nateniale's travels

  Travels have probably changed for good - our last big trip was in December 2019 and last flight taken was coming back from Penang, Malaysia after the Chinese New Year celebration in February 2020.  Little did we know then that we would be in Singapore for the next 2 years (and hopefully not much longer)! Before we have children, we travelled extensively as a couple - averaging about 6 different countries in a year, in between our full time job.  Even when I was pregnant, we travelled whenever we can and even with our little baby girl. Little Em travelled to Bali, Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Hong Kong before she turned 2. Little Ed came along, and together as a family, we travelled to Central Vietnam, Australia, Indonesia, Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Laos and to multiple places in Japan and Malaysia.  And it all stopped.  After years of travelling whenever we have pockets of time, and planning itineraries in between work and ...

That was the question I asked myself and my husband. Of all the cities in the world, if we were given a chance, which city will we choose to live in? It does not have to be permanent. It could just be for a couple of years. Well, it did not take us long to both came to the same answer - Paris, the city of lights. A city so pretty and beautiful, that it is long associated with being love and romance. A city which I was so excited about while planning the trip, and I was even more excited when we were there. Everything about the city surpasses my expectations (well, except for the smell under the bridge by the Seine River). It is arty, it is beautiful, it has an air about it and yet, still friendly enough to draw me in. Of course, if we live there, we will definitely take the chance to hop on the train (or flight) and travel around Europe! Now, all I need is to figure out how get us there and to learn French.

This time next week I will be enjoying a beautiful sunset amongst the bright blue roof with white-washed buildings.

Some people called it their wish list, or bucket list, or even a simple to do list. Whatever you call them, I encourage you to have one! You can have simple and easy to achieve items like eating your favorite food, or visiting your local museum. Or you can have outrageous and hard to achieve ones like going to Antarctica, climb Mount Everest or even fly to the moon! Who knows? Maybe one day you will!  The important thing about the list is to start one, keep adding more and most importantly, start ticking them off! The more interesting and exciting they are to you, the higher chance that you will actually do something to achieve it!  Here's my list !  Where's yours?

I am quite sure that not many people know that there is a part of the Berlin Wall in Singapore! It was displayed in the Bedok Reservoir Park for about 3 years, but has since been removed. The owners decided to bring them back to the United States to be displayed in their own property.  I wonder how you go about owning a piece of the wall (or four panels to be exact). Do you carry a piece of the wall home with you on a lorry after the wall fell, or did the government sell the wall? Wonder if I will ever know the answer to the question.  Nevertheless, I am glad they came to own the panels and decided to display them in Singapore for a short while. It was great to see a piece of the famous wall. Now, I just need to plan a trip to be at the site where the wall used to stand!

Aren't these the cutest? I have been wanting to go to London and the rest of the United Kingdom for a long time. Wondering when I will finally make my way there.

Planning a drive through Spain for a week, starting and ending in Madrid. This would be our longest road trip in Europe! Our previous road trips in Europe were short trips, lasting a few days each. We have driven through the amazing rolling Tuscan hills, and from Paris to Mont St Michel.  After reading about the various cities around Madrid and in Andalucia, the route planned gets longer and longer. There are so many cities, which have different things to offer - from fairy-tale castles, medieval streets, Gothic cathedrals, mosque with great Islamic architecture, dream-like white villages, and even an aqueduct! I have mapped out the current plan. Hope that we would be able to cover most, if not all, of these cities! Shall continue planning the rest of the trip!

{ Photo by  verygreen  } Saint Basil's Cathedral in Russia Собор Василия Блаженного That's the name in Russian. It looks like its a mouthful, isn't it? The cathedral looks like something out of a candy store, and is so dreamy that it looks unreal. I would have to stand right on the Red Square, to believe that it's real. { Click here for my wish list and  a list of my travelogues }

Been reading up on Paris and planning my trip to Europe next year .  And it has been raining everyday here in Singapore.  Which makes me wonder... how will Paris look like in the rain? { Photo from weheartit }

Now, I know I previously said that we have made up our mind to go to Eastern Europe next year , and I know that it is a blessing to be having a problem to choose where we want to go for a holiday. But now, we have more or less (no promises this time!) changed our mind and decided to choose Paris over Prague. Mind you, this does not mean that we will not be going to Eastern Europe. It just means that the trip will not be in spring next year.  Could it be the movie Midnight in Paris that showed the romantic Paris in the 20s, or the amazing colour captured in the Paris Color Project , or the French movies by the beautiful French actress Audrey Tautou, or even all those miniature Eiffel Tower that I simply adore?  No matter.  Guess there is no better place than to dream of Paris. { Photos are taken from weheartit }

/ˈwändərˌləst/ noun a very strong or irresistible impulse to travel No other words describe my feeling better than "wanderlust" right now! Being busy with work, feeling a little under the weather, and not travelling for almost five months do that to me!  Good news is that my Taiwan trip is coming up! For now, I'll just add on to my wish list for the places that I want to go.  { Click here for my wish list and  a list of my travelogues }

