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The island country of Sri Lanka is becoming one of the hottest tourist destinations. I will be sharing with you a suggested 5 days and 4 nights itinerary that will help you to see almost everything that the city Kandy in Sri Lanka has to offer.

Before you can leave for Sri Lanka, you’ll want to make sure that you have your hotel booked. There are plenty of great hotels in the country. However, you’ll want to choose the most centralized hotel e.g. Randholee Resort & Spa or the Eden Garden Hotel. These hotels are fairly close to the most important attractions.

Image credits: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mal-b/

Once you’ve finished at the Temple of the Tooth, you should check out the Dumbulla Cave Temple. This one is a little further away from your hotel, but you should still have plenty of time. It is found on Jaffna Highway in Habarana. Near this location, you will find 80 documented caves and possibly even more.

There are plenty of places to eat in Sri Lanka. The Swiss Residence and the Café Aroma Inn are pretty close to your hotel. Exotic Voyages can help you find great dining establishments in Sri Lanka.

Image credits: https://www.flickr.com/photos/lakpura/

On day four, it is time to enjoy some of the best sports in Sri Lanka. Head on over to the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. The stadium is located in the heart of Kandy. The stadium is one of the best stadiums for cricket in the entire country. After the game, check out the Horton Plains National Park, which was established in 1969. Since it is 12.2 square miles, you won’t get to see everything. Nevertheless, you should at least enter the park and see everything that it has to offer.

Thanks to Scoot, we recently had the opportunity to experience the best that Berlin had to offer in terms of dining, shopping and history during our 5 day trip to Berlin and not have to bust our airfare budget. Yes, you heard right – Scoot – a low cost airline flies non-stop to Berlin from Singapore and this is not the first time that they are doing long haul flights (Scoot is also doing long haul flights to Athens in Greece and Honolulu in Hawaii, USA).

Over the next few blog posts, I will be sharing with you our various interesting experiences in Berlin but for this post, I have some suggestions for the foodies who are keen to check out the diverse dining experiences in Berlin and I have 11 of them!

But before we talk about dining in Berlin, I just want to share some tips on enjoying a long haul flight on Scoot. Being a low cost airline means we get bargain fares with Scoot (one way fare to Berlin from Singapore starting from S$239!) but that also means that the usual amenities that we would expect with a full-fare airline e.g. meals, in-flight entertainment, will not be complimentary. But if you add up the costs of buying these extras, you have still scored a huge bargain for a flight to Berlin!

The flight to Berlin from Singapore is almost 13 hours long so do preorder your long haul meal bundle or else you can get quite hungry during the flight. Preordering ensures that you get the meal you want and there are usually discounts or certain perks (for example, you may get a complimentary Haagen Daaz ice-cream or cookies with your meal). The flight departs from Singapore to Berlin at 12.25am and the first meal service (where a light meal of chicken sandwich wrap was served) will start around 1 hour+ after take-off (around 2am). There is no seatback inflight entertainment – you will have to bring your own entertainment or sign up for the ScooTV access (US$11 or about S$15) for the duration of the flight (but you will need to bring your own device e.g. iPad, phones and if you are using Apple devices, ensure that you had downloaded the ScooTV app before boarding your flight; for android devices, you can download the app from the Scoot Wi-Fi portal for free during the flight). If you need to charge your devices (nowadays whose phone can last for 13 hours on a single charge right?), you can buy in-seat power for about US$7.

To help yourself get as comfortable as possible and to sleep well during this long haul flight, I would recommend getting a Scoot Snooze Kit which comprises a very comfortable blanket and eye mask and inflatable neck pillow. Pre-purchasing this snooze kit before your flight will save you S$5 – otherwise you can buy the Scoot Snooze Kit onboard for S$23.

Our second meal service came in at around 3 hours before we landed at Berlin and it was roast beef with potatoes (there are other choices too – chicken, vegetarian etc.). This tasted very good as the beef is very tender. The sides include a potato salad and yoghurt. Scoot’s long haul meal bundle for flights to Berlin comes in non-vegetarian and vegetarian options and includes:

Premium Meal Combo which includes a deluxe meal, 2 sides and a drink.

Light Meal Combo which includes a light meal, a snack and a precupped juice.

This long haul meal bundle is available for preorder only.

Our Scoot flight to Berlin from Singapore landed at Berlin Tegel Airport at 7.20am – perfect timing to start a long day of fun at Berlin. The best part about landing at Berlin Tegel Airport is the airport’s proximity to the Berlin city centre. After clearing immigrations and collecting your baggage, you can be at your hotel in the city centre within 20 minutes! Our basecamp for our trip to Berlin was Capri by Fraser Berlin – we had a great staycation at Capri by Fraser Singapore (the one beside Changi City Point) and the Berlin one was just as good an experience.

Now, back to the topic at hand – Interesting and Diverse Dining Experiences in Berlin, we will of course start with German cuisine:

If you love desserts, don’t miss the Chocolate Lava Cake served with ice-cream served at The Grand.

Address: The Grand, Hirtenstraße 4, 10178 Berlin (nearest U2: Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz)

Address: Brauhaus Lemke am Alex, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 13, 10178 Berlin (nearest S+U: Alexanderplatz)

From the dizzying height of its viewing platform, you have spectacular 360-degree panoramic views out across the entire city – and beyond. You can also chill out with cocktail from Bar 203. You can also have dinner at the rotating restaurant just one floor above the viewing platform

Address: Panoramastraße 1 A, 10178 Berlin (nearest S+U: Alexanderplatz)

The Currywurst has an interesting origin: During 1949 in Berlin, a resourceful German housewife, Herta Heuwer, traded some spirits with British soldiers for ketchup. She then created the dish – composed of German sausage, or wurst, sliced and doused in ketchup and sprinkled with curry powder and created the currywurst which became an overnight success and eventually a staple, mainly amongst construction workers who valued its high protein content and low cost.

