Experiencing a liveaboard trip had always been on my bucket list, and I finally had the chance to do one in Komodo last December. Although the weather wasnโt ideal due to the rainy season, with occasional choppy seas, we were still lucky enough to enjoy beautiful sunshine during the mornings and afternoons.
Despite the unpredictable conditions, the experience was unforgettable โ waking up to stunning island views, spending days out at sea, and exploring the beauty of Komodo was truly special. I would absolutely do another liveaboard in the future, and next time, Iโd love to experience diving in Komodo as well!
We were also lucky enough to spot majestic manta rays, baby sharks, and the famous pink beaches that Komodo is known for. Seeing these incredible marine creatures up close and relaxing on the stunning blush-coloured shores made the entire experience even more unforgettable.
Namibia, known as the Land of the Brave, has a powerful history โ and breathtaking landscapes to match. Huge thanks to @NamibiaTours&Safaris for helping us curate the perfect itinerary, including car rental and hotel bookings. The package cost us around SGD 3,500 per person. Honestly, Namibia has become one of my absolute favourite places to visit.
Driving in Namibia was surprisingly easy. We used our Singapore driving licenses (since theyโre in English) and didnโt get asked for an international driving permit, even by the rental company. That said, we were stopped by the police once โ no fine, but a good reminder that itโs safer to bring an international driving permit just in case.
Day 1 – Arrival in Windhoek and car rental collection
Upon arrival at the airport, we were warmly greeted by Namibia Tours, who then brought us to their office to collect our car. We were pleased with the vehicle provided โ a Fortuner SUV โ which was perfect for our road trip. The staff gave us a thorough briefing to ensure we were well-prepared. Unlike driving in the city, itโs crucial to know how to check tyre pressure and change a tyre if needed, especially since weโd be heading to remote areas where help might not be readily available.
Check in at Olive Grove Guesthouse
Day 2 – Driving to Sossuvlei[6 hours drive]
The drive to Sossusvlei was incredibly scenic โ we even spotted a few animals along the way! Desert Hills Lodge was one of the few places that truly lived up to expectations. What you see in the pictures is exactly what you get. I was in awe watching the sunset and gazing at a sky full of stars at night. It does get quite cold in the evenings and early mornings, with strong winds blowing through โ so pack warm!
Check in at Desert Hills Lodge
Day 3 โ Day tour in Sossusvlei
Be prepared to walk a lot on this day! We visited the famous dunes โ though I didnโt manage to complete the hike as it was an especially windy day. Climbing the dunes with your feet sinking into the sand was incredibly exhausting. Still, the Deadvlei (Dead Pan) is one of the absolute highlights of Namibia that you must experience โ it’s surreal and unforgettable.
Day 4 – Driving to Swakopmund[6 hours drive]
Upon arriving in Swakopmund, we geared up for an ATV ride through the dunes. While it wasnโt the most thrilling ATV experience Iโve had, itโs a great option for beginners or anyone trying it for the first time. The views made up for the mellow ride โ vast sand dunes as far as the eye can see, with the ocean on the horizon. Truly a unique landscape!
Check in at Brigadoon Boutique Guesthouse
Day 5 – Exploring Swakopmundin the dunes and sea
I was really looking forward to visiting Swakopmund to see the flamingos โ and there were plenty of them! We also joined a boat tour to spot marine life, followed by a thrilling 4×4 adventure exploring the towering dunes. It was the perfect mix of wildlife and adrenaline in one day!
Day 6 – Driving to Etosha National Park[6 hours drive]
While waiting for our night game drive, we spotted giraffes and impalas right from our lodge โ which was pretty cool! The night game drive itself, however, wasnโt as exciting as we had hopedโฆ to be honest, I even dozed off for a little while.
Check in at Epacha Game Lodge & Spa
Day 7 – Game Drive at Etosha National Park
Etosha National Park is home to a massive salt pan so large it can be seen from space! The Etosha Pan spans over 4,800 kmยฒ and transforms into a shallow lake during the rainy season, attracting flamingos and other birdlife in huge numbers.
Day 8 – Driving back to Windhoek[6 hours drive]
Driving back to the city with a heavy heart, but so grateful for the incredible memories weโve made on this trip. Iโd love to do it all over again someday!
Victoria Falls is one of the largest waterfalls in the world, standing at an impressive 108 metres tall and stretching 1,708 metres wide. The falls were formed through the gradual erosion of land by the powerful flow of the Zambezi River over thousands of years. Visitors can experience the falls from both Zambia and Zimbabwe, and we chose to fly into Zimbabwe as it was more accessible from Tanzania.
Visiting Victoria Falls had been on my bucket list for years. I first wanted to go during my previous trip to South Africa, but we simply didnโt have enough time to fit it into the itinerary. Fast forward two years later, and we finally made it to Zimbabwe!
