Travel/Overseas destinations

[Tigerclan]

Re: Travel/Overseas thread

You could tell us more about Singapore man

I have never been there, except when flying through Changi

One of my mates tried to get in around the 70s-80s

They stamped his passport with S uspected H ippy I n T ransit

And turned him back :hihi

 

[mk33]

Re: Travel/Overseas thread

Stayed in Singapore 5nts.
Stayed on the river about 15 min walk to Clarke Quay where a lot of trendy restaurants (including Hooters), all the buildings are in pastel shades. Another 5min along river is Boat Quay where there is variety of restaurants from Mexican, Italian, Singapore, Japanes to a British pub.
Bugis st market is ok but not that big I thought.
Had a Singapore Sling at Long Bar in Raffles Hotel, well worth the look. A traditional old British Colony bar just how you would imagine it to be. Was funny though to be dropping peanuts shells on the floor in Singapore (where heavy fines are for littering) but this helps oil the floor. The Sling was very nice and refreshing on a humid night.
Botantical Gardens are big anjd full of tropic plants and Singapore Orchids.
Arab St, Little India and Chinatown I only had small visits but you can guess what they would be like.
Night Safari is definately worth going to as with Singapore Zoo (home of white tiger, I did a tour but if can at good price see if can get there your own way as tour does not spend enough time. If unable to you can stay longer but make own way back at your cost.
Changi Muesam/ Chapel was very moving withs its tribute to POWS from WW2
Sentossa Island has a beach only 10min by car from SIN, worth having a look at Fort Silossa which has details on Japanes invasion and surrender.
Shopping is huge with shopping towers all around Raffles City and Orchard Rd. Orchard Rd is probably 1-2 km!! and shops on almost both sides.
Was lucky I was there before Xmas as it was really well decorated the street with carols playing out of lamp posts. Apparently the government was giving 1million SGD to the best building in xmas decorations.

Beer is great there (of course its Tiger Beer) and its my favourite Asian city I have visited ahead of Bangkok, KL and Hong Kong. It reminded me in a silly way of Gold Coast with its high rise humidity and green. Laws against graffiti and littering really do work.

 

[Tigerclan]

Re: Travel/Overseas thread

Cool, I really must get there one day

I have been to KL and Bangkok too, I always like to get out of the big cities ASAP

KL was good because we had just been through Java and I was hanging out for a drink of milk

Most the signs were in English and I found a litre of moo juice easily and sculled it in no time flat

From KL we went to Penang, it was a Malay holiday so there were no rooms

We eventually got set in one by a taxi driver

Turns out it was a brothel, but we didn't notice for a couple of days

Seems obvious now, all those dudes hanging around in bathrobes, strangers banging on our door

and music going on all night :hihi

 

[mk33]

Re: Travel/Overseas thread

Yeah me too would prefer to be in the countryside than the cities but have not really done it.
Outside Chiang Mai was the most rural I have been to in Thailand (not counting Phuket as a beach destination).
I also went to Penang but stayed at a better place than you by the sound of it.
Didn't see much outside the resort unfortunately just up and down the main street which was still good and trip into Georgetown was was not that great but did get a Chonka board.

 

[Liverpool]

Re: Travel/Overseas thread

Great readin TC and Liverpool, I like reading other travel stories unfortunately mine are not as interesting.
Please tell us more as want to keep this thread alive and hopefully more people add to and I may ask questions during the year.

mk33,
Welcome to the thread mate....and it doesn't have to be just about travel overseas....even just a day trip away somewhere in Victoria, would be great to read about.
But seems you have been to Asia (haven't been there, so good to read about it...only been to KL, but that was just for a refuel on the way to Europe).
Just on Singapore mate...is it really true that chewing-gum is banned? or is that a bit of a myth?
Remember there was a bit of hub-bub a few years ago when a Yank kid got caught graffitiing, and got given the lash!
Bet he doesn't do that again, eh? :hihi

I'm hoping to get over to Anfield next year, to see my Reds play (and up to Glasgow to see Rangers play)....so if anyone has been there, or even to Liverpool/Glasgow, would be good to hear what they think of it.