Address: Curry 36, Hardenbergplatz 9, 10623 Berlin (this is near the Zoo or the BIKINI Berlin which we will talk about later – nearest U2: Berlin Zoologischer Garten)

or

Curry 36, Mehringdamm 36, 10961 Berlin Kreuzberg

TIM RAUE serves Asian-inspired cuisine that can be characterized as a blend of Japanese product perfection, Thai aromas, and Chinese culinary philosophy. The aim of his dishes is to provide energy and joie de vivre. Guests are invited to a deliberately simple ambience influenced by the urban atmosphere of Berlin. The Michelin guide awarded Tim Raue’s restaurant with two Michelin stars.

We started our dining experience with the Ikarimi Salmon served with buttered stock of tomato juice & marukan rice vinegar, compote of tomato & star anis and green anis. The dish is served lukewarm, keeping the salmon tender – the salmon is soft and melts in your mouth. The various flavours of vinegar, tomato gives you a mix of different tastes with each bite.

Next we had the Langoustine served with wasabi mayonnaise cantonese style. This is like our Singaporean equivalent of wasabi prawn – those that you can order from zi char stalls at hawker centre, although the quality at Tim Raue is a lot better – instead of prawns, Norway lobster meat (langoustine) is used and it tasted very fresh. The wasabi mayonnaise sauce is perfect with the langoustine – some zi char stalls in Singapore makes the wasabi sauce overwhelming (as if you are swallowing wasabi) but here at Tim Raue, its just gives a tinge of wasabi taste and that is good enough.

Next, we had Sate Chicken – or we call it Satay Chicken. I am very surprised to taste such familiar tasting food all the way in Germany. The chicken is tender and when eaten with the satay sauce, it tastes so good!

We wrapped up our meal at Tim Raue with dessert which comprises Quince sherbet, macadamia nougat and passionfruit. It is a good mix of taste – sweet and sour.

A 4 course menu for lunch at Tim Raue like the above will cost 68 Euros + 19% tax. You get a choice of dishes to make up the 4 courses – the 3 course menu is the cheaper option at 58 Euros. Do note that if you select the wasabi langoustine, that will cost an additional 12 Euros to the 68 Euros for a 4 course menu.

Address: Restaurant Tim Raue, Rudi-Dutschke-Straße 26, 10969 Berlin (near Checkpoint Charlie)

Address: Night Kitchen, Oranienburger Str. 32, 10117 Berlin (nearest S-station: Berlin Oranienburger Straße station)

Address: Casalot, Claire-Waldoff-Straße 5, 10117 Berlin

Just a short aside on the THE ONE Grand Show at Friedrichstadt-Palast, if you want to catch one of the most lavish show in Europe on one of the biggest stage in the world, then you should not miss the ONE Grand Show. An iconic part of the ONE Grand Show performance is the more than 500 daring, extravagant, and glamourous costumes designed by Jean Paul Gaultier, one of the great stars of Parisian haute couture. The scale of this performance is massive in many ways – more than 100 artists on the world’s biggest theater stage and a production budget of more than eleven million euros.

Most of the singing is in German but you should be able to interpret from the music and costumes what is going on but in case you don’t, here’s my quick take on the performance. THE ONE Grand Show blurs past and present in a vibrant, euphoric waking dream. You will follow a young man who struggles with his inner emotions – anger and curiosity as he rekindles the splendour and glamour of times past in his mind’s eye while everything dissolves, floats, and spins in front of him, all leading back to the one person who means everything to him – THE ONE. I know very chim (deep-meaning in local Singaporean colloquial terms) but this is a show where you get amazed and surprised by the myriad of costume and death defying acts by the performers. It is a good mix between a typical circus act and dance performance and musical (the latter you will appreciate better if you know German).

Address: Bikini-Haus, Budapester Str. 38-50, 10787 Berlin (nearest U2: Berlin Zoologischer Garten)

For a more traditional food market, don’t miss Markthalle Neun (Market Hall 9) in Kreuzberg on Thursday because of Street Food Thursday. On Thursdays from 5pm to 10pm only, the various stalls compete with each other with their culinary delicacies, but it is you who are the winners. This is truly an international event as you get to experience British pies, Thai tapioca dumplings, Mexican tacos, Allgäu cheese spaetzle or Nigerian FuFu. It gets really crowded though so seats are very limited.

If you need help navigating the culinary gems that Berlin offers on this exciting street food tour through the district of Kreuzberg, check out the Food Tour with Fork & Walk by Dov Selby. If you check out his website, you will notice that there are lots of different food tours to meet your needs, be it whether you are a vegan or coffee connoisseur, there is a food tour for you.

We went on a Evening Food Tour with Dov where he showed us some of the best street food stalls in Markthalle Neun, for example – these tofu burgers by Tofutussis and …

… amazing cheese sandwiches by Alte Milch

Adana Kebap Yogurtlu – Minced meat on the skewer with yogurt, tomatosauce, gegrilled tomatoes, pepper and special bread

Künefe – Pastry mozzarella cheese doused with sugar syrup

Künefe is a crispy cheese-filled dessert made with kadayıf, which is a traditional shredded wheat dessert with pistachio filling. Native to the southeastern parts of Turkey in a area named Hatay. This is a very sweet and addictive dessert

Address: 37, Admiralstraße 36, 10999 Berlin, Germany

Berlin WelcomeCard gives you access to all public transport as well as discounts on selected tours and museum. Ranging from 2 – 6 days, these will definitely come in handy when exploring Berlin. Just remember to validate your ticket before you take your first ride with the bus /U-bahn.

