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Travel Itineraries
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48 Hours in Bangkok: Day 1 – Check-In at Centara, Massage and Visit to Jodd Fairs
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Dubai Travels Day 1: Staying at the Luxurious Atlantis The Palm Dubai!
Dubai is the largest and most populous city in UAE (United Arab Emirates). It is also the main tourist destination in UAE due to attractions …
Danang Travel Itinerary Day 1: Marble Mountain, Hoi An and Danang Hoi An Local Food!
Thinking of travelling to Danang? What comes to mind first? Is it the pristine My Khe Beaches? The majestic Marble Mountains? The lanterns of Hoi …
Okinawa Travel Itinerary Day 1: Driving North and Checking Out the Attractions of Henza Island
Okinawa. The Japanese chain of islands known for its turqoise blue waters, white sandy beaches and of course, its amazing Okinawan food. Okinawa is also …
Greece Travel Itinerary Day 1: Arriving at Syntagma Square and Exploring the Ancient Ruins of Athens
“Greece? Such an exotic place!” was the reply when we mentioned to our friends that we would be travelling to Greece this summer. Greece has …
India Travel Itinerary Day 1: Singapore to Chennai to Jaipur (Hotel Pearl Palace) via Indigo
Finally, the day of departure to India came! We were both excited yet anxious. Having done our India travel visa and completed our homework on …
Yogyakarta Travel Itinerary Day 1: Prambanan Temple, Parangtritis Beach Horse Ride and Massage no. 1!
So we were thinking of travelling to a nearby destination. A short flight from Singapore, a good mix of nature, things to do and it …
South Korea Travel Itinerary Day 1: Busan Gwangalli Beach, Spaland and Fried Chicken Army Stew!
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12 Days of Japan Travels: Tokyo Jimbocho and Imperial Palace Gardens Day 1
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Turkey Trip Day 1 : Singapore to Istanbul and Ferry to Canakkale
Turkey was our next country to “conquer” as we have not had the opportunity to visit this country (ahem @ GoTurkey.com :p) that spans between both Europe and Asia continent. As there is a language barrier and a vast distance to travel if we were to do a free-and-easy by ourselves, we decided to join the Chan Brother’s 10D7N Turkey travel for only $2100 per person. It is very affordable because $1000 would be the price of the air ticket while the remaining $1100 is used for meals, transportation, accommodation, attraction tickets, tour guide as well as taking out the hassle of planning all the routes around Turkey. It is especially worth it when you get to skip the MASSIVE queues outside the major attractions in Istanbul!
We chose to travel via the Turkish Airlines flight (instead of Singapore Airlines) because of the timing of both departure and arrival flights. We departed at 12:30am and arrived at 6:30am in Istanbul (both local times), having full days in Turkey on the departure and arrival days!
Upon arrival at the airport, we were greeted by our local guide Enis who brought us immediately to Istanbul to visit the Hippodrome of Constantinople, Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque), Topkapi Palace and Hagia Sophia.
Attractions in Istanbul Turkey
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If you take a look at the monuments at the Hippodrome, you’ll realise that they are formed up in a single line. During the Roman era, it was actually the central columns of a chariot race. Imagine the chariots going round the columns resembling an elongated oval shaped race track.
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Views from the Topkapi Palace
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As we moved from the Hippodrome to the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque), Hagia Sophia Museum and Topkapi Palace, we were told of stories at these various areas…
Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque) : Have you ever wondered why there are 6 minarets (slender tower typically with a balcony) at the Blue Mosque? Legend has it that the order was to build altin (gold) towers around the mosque. However, the builder heard alti (six) instead. Hence, six minarets were built around the Blue Mosque. In fact, Blue Mosque is not blue in colour but it earned its name because of the 20,000 blue mosaic tiles used within the mosque. Hence, a touristic name of Blue Mosque was derived!
Hagia Sophia Museum : At the Hagia Sophia, there’s a hole in the wall with a long queue behind it. Everyone is actually queuing to place their thumb in the hole, make a circle with the palm of their hands and make a wish. Legend has it that an angel promised a boy to look after his equipment so that he could go back to take of his parents. The boy never returned and the angel is thought to be trapped within, granting wishes to people who came to visit.
