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Asia & Oceania Travel

Unbelievable Uzbekistan

The Good, The Bad & The Beautiful

December 6, 2024

Laureen

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Location: Uzbekistan, Central Asia

Welcome to the fifth of a series of eight weekly posts covering the eight countries I visited this fall. My journey was epic and I chose not to write posts while traveling, in an effort to be engaged and present on this amazing odyssey. This is my honest opinion of my personal experience. I hope you will enjoy reading my posts covering all that happened over the two months of travel – The Good, The Bad & The Beautiful. Today I share about Unbelievable Uzbekistan.

Where Am I

Uzbekistan is a landlocked Central Asia country that borders Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrghzstan and Afghanistan. It has a population of 37 million. We entered and departed by car during our visit.

To Tour or Not to Tour

Of the five Stan countries we visited with Intrepid Travel, Uzbekistan I think would be the easiest to visit without a tour. And many people do. Our guide was amazing though, and we found some hidden gems thanks to her. But if you are interested in visiting a Stan or two, starting with Uzbekistan is the way to go. Transportation is great, many people speak English, hiring guides for day trips or city tours is very easy in Unbelievable Uzbekistan.

The Good

Intrepid Travel

Despite the above statement, I am so glad we decided to do this four week trip with Intrepid Travel. It was more expensive than our usual form of travel but so worth it. In Turkmenistan (see last week’s post here) we were required to have a Turkmen guide. She was lovely and sweet but maybe a little new at her job. But once we crossed the border (on foot and a bit unsure of what was happening) we found a whole new world with our next guide Svetlana. Svetlana would spend the next three weeks with us, and our experience could no way have been as wonderful without her guidance. Arne and I were the first to step across the border and she knew who we were and greeted us with a smile, a beautiful comfy coach bus and PAVED ROADS! Hallelujah for that!

Actors portraying historical figures Khiva

During this tour we will spend the most time in the country of Uzbekistan – an entire week. We will visit three ancient cities and one modern city in Uzbekistan. We will be educated, inspired and awed.

Throughout this period we will travel in a coach, a couple of vans and by high speed train. Each high quality, safe and comfortable.

The Bad

I am hard pressed to find anything bad at all about Uzbekistan. But since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, like all other countries in this region, Uzbekistan has had few Presidents. While non-governmental organizations have defined Uzbekistan as “an authoritarian state with limited civil rights”, significant reforms under Uzbekistan’s second president, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, have been made following the death of the first president, Islam Karimov. Owing to these reforms, relations with the neighboring countries of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan have drastically improved . In fact only recently have the borders between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan opened, creating much easier travel itinerary options for visitors.

As guests, we felt safe and welcome and everyone we met seemed happy and healthy. Average monthly salary in Uzbekistan is similar to other surrounding countries, about $400 USD. Meals were delicious and affordable, about $25 USD for two people. Gas prices were just under $4 USD per gallon.

The Beautiful

Everywhere we went in Unbelievable Uzbekistan was beautiful. The historic blue tiled buildings, the markets filled with handmade ceramics and carpets. The hotels we stayed, the people we met and the food. Wow. Let me take you city by city.

Fun Facts

Uzbekistan grows more than 160 kinds of melon and watermelon is on nearly every menu. Uzbekistan is a major producer and exporter of both watermelon and cotton.

Khiva

After crossing the border from Turkmenistan we arrived in the ancient walled city of Khiva. Our coach was too big to enter the historic walled city so we unloaded and walked at dusk through the ancient streets. It was so beautiful at dusk and we arrived at the lovely family owned hotel with a little bit of a Fawlty Towers feel. Most of the group headed out for dinner but we were exhausted both mentally and physically from our crazy Turkmenistan day, so we just took the night off and went to bed.

The next morning after a delicious breakfast we enjoyed a full day exploring Khiva with our guide.

A Lot of History

Khiva is said to be more than 2500 years old, with archaeological evidence showing it existed in the 6th century BCE. The entire old city is an open-air museum, and as our first stop it was hard to imagine the tour could get any better than this. Khiva was the first site to be named a UNESCO Heritage site in Uzbekistan. Khiva was on the caravan route and thrived in ancient times.

The next day we went wild in Khiva, visiting so many gorgeous and historic mosques, mausoleums, palace and madrassa. Khiva has 94 mosques and 63 madrassas and is considered an important center of Islam. We enjoyed traditional dance and learning some of the local crafts. After a full morning and lunch, we had free time. Arne and I returned to a few of our favorite spots and bought some souvenirs. We also decided to dine just the two of us in a traditional restaurant overlooking the colorful historic center. Despite comfortable daytime temps, as soon as the sun goes down it is cool in October. So we bundled in provided blankets and toasted our first stop in Unbelievable Uzbekistan.

You can walk on part of the ancient walls of Khiva

Arne trying on one of the local, popular sheep wool hats

Inside the ancient Juma Masjd Mosque with it’s wooden carved pillars

Dinner by moonlight overlooking the ancient city of Khiva

Bukhara

It was a long van ride from Khiva to Bukhara but the roads were good and I was listening to Audible on my headphones. We stopped for lunch briefly, arriving in the historic city of Bukhara late afternoon. We found ourselves in another lovely hotel with an inner courtyard just steps from the historic center.

A Little History

Bukhara functioned as one of the main centers of Persian civilization from its early days in the 6th century BCE. The city’s architectural and archaeological sites form one of the pillars of Central Asian history and art and are a UNESCO Heritage Site.

Located on the Silk Road, the city has long been a center of trade, scholarship, culture, and religion. During the Golden age of Islam, under the rule of Samanids, Bukhara became the intellectual center of the Islamic world.

Arrival

After settling into our hotel we headed right out with a local guide to see many of the sites of this amazing town. Everything from the Ssitorai Mohi Khosa, once a summer palace of Bukharan emirs to the Chor-Bakr Necropolis. Everything here is stunning and well restored or preserved.

Bukhara is home to a wonderful craft market where vendors sell the stunning Uzbekistan ceramics, hand made knives, rugs and scarves, and beautiful hand decorated copper and brass. I needed a bigger suitcase.

At the end of this day the entire group enjoyed a delicious local meal together as we really began to appreciate the delicious, fresh and flavorful foods of Uzbekistan including soups, stews, pickles, meat and dessert.

So Much More

Day two arrived with rain, but that did not stop us from traveling just a mile outside of the city to experience the Ark Fortress . We walked back through a park enjoying lovely scenery and to the Ismail Samani Mausoleum. We had time on our own in the afternoon and Arne and I had a wonderful lunch in a traditional restaurant to learn more about the local food.

Plov

Speaking of local food, on this night we walked through the back alleys of hidden Bukhara to the home of a wonderful lady who taught us how to make the national dish of Uzbekistan – Plov. What a treat as she showed us the ancient way of cooking this rice and meat pilaf over a fire heated cauldron, all the layers of Plov. And then of course we ate it all! Absolutely delicious. Here is the Tasty Tuesday YouTube Video I did about learning to make Plov.