 

[mk33]

Re: Travel/Overseas thread

Will try and keep this thread up there Liverpool

It is illegal to litter and bring in chewing gum and I thought it was illegal to chew it but did see someone chew it on one tour and saw advertisemnt on tv (may have being foreign ad), I did ask one guide and he said it was illegal as well as graffiti and litter with big fines for all. It does help as the city looks better for it.

Re the strapping didn't the Simpsons do a payback on that with the episode based on Australia. I remember an interview with actor Lisa Simpson re that.

Would like to see an EPL match unfortunately both times been over has been off season. Not great knowledge on it but learning and would be a great experience so hope you enjoy. You have been before if I remember reading somewhere else. Would love to travel overseas and see great sporting contests like World Cup Cricket/Soccer, EPL even Spanish league or Scottish league, Olympics in enemy territory, a test in WI, SAF, Lords and even too experience in Calcutta amongst other travels.

Hope more people post or advise re countries etc.

 

[pahoffm]

Re: Travel/Overseas thread

May as well start on my current trip - Fremantle & Margaret River.

Please excuse my posting. I'm in an internet cafe in Williams St, Perth, while my wife is shopping. Just finished driving over 4 hours from Margaret River.

First lesson I gained, about a month ago, was never give up on frequent flyer destinations. In mid November, I looked for a couple of flyer seats return to Perth. All sold out. Couple of weeks later, I thought I'd have a try anywhere in the country. Nope, Darwin, bad luck. Ayres Rock, yep, but had to go via Perth. hey, wait a minute, I couldn't get a flyer ticket to Perth 2 weeks ago, how can there be one to Ayres Rock via Perth? Let me look at Perth again. Hey new frequent flyer seats available, better book now.

So never give up. Seats, not available one day, can be available the next.
Flew into Perth 10pm Friday night, picked up hire car, drove straight to Esplanade Hotel, Freo. My wife has never been to WA before. Highlight was the Little Creatures Brewery/Restaurant on the other side of the Park, on the Wharf. I preferred the Rogers beer, only 4.5 %, but a great flavour. Preferred it over the Pale Ale at 5.8%
Also shared a thin based pesto & prawn pizza and creole cooked calamari with my wife. Great lunch.
Also did a couple of the maritime museums, the old museum (beautiful building), and the do it yourself wood fire oven shop. Dinner was tough as most of the restaurants were closed by 6pm Sat night, Xmas eve. Had to settle for BBQ crayfish at Sails.

Next day, drove down to Margaret River, via Rockingham, Mandurah & Bunbury. Was tempted to look up the Bowers in Mandurah, but thought that:
1. It was Christmas day, they might be occupied,
2. They might have moved to Melbourne with their son.
Most places were shut. Had dinner in Busselton.

Boxing Day, again most places were shut, with the exception of Leeuin Estate, Knotting Hill, Cape Mentelle. The Chockie Factory was open, and had dinner at the best restaurant in Margaret River - D'vine. It is a wood fired restaurant. Shared a magnificent potato & leek soup inside a hollowed bread roll and chilli mussels. The sauvignon blancs went down well, then shifted to an SSB, (Semillon Sauvignon Blanc.) Main course was a rack lamb seated on a bed of oven cooked veges, turnips, carrots & sweet potato. Went down very well with a couple of Cabernet Merlots, (Not the *smile*' Merlot again.) No room for dessert.

Today, breakfast at The Urban Bean Cafe, very good, straight to The Berry Farm, bought a mixed Case to be shipped, off to the Yahavah Koffeeworks, then the 4 hour drive back to Perth. We're going back to Little Creatures tonight, it was that good, then back home to Melbourne tomorrow morning.