Topkapi Palace : The first courtyard of the Topkapi palace extends from Imperial Gate to Salutation Gate while the second courtyard is from Salutation Gate to Felicity Gate. At the second courtyard, there is a Justice Tower where the Sultan would stand and witness executions taking place. However, the best part of the Topkapi Palace is actually the view of the Bosphorus River. Remember to take beautiful shots from the balconies overlooking Bosphorus. Other notable places to visit includes the treasury, religious relics (both Christian and Muslim) as well as the Royal Kitchen.
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Itinerary of Day 1: Istanbul to Canakkale Turkey
0630 : Arrival at Istanbul Ataturk Airport
0830 : Visit to Hippodrome, Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque), Hagia Sophia Museum and Topkapi Palace
1230 : Lunch at Citadel Hotel Istanbul
1400 : Depart for Canakkale
1600 : Stopover for break
1830 : Ferry to Canakkale
2000 : Arrival at Tusan Hotel Canakkale
After our visit to all the attractions in Istanbul, we adjourned to Citadel Hotel Istanbul for lunch before commencing the approximate 6 hours drive to Canakkale. This includes a ferry ride in between where the whole car drives unto the ferry to be transferred across the straits to Canakkale.
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Related posts
This post is part of our 10 Days 7 Nights Turkey travel with Chan Brothers. Below, you can find other relevant posts covered during this trip.
Turkey Trip Day 1 : Singapore to Istanbul and Ferry to Canakkale
Turkey Travel Day 2 : Visiting the Trojan Horse of Troy and Ancient City of Pergamon
Turkey Travel Day 3 : Visit to Ephesus / Turkish Bath and Hot Springs of Lycus River Hotel Pamukkale
Turkey Trip Day 4 : Pamukkale Cotton Castle and Journey to Cappadocia!
Hot Air Balloon Flight in Cappadocia with Royal Balloon : Turkey Travel Day 6!
Mall of Istanbul (MOI) : Shopping Eating and Relaxing on Day 8 of Turkey Trip!
Basic Turkish Language You Should Know
Here are some simple Turkish phrases that you should know to make your Turkish trip that much more enjoyable. But for ease of pronunciation, we’ll not spell out the actual Turkish spelling but the way you should pronounce it!
Thank you – teh she kew air de room (6 syllabus to say thank you?!?!)
Hello – mehr ha ba
Goodbye – gule gule
Good morning – gew nei den (yes, we know. It does sounds like “good night”)
Good night – yeee yeee gu jay lash
I am fine – yeee yeee
No worries (not at all) – beer she dean
Yes – eh vet
No – ha year
Find out more about day 2 of our Chan Brother’s Turkey trip when we visit the legendary Trojan horse!
Singapore to Tainan : Taiwan Trip Day 1
During our recent trip to Taiwan, we decided to do a whole of WEST COAST trip which included Tainan, Chiayi, Changhua (because Tom wanted to eat the Changhua meatballs after watching 食尚玩家), Taichung, Miaoli, Taoyuan and Taipei. The plan was to first fly into Taoyuan International Airport and take the HSR (High Speed Rail) all the way down to Tainan before journeying back up north again. We also realised during the trip that the rail transportation network is really well developed and with the HSR, it was just a 1.5 hours ride from Taoyuan to Tainan!
Map of Taiwan Trip 2014
We started the trip with a complimentary airport transfer and a visit to the Dnata SkyView Lounge. Both are perks of joining the ANZ Travel Card. Just by joining the card, there are 3 immediate perks that you can enjoy.
1. Complimentary to more than 80 airport lounges world wide. ANZ did a tie-up with Veloce.
2. Complimentary Airport transfer (if you spend a cumulative amount of $1500). Air tickets plus hotel bookings will typically hit the amount.
3. Complimentary travel insurance if you pay for tickets using the card.
From Taoyuan International Airport, you will need to first find the Ubus 705 that takes you from Taoyuan International Airport to the HSR station (signs are easily recognisable once you exit the customs check). The tickets costs only NT30 ($1.20). From there, we took the HSR from Taoyuan Station to Tainan Station for NT1305 ($52) which took 1hr and 24 minutes (from 1921 to 2045）…
During the ride, the top speed of the HSR hit approximately 300km/h which was why in no time at all, we reached Tainan Station. From there, we had to change to the local line (TRA – Taiwan Railways Administration) on the 區間車 to Tainan TRA station. This ride was NT25 which took about 25 minutes…
1967 City Central Hotel Tainan was just a short 5 minutes walk away from the station. As it was already close to 10pm at night, we were feeling quite hungry and decided to stop at a local beef noodles stall to have a quick bite. Turns out that this beef noodles was going to be one of the best beef noodles during this Taiwan trip, just minutes away from 1967 Hotel!