Final Day

On our last day in Bukhara, we had half the day to ourselves before the group headed out to catch the high-speed train to our next city. Weather was still wet, but Arne and I went back to the beautiful market to pick up some more souvenirs, enjoyed a great lunch in another traditional restaurant, and despite the rain headed to the market where the locals shop. We love seeing markets with local produce, meat, fish and in this case local specialties like pickles and halvah – a popular confection made from flour and sesame. Then it was off to the train station and on to Samarakand.

Samarkand

Whoa. So Beautiful. We arrived Samarkand after dark, and the Gur-Amir Mausoleum next to our hotel took our breath away. We would visit this stunning piece of architecture the next day and learn all about the conqueror Timur also known as Tamerlane. Timur (Emir Timur) or Tamerbeg (9 April 1336 – 17 February 1405) was a Turco-Mongol conqueror in the 14th century who is regarded as one of history’s greatest military leaders and strategists. He founded the Timurid Empire in 1370.

Rainy Day

After a wonderful breakfast at our hotel we headed out with our hooded raincoats for a day of exploring beautiful Samarkand. It’s really hard to decide but this might have been the most beautiful city of the three so far – despite a very wet day.

We started this full Samarkand day at Registan, the central square of Samarkand. Researchers estimate that Samarkand was founded in the 8th–7th centuries BC. However, archaeological excavations have uncovered evidence of human activity dating back to the Upper Paleolithic era, 40,000 years ago.

From the Registan we proceeded to the huge Bibi Khanum mosque and the ancient bazaar, picking up a few more souvenirs. One of my favorite sites of the day was Shak-i-Zinda a sacred necropolis of blue tiled mausoleums. The tile, carved ancient pillars and all part of the Timurid dynasty. Breathtaking.

After another amazing lunch Arne and I decided to use our afternoon free time to walk to the ancient Samarkand Ulegbek’s Observatory, built in the 1420s by the Timurid astronomer Ulugh Beg. This school of astronomy was constructed under the Timurid Empire, and was the last of its kind from the Islamic Medieval period. Delicious dinner ended this great day.

Sunny Day

Our final day was sunny and we made the most of our time before heading to the high-speed train again. Svetlana took us to a hidden restaurant we could never have found on our own to experience Samsa, a tiny sandwich (like a slider) baked in giant outdoor ovens and filled with meats. Oh My Gosh. Absolutely delicious. Next we headed to Bumajnaya Paper factory that makes hand-made paper the ancient way. The small operation includes a wonderful interpretive center explaining the history and demonstrating the ancient art of paper making.

Learning that ancient way of paper making

Time to say farewell to beautiful Samarkand and jump back on the train to our final Unbelievable Uzbekistan destination of Tashkent.

Tashkent

It was a beautiful sunny day when we woke up in Tashkent, the capital city of Uzbekistan. We started off with a local guide to tour the city, which is more modern than those we visited before. It was fun to use the Tashkent Metro, a beautiful metro system with each station decorated with a different theme.

Next we headed to the giant Chorsa Bazaar, an astonishing place where you can buy just about anything! Most fascinating was the meat pavilion….an entire enormous building just selling meat! I was also intrigued watching the bakers make the local bread in open clay ovens. This bakery makes about a million and half loaves of bread a year…feeding Tashkent! So far I was loving this city of 3 million people.

At this point some people went back to the hotel but most of us piled into one tiny cab and headed to an amazing restaurant that makes plov in humongous cauldrons all day long. They like things big in Tashkent. The plov was good (not as good as what we had at the cooking class) but most fascinating was watching the process of this restaurant that serves thousands of people each day.

Arne and I decided to head out on our own for the rest of the afternoon. We visited the small but nice Tashkent Hand Craft Museum then went out to dinner at a lovely restaurant and enjoyed a modern twist on Uzbekistan food. Our final night in this wonderful country.

Another delicious meal. There is no bad food in Uzbekistan

Unbelievable Uzbekistan

We really enjoyed this country, the people, the history, the beauty and the food. It’s a great destination, easy to get around and definitely worth a visit. Get it on your radar. But now it was time for us to move on to Tajikistan. I’ll tell you about that next Friday. Meanwhile, thank you for reading my post Unbelievable Uzbekistan. See last week’s post Turkmenistan, Ashgabat and Beyond here. I hope you will come back next week for more of this wonderful journey.

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Asia & Oceania Travel

Turkmenistan – Ashgabat and Beyond

The Good, The Bad & The Beautiful

November 29, 2024

Laureen

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18 Comments

Location: Turkmenistan

Welcome to the fourth of a series of eight weekly posts covering the eight countries I visited this fall. My journey was epic and I chose not to write posts while traveling, in an effort to be engaged and present on this amazing odyssey. This is my honest opinion of my personal experience. I hope you will enjoy reading my posts covering all that happened over the two months of travel – The Good, The Bad & The Beautiful. Today I share about the unusual country of Turkmenistan – Ashgabat and Beyond.

Where The Heck is Turkmenistan?

Don’t fret if you have never heard of this country. It definitely is under the radar for most people. This map shows Turkmenistan, a landlocked country in Central Asia. With only 7 million people, it is the smallest of the Central Asian countries. Turkmenistan is one of the least visited countries in the world due to the difficulty in obtaining a visa, and its totalitarian regime.

The Good

Our visit to this somewhat strange and interesting country was the start of a month long tour with Intrepid Travel. On arrival in Turkmenistan we met the ten other seasoned travelers we would spend the next four weeks with. This is our second tour with Intrepid, which does unique small group tours. We loved our Bolivia tour and felt confident Intrepid would be perfect for us to visit the Five Stans. It surely was, and our group was wonderful too.

Turkmenistan – Ashgabat and Beyond is not an easy place to visit…or to understand. But being with a tour certainly helped smooth the way.

Independence Park and Memorial, Ashgabat

The Bad

The country is widely criticized for its poor human rights, including for its treatment of minorities, and its lack of press and religious freedoms. Since its independence from the Soviet Union was declared in 1991, Turkmenistan has been ruled by repressive totalitarian regimes: that of President for Life Saparmurat Niyazov until his death in 2006; Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, who became president in 2007 after winning a non-democratic election (he had been vice-president and then acting president previously); and his son Serdar, who won a subsequent 2022 presidential election described by international observers as neither free nor fair, and now shares power with his father. (Wikipedia)

The Turkmenistan government has been described as stricter than North Korea. Few Turkmen citizens leave their country. Some do go abroad to study, and others travel if they can afford it. But most do not.

But our visit to Turkmenistan did not include any information on the above. The Turkmen people, including our guide, are very proud of their country and respectful and cautious of criticizing. But as an outside observer, I have to tell you, Ashgabat felt like Disneyland. A movie set. A facade. Let me start from arrival.

Entering Turkmenistan

After an overnight flight from Istanbul we arrived Ashgabat at 2:00am to find a long and confusing entry process. To visit Turkmenistan you must have a “Letter of Invitation” which we obtained before arrival with assistance of Intrepid. On arrival we got in line to purchase our visa at a cost of $125 USD, paid in cash on arrival.

