on the Go with Bo!

Tailored suits for men anyone?

Some friends came over from Istanbul last week and it was there first trip to Asia. They were extremely impressed by Singapore, however, they did pose me a question that I didn't know how to answer. Where do we go for a high-quality tailored suit and how much does it cost?

So I contacted another friend here that I knew could help me with this. And he did!

The place to go is GENTLEMEN QUARTERS. Here are the details:

Jimmy Lim and Hermond Er
Custom Tailors
1 Raffles Place #03-13
OUB Centre
Singapore
Tel: +65 6532 5526
genqtsct@singnet.com.sg

My Belgian/Turkish friend had a suit made there and was extremely impressed by the fabric and by the tailoring. And he would know! He was so excited that he ordered another one that will be shipped to him to Istanbul upon completion. Now let's see if he has to pay duty on that?

Hustle and bustle of Chinatown

What's great about Singapore is that you can walk around different parts of town and feel like you're in a completely different city. Chinatown definitely gives you an experience like that. Although get ready ... this is the cleanest Chinatown you're ever going to see!

I like to take the MRT (metro) to Chinatown and then walk out onto Pagoda walking street. As you ascend the escalators you suddenly enter the hustle and bustle of Chinatown, which is in stark contrast to the modernity of the MRT station.

Take a walk along Pagoda Street and then venture up and down all the parallel streets: Mosque Street, Temple Street, Smith Street and Sago Street. You will be immersed in reds and golds of the myriad street vendors, the colourful and perfectly painted shop houses and the smells of the food stalls. It's great to come here in the evening for you can have a great dinner on Smith Street, which is one long outdoor restaurant.

While in the neighbourhood, make sure you visit the Indian Sri Mariamman Temple and the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum. If you come here around 1900, you will catch the prayers in both temples and thus will partake in the beautifully colourful ceremonies.

And if you want to go grab a cocktail after your street food, drop by the Screening Room.  They have a fantastic rooftop garden with a spectacular view.

Take-off with the Singapore Flyer

The Singapore Flyer was officially opened to the public in the beginning of March 2008, and since then i've been dying to go for a ride and to see the view. Of course, I was waiting for our next set of guests to arrive in order to justify this venture. And arrive they finally did!

The Singapore Flyer is 165 metres high (42 storey building) and is currently the biggest ferris wheel/observation wheel in the world (taller than the one in London). However Beijing is building a taller one, and I have no doubt that Dubai will eventually join in the game and build one that is at least 3 times bigger!!

The ride takes 30 minutes and from the capsules you get a stunning 360 view of all of Singapore. I recommend you go around 1830 / 1900 in order to see the sunset. You can buy your tickets online.

It's a wonderful thing to do with guests, in order for them to get a birds-eye view of this beautiful island.

Incredible India - Agra (January 2008)

It’s 0730 and the sun is slowly trying to push through the cold, hazy air of Agra. From our bedroom you can slowly start to see the silhouette of the greatest monument to love that I have every seen - the Taj Mahal. From a greyish white it has now turned to a soft pink, and the hues will continue to change over the next few hours as the sun continues to rise. To add to the atmosphere, you can hear the morning prayers coming from the nearby mosques.

At about 1030 we will be standing in front of the gates to this most awe-inspiring monument. It truly deserves to be one of the 7 wonders of the world. When I saw it for the first time 9 years ago, the second I walked through the gates of the compound and got a glimpse of the Taj Mahal, I got tears in my eyes. To understand that this was built by Shah Jahan as a symbol of love for his most favourite wife Mumtaz Mahal, who had died giving birth to their 14th child, one can not but hope that you will one day meet someone who’s love for you will be expressed in such a monumental way!

Learn more about one of the 7 wonders of the world ...

Incredible India - Udaipur (January 2008)

What a beautiful place to end our Indian adventure. Udaipur is for me one of the most magical places in this world. Set amidst the beautiful Aravalli hills is man-made Lake Pichola, which has one of the most recognizable landmarks of India, the Lake Palace. Floating amidst the not-so-deep lake, the Palace is an extravagant and romantic symbol of the glorious Raj past. It has also been made recognizable by the James Bond movie Octopussy, which was partly shot here. As you walk through town, you will still see signs everywhere saying ‘dinner and Octopussy viewing at 1930’ even though the movie was shot somewhere in the mid-70’s. But there’s more to Udaipur than just the Lake Palace. There’s the wonderfully maintained City Palace on the shore of the lake which at sunset beams with a glorious red/orange hue, there are the busy street bazaars where you can find wonderful Raj handicrafts, there are several vista points around the city from where you can view this crown jewel from way up above and of course, there are some top hotels and restaurants. It all adds up to a magical location with a sunset that will blow you away.