As we had already informed the hotel in advance that we would be late that evening, the receptionist was already expecting us and promptly showed us around the hotel. After taking a few shots of the room and hotel, it was time for us to turn in early for the start of our Taiwan trip tomorrow!
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On day 2 of our Taiwan trip, we’ll be checking out all the good food and attractions that Tainan has to offer! So stay tuned!
You have just finished a post on our Taiwan Trip in 2014 which started here. Here is the full list of posts written about Taiwan Trip 2014…
Singapore to Tainan : Taiwan Trip Day 1
Things to do in Tainan Taiwan Trip Day 2
鹿早茶屋 Opposite 1967 Hotel Tainan
Things to do in Chiayi Taiwan Trip Day 3
Chiayi Attractions Taiwan Trip Day 4
Changhua Meatballs (彰化肉圓) : Which is the Best?
What to eat at Feng Jia Night Market (逢甲夜市)?
Changhua Taichung Taiwan Trip Day 5
Things to do in Taichung Taiwan Trip Day 6
Things to do in Miaoli Taiwan Trip Day 7
Kuo Tai Glass Park Zhunan Day Trip
Things to do in Taoyuan Taiwan Trip Day 8
Taoyuan Attractions Taiwan Trip Day 9
Things to do in Taipei Taiwan Trip Day 10
Cebu/Bohol Trip: Day 1
It’s more fun in the Philippines!! The tarsier’s eyes do freak me out when I see the advert on the tourism board webpage. But since we have never been there before, SGD is strong, the people speak english; and we want to go somewhere that is not crowded, nice scenery, laze on a beach, we decided to visit Cebu/Bohol. Many people ask why are we not going to Boracay instead…well, it’s more convenient to do Cebu/Bohol and everyone else has probably already visited Boracay. Cebu/Bohol has a good mix of everything – history, countryside, beach; and we definitely enjoyed every moment of our 8 days there!
We took Silkair ($774 including travel insurance) because of the flight timings.
It was easy to get around with the abundant metered white taxis (How to get from Cebu to Singapore). Our driver Long (yes, that’s his name!) was friendly and seemed honest. He asked us if we want to book his taxi for a day tour; we negotiated the itinerary and price and arranged to meet at 10.30am the next day at the Castle Peak Hotel lobby.
Where to get “white taxis” at Cebu Airport
The room in Castle Peak Hotel was not ready yet when we arrived at 1.30pm but we were pleasantly surprised by the newly renovated Twin Peak Spa. Kate went for a one-hour massage while waiting for the room to be ready. After the massage, we were ready to check out what Cebu had to offer!
We chose to walk to Ayala Mall (even though our taxi driver mentioned that it may not be that safe) because it was still bright daylight and the mall could be seen from our hotel room so we reckon it is not that far. The walk took us 15 mins and there were proper traffic lights to allow us to cross the roads safely. The only gripe we had was that the pavements were narrow and uneven; and at times we had to walk on the road.
As it was a weekday afternoon, Ayala Mall was fairly quiet. We window-shopped and decided to catch a movie! While waiting for the show, we challenged each other at shooting hoops in the arcade. And of course I thrashed Kate …I am the best! *evil laugh*
Even though we were kinda full from the hotdog and popcorn, we can’t wait to try the local dishes! We quickly flag down a taxi and soon we arrived at Golden Cowrie Native Restaurant. The food was delicious and the price was reasonable. Washing the food down with cold San Miguel beer made it even better! With our tummy filled, we took a cab back to Castle Peak Hotel and rest for the night; in preparation for the city day tour the next day.
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Crispy pata and Squid in coco sauce – Must try from Golden Cowrie Restaurant!
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For your convenience, we have arranged for the best hotel deals in Cebu right here!
Times fly when you’re having fun and this quickly rounded up our first day in the Philippines. Stay tuned tomorrow for the 2nd day of our Cebu/Bohol Trip!
Happy travels and a blessed 2014 ahead everyone!
Tom & Kate,
2bearbear.com
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CnT Lechon: The Best Lechon in Cebu?
Golden Cowrie Restaurant Cebu: For Authentic Filipino Food!