Our spacious @berlin apartment with kitchenette and comfortable bed and refreshing rainshower – perfect rest stop after a long flight from Singapore to Berlin with @ @visit_berlin

A post shared by Zhiqiang and Tingyi (@passportchop) on Jun 20, 2018 at 2:04am PDT

Read on if you would like to know what we ate on our Scoot flight back to Singapore from Berlin. Our flight took off from Berlin at 9.40am and the first meal service is Currywurst and…

Planning a family vacation can be challenging when you have to balance maximising your vacation leave and budget so thankfully for us, being in Singapore means we have access to nearby destinations which are just a short distance away and also cheap flights with a wide selection of low cost carriers. To maximise our limited vacation leave next year, we have already planned ahead for our family trips during the 4 long weekends in 2019. We have put together some tips and suggestions for 4 child-friendly destinations in Asia that you should check out.

breakfast with your favourite Disney characters at the Enchanted Garden restaurant!

Plantation Bay resort in Cebu which is famous for its huge man-made freshwater lagoon in the middle of the resort. You can kayak and swim right inside the resort and if you are staying at a pool-side room, you can jump right into the pool! There is also a Children’s Lagoon with a maximum depth of 0.5 metre so children can also have safe water fun. Besides water activities, your child will also have fun at the Pitch and Putt golf course and riding around the resort in a horse carriage. If you are staying at Plantation Bay for a 5 Day 4 Night trip, we have compiled a suggested Plantation Bay itinerary that you can plan your activities around.

If your little one needs the space to run around and expend his energy after a long drive strapped up in his car seat, there are lots of family-friendly playgrounds around Perth. Check out King’s Park Lotterywest Family area (suitable for toddlers 1 to 2 years old) and Synergy Parklands (for older kids 3 years and above). If you need ideas on what to do in Perth, check out our suggested 6 Day 5 Night Perth itinerary here.

Maeklong Train Market and Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. These experiences will definitely make for great memories and I can only imagine my boy telling his friends at kindergarten about how he got up close with a train that moved slowly over a market and how he enjoyed delicious food while moving around in the boat at the floating market!

While some of the above destinations are fun and child-friendly, unfortunately some of the cities have quite bad traffic conditions and pollution. The pollution can be quite bad sometimes and medical conditions like asthma may be triggered. Personally, I had a very bad experience with asthma a few years back when I was visiting a city (which I shall not name here). I had childhood asthma which is very rarely triggered during my adult life but the pollution was so bad that suddenly I found it very hard to breathe and realised that I am having an asthma attack (I don’t have an inhaler with me as I had not had an asthma condition for years). I took a taxi to a hospital where I was hospitalised and treated for my condition. Being a foreigner, I paid the full unsubsidised bill for my treatment and medicine which added up to a few hundred dollars. I had expected to claim for these expenses with my travel insurer but my claims were rejected as medical conditions like asthma are considered pre-existing conditions, which are excluded from most travel insurance plans!

To be fair to the insurer, the non-coverage of pre-existing conditions is indeed mentioned in the fine print. When I read the fine print, I was very surprised that quite a number of common medical conditions are considered pre-existing, for example, asthma, heart disease, hypertension.

TravelEasy Pre-Ex which is designed to provide peace of mind for travellers with pre-existing illnesses. MSIG offers 3 types of plans for Single Trip travel insurance – Pre-Ex Standard, Pre-Ex Elite and Pre-Ex Premier, so you can choose a plan which suits your needs.

What’s great about the MSIG TravelEasy Pre-Ex plans is how easy it is to apply for it – there is no complicated medical forms to fill in or a need to see a doctor beforehand for assessment – all you have to do is answer 5 simple health questions at the point of purchase and you are ready to buy the TravelEasy Pre-Ex insurance. Perfect if you are doing last minute travel insurance purchase on the go while on the taxi to the airport!

Find out more about the MSIG TravelEasy Pre-Ex plan here.

They started out of necessity and then became a trend, and now they are an integral part of Budapest’s nightlife and social scene. Of course, we’re talking about the ruin bars in Budapest, which were once a secretive “in the know” place to grab a drink, but are now a very popular part of mainstream culture in this dynamic Hungarian capital.  The first of these ruin bars in Budapest, Szimpla Kert, is now practically a tourist attraction. While locals and travelers alike enjoy having a cheap beer while sitting on dingy furniture surrounded by weird art, the occasional tour group will come in to take photos too.

But it wasn’t always this way. In order to find a place to serve cheap drinks, in 2001 the founders set up a bar in one of Budapest’s many abandoned buildings. They moved around a few times, and in 2004 found a more permanent home in the old Jewish Quarter. Since then, the ruin bars have become an institution in Budapest, and have inspired other cities to do the same.

READ: For a break from the nightlife scene, head to pristine

  Following in the footsteps of Szimpla Kert, other ruin bars began to pop up around the city center. Some only lasted for a short time, while others have stuck it out over the years. Sometimes real estate developers come in and buy the old building, and the bar must close. Other times the local residents find a way to get the bar shut down because of loud noise and music. And rumor has it that some of these bars don’t even pay rent, they just sneak into the ruins and set up a secretive bar until the owners find out.

Now, not only is the secret out, but ruin bars have become a legitimized business in Budapest. Other savvy business owners are creating ruin restaurants, nightclubs, dance clubs, and more. It is not uncommon to see a high-end restaurant that has the look of a ruin bar, as the owners try to capitalize on something that is grabbing worldwide attention and pushing Budapest even higher on the list of “must visit” cities in Europe.

  –for cheap!

  It’s clear that ruin bars and related establishments are here to stay, and for a good reason. Locals and visitors alike enjoy them, whether they are a bar, restaurant, dance club, or some combination thereof. If you’re in Budapest, don’t miss visiting a ruin bar, as many travelers claim that this is one of the best things to do in the city.

Below are some of the best ruin bars in Budapest – at least for now. While some of them have been around for a decade or more, others are new and might not last very long. Catch them before they close!