Soaring marble ceilings Ashgabat International Airport

What we didn’t expect though, was a requirement also to have a Covid test before being allowed to enter. At an additional cost of $50 USD – cash of course. All of this line waiting and cash exchanging took about an hour. Eventually we retrieved our luggage and found our tour guide waiting for us and four others who were on the same flight. As we waited, we had time to admire the marble airport, with soaring ceilings. Most of the people at the opulent airport were armed guards rather than visitors -our first sign that something strange is happening here.

Designed to look like a bird, Ashgabat International Airport

Hotel

Our lovely guide Ejesh explained to us in the van on the way from the airport that we had been moved to a different hotel than what we expected. Apparently the original hotel was now being taken over by the government to host some foreign dignitaries. Instead we ended up in a strange little hotel outside of the city. We had expected to be in the city, and had paid for a nice hotel. Disappointing and all very strange.

When we woke in the morning we had a full day until our group arrival meeting at 5:00pm. But now that we were so far out of town we couldn’t really wander. We didn’t feel confident enough to take a taxi into town, not knowing even where to go, so we napped and relaxed until our meeting.

Internet and Social Media

Despite my study and feeling prepared to enter Turkmenistan, I was astonished to learn social media is banned. No where in all my reading before leaving the USA did I see this. Internet was nearly impossible to come by and all social media platforms are banned. We could not get VPN to work.

Welcome to Turkmenistan – Ashgabat and Beyond

We were jet-lagged but very curious about this country. We were also anxious to meet our group who we would spend the next four weeks with. In a situation like this it takes a little time to feel each other out, but soon we all felt comfortable together.

Ashgabat

Our first evening after the meeting we headed out to a traditional Turkmenistan restaurant. The restaurant was inside a huge and sparkling marble mall. Like all the buildings in Ashgabat it was new and fancy in keeping with the Ashgabat image of rich and beautiful.

I’m not even sure how many stories there were in this place – Berkarar Kinoteatry Mall

It’s hard to say if Ashgabat is good or bad. There is some of both. It is certainly beautiful I’ll give it that, but it just did not feel ‘real”.

Day two we headed out for a very full day of sight seeing. We were shuttled from monument to monument on what seemed a very restricted tour. Dozens of monuments honoring the great men that are deemed important by the government. Everyone from historic Turkmen philosophers to Lenin to the current President and his family have monuments built to them. As you drive around this city you can not miss that there is not a pothole, or a dead bush or a piece of litter. Everywhere workers are touching up paint, sweeping and pruning. The white marble city is perfect in every way. And every car in the city is white. Only white cars are allowed. It was a bit freaky.

Things will be quite different a couple of days later when we leave the city. More on that below.

All That Glitters

The full day tour turned into a night tour after sunset with the glittering city aglow in sparkles. Every monument and every building fully lit – from our rooftop restaurant we could admire the colorful scene.

Throughout the city we also noted that there was a uniform way of dressing; men and boys in black suits. School age women in girls all wore the same long dress and head covering; young girls in pink, high school girls in green, university in red. We had the pleasure of meeting a group of high school kids on a field trip. They were all thrilled to meet us. Meeting visitors is rare.

Many recent restrictions have been imposed on women regarding the right to drive and beauty care. This article is astonishing to those of us who take those freedoms for granted.

All of that said, the people we did meet seemed happy.

Akhal-Teke

On the day we were scheduled to leave Ashgabat we had a half day more in the city. Due to the debacle with the hotel, we were given an added activity for the morning. We could visit the Turkmenistan History Museum or go to a stable to learn about the famous Akhal-Teke horses. Arne and I chose the horses and everyone else chose the museum.

The Akhal-Teke is a horse from Turkmen, in the southern region of the modern country of Turkmenistan. These horses have been renowned as cavalry mounts and racehorses for some 3,000 years. The Akhal-Teke has superb natural gaits, and is the outstanding sporting horse from this area. Queen Elizabeth was a fan and owned several.

We had a private guide take us to a gorgeous stable about 40 min outside of the city. Back home we would call this a ranch and it was hands down the cleanest most pristine ranch/stables I have ever been to. We had a personal tour by the lovely gentleman owner whose family has been raising Akhal-Teke horses for multiple generations. We did not regret choosing this option over the museum. In fact, when our time in Turkmenistan was done, this was my favorite thing we did.

The Bad & The Beautiful

That afternoon we loaded up our group into three separate jeeps to begin the long trek out of the city. We were warned the roads would be bad. Bad is an understatement. After the perfection of Ashgabat, the quality of the roads on this very long drive was downright appalling. For hours we bumped and swerved over huge potholes and unbelievably poor conditions. It really began to dawn on us that Ashgabat is the only place in this country that the government is investing in. Out here along these dusty horrific roads the people are living in simple villages, tending gardens, herding goats and subsisting.

Not far outside of the city things began to look very different

The average salary in Turkmenistan is between $200-$400 USD per month. The few meals we paid for in this country were in Ashgabat and we paid about $30USD including wine. These meals were at pretty fancy restaurants. Incredibly though, gas here is .40 cents a gallon. Turkmenistan is rich with oil and natural gas.

This was actually one of the good roads….trying to take a photo on most of the roads was impossible since we had to hang on

Darvaza Gas Crater

Often called The Door to Hell, Darvaza Gas Crater was our destination – finally arriving after dark. What is this crazy place?

The Darvaza gas crater is a burning natural gas field collapsed into a cavern near Darvaza, Turkmenistan. Hundreds of natural gas fires illuminate the floor and rim of the crater. The crater has been burning since the 1980s. How the crater formed is unknown, but engineers ignited the crater to prevent poisonous gases from spreading.

Located about 260 kilometres (160 mi) north of Ashgabat, it has a diameter of 60–70 metres (200–230 ft) and a depth of about 30 metres (98 ft). (Wikipedia)

Over the years there have been concerns about the health affects of the gas on the surrounding area. Nonetheless the Door to Hell has become a very popular tourist destination. Recently many Yurt villages have popped up to accommodate tour groups like ours. We stayed one night here and headed out early again in the morning for more bumpy roads.

Kunya-Urgench

The very long and bumpy ride brought us to Kunya-Urgench UNESCO Heritage site, one of the oldest sites in Turkmenistan. Also known as Old Urgench or Urganj, it is a city of about 30,000 inhabitants in north Turkmenistan. It is the site of the ancient town of Gurgānj, which contains the ruins of the capital of Khwarazm. Its inhabitants deserted the town in the early eighteenth century in order to develop a new settlement, and Kunya-Urgench has remained undisturbed ever since.

This site contains several ancient structures including a mausoleum. The ancient buildings are considered some of the first where intricate tile work was used. For thousands of years these buildings have survived, even including a rampage by the infamous Genghis Khan.

I really enjoyed this stop on our tour, although getting here was not fun. I’d be hard pressed to recommend it to most people, as it really was painful driving. If Turkmenistan wants to attract visitors, the roads outside of Ashgabat are a huge problem.

And guess what? After our tour we had to get back into the jeeps. Ugh.

Border Crossing

A quick lunch stop and then a bat-out-of-hell drive to get to the border with Uzbekistan before it closes at 6pm. Seriously? Wow. And we made it with 30 minutes to spare. It was all a bit frantic. I hope Ejesh our guide was shown gratitude by everyone in our group, despite the border chaos. She helped us through the first part of the exit from Turkmenistan and showed us where we get on a small bus to ride through what is known as “no mans land”, the buffer zone between Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Then she was gone and our little group was on our way.