Curious to experience this jewel ...

Business class at the movie theatres

I love movies, and this got me really excited! The Singapore cinema house Golden Village has a product called Gold Class which is like combining business class with a movie theatre.

You have a separate entrance to the Gold Class rooms, you have a private bar/restaurant ... but best of all, you have a fully reclinable electronic chair which envelopes you as you're practically horizontal and watching the movie. Moreover, you get a blanket to cover yourself, you have a table with a concierge button and you have a full-menu from which you can order while watching your movie. What else would you possibly want? Actually, the only thing missing was a nice comfy down pillow! But there is a secret way of getting it. By ordering two glasses of champagne you will get a courtesy Moet & Chandon plush pillow.

Although the price of the ticket is about 3 times more than a regular ticket, I definitely think it's worth the price.

As of now, there are two locations that offer this service: Vivo City and Great World City.

Sing in a Community Choir

When's the last time you sang? Do you remember how it made you feel?

Well, for me it's been like 25 years ago!!! I used to sing when I was very young, but then puberty hit, circumstances changed ... and my singing career ended right there. Fast forward several decades where I meet the lovely Ozzie chanteuse Corinne Gibbons right here in Singapore. She's got a voice like velvet ... smooth yet textured.

Well, she told me to join her Singapore Sing classes that meet once a week at the Red Sea Gallery on Dempsey Hill. For 75 minutes ... well, you sing! And although I wasn't convinced in the beginning, I decided to give it a shot. And boy was I happy I went. I walked out of there feeling like a little boy - enthusiastic, charged and with a silly grin on my face. I walked out feeling proud!

Discover your inner child and join for 10 sessions or just try a drop-in. You choose! All the info can be found on www.singaporesing.com.sg

Do you need plates?

Another day, another experience! I've been wanting to buy some new plates for our home because some of the daily tableware that we have is U-G-L-Y! So I went to Takashimaya and Tangs and etc. but didn't really find anything i liked and besides, it was all way too expensive.

And then I got the info I needed from our helper. She said that there's a tableware factory outlet somewhere on Tagore Lane. Now my next question was ... where the heck is that! Well, it's by Upper Thomson road. It's a whole warehouse full of plates and cups. Some mighty ugly. Actually most ... but look hard enough and you will find the perfect set for you. And as an American lady that I saw there said: 'when I get bored of them, I throw them away!' So there.

The address is:

Ceramic Tableware Factory Outlet
Java Enterprises Pte Ltd
25 Tagore Lane #03-13
Singapore Godown
Tel: 6452 2780

It's like being in a flee market for plates!!

Morton's Martini Bar

Monday ... what is one to do to cheer themselves up? Go to a martini bar ... yeah baby!!

Nicky and I showed up promptly at 1700 (opening time) at Morton's Martini Bar at the Mandarin Oriental hotel. Of course there was no one there. 1700 on Monday!!! But then we ordered a appletini and a lychini and a cosmopolitan ... and then the waitress brought us some free steak sandwiches ... and there were some crooners playing in the background. And the next thing you know we're drunk ... and the place is packed!!!

It's a great way to start the week :-)

The beginning!!!

Woohoooo!!! I promised myself I would start a blog this year about travel, for that is my true passion. And here I am. Not sure where this is going to take me, but I'm open to traveling this new road.

My main purpose for starting this blog is to share all my travel experiences as of September 2007, which is when we moved to Singapore. However, I want this to be more than a blog. Besides giving you my experiences as seen through my eyes, I want to give you enough information so that if you choose to visit one of the destinations that I went to, you will have some ideas as to what you can do there that I found worthwhile. Some pointers for your new adventure.

And if you don’t plan to go to one of these destinations, then at least you will have a written and visual idea as to what the destination looks and feels like. It’s a vicarious voyage!

Since we just moved to Singapore, I'm going to interlace my travel reviews with tidbits on life in Singapore ... and of course what you can do when you come to visit this magnificent island/city state.

Enjoy the read!