  Best Ruin Bars in Budapest

  Szimpla Kert

The first and original ruin bar is now famous and worth a visit. While you’re there, have a drink at one of their mismatched tables, admire the artwork, and strike up a conversation with the locals. They have indoor and outdoor seating, and an old derelict car – a Trabant – makes for an interesting showpiece, and doubles as a place to sit. In addition to drinks, food is also served. Later in the evenings, the atmosphere becomes more party-oriented with music and a festive crowd.

  Fogashaz & Instant

The building that now contains Fogashaz, which translates to “House of Teeth,” once contained a business to repair dentures. An old sign led to the naming of this large complex. Like many of the older buildings in Budapest, the structure has been remade into a bar. But this place is not like the others, because it contains multiple venues under one roof. Housing several bars, clubs, lounges, and dance floors, Fogashaz is a veritable complex and nightlife institution.

One of the first ruin bars in Budapest is Instant, which now occupies one of the sections of Fogashaz, featuring a bar and dance floor which will guarantee to occupy your time until the sun comes up. The vibe is active like a dance club, with pricier drinks and DJ’s spinning music to enthrall the masses.

Other sections of Fogashaz are more relaxed, with quieter rooms, lounge bars for actual conversations, ping pong tables, and more. All of the areas of this huge complex are decorated with eclectic and intricate designs, such as strange color combinations and dirty old furniture with various objects hanging from the ceilings. It’s a place you won’t forget, so don’t miss it.

  Doboz

Another ruin club “complex,” Doboz fills up at night as their bar turns into a dance club with throbbing music. The prices of drinks here are a little higher than at other ruin bars, and many say that the large scale of renovation to the building might exclude this from being called a ruin bar, but nonetheless, it receives its fair share of guests looking for excitement. They have multiple rooms and a courtyard full of local art and sculptures. They also have a full menu for those that want to grab a bite before things heat up.

Anker’t

With multiple courtyards and a huge dance floor that heats up in the evening, this former factory-turned-nightclub will meet all of your hedonistic needs for a night out in Budapest. Some areas are for lounging while the main section hosts DJ’s and other live music.

But it’s not all about the nightlife here. During the day Anker’t turns into a place that also houses a weekly market and film screenings, and they also serve decent food. Why would anyone ever want to leave?

Kuplung

A bit hard to find, Kuplung (“Clutch”) is a former car repair shop. The hard-to-find aspect of Kuplung is one of its appeals, and once you’re in, the attraction is obvious. Following the eclectic art trend set by other ruin bars, Kuplung has a large fabricated whale hanging from its ceiling, as well as other urban-themed artwork. Local bands and DJ’s play regularly here in the evenings, too.

  Corvinteto

This bar and dance club is known for its large rooftop with nice views and trendy music. While the atmosphere here is less about being a bar and more about dancing, that doesn’t stop the crowds from funneling in late at night to the top floors above a supermarket. If you’re only looking for a relaxing bar atmosphere, come early for a casual drink and avoid it later in the evening when the DJ’s are playing.

  Nightlife in Budapest

Budapest is filled with all types of bars and clubs as it becomes a nightlife destination in its own right. While ruin bars have become a highlight of the city’s entertainment scene, the associated “ruin clubs” are also an integral part of the European party circuit. It also helps that the overall cost of travel in Budapest is fairly low compared to other European cities.

Also if you need a place to stay, a number of great party hostels can be found in Budapest, too. Why not stay somewhere cheap, meet up with some fellow travellers, and venture out into the city’s ruins? You can even take part in a Backpacker Pub Crawl – one of many pub crawls on offer in Budapest.

  Book a Pub Crawl in Budapest!

    Miller Hostel is located in the heart of Pest, in one of the most picturesque neighbourhoods in the city. This hostel is a great choice for couples and friends travelling together and has a range of double rooms with shared or private bathrooms. There are free WiFi, parking and a common kitchen and laundry for guests to use.

Budapest Budget Hostel is a colourful and quiet hostel with a range of dorm and private rooms available. The hostel has a large common kitchen and dining area on each floor, sunny terraces and free WiFi.

Flow Hostel is a light and airy hostel located in the heart of Budapest. You can choose from a range of dorm or private rooms and there is free WiFi, beautifully decorated common areas and friendly staff.

Check for availability of the best hostels in Budapest here.

  Airbnb in Budapest:

A great way to have a more local experience is to stay in a room or apartment through Airbnb. There are many fantastic listings for Airbnb in Budapest. If you haven’t joined up yet, use my link to get €35 off your first stay!

    Mid Range Hotels in Budapest:

Budapest Holidays Harmony offers units with free WiFi, flat screen TVs and fully equipped kitchenettes, and it’s located right in the heart of Budapest, within minutes of the historic Old Town.

The Elit Hotel is a great midrange choice that includes breakfast and is located only 500m away from Central station. There is a bar onsite with an outdoor terrace which also offers light meals and snacks throughout the day.

Liszt House Apartments in Centre offers clean and modern rooms and apartments with free WiFi. There is parking next to the apartments and they are located in a beautiful part of Budapest, only one mile from the historic Old Town.

Luxury Hotels in Budapest:

Hotel Rum Budapest has artfully decorated rooms, and has a great location close to the famous Gellért Thermal Baths – you can book a tour around the historic baths here. Room prices include a buffet breakfast which is served every morning on the Hotel’s roof terrace.

The Aquincum Hotel is a fabulous luxury option with an onsite spa with thermal pools, and a fine dining restaurant. Located on the Danube riverfront, the hotel is also close to the historic old town. Make sure you take a river cruise whether you stay here or not.

Hotel Erzsébet City Center is an elegant choice in Budapest’s City Center, with well appointed rooms and a Steak Restaurant and Wine Bar onsite.

Central Basilica Apartment is a spacious two bedroom apartment located within walking distance to the Old Town. Access to a kitchen is a big plus to staying in this apartment.

