Geysir

March 27, 2019 by Emily Shen in Travel, Iceland

We travelled back in February this year to Iceland! Iceland is one of the most incredible places I have ever been to. Just being there in person and seeing all these sites is amazing and should definitely be on your list of places to visit! Iceland is mind-blowing and we witnessed such lovely scenery in winter and with the correct clothing and gear, you will be guaranteed a trip of a lifetime.

Thingvellir National Park

Our first stop of the Golden Circle tour was at Thingvellir National Park. As with most people who come to Iceland, renting a car is a must as you can drive at your own pace and arrange your own day trips to all those places you want to go! We travelled as a party of five and started our journey from Reykjavík where we stayed in an Airbnb for the first two nights. The journey took 45 minutes by car and there is a parking charge of 750 ISK which is for a passenger car with 5 seats or less and is valid for all day and at all parking lots. There is no entrance fee for the park.

Geysir

Another popular spot is of course the Geysir! It was amazing just waiting and watching the water shoot up and how excited everybody got when that happened.

Gullfoss

The Gullfoss waterfall was my favourite place out of the entire trip. I cannot write down in words of how beautiful it is so I think I will leave it up to the pictures below! Literally cloud heaven!

Shaved Ice at Roji Taiwan

October 24, 2018 by Emily Shen in Food, Travel, Taiwan

During our trip to Taipei this October, we couldn’t miss our opportunity for shaved ice. Roji Taiwan popped up on the radar with its oh so cute monster eyes to accompany the shaved ice. By the way, the eyes are edible icing. Their one and only store is located in the Da’an District with the nearest MRT station being Zhongxiao Fuxing.

As we entered the place, there was a wall on the right hand side where there are cards that determine which flavour of shaved ice you would like and then you use the stamps to pick any toppings you would like to have (there are 25 different types of toppings available along with 25 stamps). See one of our choices below.

My matcha choice with matcha jelly and glutinous rice balls and ice cream!

One matcha, two milk and one honey yuzu.

Couldn’t resist snapping a picture with this one.

Upstairs seating area is Japanese style.

The portions were not that big but it is more than enough for one person. The shaved ice was refreshing and along with the toppings, was a great dessert. Most dessert places are noisy but we liked this one as the interior was nice and we were able to sit down comfortably as the shop was quite spacious. We will be back to see you again Roji!

Wonderful Copenhagen

September 22, 2018 by Emily Shen in Travel, Denmark, Europe

We visited Copenhagen in early September this year and what an interesting city it is! The Danes are really friendly and it was really easy getting round the city as there is no problem in communicating and also because the fact that the transport in Copenhagen is well linked.

Our first stop after dropping off our luggage at our Airbnb was Superkilen which is a must visit in the Norrebro district. Superkilen, opened in June 2012 is a public park which was built to promote diversity within the neighbourhood. You can reach the park with a short walk from Norrebro Station. The main attraction for us were the rolling hills.

We then made our way to the waterfront canal to Nyhavn and to the Church of Our Saviour where we were able to view the city of Copenhagen from the top. The entrance fee for the church is 50 DKK per adult but for the view we saw, it was worth it.

We decided to go on our own canal boat ride with GoBoat which was truly an amazing experience! We had to steer the boat by ourselves and after a few tries, we were on our way going around some sights such as the Opera and Christiansborg Castle. We hired the boat for 1 hour for 449 DKK but you can hire the boat for up to 3 hours. This is definitely something that we recommend you do whilst in Copenhagen on a sunny day.

The Black Diamond (library) from the harbour

We made a reservation at Restaurant Palaegade for lunch and it was one of the best meals we have had in Copenhagen. We ordered their classic Danish smørrebrød along with several side dishes.

A 3-4 day stay in Copenhagen is more than enough to go around the city at a good pace. September is also a wonderful time to visit as temperatures were hitting 18 degrees which was refreshing but still warm enough to enjoy the sights. We missed out on Tivoli Gardens this time but we will back again for it!

West Wittering Beach & East Head

August 29, 2018 by Emily Shen in England, Beach, Travel

August marks the end of summer in the UK so we decided to make the most of the weather by taking a day trip to West Wittering Beach and East Head which is part of the National Trust.

The train journey from London Victoria station took an hour and a half to Chichester station followed by a 15 minute bus ride (bus numbers 52 or 53) to the nearest bus stop (Old House At Home bus stop) where we then walked about 15 minutes to the beach. We noticed that a lot of people came by car and set up barbecues and tents on the beach as well as on the parking ground.

As we got to the entrance of the car park which is literally next to the entrance to the beach, there were restrooms and shower booths and also food stalls lined up near the car park. We headed straight to the beach and took a stroll along the beach huts making our way towards East Head. The walk took about 30 minutes as we were stopping to take photos.

People still swimming on a 20 degree day

The wetland just opposite the sand dunes

We had a really lovely time here and a day trip is enough to explore the beach and East Head. We even brought our own packed lunch and snacks. If you drive here, there is a small fee for the car park and cars must leave the car park by 8.30pm. We saw lots of families gathering together and what a better way to make an end to the British summer! We were extremely lucky with the weather so this day trip was really worth it. Maybe we could squeeze in a few more trips before we come face to face with the British winter?