The bus takes us to the Uzbekistan entrance where we went through passport control and luggage screening and then on foot continued to the final entrance to Uzbekistan where our new guide Svetlana was waiting. She was a sight for sore eyes, as was the beautiful huge and comfortable coach and well paved roads. Uzbekistan was looking pretty good…and we were happy to arrive.

Final Thoughts

I am grateful I had the opportunity to experience Turkmenistan, but I don’t have any desire to return. Looking back on it now I really wonder what is going on behind the scenes. I felt like I was being watched. What was happening behind the walls of all those marble buildings? Are people really happy? Safe? Turkemenistan Ashgabat and Beyond.

It was a crazy start to what would be an amazing 28 day tour, and things got better and better in the weeks ahead. Please come back next Friday for a post about Uzbekistan…a gorgeous and interesting country I would certainly return to.

Thanks for reading my post Turkmenistan – Ashgabat and Beyond. We love it when you pin, share and comment on our blog posts. Be sure to check out last week’s post Baku Azerbaijan and continue to follow our odyssey in Central Asia – next Uzbekistan.

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Yerevan, Armenia

The Good, The Bad & The Beautiful

November 8, 2024

Laureen

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20 Comments

Welcome to the first of a series of eight weekly posts covering the eight countries I visited this fall. My journey was epic and I chose not to write posts while traveling, in an effort to be engaged and present on this amazing odyssey. I hope you will enjoy reading my posts covering all that happened over the two months of travel – The Good, The Bad & The Beautiful. Let’s begin with Yerevan Armenia.

Where Am I?

Yerevan, Armenia is not on everyone’s travel bucket list, but it was on mine after reading about it from another travel blogger several years ago. In fact we were scheduled for this trip when Covid shut the world down. So we were happy to finally get to the beautiful Caucasus region.

Armenia was the first of eight former Soviet states we would visit on this whirlwind trip. Over the past 8 plus years on the Grand Adventure, I have grown to really appreciate what it was like behind the Iron Curtain and why many people believe things were better for them during that time. Not all, but many people miss the security they enjoyed during the Soviet era.

A Little History

Armenia, one of the oldest countries in the world, boasts a rich and complex history that dates back to ancient times. The region was home to the Urartian Kingdom in the 9th century BCE, which laid the foundation for Armenian culture and identity. The Kingdom of Armenia was officially established in 301 CE when it became the first nation to adopt Christianity as its state religion, a pivotal moment that significantly influenced its cultural and social development. Throughout the centuries, Armenia faced numerous invasions and occupations, including those by the Persians, Romans, Byzantines, and later the Seljuks and Ottomans, which shaped its political landscape and often led to the displacement of its people.

Yerevan is known for it’s delicious water and free drinking fountains around the city.

Many ancient and beautiful monasteries survived the Soviet era

Learning about the Armenian Genocide was eye-opening for me. In the early 20th century, Armenia experienced one of the most tragic events in its history: the Armenian Genocide. Perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire during World War I, an estimated 1.5 million Armenians were extinguished. Why have I never heard about this?

Be sure to check out the book review The Sandcastle Girls by Chris Bohjalian I posted last Wednesday. This novel is a must-read to learn more about the Armenian Genocide.

Following the war, Armenia briefly declared independence in 1918 but was soon incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1920, where it remained until the dissolution of the USSR in 1991.

Few people are aware of the horrific genocide the Armenian people suffered at the hands of the Ottoman Empire in the early 20th Century. Armenia’s relation with Turkey remains strained.

How’s it Going?

Since gaining independence 1991, Armenia has sought to rebuild its national identity and address the historical injustices faced by its people. The country is navigating complex geopolitical challenges, particularly its relationship with neighboring Turkey and Azerbaijan. Armenia is part of the EU’s Eastern Partnership since 2009. Today, Armenia is recognized for its rich cultural heritage, including its ancient churches and monasteries, and its ongoing efforts to establish itself as a modern nation-state in the South Caucasus region. The world-wide Armenian diaspora (about 10 million) create awareness around the world about this little known and beautiful region of our planet.

As a visitor to Yerevan Armenia, we found most everything inexpensive from restaurants to tours and souvenirs. During our stay we ate delicious meals with drinks in Yerevan for less than $25 USD for two. Gas prices however, were about $5.30 gallon. The average monthly salary in Armenia is around $675 USD a month.

We even found a couple of craft breweries. Hubby happy.

The Good

Armenia is still working its way through issues from the past Soviet era, but the people we met seem happy with the direction of their country with some exceptions regarding education. In Yerevan (one of the oldest cities in the world) we had a great Airbnb with an engaged and friendly host. We did three tours; a history walking tour, a food walking tour and a cooking class and market tour. These were all private tours we booked through Viator, and we had excellent guides and experiences. All of our guides spoke great English and were enthusiastic about the future of their country.

Walking tour we learned so many things including about the more than 115 drinking fountains around the city

Jengyalov Hac is one of the best things I have ever eaten. Without our guide we would never have known about this herb stuffed sandwich.

The Bad

Similar to our visit last spring to Albania and Serbia, the traffic was awful. It’s clear that the pace of automobile acquisition in Yerevan, Armenia after independence has outmatched that of infrastructure development. Drivers are aggressive, blaring horns constantly and the din can be annoying. Most drivers seem untrained with little regard for rules of the road. Case in point – we ordered a taxi on a rainy day. The taxi arrived and it was an old car, no seat belts and past it’s prime. In hindsight we should never have gotten in this vehicle. But we did. The driver was driving way too fast, in the wrong lane and swerved to miss a car. We crashed into a concrete barrier. Unfortunately, because we were not wearing seat belts, my husband hit is head hard on the ceiling and suffered a concussion.

Accident does not look bad, but our injuries were due to the fact we were not wearing seat belts. Despite rules for such safety features, we had little recourse.

Because of the concussion and my husband needing to rest, we ended up missing our all day tour outside of the city to Khor Virap and the Tatev Monastery. Even though I did not visit these places, I still recommend them if you have the chance. These are the top sights outside of Yerevan. It was disappointing but necessary for us to not travel on the day after our taxi accident.

Khor Virap (Canva) with Mount Ararat in the distance

Genocide

The Genocide is one of the worst things that has happened to the Armenian people, and it is something few people in the world know about. The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was implemented primarily through the mass murder of around one million Armenians during death marches to the Syrian Desert and the forced Islamization of others, primarily women and children. Today in Yerevan, this horrific period is remembered with an excellent Armenian Genocide Memorial & Museum that is a must visit for everyone visiting Armenia.

Today Armenia has no diplomatic relations with neighboring Azerbaijan. There are no open border crossings which presents a problem for visitors navigating the Caucasus region. This is due to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict – an ethnic and territorial dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan. This is an ongoing issue, very volatile, with no negotiations in sight.