After contemplating where we want to go next year , we have finally decided on Eastern Europe! It was a toss between Paris-Belgium-Holland and Germany-Austria-Czech, but there is just something fairy tale like about Eastern Europe that I am pretty sure I would love. Of course, I have always wanted to visit the Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany ! Now, what other countries should I add to the trip? { Photos of Charles Bridge in Prague and Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany }

I have always wanted a world map on my wall, and pin all the places I have been. There was a map where you can scratch off the places you have been , and I would love to get my hands on that. However, while I find the perfect map to do that, I have made myself one! I bought a world map, stick it on a piece of thick cardboard and pin the places I have been. A simple, easy to do map of the world to track all the places that I have been. It also serves as a reminder that the world is very big and for every places that I have been, there are countless more that is waiting to be explored! { Click here for places that I have been } 

It felt like I have been planning for a trip to Taiwan since 2008 when I bought the Lonely Planet for Taiwan. They have since published a new version, and yet, I have not visited the sweet-potato-shaped island. Well, good news! We are going to Taiwan for a week! We have applied for annual leave and bought the air tickets. The only thing left to do is decide where exactly we should go in Taiwan. Whenever I plan trips, after reading about the places, I would have quite a clear picture of where I want to go - be it in Japan , Turkey or even Italy . But somehow, Taiwan is giving me a problem. I can't decide where I want to go for the one week trip! Right now, my system of planning is by googling for the photos of the various places in Taiwan. I mean, with these photos, it is really not that hard to decide is it? { Sun Moon Lake } { Alishan }

Ukraine was never in my travel radar, but after seeing the photos posted in Mr and Mrs Globe Trot , it is now! The snow covered city of Kiev, the magnificent buildings and the fashionable hats and jackets! { Image from Mr and Mrs Globe Trot }

I have air miles to claim and I don't know where I should go! I am sure there are harder decisions to make than this, but there are just so many places to choose from! Planning for a place not covered by the budget airlines flying from Singapore, which means somewhere further away from Asia, but not too far. So, probably Europe or even Africa. Where should I go? Which city should I fly to? What combination of countries should I plan for? How do I decide? London and around Growing up reading about the British royalty and dreaming of studying in Oxford or Cambridge, England has always been in my travel list. Shall I go around United Kingdom and Ireland? Should I go to London with Paris, Belgium and Amsterdam? Oh, and how about Iceland? Germany There are so many things to do and visit all around Germany that I would definitely want to go there one day. It warrants a trip all by itself. Eastern Europe Czech, Austria, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and so many more! It would b...

Planning a trip to Borobudur on Vesak Day next year - yes 11 months in advance! It has been in our travel list for awhile, and will make it happen next year! Vesak Day is observed by Buddhist all around the world to celebrate the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha. There are some photos taken on Vesak Day this year in Borobudur, plus many others all around the world in Vesak Day 2011 in The Boston . { Image is by Stuck in Customs , found here }

The best trends, destinations, journeys and experiences for the upcoming year.  That was what the Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2011 was all about. Flipping through the pages brought out the wanderlust in me ( not that it wasn't already there before ). It inspires me to visit more places this year and put more places into my travel wish list . There are some places that I had been in the last few of years... Japan - Top 10 Countries Cappadocia, Turkey - Top 10 Regions New York City - Top 10 Cities and a couple of places that I am planning to go this year... Italy - Top 10 Countries Chiang Mai - Top 10 Cities and many more that I would love to go one day.  In the list of top 10 best things to do in 2011 was "write a postcard". In this day and age, writing with a pen on a postcard with stamp is fast becoming a lost art. I would like to do more of this, although the last time I sent postcards (from Turkey), only 2 out of the 6 postcards I sent out actuall...

   2010: In Reflection The list of the places I went in 2010 is, unfortunately, quite short. Due to work, I was unable to travel as much as I want this year. Most of them were also short weekend trips around Singapore, and all were in and around Asia.  Phuket , Thailand  Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Kyoto and Himeji in Japan Shanghai , China Vientiane, Laos East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia Bintan , Indonesia The highlight of my travel in 2010 would be Japan - the country that I have heard so much of, and finally had a chance to see. Simply love all the contradictions and juxtapositions in the country . There had also been lots of beach holidays , which is weird for someone who doesn't like water! Well, goes to show that I needed lots of breaks where I can relax in 2010. 2011: In Anticipation Promised myself a year full of travels for 2011! Here are some holidays that I am planning and (finger-crossed) that I am going... Italy - For at least two week...

I'm suddenly crazy about all these miniature Eiffel Tower!  I've never been crazy about the Eiffel Tower. To me, it is just a giant iron structure in the middle of Paris. But, I have to admit that there are some beautiful photographs taken of the tower, and it seemed to be synonymous to Paris.  So, why the sudden fascination with these miniatures?  Maybe that's where I should go for my next trip? { Second last photo by  Sarah Lauren Photography , last photo by ♥Emily and the rest are from We Heart It }