Had a great time. My wife, sans kinderling, (without kids), always a great time.
A Happy New Year to you all.

 

[Chelsea]

Re: Travel/Overseas thread

Hi All.... Good to see this thread revived. I've had a couple of trips to Scandinavia.... Sweden, and particularly Norway. The scenery is really beautiful there, but it's an expensive little place.I travelled by bus from Oslo to Bergen, and many of the roads go under the fiords, so it's a bit scarey if you think about it.... but well worth the trip. Bergen is just so beautiful and Scandinavia is well worth visiting... if you win Tatts. * Not so good in the Winter unless you like the snow and ice, but lovely in Summer.
Hope to read of many more interesting travel experiences here.
Thanks Liverpool for bringing this thread to life again...

 

[Legends of 2017]

Re: Travel/Overseas thread

Been to Hawaii a couple of times. Commercialised but also very beautiful and relaxing.
Been to Europe a couple of times, hope to go to Italy sometime in 2007.
Went to Egypt in November last year. Awesome place.My first impression of Cairo. Picture this. Arrive in Cairo at midnight. Take a shuttle to my hotel. Cairo, population of 20 million. We were stuck in a traffic jam on a bridge. It was the end of Ramadhan and everyone (it seemed) was out celebrating. A 3 lane bridge was holding 7 lanes of traffic. Cars were merging everywhere. I asked the driver what the road rules were and he gave me a puzzled look  . Some of the people on my tour had culture shock, I guess but I found it an awesome experience. I realize tourism is their livelihood, but I found everyone was so friendly and proud of their country, culture and history. Safety wise, the only thing I worried about was getting ripped off with scams. I could walk around at 1am and feel safe. The sites, were as expected, amazing. Pyramids,Sphinx, Abu Simbel etc, even just cruising down the Nile was an experience. I can go on for a while but I'll stop for now ;D I plan my next trip even before taking the previous one.

 

[CarnTheTiges]

Re: Travel/Overseas thread

Over the years I've been to the States, Europe. NZ, Africa and South America. They were all very enjoyable and have different memories, but the one that sticks out as the best was Africa. Maybe it was the style of safari I did, maybe it was that I had always wanted to go there and see the landscape and the animals, I don't know, but it was an amazing experience from my very first game drive to the river trip down the Zambezi.

 

[mk33]

Re: Travel/Overseas thread

Would love to do an African Safari but need to find some more $$$ as with more of Europe as have not seen Eastern Europe or Scandavia yet.

Did you see the US Arizona in Hawaii

 

[Tigerclan]

Re: Travel/Overseas thread

Have a few mates fron South Africa ( Better ring them about the cricket :hihi )

Africa sounds like a great place to visit, tell us more CTT

 

[Liverpool]

Re: Travel/Overseas thread

Over the years I've been to the States, Europe. NZ, Africa and South America. They were all very enjoyable and have different memories, but the one that sticks out as the best was Africa. Maybe it was the style of safari I did, maybe it was that I had always wanted to go there and see the landscape and the animals, I don't know, but it was an amazing experience from my very first game drive to the river trip down the Zambezi.

CarnTiges,
Funny you say that mate...I know a sheila who is in London at the moment working/living.
She's been on one of the safaris, all around Europe, over to North America, and is back in Europe now.....but when I asked her whats the best place she's been to, or the one she would do again, she still stands by the African safari!
So it must be pretty good then!!!
Just a question...are the animals plentiful over there....or do you have to drive for kilometre after kilometre to see anything (you know, like the signs we have here "Kangaroo Crossing", etc and you never ever see a 'roo within 100km of that area? :hihi

Would love to do an African Safari but need to find some more $$$ as with more of Europe as have not seen Eastern Europe or Scandavia yet.