Mykonos - Old Town

August 17, 2018 by Emily Shen in Travel, Greece, Hotel

We visited Mykonos earlier on this year where it is famous for its beaches and turquoise waters. Mykonos is known for its nightlife but we actually went to enjoy the sunshine and the sightseeing. It was very easy to explore the main town and we did so in one day. The rest of the time here was spent lazing around the pool area.

We visited Mykonos town in the early hours of the morning and walked along the port which then leads into the main town where there are the shops and restaurants. Compared to the main shopping street of Santorini, there are definitely less crowds in Mykonos which made it easy to walk around.

Little Venice, isn't it like a painting?

Pink bougainvillea flowers, you can also see these in Santorini.

Can't miss taking a photo against the many white backgrounds here.

As you walk through the main town of Mykonos, you will reach the windmills. It's amazing how picturesque they are and we spent some time capturing some great photos.

We stayed at LYO Boutique Hotel which is about a 15 minute drive from the main town. We picked this hotel because of its location and its outdoor pool! We really enjoyed our stay here and as a bonus, it's only a 15 minute walk from the hotel to Super Paradise Beach.

Outdoor pool at LYO Boutique Hotel where we stayed.

It was a short but fun filled time spent at Mykonos and it was the perfect relaxing holiday for us! We had a safe time here and encountered no problems during our stay. We definitely recommend Mykonos for 2-3 days as you only need one day to explore the main town and the rest to enjoy the beach and sun!

Paris - My Favourite Places

August 08, 2018 by Emily Shen in Travel, Hotel, France

It was our second time staying at Hotel Henriette which is located in the 13th arrondissement just a few minutes walk from Les Gobelins metro station on Line 7. I love the decor of the hotel which makes it feel so inviting. For this post, I will be sharing my favourite places to visit in Paris.

Pont de Bir-Hakeim & The Eiffel Tower

This definitely feels like 'Inception'... To get here, jump on Line 6 of the Paris metro and get off at Passy station then follow the exit signs towards the bridge.

View of the Eiffel Tower from the bridge.

Killing two birds with one stone by visiting the bridge and also being able to take this wonderful picture of the Eiffel Tower.

Tuileries Garden

Places des Vosges

Always happy being in the Place des Vosges.

The nearest station is Bastille (metro lines 1, 5 and 8) and it is a 5 minute walk from the station.

Rue Crémieux

To reach here, get off at Bastille station (metro lines 1, 5 and 8) and walk for about 7 minutes along Rue de Lyon. You can even visit Place des Vosges on the same day as they are both close by which is what we did.

Santorini - Kamari Beach

August 04, 2018 by Emily Shen in Travel, Hotel

Our last two nights were spent at Bellonias Villas located right in front of Kamari Beach which is a black pebble beach on the east coast of Santorini. The villas itself were well located and the staff was friendly as they helped us with our luggage to and from the property. Our stay included breakfast and they have a vast breakfast menu where you can order as much of it as you wanted during the session.

Eating out was so easy in Kamari as there were a lot of restaurants along the beach front and also around the hotels. We had our last dinner at Bellonias Villas and the food was surprisingly good.

Most of the time we spent playing by the pool and hanging out at the beach. One thing to note is that the beach is a pebble beach and these black pebbles get really hot during the day so I recommend to bring swimming socks if you want to go swimming in the sea or just stroll along the beach.

On the last morning of our stay here, we went to see the sun rise. We got up at 6am and headed straight to the beach and waited patiently until 6:17am. We managed to capture the amazing sun rising, a rare sight in my opinion.

This marks the last day of our Santorini trip and even though we did not want to leave, we had an unforgettable time here on the island, Spending a few days around different towns in Santorini definitely made the trip interesting as we were able to explore more. If you are planning a trip to Santorini, I recommend spending a few days around the island like we did. Make sure to book your hotel and flights well in advance if you plan to go in the summer!

Santorini - Imerovigli

August 02, 2018 by Emily Shen in Hotel, Travel

After Oia, we took a taxi to our next stop which was Imerovigli where we stayed for a further two nights at Chromata Hotel.

As soon as we arrived at Imerovigli, we loved it. It is less crowded than Oia and definitely more relaxed. We were given a tour of Chromata Hotel and were then escorted to our suite where we were given a free bottle of champagne and fruit (as we made the booking through Mr and Mrs Smith).

Outdoor lounge and sunbeds at Chromata Hotel

Thira is a 20 minute walk from our hotel and we made the decision to explore just before sunset as that is when it is cool enough to walk. The Greek sun can be quite difficult to walk under during the day so if you want to explore the town and Thira, I recommend to do this after 6pm as you can see the pink skies just before the sunset.

A white dome roof along the way to Thira

What better way to have the view of the Aegean Sea beside you as you explore Imerovigli and Thira by foot?

Santorini - Oia

July 31, 2018 by Emily Shen in Travel

Our first stop of our 7-day trip was Oia. Oia is known for its beautiful sunsets and white cave suites and of course those infamous blue dome roofs.

We chose Charisma Suites for its location and décor and we were not disappointed. Breakfast was served daily outside our suite on the balcony overseeing the caldera.