Eat, shop, eat, shop, till we drop in Cebu!
Filipino Breakfast at Alberto’s Pizza Cebu!
Ayala Mall Cebu : Do What The Locals Do!
City Suites Ramos Tower: Good location with Great view!
Castle Peak Hotel, Cebu, Philippines: Good location, Low price!
Breakfast at Bo’s Coffee: One of Philippines’ top specialty homegrown coffee shop
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4 Top Attractions and Things to do in Bohol Philippines!
Peacock Garden Bohol : Awesome Premier Infinity Pool and Seaview Room!
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Hong Kong Trip : Day 1!
Thanks to Kate, we finally embarked on our trip to Hong Kong! Yeah, she is the planner of all our trips and our in-house photographer. While, I just carry the bags. When you consider the amount of things Kate buys, then you will know that things are actually…well…quite balanced :p
Book Here with Klook: Popular Activities in Hong Kong
The flight from Singapore to Hong Kong takes slightly under 4 hours. After we alighted, we headed straight for our first stop – Citygate Outlet at Tung Chung!
You can easily reach Citygate Outlet at Tung Chung by taking E21 from the bus station at the airport. The deals here were actually not too bad. Our intention was not to buy any branded stuff but to only look out for good deals. However, as it turns out, the branded stuff had relatively good deals as well. Kate bought several wallets. To my dismay… :p
It was here that Ive tried my first Hong Kong wanton mee. The taste was quite forgettable though. Luckily for us, more good food lies ahead.
After all the shopping, we took the same bus towards Jordan where our first night of stay in Hong Kong was – Jordan Comfort Inn at New Lucky House!
Kate actually spent alot of time on Klook to sieve through the various hostels that we can afford to stay in. We wanted a central location which meant that nice fancy hotels were out. Nice fancy hotels in the city cost a bomb!
Since most of the time in HK will be spent buying stuff and eating (买东西，吃东西）, we decided that a central location solely for sleeping would be the main consideration. Oh, attached bathrooms as well.
So after scouring through the hotels (hostels, I meant), Kate decided on Jordan Comfort Inn for our first night because of its accessibility to the shopping areas at Temple Street and close proximity to the Jordan MTR. And if you really want, you can also walk to the Avenue of Stars at Victoria Harbour.
The catch about hostels in Hong Kong is that the rooms are REALLY EXPENSIVE and you’ll get a REALLY SMALL room. We paid $112 a night for a 8sqm room! Check this out…
Book Here with Klook: Popular Activities in Hong Kong
The plus point is that although the room is small, it has a comfy bed, a TV and an attached bathroom. There’s also a shared water dispenser as well. Not too bad for a small room. As the chinese saying goes, 麻雀虽小，五脏俱全 (direct translation for “Although the sparrow is small, it has 5 complete organs”) Well…meaning that although the room is small, it has all the basic necessities!
After checking in, we decided to start wondering along the streets in Jordan. The cool thing about a free and easy vacation is that we can have the holiday just the way we want it. No need to be hurried around from point to point and buy stuff from specific souvenir shops. Having said that, packaged tour has its merits as well especially to places where most locals dont speak the same language as you do. Ah…we digressed.
So we took the opportunity to visit the shopping areas at Temple Street, had a wonderful dinner of roasted meats at a local joint and even stumbled upon the famous dessert place – Australian Dairy Company!
We were feeling STUFFED after all the food that we ate (did you see the mountain of rice?!), we decided to go for a stroll at Victoria Harbour. Kate did not want to do the harbour visit on our first night initially but after much pestering from me, Kate relented! YaY!
Initially, we wanted to catch the Symphony of Lights that goes on daily at 8pm. Unexpectedly, it started to drizzle which quickly turned into a downpour just as the clock struck 8! Bearing through the wind, the rain and the cold, we managed to catch this video for our readers – you!
Not that we were able to catch much in the cold winds, (more like blair witch?) but still the sights and sounds were captured to give us an idea of how the Symphony of Lights was.
After the rain subsided, we started to make our way back to Jordan Comfort Inn and called it a night…
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Book Here with Klook: Popular Activities in Hong Kong
For your convenience, we have arranged for the best hotel deals in Hong Kong right here!
Stay tuned for our 2nd day in Hong Kong!
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You have just finished a post on our 9 day trip to Hong Kong, Macau and Shen Zhen. Read on to find out more about our adventures during this trip!