Did you see the US Arizona in Hawaii

mk33,
Is there anything you particularly want to see in Scandinavia?
I've been round Sweden a bit, and across to Norway, and to Finland (well, "Aland Islands", which are owned by Finland, but the people speak Swedish!).....flying into Stockholm was awesome...the city is made up of islands, so its really great in summer, coming into land, and flying over the water/islands.
I was over there in October (autumn), so it was starting to get cold, and while I was there, it snowed rather heavily, apparently the earliest it has snowed that heavily in 100 years or something....my bloody luck! : :hihi
Was supposed to catch a train from southern Sweden (Karlskrona) up to a town called Boras (not far from Gothenburg), but the snowfall meant the train was cancelled, and so had to have a 4-hour bus ride, in heavy snow, around these windy roads.

 

[pahoffm]

Re: Travel/Overseas thread

Since we are talking of Scandinavia, I was there in 1983.

Travelled, as part of a Top Deck tour, to Copenhagen, Stockholm, Oslo, Trondheim, Hammerfest, Hell, Helsinki, then over to St Petersburg.

Copenhagen has some great attractions:
1. The centre square that many of you would have viewed during the recent royal wedding.
2. The Tivoli amusement park, what Melbourne's Luna Park would like to be.
3. I don't know if it's still there, but there was a place called Christiana, over the river, used to be a great place to buy LSD. I've heard the yuppies took over the place and rebuilt it.
Also, about 20km west of the city, in Roskilde, is a fantastic Danish Viking museum with exhumed Viking long boats and other relics.

A trip by ferry from Copenhagen to Stockholm is very easy. Also, best place to buy alcohol as the ferry price is duty-free, so much cheaper.

Stockholm, too, is a beautiful city but I don't remember much of it. Reckon that I was still feeling the effects of Copenhagen.

Then Oslo,
More like a fishing port.
Some nice art galleries. Visited The Scream by Edvard Munch, before it was stolen.
Otherwise happy sitting on the wharf eating freshly caught prawns.

Trondheim, more Viking long boats and relics. Just as impressive. The landscape of the Fjordland was just as spectacular too.
Undressed and did a bomb into a fjord. Gee, it was cold, and a strong current too. Doesn't matter, I'll never drown. (I was born in an unbroken cowl.)

Hammerfest, Norway's most northerly town, inside the Arctic circle. Reindeers come close to be patted. Magnificent glaciers, although I have heard recently that these are melting rapidly.

Yes, have Hell stamped on my passport. I have, since, been able to say that I've been to Hell and back, and can prove it.
Yes, the whole bus load, about 30-40 Aussies, Kiwis, Yarpies & 1 Canook, between the ages of 18-30, did the mandatory naked sauna session together. Strangely it made no physical impression on me.

Hit Helsinki in the evening. Didn't see very much, but had enough time to go to a dance club and end up in the arms of a very "Valkyrie" looking Finlander girl. Well, we do leave ourselves open to these situations.

A great time was had by all, the memories have come to mind many times since.

 

[Liverpool]

Re: Travel/Overseas thread

Then Oslo,
More like a fishing port.
Some nice art galleries. Visited The Scream by Edvard Munch, before it was stolen.
Otherwise happy sitting on the wharf eating freshly caught prawns.

Sounds like you had a blast Phantom! 8)

I was in Oslo for 2 days only....but yes, its like a fishing-port....reminded me of Geelong, as its not a "bustling" city such as Melbourne, even though its the capital city of Norway....its more like a regional-city near water.

Round Aker-Brygge was alright, but like I said in my last post....it was starting to get cold at the time of year i was there, so it was a bit quiet....but would be pretty good in summer I reckon!

 

[Redford]

Re: Travel/Overseas thread

One of the best overseas trips I’ve taken was in 1994. Myself and two other mates went on a massive 6 week sports extravaganza of the United States. Being rabid golfers and massive baseball fans we played tonnes of golf and went to about 12 MLB baseball games all over the country. All up we took 22 flights to get to all the places we wanted to go !