The Beautiful

Yerevan, Armenia has many beautiful sites. We enjoyed our time inside the city. Our favorite places included the giant statue of Mother Armenia, the view of Mount Ararat (Armenians believe it to be where Noah’s Ark is), the Yerevan Cascade Climb, Matenadaran Manuscript Library, Republic Square and the amazing Genocide Memorial and Museum. We spent several hours exploring the National Gallery of Armenia and the GUM Market (has nothing to do with chewing gum) and we recommend both.

The beautiful and kind people stood out. They were interested in us and welcoming. Like many of the countries we visit, we did not meet any other Americans. Most of the visitors are from Europe.

Mount Ararat on a cloudy day. Most of the mountain currently lies in Turkey and is one of Armenia’s border conflicts with that nation

A shout out to the local Emergency Room too. Our wonderful Airbnb host personally escorted us to the emergency room on a Sunday, stayed with us the entire time and translated for us. We would have been lost without him. Our ER visit with CatScan and prescriptions was $128.

We were lucky to have our Airbnb host help us at the hospital

Armenians are proud of their unique language and alphabet. The Armenian alphabet, created in 405 AD by the linguist and theologian Mesrop Mashtots, is a unique script that reflects the rich cultural and historical heritage of the Armenian people.

An outdoor exhibit explains the unique and ancient Armenian alphabet

Food Glorious Food

Our food tour and cooking class both provided us an eye-opening education to the cuisine of Armenia. We had amazing Khorovats – like a shishkebab grilled meat; dolma, vine leaf wrapped meat; ghapama (my favorite), a spectacular stuffed pumpkin or squash; gata – a sweet bread; pickles of every persuasion; jengyalov hac – an incredible herb filled flat bread wrap; and the famous lavash flat bread served at every meal.

Here below is a link to our YouTube video about Armenian Food. Delicious.

Watch this video to learn more about the surprising cuisines of Armenia

Yerevan, Armenia – The Good, The Bad & The Beautiful

Yerevan, Armenia was a perfect place to spend a week. Plenty of time to see many historical sites, museums and parks and to eat the great food. We really enjoyed the people, the architecture and the culture. We enjoyed learning about the Armenian Apostolic Church (97% of Armenians are Christian) founded 301 AD. Christianity is the official state religion.

This tiny country packs a powerful punch. Yerevan is small and easy to maneuver. It is an up and coming destination you should have on your radar. I highly recommend it. Yerevan Armenia – The Good, The Bad & The Beautiful.

We love it when you pin and share and comment about our posts. Be sure and come back next Friday for our post about Tbilisi Georgia.

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Here We Go Again The Grand Adventure Part Nine

The Grand Adventure Part Nine

September 13, 2024

Laureen

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Well, it’s hard to believe we have been in the USA already for four months. I really tried to keep this summer quieter. More open. Free. Ha! Well, I guess I’ll try again next summer. But I have no regrets. We had wonderful time with our adult children, our moms and our friends. What a blessing it is to spend summers in the Pacific Northwest. And now, here we go again – the Grand Adventure Part Nine.

What’s Next?

We are making some changes to how we travel and to how we share this all with you. Crazy to think we are starting YEAR NINE of The Grand Adventure. Amazing how much we have experienced over the years. And we are not done yet. We will finish off 2024 with a seven week trip in the region known as the Caucasus and the Central Asian countries often referred to as The Stans. We will be on the go from September 15th – November 1st and then return to our home here in Washington State for the winter holidays.

Some changes though – I plan to write fewer blogs and instead share more videos and reels, in keeping with the changing audience. I’ll still have blogs but not every Friday, and particularly on this intense itinerary not as frequent. See more about this below.

The Caucasus countries are Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan. In spring of 2020 we were supposed to travel by train through these countries as well as visit Ukraine. Well of course Covid put a stop to all of that.

The first three weeks of our seven week itinerary has us spending a week in each of these countries, staying in the capital cities of Yerevan, T’bilisi and Baku and enjoying the cities and day trips from each home base. I am really excited to see this unique region of the world.

Intrepid

After the Caucasus we will once again join Intrepid Travel for a group tour of Five Stans; Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan.

This is our second time using Intrepid Travel. As you know it’s rare we travel by tour, and even more rare that we do a group tour. But we had such a positive experience with Intrepid on our eleven day tour of Bolivia we are confident and excited to do it again.

This time however we will be traveling for 24 days. It’s a very long tour, we cover a lot of territory and five countries. Fingers crossed it all goes as planned. Lots of moving parts! I remain optimistic.

Dubai

On our way back to the USA we will spend a couple of days in Dubai, relaxing and enjoying this beautiful city. We have been here before, and we look forward to seeing a bit more. Then it’s back to the USA for the holiday season before departing again mid January.

Lots of Planning

This seven week trip has included a great deal of detail oriented planning and we feel we are ready. We are excited to explore new places to us – nine countries in seven weeks.

I will not be blogging while I’m on the move. Instead I will be focusing on daily videos, reels, YouTube and posts on our Instagram , Threads and Facebook pages. I’m looking forward to sharing in this format instead of blogging but will do in-depth blog posts when I return. Click the links and follow along – . Here we Go Again the Grand Adventure Part Nine! And by the way – if you have been following us on Twitter X we have left that platform so join us on one of our other options.

Be sure to read last week’s post Travel Wardrobe – Seven Weeks and Nine Countries and you might also like this older post How to Prepare for a Long Haul Flight.

We love it when you share and comment on our blog posts. We can’t wait for you to follow along on this exciting next adventure. Here We Go Again – The Grand Adventure Part Nine. Thank you!!

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Asia & Oceania Travel

Koh Chang Thailand – Take it Slow

February 9, 2024

Laureen

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Location: Koh Chang Thailand

It’s our second visit to Thailand. We came here for a really long stay when we first began our world travels. During that time, we moved around a lot, packing in as much as possible. Seven years later, we arrived on the island of Koh Change with zero plans and zero expectations. It turns out Koh Chang Thailand – Take it Slow, is a perfect island for just that.

We stayed in the very south part of the island near to Bang Bao

How to Get to Koh Chang

Just off the coast of mainland Thailand, and an hour flight southeast from Bangkok is Koh Chang. There are several islands in this area. Fly from Bangkok to Trat (about an hour flight) and then secure a van on arrival at the airport. The van takes you from the airport, onto the ferry and across, then down the Island to your accommodations. We were the last ones to be delivered since we are so far south. Most visitors stay in the White Sand or Lonely Beach area. Cost for the airport to door service was about $21 pp.

Another option is to take a car or van from the Bangkok Airport. This was something we did not know you could do, and if we hadn’t already booked and paid for our flight we would have done this. This option, though it involves about a 4 hour drive, gets you to Bangkok at your desired time…not when the Trat flight arrives. We had a six hour layover in Bangkok. It wasn’t horrible but if we had it to do again we would hire a car or van.

Where We Stayed

We booked an Airbnb in Bang Bao, which much to our surprise, ended up being at the very ends of the earth in Koh Chang. The road only goes about a half a mile past our condo. But there are still some things in the Bang Bao area; several small bungalow type accommodations, a handful of Thai restaurants easily walkable and the Bang Bao pier where most of the snorkel boats go from. Apparently the road used to not end here. It used to go all the around the bottom of the island, but it washed out and has yet to be repaired. Our guide told us he didn’t think it ever would be.

