Wednesday Wanderlust - Singapore Part 2 - Eating

Singaporean food is plentiful. Everywhere you look there's food of all types - traditional Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Western...it goes on and on.

Forget about dining at restaurants each night of your holiday, eat like locals at hawker food centres. A fulfilling meal can be as cheap as $4.

Me about to dig into Ice Kachang from Parkway Parade Food Court

Local eats you have to try, in no particular order, are:

• Ice Kachang - sugary dessert comprised of shaved ice drizzled with colourful syrup with surprises underneath like jelly, sweet corn and sago.

• Cockles Kway Teow - Fried flat noodles with cockles or "phi phi" - shellfish with egg and beansprouts. This can be a bit oily but its very tasty!

• Chilli crab - The crabs here have massive claws. Cooked in a spicy chilli sauce, make sure you mop up the remaining liquid with your deep fried mantau or white bread.

These foods and lots of other delicacies are available at the below food courts and markets.

1. Food Village in Takashimaya

My favourite department store food court is a sensory overload. There are all kinds of eats - a bakery, Japanese octopus balls, poh piah, curry puffs, yong tofu soup, roasted meats, cakes... In Japan, the Takashimaya food courts are even more impressive but in Singapore this is pretty awesome.

2. Lau Pa Sat

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26754927@N07/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

I was about nine once when I wandered around these markets and discovered a plastic crate of croaking frogs waiting to be fried at a hawker food stall. Despite this, I put on my brave face and ate satay washed down with a coconut juice. The oldest "wet market" in Singapore has plenty of food for everyone. There's also a 24 hour dim sum!

3. East Coast Lagoon Food Village

http://www.flickr.com/photos/martywindle/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

This is hawker centre is right on the beach. Gaze out at the South China Sea whilst you feast on egg noodles, tofu goreng - which is like a tofu sandwich containing vegetables best eaten with a healthy dose of peanut sauce, seafood and more satay. Satay in Singapore is the best,  the lingering taste of the charcoal and barbecued meat is extremely satisfying. This place was recommended by the NY Times...

St Mary's Cathedral, Perth

St Mary's Cathedral is the only Catholic cathedral in Perth. I recently celebrated Easter with my family here and it holds a lot of memories from my childhood.

Recently renovated, the Cathedral is beautiful, with its mix of old and new interiors. Back in the day, the Cathedral used to be dark and musty inside. It's now completely opened up, with windows overlooking the grounds and Royal Perth Hospital across the road. The stained glass windows are captivating when illuminated by autumn sunlight.


St Mary's Cathedral
Victoria Square
Perth, Western Australia

How to Pack for a South East Asian holiday...

Before you're on the plane to eventually drinking out of a coconut, as I'm doing in Bali in December 2009, you need to pack for your trip.

You either love or hate packing for a trip. Fastidious packers have a list and get themselves organised well in advance. Last minute packers run around throwing things into their suitcase that they might never end up wearing. Personally, I usually have a list of what to pack and pile it into my bag the night before a holiday.

Shorter trips can be just as hard to pack for as longer ones. You need to maximise use of your clothes and ensure that there's enough purchase space for your new buys. This can be a challenge on a budget airline on a 15kg limit! It's possible though, with some strategic outfit planning ahead of time.

Visiting a tropical Asian holiday destination presents different challenges. The weather is going to be hot, humid and sticky when you step off the plane. Your pashmina needs to be unwrapped even before you disembark the aircraft. You need light, summery clothing items and appropriate cover-ups.

In my suitcase, I'll be packing the following essential items for my trip to the Philippines:

1. A cardigan for the evenings

Preferably black! A black cardigan complements any outfit. Even a maxi dress. See #5.

2. Comfortable walking shoes

 

An obvious essential. My good old Converse shoes survived hours of walking the streets of Japan! They're slightly worn but will still be making this trip.


3. Across the shoulder sling bag

I was a green traveller when I did a Contiki Europe and realised most of the girls but had brought satchel style black bags. This bag style is practical and safe. It's easy to swap shoulder-sides if it gets heavy. You have easy access to your bag at all times. I've been using an Esprit bag but am in the market for a new one. Perhaps this one from Urban Outfitters...