We played golf at Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill, Merion (where Bobby Jones won the Grand Slam - the place is regarded as the most exclusive golf club in the US), Pinehurst (where Michael Campbell just won the US Open), TPC at Scottsdale (home of the Phoenix Open on the PGA Tour) and a host of other courses all over the country.

We spent 10 days in Pittsburgh watching the US Open at Oakmont Country Club. Sensational.

Among the many baseball games we went to, two were at Fenway Park to see the greatest baseball team in the world: the Boston Red Sox. Magnificent.

We went to LA, Phoenix, Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Monterrey, New York, Pittsburgh, Charlotte, Dallas/Fort Worth just to name a few places. I got hammered in so many great pubs, restaurants and clubhouses I’m lucky to have survived it all.

It was stinking hot the entire time we were there. It took nearly 2 years for the sun tan I had to fade away. There’s something different about that dry Arizona sun. Dunno what it is, but it leaves a very deep, rich and indelible sun tan on you that seems to last a long, long time.

 

[TigerForce]

Re: Travel/Overseas thread

One of the best overseas trips I’ve taken was in 1994. Myself and two other mates went on a massive 6 week sports extravaganza of the United States. Being rabid golfers and massive baseball fans we played tonnes of golf and went to about 12 MLB baseball games all over the country. All up we took 22 flights to get to all the places we wanted to go !

We played golf at Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill, Merion (where Bobby Jones won the Grand Slam - the place is regarded as the most exclusive golf club in the US), Pinehurst (where Michael Campbell just won the US Open), TPC at Scottsdale (home of the Phoenix Open on the PGA Tour) and a host of other courses all over the country.

We spent 10 days in Pittsburgh watching the US Open at Oakmont Country Club. Sensational.

Among the many baseball games we went to, two were at Fenway Park to see the greatest baseball team in the world: the Boston Red Sox. Magnificent.

We went to LA, Phoenix, Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Monterrey, New York, Pittsburgh, Charlotte, Dallas/Fort Worth just to name a few places. I got hammered in so many great pubs, restaurants and clubhouses I’m lucky to have survived it all.

It was stinking hot the entire time we were there. It took nearly 2 years for the sun tan I had to fade away. There’s something different about that dry Arizona sun. Dunno what it is, but it leaves a very deep, rich and indelible sun tan on you that seems to last a long, long time. 

So you're a Redskin now. The only MLB game I saw was Mets & Brewers in NJ in 2002.

 

[Liverpool]

Re: Travel/Overseas thread

One of the best overseas trips I’ve taken was in 1994. Myself and two other mates went on a massive 6 week sports extravaganza of the United States. Being rabid golfers and massive baseball fans we played tonnes of golf and went to about 12 MLB baseball games all over the country. All up we took 22 flights to get to all the places we wanted to go !

We played golf at Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill, Merion (where Bobby Jones won the Grand Slam - the place is regarded as the most exclusive golf club in the US), Pinehurst (where Michael Campbell just won the US Open), TPC at Scottsdale (home of the Phoenix Open on the PGA Tour) and a host of other courses all over the country.

We spent 10 days in Pittsburgh watching the US Open at Oakmont Country Club. Sensational.

Among the many baseball games we went to, two were at Fenway Park to see the greatest baseball team in the world: the Boston Red Sox. Magnificent.

We went to LA, Phoenix, Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Monterrey, New York, Pittsburgh, Charlotte, Dallas/Fort Worth just to name a few places. I got hammered in so many great pubs, restaurants and clubhouses I’m lucky to have survived it all.

It was stinking hot the entire time we were there. It took nearly 2 years for the sun tan I had to fade away. There’s something different about that dry Arizona sun. Dunno what it is, but it leaves a very deep, rich and indelible sun tan on you that seems to last a long, long time. 

Sounds like a great sports-holiday! 8)
I know you're a Red-Sox fan, but any chance you went to the greatest stadium (Yankee Stadium, of course! ) to see a game...what was it like...facilities...view...crowd, etc...as I wouldn't mind seeing a game or 2 there when I get over sometime in the near future.

