkawi, Malaysia.

I knew it was a going to be a good, and I also knew it would involve a LOT of drinking and enjoyment, and it didn’t disappoint.

A core group arrived on Thursday 1st August around midday, with another group arriving on the Friday.  The Mehendi was scheduled for the Friday, 2nd August for the ladies, the Sangeet during the evening and the Wedding Ceremony was on the Saturday, 3rd August.  Basically 3 days of “hard work” 🙂

It was such a gracious ceremony, and it was a great location to chill, relax and celebrate a great wedding ceremony.

Congratulations to Neha and Neel – I wish you many years of joy and happiness together…

Quick Trip to Jakarta

7 February 2013 Trip No comments

Well, I was scheduled to take a quick trip to Jakarta, but looking at the plane schedules, it is worth doing a night’s stop-ever, else it becomes an incredibly long day. Even with this, it was an early start – waking up at 5am 🙁

The flight was only 1 hr 50 mins or so, so a pleasurably and short flight – but it cost S$700 – ouch! It costs a third of this to go to Kuala Lumpur at a similar distance – crazy prices. And they do try to serve food which was a bit strange.

The Shangri-La Jakarta is a pleasant hotel…it is very spacious, very attentive staff and front desk, and the room was enormous (and very comfortable)! 🙂 Haha!

The brekkie was just lush – a plentiful supply of Asian and Western fusion that gave me the energy boost that I needed. One thing I did stuggle is the geography, with the chaotic traffic on the roads (there is no underground or metro-train system), and the confusing road network, meant I didn’t have a clue where I was most of the time – haha!

Shame it was only a day – as I wanted to learn a bit more about the City and the area (and to get my bearings better!).

 

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