  You can find more deals here:

Booking.com (function(d, sc, u) { var s = d.createElement(sc), p = d.getElementsByTagName(sc)[0]; s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.async = true; s.src = u + '?v=' + (+new Date()); p.parentNode.insertBefore(s,p); })(document, 'script', '//aff.bstatic.com/static/affiliate_base/js/flexiproduct.js');

Check for your best flight connections to Budapest here:

    Christmas Markets trip.

  Author Bio

Bryan is obsessed with all things budget travel, and that’s why he and his wife started Budget Your Trip which is dedicated to travel costs from around the world. Also an avid photographer, he has visited more than 50 countries and believes in slow travel.

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On my recent study abroad trip to Florence, Italy, I was able to travel all over the country, and I tried my best to live like the locals. However, like all travelers, there is a little thrill in finding gems in each new place and learning about mini-cultures. In this article, I’m going to share the well known, and not so well known, authentic souvenirs from Italy that I have discovered on my own travels, or have heard about through friends. If you have anything to add from your own experience, feel free to comment below!

  The Best Authentic Italy Souvenirs

  What to buy from Milan

  Of course, Milan, the fashion capital of Italy, is one of the best places to find unique and stylish Italy souvenirs. One accessory known to Milan is the gloves. Extremely soft, and always stylish, gloves make a great gift for friends and family, or as a nice treat for yourself.

    What to buy in Venice

  Ah, Venezia. Venice is known of course for its canals, bridges, and its gondola rides. But some of the best Italy souvenirs can be found in Venice. Though it can seem quite touristy, Venice is a worthwhile destination with a couple of must-see hidden gems.

  The first is the Murano Glass. Murano is just out of the main tourist area in Venice, and as a former trading port, it fuses Roman, Greek and Asian cultures. Since the 1200s, the crafter glassmakers of Murano have perfected their skill, creating beautiful jewellery, chandeliers – you name it.

  The second is Venetian masks. Typically worn during the Carnival of Venice, known as Carnival, and many other occasions, these were originally used to hide identity and social status.

  READ: Find out how to eat like a local in Venice 

Get to know Venice like a local with private, customised experiences with Wanderjack. Here’s how I sailed a Bacaro and went pub hopping for Cicchetti and wine with them. 

    Best souvenirs from Florence

  Florence is one of my favourite places in Italy. Okay, I admit, I might be a bit biased, but after spending six weeks in Florence, I was able to figure out the best souvenirs, (and also importantly, the best gelato)!

  Florence, of course, is a cultural centre of art and history, but what you may or may not know, is that you can find some of the best leather products in all of Italy here. One of my favourite places was the Leather School in Santa Croce, where you can watch artisans hand-stitch leather products.

  Another must-have Italy souvenir from Florence can be found on a visit to the Ponte Vecchio. On the bridge, you can find jewellers everywhere selling beautiful rings, necklaces and anything else you can imagine.

  Lastly, don’t forget about ceramics! You can find beautiful handmade ceramic pieces all over Florence. The best are the small shops where you see them making the pieces!

  READ: Find out the best way toexplore Florence – on foot

    Como

  Put aside the beautiful lake views, and pay attention to some silk! One of the best Italy souvenirs comes from Como. In 1400, the Duke of Milan started planting mulberry trees. Lake Como’s silk industry boomed after this, due to all of the silkworms. Silk production became refined and the economy boomed. If you’re looking for great quality silk – Como is the place.

  Best Souvenirs to get from Rome

  Okay, I know how cheesy this sounds. But, think about it. If you were to get an engraved marble tablet, wouldn’t Rome be the best place? The answer is yes. I found them all over the city and even ended up buying one myself. They’re often engraved with old Roman proverbs. Mine says, “In Vino Veritas”, which means “In wine, there is truth”. You can find tablets like this throughout the city, and they make great decorations for your own home or gifts for others. One of the best choices of Rome souvenirs.

      What to buy from Amalfi Coast

  The Amalfi Coast will always hold a piece of my heart. Here, you can find the most delicious limoncello made from the biggest lemons I have ever seen. Sorrento, in particular, is known for its lemons and limoncello. You can find it all throughout the villages of the Amalfi coast as well.

  READ: Along with the stunning Amalfi Coast, make sure to check out some other beautiful Italian destinations

  Sicily

Though I didn’t get the chance to visit Sicily, I was lucky enough to meet some Sicilians who gave me some insight into the best Italian souvenir gifts to get from Sicily. Each of them had great things to say about Caltagirone pottery. You can find it all over and its designs and colours are stunning. The other recommendation was to get something made with Etna lava stone. Etna is an active volcano in Sicily, and there are many products and jewellery made with its lava stones. Some of the more popular, like tables, are hard to travel with, but the smaller jewellery and souvenirs are great for travel.

    Honourable Mention: Parma

  Unfortunately, it’s a big no-no to take meat through customs, but give the incredible meats in Parma a taste if you get to go! I highly suggest visiting a Parmigiano Reggiano factory or a Parma ham factory. They’re very generous with food samples, and some are available to purchase (of course to be finished before your next flight).

  And of course, there are some things that you can buy anywhere in Italy. You can find beautiful scarves all over, as well as extra virgin olive oil and wine. I personally think Tuscany has the best, but I might be a bit biased.

  If you’re lucky enough to visit Italy, these are the best souvenirs from Italy you can get, and don’t forget to make sure to check your country’s customs restrictions before purchasing anything to bring back home!

  READ: Check out the most drool-worthyvegetarian dishes from 24 countries in Europe! 

And here are some ideas for a2 week Italy trip for you.

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During our trip to Berlin with Scoot, we took a day trip to Potsdam which is located just a short 30-minute S-Bahn train ride away from Berlin.What I like about travelling to Berlin is that you don’t have to spend a lot of time travelling around e.g. after arriving at Berlin Tegel airport from Singapore with Scoot, you can reach the Berlin city centre within 20 minutes and most of the sights in Berlin are accessible by U-Bahn or S-Bahn or buses within 10 to 15 minutes!