 

[Redford]

Re: Travel/Overseas thread

One of the best overseas trips I’ve taken was in 1994. Myself and two other mates went on a massive 6 week sports extravaganza of the United States. Being rabid golfers and massive baseball fans we played tonnes of golf and went to about 12 MLB baseball games all over the country. All up we took 22 flights to get to all the places we wanted to go !

We played golf at Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill, Merion (where Bobby Jones won the Grand Slam - the place is regarded as the most exclusive golf club in the US), Pinehurst (where Michael Campbell just won the US Open), TPC at Scottsdale (home of the Phoenix Open on the PGA Tour) and a host of other courses all over the country.

We spent 10 days in Pittsburgh watching the US Open at Oakmont Country Club. Sensational.

Among the many baseball games we went to, two were at Fenway Park to see the greatest baseball team in the world: the Boston Red Sox. Magnificent.

We went to LA, Phoenix, Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Monterrey, New York, Pittsburgh, Charlotte, Dallas/Fort Worth just to name a few places. I got hammered in so many great pubs, restaurants and clubhouses I’m lucky to have survived it all.

It was stinking hot the entire time we were there. It took nearly 2 years for the sun tan I had to fade away. There’s something different about that dry Arizona sun. Dunno what it is, but it leaves a very deep, rich and indelible sun tan on you that seems to last a long, long time. 

Sounds like a great sports-holiday!  8)
I know you're a Red-Sox fan, but any chance you went to the greatest stadium (Yankee Stadium, of course!  ) to see a game...what was it like...facilities...view...crowd, etc...as I wouldn't mind seeing a game or 2 there when I get over sometime in the near future.

Well Scouser, both I and one of my travelling partners are dyed in the wool Red Sox fans, so no we didn't bother going to Yankee Stadium. The reason ? Well, as any true Red Sox fan will tell you its because: "YANKEES SUCK !"

 

[CarnTheTiges]

Re: Travel/Overseas thread

With seeing wildlife in Africa it does tend to depend on where you go. I did my safari in Kenya and went to 4 game parks: Masai Mara, Lake Elementaita, Samburu and the Aberdares, all are different. Of those 4 the Mara is probably the best, within seconds of arriving by plane from Nairobi we had seen zebra and impala, by the end of the safari we became so blase about them that when we were at the Aberdares they rang a bell during dinner because some game had been spotted near the Ark (where we stayed there), we wandered in and all these people who were at the start of their trip were oohing and aahhing over the impala, we just took a look and said "Oh, it's just some impala." and went back to dinner! Within half an hour of getting to the Mara we had seen lion and giraffe, to illustrate the point about where you go and what you see I met a couple on the plane over there who go to Zimbabwe every year and they said that a lot of people never even see a lion or if they do it's just a glimpse, they'd taken 3 trips before they got a proper look at a lion in the wild. By the end of the first day on the Mara we'd seen 4 of the Big Five: lion, buffalo, elephant and leopard. We were there in September during the wildebeest migration and that also brings predators like lion and leopard in. Lake Elementaita is lake country, you get some different birds and antelopes like waterbuck and also the flamingoes, which are a pretty amazing sight. Samburu is desert country not unlike central Australia, they have oryx and kudu there, also a lot of dik dik and more than a few cheetahs although we got our best look at those in the Mara as well. The Aberdares is forest country, best known for it's leopard. The Ark is a hotel built next to natural salt lick, that was where I saw my only rhino, also saw an extremely pissed off lioness give a hyena what for too. The rafting down the Zambezi was a whole other story. In terms of game viewing from what I have heard Kenya and Tanzania are the places to go. Although the hostess at the Samburu who was born in Tanzania was very scathing of the Ngorongoro Crater there in that because the animals can't leave it's rather like a natural zoo.