Hong Kong Trip : Day 1
Hong Kong Trip Day 2 : The Attractions of Tsuen Wan
Hong Kong Trip Day 3 : Ocean Park and New Year’s Eve Countdown
Hong Kong Trip Day 4 – Side Trip to Macau
Hong Kong Trip Day 5 – Continuing Our Travels in Macao
Hong Kong Trip Day 6 – Rounding up Macao and Returning to HK
Day 7 Hong Kong Trip : Side Trip to Shen Zhen & Debunking Recommendations
Day 8 Hong Kong Trip : What we did in Central 中環 Hong Kong
Day 9 Hong Kong Trip : A Surprise Find at Lian Xiang Ju Dim Sum Restaurant
Hotels and Hostels We Stayed in Hong Kong
New Year’s Eve Countdown at Victoria Harbour Hong Kong
Ibis Hotel Hong Kong Central & Sheung Wan : For the Best Views of Victoria Harbour
L Hotel Nina Convention Centre Hong Kong : Great views over Tsuen Wan
Jordan Comfort Inn Review @ New Lucky House Hong Kong
New China Yan Yan Guest House at Chung King Mansion
Food and Dining in Hong Kong
3 Reasons Why You MUST Try Dim Sum in Hong Kong and Macao
The Minimalist Guide to Eating at Tim Ho Wan Hong Kong
A Classy Treat at Lei Garden International Finance Center Hong Kong
Mak Mun Kee 麦文记 Noodles Shop : Best Wanton and Beef Noodles in Hong Kong
Great Desserts at Australian Dairy Company Hong Kong! ( 澳洲牛奶公司)
Lan Fong Yuen Hong Kong : For a taste of traditional milk tea since 1952
Secret to Enjoying Hong Kong Cafes…
What a typical Hong Kong Cafe is like
Debunking Recommendations of DiscoverHongKong.com : What NOT to eat in Hong Kong
Attractions in Hong Kong
Hong Kong Central Mid Level Escalator : Longest Escalator Walkway System in the World
Avenue of Stars 星光大道 : Hong Kong’s Hollywood Walk of Fame
Ocean Park Hong Kong : Still worth a visit?
Temple Street 庙街 Hong Kong : First glimpse at Hong Kong’s Night Market
Where to shop in Hong Kong? Citygate Outlets Tung Chung!
Elements Shopping Mall at Kowloon Hong Kong
Only make a side trip from Hong Kong to Shen Zhen if…
21 Amazing Travel Experiences in Hong Kong
Hotels We Stayed in Macau
Hotel Royal Macau : Luxury at a Central Location
Regency Hotel Macau : A 5 Stars Hotel?
Attractions in Macau
Guia Fortress and Lighthouse Macao : An Elusive Fortress Found
Macao Maritime Museum : Great Price Good Exhibits
Historic Centre of Macao : Ruins of Saint Paul’s, Mount Fortress & More
Cotai Strip Macau : Games, Shows, Food and Entertainment
Taipa Village Macau : Houses Museum, Pork Buns, Portuguese Egg Tarts
Top 5 MUST DO Things in Macao : You have not been to Macao unless you have…
Attractions and Things to do in Prague : Day 4-6 of Europe Trip!
There are so many things to do in Prague! In day 4 of our Europe Trip, we’ll describe all the attractions and things to do right here in Prague!
Day 4
We arrived in Prague at about 8pm via a flight from Amsterdam. It is wise to arrange for transport in advance because our driver was already awaiting for us at the airport when we arrived. The other good thing about this airport transfer was that it includes a guided tour of Prague as well! And so we checked into our Hotel – Hotel Roma that evening.
Hotel Roma is an italian themed hotel. We got it for a steal through a combined flight and hotel purchase – $70Euros/night!
The breakfast in European countries are pretty much the same – cheese, ham, bread, eggs, sausage, fruits and cereals. Well, for the price, it’s really a steal as it comes with breakfast for 2, proximity to the Funicular and walking distance to all major attractions!
As we were still early for the complimentary tour, we took a short walk about town and took some photos of the Charles Bridge as well as the Vltava River.
Charles Bridge and Vltava River
When we shot this photo, we were still unaware that it was the hunger wall. We thought that it was just another fortification of the city. Turns out that King Charles the 4th wanted to feed his people due to a great famine during that period, so he hired them to construct the wall, at the same time feeding them. Great King eh?