There are lots of historical sights in Potsdam and I have put together a list of 4 instagrammable sights that you should not miss when you are in Potsdam

A post shared by Zhiqiang and Tingyi (@passportchop) on Jun 22, 2018 at 7:41am PDT

Hop On Hop Off bus tour which brings you to several of the sights that I will be referring to in this post.

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Other sights that you should not miss in Potsdam include the Filmpark Babelsberg which is one of the oldest and largest film studios in the world and is responsible for some of the blockbuster movies e.g.  Valkyrie, V for Vendetta, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Inglourious Basterds. The Filmpark is located outside of Potsdam city centre and you can access the Filmpark via the hop on hop off bus Hop off at Bus Stop 3 to learn all about the history and culture of the Germany cinema.

August-Bebel-Str. 26-53, Besuchereingang: Großbeerenstr. 200, Potsdam, Germany, +49 0331 7212750

Potsdam also had a small Russian colony dating back to the 1820s – the Alexandrowka comprises a dozen quaint buildings; these buildings will provide you with a glimpse of Russian culture and architectural style back in those days.

Autumn is here – which means, it’s starting to get chilly, colourful leaves are all around us, festivals are being celebrated and the cheese season is here! Whether you are a ie, a festival lover, a nature lover, wine lover or adventure sports junkie, here are some ideas for things you can do in in Switzerland. Let me know which of these activities you’d be most interested in trying out!

Autumn in Switzerland for Food Lovers

  Autumn in Switzerland is the perfect time to plant vegetables, salad leaves and flowers. Don’t believe me? Visit ProSpecieRara Reutenmarkt on October 14th in Heiternplatz, Zofingen for proof!

  Get inspired and find out which plants can survive the cold temperatures to be your winter friends. No matter if its to relish the first tasty and fresh homegrown salad in early spring, or if you have bigger plans, like planting a tree or berry bush – is the perfect time!

    The Reutenmarkt is organized by Pro Specie Rara, a foundation dedicated to the conservation of rare and special plants and animals. So, this event will give you the chance to purchase seeds and plants for vegetables that you might not be familiar with.

    But be warned: Once you taste these rare treats, you will be bored of the same vegetables that the supermarket offers – you might get hooked on the unbelievable diversity of great tastes and special colors that these rare plants have to offer!

   If you would like to try some of these delicious vegetables, but don’t have a garden or the time to plant them yourself, don’t worry, they can see to that. Even though you’ll have the biggest choice if you plant them yourself, there are some alternatives:

 For the busy among you: Coop supermarket offers a tiny variety of rare vegetables with the Pro Specie Rara label. Depending on the time of year, you might find beautiful purple potatoes, sweet parsnips, striped green zebra tomatoes, rare but delicious pumpkins (like the Delicata), black radish (careful, they are spicy!) and some more if you are lucky.

  No matter what you choose, be assured that the world has so much more to offer than the one variety of tomato or potato that you know from the supermarket!

   And it is not only about the great taste of the rare types of vegetables, fruit and berries, that even renowned cooks are now starting to rely on – in a world where climate change is very real, preserving the huge genetic diversity of the plants and animals that we need as a source is also an important safety net for the future. A very tasty safety net indeed – Give it a try!

  My picks for accommodation in Zofingen is the excellent  which offers affordable private and dorm rooms including breakfast. Alternatively, check out Airbnb – use my link to get €35 off your first stay if you haven’t joined up yet!

   READ: Best Food to have in Switzerland 23 other European countries

Autumn in Switzerland for Wine Lovers

  Visit a Herbstsonntage Folk Festival

  If wine is what you are waiting for when the leaves turn yellow and red, then make sure to visit one of the Herbstsonntage in the Blauburgunderland – the vineyards of the canton of Schaffhausen!

  There you will find local wines to try, mouth-watering local specialities to eat, and many other attractions for kids and adults, like live folk music, games and horse-carriage rides.

  The Herbstsonntage are extremely colourful and joyful traditional folk festivals to celebrate and be thankful for the new harvest – not only of grapes but of any crops. So join in and be part of one! There are several, with a different village hosting one weekend of ‘Herbstsonntag’, and even though ‘Sonntag’ (Sunday) is in the name, the festivities usually start on a Saturday and last the whole weekend!

  Here are some upcoming dates:

  29th/30th September in Wilchingen

13th/14th October in Osterfingen (Trottenfest)

  The vineyards in Schaffhausen- Reben_Blauburgunderland_ (c)MarcusGyger

                                Don’t forget to drop in at the Rhine (Rhein) in Neuhausen on your way to the Herbstsonntag! Just hop off the train at ‘Neuhausen Rhein’ or take Bus 1 from Schaffhausen.

   If you happen to be a bit of a technology fan, you might want to take the new self-driving bus from Neuhausenzentrum to the Rhein (linie 12, Neuhausen is one of the first three cities in Switzerland to operate a self-driving bus for public transport – find its timetable here.

  Accommodation options in Schaffhausen include a number of options on Airbnb, the beautiful historic  offers dorms and privates as well as a free breakfast. 

  Take a boat ride in the Rhein Falls! Picture Copyright: Bruno Sternegg

Visit the Lavaux Vineyards Wine Region

  The Lavaux Vineyards are a famous wine region in Switzerland with over 30 km of trails. The vineyards are set along the shores of Lake Geneva, offering breathtaking views of the lake and the mountains, and have been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

   The vineyard terraces extend from Montreux to Lausanne and are dotted with several wine tasting cellars which offer a tasting session along with the tour of the cellar. You can either explore the terraces on foot, join a guided tour, or hop onto one of the two tourist trains.