We chose a lovely view condo at the Tranquilty Bay Residence. It’s kind of a strange place though. We loved the view and the pool too. But the complex, like so many places in Thailand, appears to have over reached a bit. It’s really big, but about a third of the units have not been finished. During our 30 day stay there were perhaps ten units occupied out of forty or more. Apparently there was a restaurant at one time, but not anymore.

We booked our condo through Airbnb and paid $80 per night which was a discounted price due to our long stay. The view though…amazing.

The pool was sparkling clean and never crowded

Weather

We spent the entire month of January in Koh Chang and we had great weather. The rainy season is over by November, but there still can be an occasional shower. It was mid to upper 80’s Fahrenheit every day.

Getting Around

We aren’t confident scooter people, but scooters are the way most people, locals and visitors alike, get around. We were surprised to learn the Taxi Union is strong and so Tuk Tuk’s are forbidden on the island. That was disappointing because we love Tuk Tuk’s. Because of the remote location of our condo, you can’t just stand outside and expect a taxi to go by. Renting a car is also a hassle. So, we managed to hook up with a taxi driver and contacted him on WhatsAp the few times we needed a ride.

I need to mention that this remote location brought with it some challenges as far as getting groceries. An easy walk to a decent 7-11 as well as a nice but tiny store that provided fruit, veg, coffee, toilet paper, rice and even fresh shrimp and chicken. We used those as needed but the two times we did tours (see below) we paid a driver to also take us to the much larger supermarkets in the town of White Sands Beach. By doing this we were able to have a good selection of ingredients for meals we made at home and then we ate out about once a week. See more about restaurants below.

Things To Do

Well we spent most of our time just hanging out. We did our morning run in our neighborhood (hilly, and aggressive monkeys hanging out in the road), did yoga on our beautiful deck and then spent a couple hours at the pool most days. I read seven books in the month of January so that tells you how my days went. But all that said there are some fun and interesting things to do on Koh Chang, if you get bored of the beach or pool. Check out this list;

Island Tour

We hooked up with Coco Dee Bo Tours on the island and booked a couple of tours through them. In an effort to get a feel for the island, we did a full day island tour. Our driver and guide, spoke great English and had wonderful insight to the sites on the island. We visited several beautiful view points, an elephant sanctuary, and Klong Phlu Waterfall. We visited a historic fishing village and took a ride in a traditional Thai boat. It was a great day.

Relaxing tour in an authentic fishing boat

Several elephant sanctuaries, some more humane than others. Choose wisely.

Bird Watching

We really enjoyed a private Bird Watching Tour we booked through Coco Dee Bo. Our guide was excellent with an amazing ear and eye to spot some really great birds. Walkingthrough both private land and National Park land we spotted 14 new-to-us bird species. It was really fun and a good little hike too with great flora. Highly recommend.

Bang Bao Pier

Bang Bao Pier is often a stop on island tours, but it is right in our back yard so we visited there regularly. The Bang Bao Pier is home to the snorkel and dive boats…all shapes and sizes. It is also where you might go to do some souvenir shopping as well as pick up fruit and vegetables, seafood or visit an ATM. There are also several restaurants, a few Thai massage spots and a 7-11. A few remaining active fishing boats are here and homes of fisherman. The ferry to outer islands and Cambodia leaves from here each morning.

Ghost Ship

Since we were on a mission to Koh Chang Thailand – Take it Slow we decided to hike to the Ghost Ship instead of hiring a guide. We like to hike and the abandoned ship is about four miles from our condo at the end of a long and dusty road. The story about the ship is that it was part of a resort, but when a guest fell or jumped from the top of the ship and died, people stopped coming to the resort. Today it’s an eerie shell of a place, but on the most spectacular beach. Staff (or an opportunist, I’m not sure which) collects 100 Baht (about $3USD) per person to enter and see the ship, resort, or go to the beach.

Snorkel Tours

Bang Bao Pier is home to the majority of the dive and snorkel trips out of Koh Chang so it was very convenient to where we were staying. There are literally dozens of options; private, huge group, small group, family, slow boat, speed boat, catamaran…and the list goes on. You can do full-day with lunch and stop at five or six islands or choose half-day and stop at 2 or 3 islands. I would suggest use a clearing house like Coco Dee Bo to see all the options and book what works best for you.

Every size boat to choose from for your snorkel tour

Thai Cooking Class

We had the most wonderful three hour cooking class with Napalai Thai Cuisine School. At the class we learned to make ten things, all delicious, fresh and simple. I love Thai food and have cooked it often over the years, but taking the class was a way to learn even more. Our instructor Bunny was great. See the blog post I wrote about it last week here. If you come to Koh Chang, don’t miss it.

White Sands Beach Night Market

The night market at White Sands Beach, also called Walking Street, was a bit of a let down. I had envisioned the glorious night market of Chang Mai from our last visit to Thailand. Well, it wasn’t that. But I’m still glad we went. Mostly because the bustling area of White Sands Beach was fun to see at night….so different from the remote area we were staying near Bang Bao. The number of vendors at the White Sands Beach Night Market (happens every night) varies with the season.

A popular fruit stuffed crepe at the White Sands Beach Night Market

While in White Sands Beach we also ate at Beach Tango, a colorful, toes in the sand bistro. A good choice when in this town.

Massage

Many years ago I had a Thai massage on the island of Koh Samui. OMG I thought they were going to break me in half. But this massage, at the Indie Beach Bungalows and Cafe was much more my style. Just enough pressure and very relaxing – with a little bit of chiropractic service thrown in. I enjoyed it so very much, I went two times. Everywhere you go on Koh Chang there are massage places. It’s a very Thai thing to do. Inexpensive too – starting at about $10 USD.

Where to Eat on the South Island

Since we didn’t have a car we didn’t wander too far for dining out, but there were several excellent places to eat within walking distance of our Airbnb. Although we primarily cooked in our condo, we did eat out about once a week and again the last few days when our food was pretty much gone. The following places we can recommend in the Bang Bao and Had Sai Noi area of the Southern most part of Koh Chang;

Indie Beach Bungalows and Cafe – this lovely spot is owned by our Airbnb Host and was an easy walk from our condo. We ate dinner here three times including once for their Tuesday night buffet. Additionally we ate breakfast here once. It’s a great spot and inexpensive and the view is amazing.

Ido Ido Beach Cafe – right next door to Indie Beach is Ido Ido Beach Cafe. We had dinner here one night. It’s a bit more rustic than Indie Beach but we enjoyed the food and a nice beach view.

Pipin Cafe – with some of the friendliest people we met on the entire island, the Pipin Cafe was conveniently located next door to our Airbnb. We first had breakfast there one morning when the power was out at our condo. Luckily they use gas for cooking and they created an amazing Thai Omelet for me, one of my favorites. We enjoyed it so much we returned for dinner on another night and enjoyed several delicious dishes and ended with a giant Mango Sticky Rice.