4. More than one bikini

 

One for Monday, one for Tuesday, one for Wednesday...you get the idea. On the plus side swimsuits are light and are technically "underwear".

5. Dual wear dresses

You need a dress that translates seamlessly from beach to bar. Maxi dresses and sundresses are great options.

6 more sleeps to go!

Wanderlust Wednesday - Singapore Part 1 Shopping

I have visited Singapore about 10 times in my life. I think it's fair to say that I have a decent amount of knowledge about the city - what to eat, where to shop and where to stay.

So I think it's rather flattering that my colleagues at work have circulated an email I compiled on tips for anyone visiting Singapore for the first time.

For part one, I thought I'd focus on the most important part of Singapore - for any female anyway - the shopping. Singapore has loads of department stores, boutiques, markets and stall to suit all budgets. It's easy to get lost on Orchard Road trekking from Wisma Atria to Takashimaya to Ion to DFS and miss out on a few other unique shopping spots.


Far East Plaza

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22426181@N00/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

This four level mall used to be a bit dingy and dark until it was revamped a couple of years ago. It features heaps of tiny stalls, some no bigger than 3 x 1.5 metres, selling local designer wear. Cool kids shop at 77th Street for their massive range of accessories. I like to browse the entire afternoon, find some gorgeous dresses and then go have Ya Kun kaya toast for tea.

Charles and Keith Shoes

I've never been back from Singapore without at least one pair of shoes from Charles and Keith. My mother came back recently with seven pairs. She may not have worn all of them yet, but with prices ranging from $15 to $60 why wouldn't you buy as many that can fit into your suitcase? These shoes are great quality for the price and have new stock in constantly. (Yes, I have worn the above stilettos and I am still loving them!)

Little India

http://www.flickr.com/photos/darkestpaisleyphotos/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

The last time we visited Little India we ended up buying eight pairs of bangles. They were of varying prices but none cost more than $6. They are bright, beautiful and make jingly-jangly noises when you shake your arms about. Little India also has saris, eyebrow threading and awesome Indian food of course.

Poh Heng Jewellery

When you visit a jewellery store in Singapore, you sit down and they give you bottles of water. It's a nice touch. I find that the quality of fine jewellery in Singapore is great, it's well-priced and you can get unique pieces without breaking the budget. Plus, Poh Heng has Hello Kitty jewellery! I may be a 20 something but you're never too old to like, or wear, Hello Kitty.


Best Shopping Tips for Singapore

• Check prices of chain store pieces at home before you go. Some brands can be much cheaper over there in comparison to Australia, Mango is one in particular.

• Ask for a new item. Rather than an off the rack dress the sales assistant will give you a new one from the stockroom that hasn't been tried on or stretched. Just say, "Got new piece?"

• Do your homework. Pick up a Singaporean magazine like Her World, Harper's Bazaar or Elle (all are only $5) and check out the new boutiques, up and coming designers and hot trends. I recommend doing this when you enter Singapore otherwise when you're on a return flight you may get severe shopping lust. Or worse, regret!

Top 5 Small Bars in Perth...with the best cocktails

Change in Perth is a rarity. So when new liquor licencing laws allowed small bars to open, a wave of inner city bars breathed life into laneways and places in Perth that I never knew even existed. Yes, this idea came from Melbourne. But Perth's small bars though are much easier to find and usually don't involve walking up several flights of stairs...

In my current state of saving for travel I've attempted to cut back on the cocktails. Alas, this can be a difficult venture on a Friday evening in the city...

My five top bars for cocktail o'clock are as follows:

1. helvetica

Chandeliers light the path of Helvetica Lane off Howard Street in the CBD. Around the corner the nicest door bitch ever greets you - and actually apologises if you have to wait. Helvetica has style even before you step into the bar. The unique thing about Helvetica is that you can select a bottle of scotch and return to drink from it each time you visit. But this is a post about cocktails, not scotch.

Helvetica's cocktails are rather masculine. The summer cocktail list features a number of gin or rum drinks which have sour notes. The Snake Eye is a stand-out...must be the maraschino liqueur!

2. 399

399 has no cocktail list. The bartenders will shake up any concoction you want. They'll even give you a little umbrella if you're really nice. On the night we visited though they were out of lychees. I love lychee martinis. That's okay though, we requested a shake-up of pineapple juice and a dash of spirits. The end result was sweet and delicate and rather dark from the Chambord.