   The best time to visit the vineyard terraces is in , when the terraces are colored in hues of orange and golden shades. And if you are planning to visit during the plan your visit around September when the amazing ‘Grape Harvest Festival’ is held. There is a traditional procession with music, fancy-dress parade, wine tasting and jazz concerts as a part of the annual three day festival that takes place in the old town of Lutry.

  Why not do a Montreux City Tour or a Lausanne City Tour when you are in the area too!

  For accommodation in Montreux, the chic and modern Airbnb.

  Author: Rashmi and Chalukya from GOBeyondBounds

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Lavaux vineyards near lausanne, Switzerland. Picture Credits: GoBeyondBounds.com

Autumn in Switzerland for Culture Vultures

   On 26th/27th October 2018, Thusis UnterNull gives you the chance to visit numerous old traditional cellars (Gewölbekeller) of private households, as well as many shops and companies in the village. Everybody organises small things in their cellars like catering, drinks, music, contests etc, so you can choose to visit which ones you are most interested in.

As I mentioned, this event is small and neither very touristic nor super dramatic, but it is a perfect opportunity to get to know a mountain region in Switzerland and the people living there.

During the day, you might want to hike through the al forest to the Traversinasteg, a narrow suspension bridge that crosses over a small stream at a dizzying height – the hike takes about two – three hours from Thusis and requires good shoes.

  Stay at the excellent Airbnb.

  Hike your way through art from Switzerland to Germany!

Autumn in Switzerland for Sport Lovers

  Take part in the famous Transruinaulta Trailmarathon and/or the Transviamala Run&Walk!

  This sporty adventure takes place every and will take you through two stunning gorges in the alps. The run this year will be on 20th/21st October 2018. It’s a real trail marathon, so the path can be very steep and narrow in places, so you better ensure you are fit enough to take the challenge!

   The fastest man and woman to finish the whole distance will be rewarded with the traditional wooden crown saying ‘Schluchtenkönig’ and ‘Schluchtenkönigin’ (King/Queen of the Gorges). For the not-so-crazy, there is a ‘short’ distance option of 24km through the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Rhine Gorge.

   Of course you are also free to visit the event without actually running yourself – the athletes will need some cheering on or do visit the Viamala and Ruinaulta Gorges at any time of the year, to enjoy a scenic walk or river rafting tour.

  For a splurge after your sporty adventure, stay at

The Via Engadina hike is mesmerizing in . Picture Copyright: Lukas Schlagenhauf via Flickr (CC BY-ND 2.0)

  Autumn in Switzerland for Nature Lovers

  Autumn in Switzerland is arguably the best time to visit due to the gorgeous colours in the Alps, particularly in the country’s only National Park. Here are some fun activities to get out and enjoy Autumn in Switzerland in the Swiss National Park!

See the trees (Lärche) turn yellow! The contrast of the bright yellow with the blue sky, glittering streams and dark mountains is astonishing.

In you have very high chances of seeing many animals: Bartgeier, Hirsch, Steinbock, Gämse…

In you can hear the deer, and the echo of their calls are impressive in the mountain valleys (Röhren der Hirsche)

As a rainy weather option, visit the Nationalparkzentrum in Zernez with its unique and interactive museum about the national park 

In sunny weather, take the train to s-chanf and from there the ‘Nationalparkexpress’ to the entry of Val Trupchun, where you can enjoy an easy one – two-hour hike surrounded by an awesome landscape – don’t forget to bring binoculars to observe the many wild animals who live here!

Visit the Castle Tarasp, dating back to the 11th century, in Lower Engadin.

Stay at the traditional 

The Castle Tarasp in lower Engadin

Autumn Activities for Festival Lovers

  If I hear the word , I automatically think of one of its main vegetables, the pumpkin. In the last few years, pumpkins have gained popularity and you can buy them in all shapes, colours and sizes in most grocery stores. 

  If you like pumpkin as much as we do, then you might be interested in an event dedicated to the love of this seasonal vegetable: The Pumpkin Festival Basel-Land. Every year in , this is a small but wonderful event taking place at the Mathis Hof in Bottmingen. 

  The main attraction is that there are hundreds of different varieties of pumpkin and squash for sale. Many of the pumpkins are edible and they come with little displays including tips on how to best prepare them. There are also pumpkins just for decorative purposes, like Halloween carvings. You would never imagine such a huge variety of pumpkins and squash exists!

  One of our highlights of the pumpkin festival is definitely the pumpkin beer and all the other pumpkin themed s available there. The pumpkin pie is also extraordinarily delicious.

  Author: Thomas from Trip Gourmets

Pumpkin festival in Basel land: credits- Thomas from

  Don’t miss taking part in a Basel Walking Tour when you are in the area too.  By the way, Basel has one of the oldest Autumn fairs in Switzerland- known as the ‘Herbstmesse’ and it offers a delectable choice of desserts and cheese-based !

  Stay at the sleek .

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The Herbstmesse/Autumn fair just got over in Basel and all the cheese/sweet treats/Gluhwein stalls are gone. But, the good thing is- when I& back from India in 3 weeks(yayy for going home!) , the Christmas market will greet me with Gluhwein again What are you looking forward to in the next 2 months? For starters, I am looking forward to moving from 0 degrees Celsius to 20 degrees next week

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  Autumn in Switzerland for Adventure Lovers

  Just as you think the summer is over and the days outside rock – climbing are numbered, comes along.

  Autumn does not only bring the most breathtaking colours with it, but also it opens up many rock-climbing walls that during the summer months were too hot to climb.

  The Valais is a mecca for rock climbers and several walls are great for families. Some of them have great picnic areas and are in safe environments with added points of interest close by, such as a forest or a river, so there are always great discovery options for the kids when they need a break from climbing. And during the months they can collect acorns and chestnuts and utilize them for their arts and craft activities at home.

  With nearly 2000 pitched routes from the kid’s rock 3b to the professional rock-climbing guru grade 8+ and over, there is a route for everyone.