The tour starts daily at 11am. As we were still early, we went shopping! Kate bought a pair of boots at the shopping malls along Wenceslas Square. Fashionable yet keeps one warm in the cold months.
We were there close to 11am and met our tour guide for the day – Monika. She’s a local, born and bred in Prague and she is VERY experienced. Plus she speaks good English as well. We were told to hang around and watch the Astronomical Clock at 11am sharp. She told us that the tour would start after the “performance”. This was what we saw…
12 Apostles of Astronomical Clock
After the cock crowed, a trumpeter appeared at the top of the Astronomical Clock to announce the hour on all 4 sides of the tower…
Trumpeter of the Astronomical Clock
After the “performance”, Monika started the tour proper. Since we were in the heart of Old Town Prague, she told us a few stories here…
360 View of Old Town Prague
You may notice that the towers of the Church of our Lady before Tyn are different – one thin and one fat. Monika joked that the architect was actually drinking and got a little bit tipsy that evening, which is why the measurements got out. But the truth is, the fatter tower actually represents Eve and the thinner one Adam.
If you notice closely, the Astronomical Clock actually has very very small divisions on the outside discs. They represent each day of the calendar year! 😮 This means that as the clock moves (telling time), the discs move and tells the day of the year! The Astronomical Clock is indeed the work of a genius.
You may also notice a piece of wall near the Astronomical Clock that is abruptly sheared off. The original wall actually extended all the way to St. Nicholas Church which is a distance away. It was destroyed during WW2.
The blue and grey building, also located in the old town square was actually a place where Albert Einstein used to chill out and show off his violin skills!
We then moved away from the Old Town Square. These are some of the interesting things that Monika pointed out to us along the way…
Outside the Concert Hall (where plays are only in German), there is a statue (see bottom right of picture above). This was done by the lover of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wherever he performed.
Legend has it that a thief came to steal from the Church of St. James. When he was about to leave, the Madonna grabbed his hand and did not let go till the next morning. The people came and saw the thief but had no way to release him except for cutting off his hand. The Madonna then released the hand. Subsequently, the hand has been hung as a warning to other thiefs.
House signs such as this used to tell others the job of the one who stays inside. Here, the golden rings usually symbolises gold smiths. We then headed to the Jewish Quarter…
Soon, it was lunch time and we had our lunch at Yes Burger.
After the delightful meal (tender burger patty made on the spot), we met up at the book tunnel inside the city library…
The book tunnel also has another name – Never Ending Tunnel because of the 2 reflecting mirrors on both ends of the tunnel, creating an illusion of a tunnel with no end in sight. As we passed the library, we saw
We then came to the entrance of the Charles Bridge
Apparently, the gate has some astronomical meaning behind it. It was deduced by astrologers that the bridge should be built according to the odd number pyramid 135797531 for good luck. The moon, sun and star level also has some meaning to it.
From the Charles Bridge, you can enjoy magnificent views of the city as well.
View from Charles Bridge
There are also several statues on Charles Bridge that is rumoured to bring good luck and children! Further down, we arrived at Kampa Island (where Tom Cruise jumped out of restaurant in Mission Impossible 1) as well as home of Monster Vonnique!
Monster Vonnique is a story that parents tell their children when they’re naughty. Monster Vonnique would catch its naughty victims, drown them and keep their spirits.
The lockamania that spread to many cities including Prague whereby lovers would place locks together as a symbol of belonging and “binded” to each other.
The John Lennon Wall of Prague has a really interesting yet sorrowful story to it. As a symbol of peace and love, someone started to draw John Lennon on this piece of wall. However, the government was oppose to such freedom, started to repaint the wall. People then came to draw again and again, so much so that the government at its peak, had to station guards to arrest/beat anyone who drew on the wall. Today, this wall (and its pictures) changes all the time but usually there’s still a picture of John Lennon on it.
After that, we headed to the highlight of the entire tour – Prague Castle! To go there, we travelled by Nerudova. The slope is quite steep so please wear proper shoes ya? There were also more house signs on this street…
Amazing View from Prague Castle
You may also catch the change of guards at Prague Castle as well!
Change of Guards at Prague Castle
There are also other interesting things to note in Prague Castle…
Here’s an important tip : When you leave Prague Castle, you will be made to choose at this point…
By choosing to go left (via the vineyard), you will continue to enjoy the fantastic view of Prague as you descend down and leave the castle. If you were to go right, the walls would be too high and you’ll just miss the views as you go back down to the city.
