Jun 26th, 2009 at 9:00AM: So you're at home this summer. Your vacation budget is bust. Sure, there are backyard barbeques with friends and family stretching out into summer, but that tropical vacation feels long gone.
Or perhaps, you have never been on a tropical vacation. Perhaps a tropical fruit to you is the canned version of Dole pineapple--the one that waits in your kitchen cabinet.
Hop to it. An exotic experience ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
Singapore posts
For summer, a banquet of exotic fresh fruits: Bring travel back home
Jun 26th, 2009 at 9:00AM: So you're at home this summer. Your vacation budget is bust. Sure, there are backyard barbeques with friends and family stretching out into summer, but that tropical vacation feels long gone.
Or perhaps, you have never been on a tropical vacation. Perhaps a tropical fruit to you is the canned version of Dole pineapple--the one that waits in your kitchen cabinet.
Hop to it. An exotic experience ...Michael Jackson died and a flood of travel memories
Jun 25th, 2009 at 7:10PM: Wow! Michael Jackson is dead. Jackson is one of those people who is wrapped up with my traveling life. As a child living in Columbia, South Carolina where wisteria vines draped off trees in our front yard, "ABC" played from my radio, the one I bought when we lived in State College, Pennsylvania.
Moving began early for me, and Michael Jackson when he was part of the Jackson Five was one of my ...Festivals and more in Singapore
Jun 12th, 2009 at 12:00PM: The Lion City (well, island city-state) Singapore, located just 85 miles north of the equator on the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, is busting with relaxing beaches, fascinating culture, and crazy-good food, and whether you already have it on your list or not, it's a great time to go! First of all, it's currently (through July 26) the annual Great Singapore Sale, which means discounts on ...Kids and long airport layovers
May 29th, 2009 at 5:00PM: I was wandering the wide halls of Chicago O'Hare's Terminal B early this morning when I spotted for the first time an enormously tall dinosaur skeleton. The parents of a young toddler tried to occupy their daughter by shooting photos of her standing next to the dinosaur's feet. It was 5:45 in the morning, and this young family were by far the most chipper travelers I'd seen. This got me thinking: ...10 places to enjoy May flowers for free
May 29th, 2009 at 9:30AM: When my daughter was about five we went on a wildflower hike for Mother's Day. The hike was free and I remember the day's loveliness even though this was over 10 years ago. May's flowers are one of life's great pleasures. It's a visual feast with the world's locations offering their own special palate.
With this weekend being the last chance to see May flowers as in "April showers bring May ...Swedish man + Singaporean woman = fine for naked walk
May 4th, 2009 at 4:00PM: Jan and Eng went through a bar, each sans stitch of clothes. Neither fell down, but they were fined A$1,840 (around US$1,350) each.
Jan Philip and Eng Kai Er walked into a bar in Singapore's Holland Village just for laughs after having a few drinks (big shock ... drunk naked people). This isn't exactly the best place for a thrill, however. Singapore doesn't appreciate the unadorned human form, ...Don't pass through Singapore, stay for a bit
Apr 25th, 2009 at 12:00PM: Singapore doesn't want you to pass through. Instead, they want you to stick around, even if only for a little while. With the "Fabulous Singapore Stopover Package," you can take advantage of a variety of discounts. In fact, six hotels are dropping rates to $1 for the first night you stay. Some are even kicking in prepaid cell phone cards and food and beverage vouchers that can be redeemed at ...Susan Boyle: The Global Ambassador of Good Will
Apr 17th, 2009 at 3:00PM: If there ever was a Global Ambassador of Good Will, Susan Boyle, the woman who has wowed the world from her "Britain's Got Talent" performance is it.
Ever since I saw the video, I've been enamored. First, there's the song. Who hasn't dreamed a dream of days gone by? The first time I saw "Les Miserables" I was living in Singapore. That musical seemed to seep into my pores. Hearing Susan Boyle sing ...8 tiger prawns cost $239 at an outdoor eatery
Mar 17th, 2009 at 4:30PM: Eating at a hawker stall in Singapore is one of the cheapest dining options--unless you get taken for a ride. This seems to have happened to this American couple who took four friends to Newton Centre, one of the most touristy hawker establishments in the country. Although dining out at a hawker stall can be as inexpensive as dining in, these six people ordered from stall 43 Tanglin Best BBQ ...Kidney transplant tourism to hit Singapore?