  Stay at the stunning 

  Author: Corina from Packed Again 

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Rock climbing in Switzerland. Picture credits: Corina from Packed Again

  Autumn in Switzerland for Hiking Lovers

Hiking The Ebenalp

  The Ebenalp is located in the picturesque Appenzell region in eastern Switzerland and offers a range of fantastic options. Ebenalp is set 1640 metres above sea level and can be reached via cable car or by foot from the town of Wasserauen – approximately two hours from Zurich. The area around Ebenalp is home to spectacular cliff formations, snow-capped mountains, luscious green meadows with grazing cows, dense forests and an alpine lake.

  From Ebenalp there are several trails ranging from more strenuous walks, to shorter family-friendly trails. The highlight though is the walk down to the Ascher Cliff Restaurant. The descent passes the Wildkirchli Cathedral, which is set inside a cave and was built in 1621. There’s also a series of large caves with archaeological finds dating back over 45,000 years.

  A short walk from the Wildkirchli, is the incredible Ascher cliff guesthouse. Once labelled as the most interested restaurant in the world, the 170 year-old guesthouse seems to hang to a 100-metre-tall vertical cliff. The restaurant terrace at Ascher is also the perfect spot to enjoy the glorious alpine views and regional specialities from Appenzell.

  Accommodation in the Appenzell region include the picturesque 

  Author: Nina from West Australian Explorer

  Autumn marks the descent of the cattle from the hills to the plains. This is a typical scene you can expect to see on your trip.

Hiking the Five Lakes Walk in Zermatt

  I spent two weeks the Haute Route through Switzerland, from Chamonix to Zermatt. One of the best day hikes from Zermatt is the Five Lakes Walk, or 5-Seenweg. With a quick funicular ride to Sunnegga, the 6 mile (9 km) route past five lakes is well-marked and the views are stunning!

  The highlight of this hike, in good weather, is seeing the Matterhorn reflected in several of the lakes. This hike is suitable for all ages, and the lift stations have snack shops, plus there is a swimming lake and playground at Leisee.

  To reach the Five Lakes Walk, take the Sunnegga funicular and then the telecabine to Blauherd where you’ll begin the hike. For a more challenging hike, you can start in Zermatt!

  Check out Airbnb for somewhere unique and affordable to stay in Zermatt.

  Author: Leigh Wilson from Campfires & Concierges

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    Hiking the 5 lakes trail in Zermatt is a fantastic idea!

Other Switzerland posts you might like:

Cheese, Chocolate and Alphorn in a day- Gruyere

Where do Swiss locals like to go skiing and ?

Scenic day trips from Lucerne

Practical tips for planning your Europe trip

Note- Featured Image by Maritè Toledo via Flickr   (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

  Share this post on Pinterest using these pin-friendly images or share it with your friends on Facebook / Twitter ! Let me know which of these activities you would like to try the most!

  So book your flights to Switzerland now and Plan your Europe trip with me! 

Berlin has been through quite a bit of history from the devastation of the Second World War to almost 40 years of divided East and West Berlin by the construction of the Berlin Wall during the Cold War. Although it has been about 30 years since the collapse of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany, Deutsche Demokratische Republik, or DDR) and reunification of West and East Germany, you can still visit historical landmarks associated with the Berlin Wall era. Besides these historical sights, Berlin is also known for its excellent museums – almost 170 of them and there is even an island of museums called Museum Island (Museumsinsel). During my short 5D4N trip in Berlin with Scoot (yes! Scoot now flies direct from Singapore to Berlin!), besides trying 11 different interesting dining experiences in Berlin, I had also checked out over 8 historical sights and museums in Berlin.

If you like to visit museums, then this is the post for you as I will provide you with a quick overview of what you can see in these 8 historical sights and museums around Berlin. To get started, I strongly recommend that you buy the Berlin WelcomeCard which gives you access to all public transport (buses and U-bahn and S-bahn) as well as discounts on selected tours and museum. If you are going to visit a number of museums, I also recommend that you buy the 3-day Berlin Museum Pass (29 Euros) which provides you with free admission to over 30 museums for 3 consecutive days – see this link for the list of museums covered by the Berlin Museum pass.

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DDR Museum (located at Karl-Liebnecht-Straße 1 facing the back of the Berliner Dom cathedral is the DDR Museum). DDR stands for Deutsche Demokratische Republik which was what East Germany was called back then. The DDR Museum truly lives up to its slogan – “History You Can Touch”. It is the only museum dedicated to life in the former DDR, from everyday life in the Socialist state to the impact of living with the Stasi and the Berlin Wall. Here in the DDR Museum, there are lots of interactive displays – you can touch pretty much everything e.g. the toys that the East German children used to play with back then, and even drive a classic East German car – Trabant virtually! There is even a mock up of a typical East Berlin apartment and Stasi (East Germany secret police) interrogation room and prison. As you go through the exhibits, you will notice that the East Germans are subject to propaganda messages about how good the East is and how bad the West is and indoctrination starts very early – even with children.

Entrance fee to the DDR Museum is 8.50 Euros for adults and 5.50 Euros for children. The museum is not very big but it may take you some time to go through the museum if you like to see the level of details of the mock-up apartment and the large number of interesting East German artifacts.

Roman Market Gate of Miletus

  And this concludes our museum-hopping experience across Berlin. Check out these links for our experiences with in-flight meals during the flight from Singapore to Berlin and back with Scoot and our other interesting dining experiences in Berlin as well as our day trip to Potsdam.

Scoot flies from Singapore to Berlin on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, departing Singapore at 12.25am and arriving at Berlin Tegel airport at 7.20am, and from Berlin to Singapore on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, departing Berlin at 9.40am and arriving at Singapore at 3.45am (one day later). The best part about landing at Berlin Tegel Airport is the airport’s proximity to the Berlin city centre. After clearing immigrations and collecting your baggage, you can be at your hotel in the city centre within 20 minutes