We were recommended by our receptionist that evening to have dinner at Olympia.
We had the roast pork as well as the Beef Goulash
All in all, the dinner was about $20euros but the food was simply amazing. Dont miss the roast pork!
Day 5
The next day, we headed up to Petrin Hill via the Funicular.
It was pretty cold that morning but the sun was up, brightening up the day.
We headed to Petrin Tower but the lift was down, so we did not go up the tower. We stayed in the souvenir section and browsed a little…
We also visited the Mirror Labyrinth (aka Hall of Mirrors)
There was a mirror maze as well as a laughter hall where convex and concave mirrors create funny reflections of you. On the way down to the Monastery to have our lunch as some freshly brewed beer, we saw a picture perfect moment…
Lunch at the brewery was fantastic as well! We had the chicken as well as the crepe with ice cream! mamamia!
Please dont miss out on the pancake with caramel beer ice cream! It is probably the best dessert we’ve had ever!
Taking the advice of Monika, we decided to visit a restaurant she recommended for svickova, beef in whipped cream, creamy brown sauce and cranberry…
The beef was tender, flavourful and the mix of cranberry,whipped cream and sauce is something new but interestingly nice for us!
We headed back to Charles Bridge and did some shopping at Pariska Street before heading to Municipal House for tea…
It is also recommended to have tea at the Kavárna obecní Dům aka Municipal House Cafe. It was a new experience for us as we dont usually do tea time plus the atmosphere was classy. Check it out…
Classy feel in Kavárna obecní Dům – Live piano in the background
For more of what we ate, check out the post of Municipal House.
In the evening, we headed back to Wenceslas Square to try out the roasted pork knuckle!
The pork knuckle was HUGE! It is also good for 2. Goes well with some beer from the menu.
We rounded off the evening with a stroll past Charles Bridge in the dark. Romantic.
Romantic Walk at night along Charles Bridge
Day 6
We slept in today and decided to go to the pub near the hotel to try out the smoke duck. Turns out that it was delicious as well!
The interior of the restaurant is somewhat like a tavern. You literally descend a flight of stairs into a basement. Cool.
Posts related to Prague Czech Republic
Top 6 Things to do in Prague and Attractions in Prague Czech Republic
Attractions and Things to do in Prague : Day 4-6 of Europe Trip
Attractions in Prague
Prague Castle – The most iconic architecture in Prague
Petrin Hill via the Funicular – Amazing View of Prague and Hall of Mirrors Awaits
Municipal House Prague – Enjoy a cuppa at Kavárna obecní Dům while reveling in the arts
Wenceslas Square Prague – Shopping , Dining , Cinemas and more
Charles Bridge Prague – Beautiful Architecture with Stories and Legends to Tell
Old Town Square Prague – History, Astrological Clock and more
Astronomical Clock Prague – Work of A Genius
Hotel that we stayed in Prague
Hotel Roma Prague Czech Republic – Great room at an excellent price
Last Words
There are so many things to do in Prague. Many attractions in Prague as well! Prague is definitely one of our top European cities. The city is rich in history, have links to modern culture, exceptionally good food and unforgettable scenic spots.
Take a short trip to Prague, the next time you are in Europe. You’ll definitely enjoy it!
Hotel Deals
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Things to do in Amsterdam : Day 1 of Europe Trip
Yes! It is the start of our Europe trip! Our starting point was Amsterdam. After arriving at Schipol airport in Amsterdam, we transferred to the train to Amsterdam Central.
The location of the train station is right beside the airport (within walking distance) so that’s very convenient. You can buy tickets for the train from the service counter or one of the ticketing machines. However, do note that tickets over the counter costs an additional 50cents. On the flip side, if you do buy from the machines, make sure that you have enough coins as some (or most in Holland) ticketing machines do not accept notes. The ticket prices from Schipol Amsterdam to Amsterdam Central costs 3.80Euro. The return should cost the same as well.
Well, enough about tickets right? Back to the trip proper!
We then took the train to Amsterdam Centraal (as they call it)
The train ride’s only about 20 minutes.
As we walked out of the train station, we were greeted by the grandeur of the Amsterdam Train Station itself!