A soupy dish with shrimp veg and delicious broth at Pipin

Nongyim Seafood Bang Bao – on the Bang Bao Pier we discovered a tiny little place highly rated for Seafood. We had only eaten shrimp since arriving, and really wanted to try the local fish. We we went to Nongyim where we had a whole fried Seabass as well as some great squid salad. Really enjoyed it.

Koh Chang Thailand – Take it Slow

So that is how we spent our month on the island of Koh Chang. Most people don’t come for a whole month. Four days would give you time to see and do a lot. A week would be perfect. Or stay a month, and take it slow.

Swimming off the dock at Tranquility Bay

Thanks for reading my post Koh Chang Thailand – Take it Slow. See last week’s post Cooking with Napalai Thai Cuisine, Koh Chang Thailand.

We are headed to Europe now for the next three months. Stay tuned!

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Cooking With Napalai Thai Cuisine School, Koh Chang Thailand

Fun, Easy & Delicious

February 2, 2024

Laureen

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We have enjoyed a quiet and relaxing month on the island of Koh Chang in Thailand. Koh Chang is pretty laid back, and that was what we were looking for. We did find the energy though to do some fun things, including an amazing Thai cooking class. Thai food is incredible! Simple and fresh ingredients come together quickly for flavorful dishes. If you are coming to Koh Chang, I highly recommend Cooking with Napalai Thai Cuisine School, Koh Chang Thailand.

Cooking with Napalai Thai Cuisine School, Koh Chang Thailand

Located in the Amphoe area, owner and instructor Bunny tells me she started the school eleven years ago. I was very impressed with the layout of the mostly outdoor kitchen, and the quality of the kitchen and fresh ingredients. Bunny’s English is excellent and she has so much energy! Probably where she got the nickname Bunny.

There are three choices of classes daily, and depending on where you are staying you can also get a pick up. We chose the afternoon class. This class is 1200 Baht per person (about $35 USD) and you choose one of two dishes in five categories. So between my husband and I we made ten dishes. The food is also consumed as you make it, so unlike some classes you eat it all while it is hot. I liked that. The class took about three hours. See the other offerings on the website here.

Let’s Get Cooking

At the afternoon class there were two soups offered, two curries (which included making two curry pastes), a choice between Pad Thai and Cashew Chicken and finally two desserts.

Ingredients

Fresh and local ingredients are the key to Thai cooking. Most of the ingredients in classic Thai food can be found in the USA and Europe, although you may need to substitute a few things. Talking about the local ingredients is one of my favorite things about taking a cooking class in most countries we visit. Bunny explained some unusual-to-me ingredients like galangal, finger root and a tiny berry-like aubergine.

Galanga, Ginger, Finger Root and Turmeric

Soup

I’m a sucker for coconut milk based soups, and so I chose to make the Tom Kha Kai – a Chicken in Coconut Milk Soup made with lemon grass, galangal, kaffir lime, chilies, onions, mushrooms, coriander, sugar, lemon juice, fish sauce and coconut milk. It was fabulous. I will certainly make this again.

Arne chose to make Tom Yam Koong – A Hot Sour Prawn Soup. His was also delicious, made with prawns (or you can use chicken), lemon grass, galangal, onion, tomato, coriander, chicken stock, lemon juice, kaffir lime and fish sauce. Both soups quick and easy.

Main Dish

Arne chose the Pad Thai, a dish most people are familar with. We have made this at home and have certainly eaten it in many places around the world. The recipe at Napalai included noodles, chicken, spring onions, cabbage, egg, two kinds of mushrooms, oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar, tamarind paste, dried shrimp and chili powder. In a wok it comes together very quickly.

Kai Phat Met-Ma Maung is Stir Fried Chicken and Cashew Nuts, one of my favorites. Preparing the ingredients on the chopping block took more time than the cooking. It was all simple using carrots, baby corn, onion, mushrooms, red chili, garlic, sugar, oyster sauce, fish sauce, chicken and cashews. This one is easy to make at home and I have already made it.

Curry

Red Curry and Green Curry are a little different in Thailand than what you might be familiar with in India. Though not difficult, it is a little more time consuming to pound the ingredients for the curry paste. These two dishes were spicier than anything else we made, even though we scaled back on the spices. If you aren’t used to the spicy chilies here, you need to be careful…it can really knock your socks off.

We started by finely chopping our ingredients for the two curries before moving to the mortar and pestle and grinding the ingredients into paste. The pounded ingredients for the red curry included red chilies, garlic, shallot, lemon grass, galangal, coriander, kaffir lime, turmeric, peppercorns, cumin and shrimp paste.

The ingredients for the green curry included green chilies, garlic, shallot, lemon grass, galangal, coriander, kaffir lime, turmeric root, pepper corns, cumin and shrimp paste.

When the curry paste was ready we moved to the woks where we added the chicken, eggplant, corn, basil, fish sauce and coconut milk.

Dessert

Of course the much loved Mango Sticky Rice, Khao-Neeaw Ma-Muang, was on the menu. And this stuff is dangerous. I could eat it every day. One of my all time favorite desserts and it is so easy. We also made Banana in Coconut Milk, Buat Fak- Thawng, which tasted like a Banana Cream Pie without the crust. The freshest fruit and good quality coconut milk/coconut cream, as well as sticky rice are the featured ingredients in these desserts.

Cooking Around the World

For me, taking a cooking class in a foreign country is hands down the best way to get close to the culture of a place. Food is such an important part of people’s lives, religions and culture. Seven years ago I took a Thai Cooking Class in Chiang Mai. And my experience Cooking with Napalai Thai Cuisine School, Koh Chang Thailand was an exceptional refresher. And I learned some wonderful new things too. Thank you to Bunny for being an exception chef and teacher.

Thank you for reading my post Cooking with Napalai Thai Cuisine School, Koh Change Thailand. If you are coming to Koh Chang, don’t miss it. I hope you saw last week’s post Sensational Singapore – A Visit to the Lion City.

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Sensational Singapore – A Visit to the Lion City

January 26, 2024

Laureen

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This was my second time visiting the sparkling city of Singapore. Our first visit five years ago was only for a couple of days. So when we had a transiting opportunity to visit again we grabbed it. We spent five nights in Singapore this time, which gave us a perfect opportunity to return to some of our favorites, and discover lots of new things. Let’s talk about Sensational Singapore – A Visit to the Lion City.

The Lion City

Officially the Republic of Singapore, this island/nation city/state in it’s present form came to be in 1819. That’s when Stamford Raffles established Singapore as a trading post for the British Empire. But through the centuries prior to that, the region was a maritime stronghold through several empires. Singapore’s perfect location about one degree of latitude (137 kilometres or 85 miles) north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bordering the Strait of Malacca to the west, the Singapore Strait to the south along with the Riau Islands in Indonesia, the South China Sea to the east, and the Straits of Johor to the north. (Wikipedia)

Singapore gained independence in 1965. Over the past fifty years Singapore has seen rapid growth and expansion as center for international trade and economic globalization. Today it is a sparkling city of high rises, fantastic tourist attractions, exceptional food, beautiful parks and gardens and a varied ethnic base. It also is home to the best airport in the world – Changi – definitely an important part of Sensational Singapore – A Visit to the Lion City.