Regardless of the cocktails, 399's blaring jazz music, cozy booths and a friendly crowd is sure to draw you back for another round of drinks and tapas.

3. Wolfe Lane

This bar attracts the suit set. Slick interiors and a New York City skyline mural exudes sophistication. Apparently the glasses here are made the old fashioned way. This doesn't mean much to me, except that maybe the cocktails taste better in them. Cocktails are a little bit on the more expensive side here...They start at $17 and end at $35. A pomegranate martini set me back $18 - it was large, strong and had definite kick.

Despite the sophistication, Wolfe Lane is, for the most part, unpretentious and has cheerful lads and laddesses to chat to.

4. 1907

1907 is cool. Literally. The air conditioning is always on high in this basement level cocktail bar. Probably to keep the crowd from fogging up the mirrors. Dark and mysterious, 1907 is all Old Hollywood. A seasonal cocktail list presents classic options with contemporary twists. The service can be a bit hit-or-miss here, but the sugary sweet passionfruit cocktail is divine.

PS. Ladies, it would be wise to wear a frock.

5. Anadaluz

Anadaluz has a traditional cocktail menu but the real decisions lies in what to order from the tapas menu. My favourites are the melt in your mouth scallops and pork cheeks and the orange and vanilla marshmellows for dessert. I prefer to indulge in a smooth champagne based cocktail to complement the food and a bellini is a refreshing accompaniment. On the actual menu though, an apple and vanilla martini is a must.


Let me know if you have a favourite cocktail at one of these bars!

Wednesday Wanderlust - San Francisco

I'm going back into the archives for Wednesday Wanderlust.

I was 20 years old when I first visited San Francisco on my 2006-07 Round-the-World trip. I was a bright eyed fresh university graduate eager to see the world.

Colourful terrace houses

Lombardi Street

On a first-timers itinerary, we visited the usual tourist attractions - Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 39, Union Square, Lombardi Street and the Full House terrace houses.

What amazed me about the city was the littlest details. In my travel journal I noted that:

• Change comes out of a machine in supermarket check outs
• Nob Hill signs are in English and Chinese
• Cars park with their wheels turned into the curb on steep streets
• Males will hit on females even if in line for a cable car

My ultimate must do list for 'Frisco:
Must see:

SF Museum of Modern Art. Free guided tours are held daily with museum tickets. The talks are lively and engaging. I loved that the guide was eager to hear everyone's opinion and encouraged debate over individual artworks.

Must eat:

Lunch at Bedoin Bakery near Fisherman's Wharf. Bread comes in the shape of a dungeness crab at this bakery. I had the clam chowder and it was creamy and divine.

Fast food at Gott's Roadside in the Ferry Building. Styled like a traditional American diner, Gott's Roadside serves comfort food at its best - burgers, fish and chips and a sweet milkshake to wash it all down. Produce is sourced from the Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market.

Must do:

1. Walk the streets. Yes, they're steep. But it's great to work out your calf muscles and cover heaps of ground. Pack good walking shoes and water and just explore. We had so much fun walking down suburban streets, gazing at houses, stumbling upon inner city parks and passing by beautiful murals. And, if you get tired, just hop on a bus back to the city.

2. Ride a cable car. Hang onto the outside, feel the whoosh as you go downhill and hold on tight!

Ferry Building

View from the window of the Hotel Carlton

Glampacker - New Name for Le Blog

Welcome to glampacker.com! I've decided to change the name of my blog to reflect my travel style and upcoming overseas adventures.

The term glampacker refers to a traveller who is likely to

a) be traveling on a budget
b) be female
c) have packed a GHD straightener in her backpack

Glampacking travel defines a generation of female travelers who like to travel without compromising their sense of style and comfort. This doesn't mean that they're necessarily high maintenance, must wear tonnes of foundation on their faces before leaving a hostel/hotel or that all they want to do is shop and party whilst abroad.

Glampacking is about budget travel for girls that would prefer to look and feel their best when traveling. This could mean always having clean knickers whilst out on safari or just having the right pair of sunnies on to greet the sunshine whilst on a European summer adventure.

As Coco Chanel said, "A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous." This applies at home, at work, at play - wherever your journey takes you...