The next thing we did was to locate our hostel. We chose Dam Hotel as it was within walking distance from the train station. In addition, it was cheap! A triple sharing room costs only 80euros…
We did however had some trouble locating it on Dam Straat. The important thing here is to MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE RIGHT ADDRESS and NEVER GIVE UP. After 10 minutes, we were able to locate its small entrance. 🙂
Overall, the room was pretty decent. Although the TV didnt work well, you will find it hard to overlook the fact that it is near to the train station and very reasonably priced.
After settling in, we began roaming the streets! We continued to walk along Dam Straat towards Dam Square when we saw C&A. C&A is actually a departmental store suited for low-mid budget population. (Hey, that’s us!) Hence, we took a short by-pass into C&A.
As we took the escalator up to the next level, we saw an advertisement for a green-coloured soup. It looked quite attractive (yah, we know, how can green soup be attractive right?) with the sliced sausages, so we decided to try it at the cafe of C&A…
The soup costs 5euro and comes with a traditional bread covered with bacon and butter. The taste was actually quite good. It was rich in texture and full of food bits for you to pick on. Interesting and definitely palatable for asians. In addition, we also tried out the apple bread. The cinnamon and apple combined magically! Coupled with the chewy-ness of the bread, the apple bread was an excellent end to the snack/meal.
Moving on from C&A (after a long while due to Kate’s shopping needs), we ventured on to Dam Square and we laid our eyes upon the Royal Palace of Amsterdam as well as the National Monument. These are picturesque structures so do take time to shoot a photo or 2.
The thing about Dam Square is that it’s so full of life! You can hear people of different nationalities pass by you, watch buskers entertain or just stare at the long queue at Madame Tussauds.
Continuing on the same path, we entered into the shopping streets of Amsterdam! From Nieuwendijk all the way to Kalverstraat are shops that line these streets. This shopping experience is definitely very different for us here in Singapore where there’s mainly shopping malls and not so many of these shopping streets. Given the cold weather, shopping here is a whole new experience altogether as you have another motivation to shop – To keep yourself warm!!
We then saw this interesting eatery place where ALOT of people walked in out and of…it’s called La Place
La Place works pretty much like Marche, in that there are many stalls in the entire place and if you like something, you just pay for it and go. In La Place, there is an entire bakery section with enticing buns and sandwiches (as seen above). Of course there are meats, pastas and seafood as well.
As we carried on walking along the shopping streets, we reached the Flower Markets of Amsterdam!
Here, you can find all sorts of tulips (that Holland is famous for) as well as many other flowers, bulbs and seeds as well…
Albert Cuypmarkt was our next stop. As we ventured on, we passed by THE Heineken Brewery. The last time we were there, we enjoyed one of the best beers ever!
The Albert Cuypmarkt is one of the most famous markets in Holland. It houses all sorts of stalls selling stuff ranging from clothes to cheese to toys to chocolates. You should be able to find all your necessities there.
There we took time to enjoy what the locals ate such as this freshly made stroopwafel…
and Fries!
Till now, we still cannot explain why people enjoy eating the fries so much. A family of 3 (parents and kid in a pram) can have 3 cones of fries! Kate and I were literally FULL after finishing 1 cone of fries. But we must say that the feeling was really good, eating something piping hot in the cold weather.
Moving on, we headed to the Museum Plein Amsterdam (aka Museum Square)
We thoroughly enjoyed our leisurely stroll in and around the museumplein, simply because of the space and sunlight that illuminated the entire square.
Of course the highlight here are the museums. We did see some of the most famous paintings of Van Gogh and Rijks the last time we were here. Do spend time to visit either the Van Gogh or Rijksmuseum if you are able to!
After walking all this way (5km we reckon), we decided to reward ourselves with a movie date that evening. Tickets at Pathe Cinema costs 10Euro.
We bought tickets for New Year’s Eve and headed for dinner…
We sat beside a cat at Cafe Oli!
The cat was really used to the presence of people. It just continued to lie there as we sat down , opened an eye to peer at us and continued to sleep. We then ordered a hot chocolate, chicken and tuna sandwich…
After dinner, we caught the movie New Year’s Eve which Kate slept from beginning to the end! (Can you believe it?!) 10 Euros gone just like that…
We then enjoyed a leisurely stroll under the night skies of Amsterdam…
We really did make full use of our 1st day in Amsterdam didnt we? On day 2, we travelled to Maastricht…so stay tune!
For your convenience, we have arranged for the best hotel deals in Amsterdam right here!
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