Where to Stay

Singapore can be very expensive, but we found a really lovely hotel in a perfect location, central to most attractions. Our room at the Oasia Downtown was about $200 a night, more than we pay in most cities but a bargain in Singapore. We declined the $25 per person breakfast and instead easily found breakfast for $3 to $5 at the nearby Hawker Center…more about those in a minute.

Our Favorite Things to Do

We re-visited some of our favorite spots from our last visit, and discovered a few new spots as well. We had four full days, but you could easily see the city in less time, so just choose what is most important to you. There are a few things we wanted to do that we did not get to because of a big rain storm…but that leaves us something for next time!

Gardens by the Bay Super Trees and Sky Walk

Possibly the most popular thing to do as a visitor to Singapore, the fascinating Gardens by the Bay glowing trees, is a must. Each evening at 7:45 and 8:45 pm the trees perform a beautiful light show choreographed to music. There is also a sky walk, which we did before sunset, that offers great views of Sensational Singapore – A Visit to the Lion City. This is my favorite thing in all of Singapore.

Cloud Forest

We timed our visit to the Cloud Forest and Flower Dome perfectly, as we woke up to a deluge of a tropical storm. We took a Grab car (one of Singapore’s alternatives to Uber) to the Cloud Forest, and hardly got a rain drop on us, as Singapore has laid out this city with covered walkways to protect pedestrians from both rain and sun. The Cloud Forest is a fascinating domed tropical garden with waterfalls, and thousands of trees and tropical plants

Flower Dome

Next door to the Cloud Forest is the colorful and cheerful Flower Dome. I love this place. Christmas decor was still up when we visited in January, but the festive flower displays change seasonally and so you can visit often and see something new each time.

Merlion at Marina Bay

The Merlion is the symbol of Singapore, and the statue with the cascading fountain is a gathering place. Each evening at 8:00 pm you can sit at the Merlion and enjoy a light show across the bay looking at the iconic Marina Bay Sands Resort.

The lightshow looking across at Marina Bay Sands

Singapore Botanic Gardens

Located in the Tanglin neighborhood of Singapore and easily accessible by Metro (Napier stop), the Singapore Botanic Gardens is a beautiful space to wander with lovely lakes, ponds and plants and flowers. It is also home to the National Orchid Garden.

Sentosa Island and Cable Car

There is a lot to do on Sentosa Island, including beaches and amusement parks. But we just took a leisurely ride on the cable cars for a wonderful view of the island and the city.

China Town

Our hotel was situated on the edge of China Town and we spent some time walking around, looking at shops and the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, which is right across the street from the Maxwell Metro Station.

Arab Street

We had not visited Arab Street or the Muslim Temple on our last visit. There are many shops here and a ton of restaurants catering to the tourists. We ate a quick lunch at a Turkish Restaurant and also had quick visit to the Muslim Mosque.

Peranakan Museum

I’m so glad we took time to visit the Peranakan Museum. Housed in a historic building that was formerly a school, the Peranakan Museum explores the culture known locally as Peranakan. The term refers to a person of mixed Chinese and Malay/Indonesian heritage. Many Singapore Peranakans trace their origins to 15th-century Malacca, where their ancestors were thought to be Chinese traders who married local women.

Once stigmatized and looked down on, today Peranakans are proud of the unique heritage and deep roots in Singapore.

Beautiful Building for the Peranakan Museum

Little India

We only had a quick walk through colorful Little India, but it’s worth a visit if you have time. There are lots of restaurants and shops. On our visit locals were preparing for the upcoming Pongol Festival with lots of decorations and flowers being prepared.

Things We Did Not Do

Bumboat from Clark Quay

I really wanted to take the little Bumboat Tour from Clark Quay down the river to Marina Bay. But the night we planned to do it was too rainy. I’m gonna save it for next time.

Marina Bay Sands Hotel

On our last visit we went up to the top of Marina Bay Sands and had a drink in the bar. It was the most expensive gin and tonic of my life…but it was worth it for the view. We did not do it again this time, but if its your first visit to Singapore I recommend it.

Shopping

I’m not much of a shopper, but if you are, Singapore is your dream come true. There are many malls as well as sections of the city like Orchard Road, designed for shopping with everything you might need and want.

Where to Eat

Hawkers Centers

We love eating at the Hawkers Centers in Singapore: inexpensive, delicious and a big part of the local culture. We ate nearly all our meals at three different Hawkers Centers; Lau Pa Sat, Maxwell Center and Tanjong Pagar.

Hawker culture started in the 1800’s after Sir Stamford Raffles turned Singapore into a thriving port city. The Street Hawkers where often migrants from China, India, Malaysia, Indonesia and other lands. For them, street hawking was an easy way to earn a living as it required little capital.

Famous Chicken and Rice dish at Maxwell Center

After WWII and independence in 1965, effort was made to license and oversee the burgeoning hawker culture. In 1986 the government decided to open Hawker Centers, and move the hawkers into collective spaces. Today, the Hawker Centers are not only an inexpensive way to dine and enjoy a wide variety of ethnic foods, but these places are the gathering point for residents and visitors alike. Today Singapore is home to 119 Hawker Centers.

Lau Pa Sat is the largest and most well known. Excellent food 24 hours a day. And every night around 7pm (earlier on weekends), Boon Tat street on its SW side closes and becomes Satay Street. An absolute must not just for the food but for the atmosphere!

Kaya Toast

We also ate breakfast one morning at Tong Ah Eating House to try a Singaporean local favorite called Kaya Toast. I had read about this very simple breakfast enjoyed by locals and Tong Ah was an easy walk from our hotel. Kaya Toast is toasted bread with coconut “jam” served with two soft boiled eggs. Simple and delicious.

Peranakan Cuisine

It was really fun to connect finally in person with a social media friend who lives in Singapore. We all enjoyed a wonderful Peranankan dinner at True Blue. The food was interesting and the company divine.

Dining in the Dark

I read about Nox Dining in the Dark and thought it would be something fun to try. Well, it was unique that’s for sure, but I don’t think I would do it again. You start with an amuse bouche and a drink in a bar with lights on, then you are taken to a completely dark room where you dine. Multiple courses served, some easily identifiable and others plain flabbergasting. Afterwards you guess what you ate and learn if you are right. You understand how much of the enjoyment of food is based on visual input once you don’t have that input!

Changi Airport

I don’t remember ever recommending an airport as something to do at a destination before. But Changi Airport is a must. It’s big and beautiful with so many options for dining. If you have a layover, there are places to stay, shower, and play. There are gardens, a pool, a giant slide, arcade, art, butterflies and so much more. Make time for Changi as a layover, or like us, on our departure day we went several hours early. Most airlines offer early bag check to give you hands free time in this beautiful airport.

Sensational Singapore – A Visit to the Lion City

As one of the worlds major hubs, many flights make stops in Singapore. You will find connections to all of Asia, Australia, Europe and the USA. So be sure to add a few days in this fascinating, modern yet historic, and culturally enticing city. You’ll be glad you did.

Did you see last week’s post Seventh Annual Travel Awards 2023? It’s a good one. Don’t mis sit!

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