Jan 29th, 2009 at 12:00PM: Last year, Singapore's government, faced with an aging population and a shortage of human kidneys available for transplant, reconsidered its prohibition on the buying and selling of human kidneys. Only the second country to legalize such markets, Singapore is also attempting to stem the tide of illegal, back-alley organ sales that have become increasingly common in parts of Asia.
Under ...Tough year ahead for Asia travel
Jan 24th, 2009 at 9:00AM: Hotels, airlines and other hospitality companies in Asia are moving into the "brace" position. With tough economic conditions hitting every corner of the map, fewer visitors are likely to make the long trip to destinations such as Hong Kong. According to a report on MSNBC.com, some expect drops of at least 30 percent. A continent of diverse cultures, it seems, is facing a consistent challenge. ...Talking Travel (and Singapore) with economist Bryan Caplan
Dec 8th, 2008 at 8:00AM: "I used to think the same things as everyone else," economist Bryan Caplan said in a recent podcast, "and then I started reading economics."
I too was a pretty conventional thinker once upon a time, and then I began following provocative economics blogs by the likes of Tyler Cowen, Will Wilkinson, and Chris Blattman (all three Gadling interviewees-- really, click the links!)
One of my new ...Qantas CEO Hints at Future Merger
Nov 26th, 2008 at 2:00PM: Qantas CEO Geoff Dixon might be stepping down from his post after eight hectic years, but he still has something to say about the future of the famous Australian airline. Though he did not announce a merger, Dixon stated that a future merger is "inevitable." "For Qantas, consolidation is highly desirable. It is in our interests to be at the leading edge of efforts to build a global airline ...Driving 200 MPH at Night on Singapore's Streets
Sep 3rd, 2008 at 12:30PM: Some people are passionate about disliking Singapore. "It's boring!!!" Sure, parts of the city-state resemble a particularly sterile shopping mall, but there is a lot going on there these days. One of the biggest to-dos has to do with the world's greatest open-wheel racing series, Formula One. On September 28th, Ferrari, BMW, Mercedes, and the rest will race in the first ever F1 night race. ...Expansions in the business-class-only service
Aug 19th, 2008 at 1:20PM: The all-business-class model for airline carriers has been a touchy subject over the last few months. With all but two of the airlines now out of business (OpenSkies and Singapore Airlines' select flights), many wonder if the original approach was a good idea. Yet OpenSkies (EC, owned by British Airways) and Singapore Airlines (SQ) continue to press on -- and even expand. Earlier this month, ...Galley Gossip: Airline for sale!
Jun 18th, 2008 at 9:20AM: This is it, people, your chance to buy an airline, because Volare Airlines, an Italian low-cost carrier, is now up for sale - again!
What's that? Not enough money you say? Why don't we all pool our money together and buy...oh I don't know...maybe just one of the airplanes. We can each buy a seat. And since we'd only own one airplane, we can call our small little airline MY PLANE. That means ...Les Misrables: Cross-cultural wonder
Second A380 grounded
Mar 26th, 2008 at 11:00AM: Grant wrote about the first Airbus A380 grounded by Singapore airlines because of fuel pump problems in February.
Today, BBC reports that Singapore Airlines grounded another A380 with similar problems. The official line from Singapore Airlines is that "it is not the same problem, and not the same aircraft." Which, I suppose, is supposed to make us feel more confident in the A380?
The problem last ...Photo of the Day (9/22/07)
Sep 22nd, 2007 at 1:19PM:
Today's photo of the day comes from Gadling reader weegolo who captured this colorful scene at the Lantern Festival in Singapore. I'm not sure which Lantern Festival it is, however. After doing some research, it seems like it's the Mid-Autumn festival (which is also called the Lantern Festival), but this year's event doesn't start until September 25th. Maybe this installation was setup in ...Po Chai Pills and Other Items of Interest
Jul 5th, 2007 at 10:58AM: When I was reading National Geographic Traveler, I came across an essay by Daisann McLane, an American living in China who writes the blog, Learning Cantonese and is the "Real Travel" columnist for the magazine. Her essay was about getting sick and taking some mystery pills, meaning she didn't know what they were exactly, but the doctor- told her-to-take-them pills. They were called Po Chai and ...