Victoria Falls tour in Zambia and Zimbabwe
Sunrise at the Bamba Tram, Helicopter flight over Victoria Falls, Sunset river cruise
It has been 2 years since I last went to a Safari trip. I wanted to see the great migration, hence we have decided to experience it in Serengeti, Tanzania. The package cost us $3500 per person for 4 days 3 nights, including transport, accommodation and meals. I have arranged the tour with Amshar Serengeti, and honestly I couldn’t say I enjoyed it 100% because we did not have enough time exploring. Our time were mostly spent on travelling, which is a bummer, and the vehicle broke down each day which consumed our time. Nonetheless, I am still grateful for this experience! We didn’t manage to see the big 5 this time round, but we did see the lion, elephant and african buffalo! Our guide spotted a leopard but it was too far for us to capture it. Also, I have learnt from my previous experience that I should bring a zoom lens camera and I am so glad I did! Loved capturing every moment in the Safari with my new toy!
Day 1 – Travelling from Arusha to Central Serengeti (6 hrs)
We were quite lucky to see the king of Tanzania (lion) up close! The sunset that day were stunning too. The camp experience were wild. There were african buffalos around the compound so we were not allowed to exit the tent without an escort.
Day 2 – Pure Migration Camp
It was one of the day we were anticipating for because we wanted to witness the great wildebeest crossing over the Mara River to Kenya! Unfortunately this does not happen every day hence seeing them crossing the river is totally by pure luck! Although we did not see them crossing the river, we did witness a huge group of them running across our vehicle and that was exhilarating!
Day 3 – Tanzania Bush Camp
Another day, another chance upon seeing wildebeest crossing the river however it did not happen. Did you know? The reason why wildebeest migrate over to Kenya is because their source of food is running low in Tanzania due to the dry weather. Highlight of the day is definitely going on a hot air balloon safari and looking for animals from above!
Day 4 – Drive back to the airport
We were supposed to do safari in Ngorongoro Crater but since our flight were scheduled at 3 pm that day, we had to rush back to the airport which was kinda a bummer. I felt like it was the tour’s agency fault for its bad planning, as they could have advised us to schedule our flight at a later timing. We were told that we could have seen the rhino at Ngorongoro!
Overall, I felt that the first safari trip I did in National Kruger was more relax as compared to Serengeti. If I could re-do the trip, I would definitely plan to stay longer in Tanzania and stay in a private reserve for a few days.
We are now advanced diver certified! We went to ADEX fair in April 2024 with an open eyes, not knowing where to pursue the course but we knew we had to it the following month. After roaming around the fair, we decided to go with Phuket as it is convenient and it fits our timeline. The course cost $700 per person. However, the water visibility was not so great while we were there. Nonetheless, we are glad that we managed to clear the course! As of now, I have no plans to take on another diving certification but I plan to have more leisure dives to better myself as a diver. I am excited to pursue free diving next.
It has always been my dream to experience Yi Peng once in a lifetime. Witnessing thousands of lanterns being lit up in the sky as if we were in a tangled movie, obviously it’s a girls dream. We had low expectations due to many bad reviews we have came across, such as the stage were lit up in fire etc. Obviously it is not a safe activity, and people can be careless. To add on the fact that there are more than 3000 seats, it is not easy to monitor and control the situation but of course the organizer should be well prepared. We bought standard ticket which cost us $180. At first we thought that it was way overpriced, it kinda is but honestly after going through the experience, it felt worth it. We were taken by a surprise when there were fireworks as we released the lantern, it was a fascinating sight that I would love to see again.
1. Yi Peng Festival
๐ Pick up at Maya shopping mall
$180 for standard ticket, including transportation and dinner
2. Coconut Market
๐ 94 Soi Ban Tong 2 Mu 3, Fa Ham, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50000, Thailand
3. The Giant Chiangmai Thailand
๐ 9, เธซเธกเธนเนเธเนเธฒเธ เธเนเธฒเธเธเนเธญเธ, Huai Kaeo, Mae On District, Chiang Mai 50130, Thailand
4. White Market
๐ 1/4-1/5,1/7-1 10 Nimmanahaeminda Road, เนเธกเธทเธญเธ Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
5. Jing Jai Market
๐ 46 Atsadathon Rd, Pa Tan Sub-district, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50300, Thailand
6. Tha Phae Walking Street
๐ Rachadamnoen Rd, Tambon Si Phum, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
Fez is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. We actually took a day tour while in Fez because we did not want to get lost in the Medina Maze. You wouldn’t want to end up in a wrong place as it can be dangerous. It is also known to have the oldest tannery. I definitely enjoyed my time more than in Marrakech, but maybe that’s because I didn’t spend enough time in Marrakech. We walked a lot in Fez, admiring the city beauty and also learning about the culture. Additionally, you can also join a group tour to the famous blue city in Morocco, Chefchaouen, which cost around $50 per person.
After speaking with a few locals to understand the situation in Marrakesh, we heard that it was not that bad hence we decided to take a day trip from Casablanca to Marrakesh. The private day tour cost around $225 per person. We were glad that we manage to visit Marrakesh even for a day since we have travelled so far.
1. Palmeraie Marrakech
๐ Palmeraie de Marrakech, Marrakesh 40000, Morocco
2. Koutoubia
๐ Marrakesh 40000, Morocco
3. Medersa Ben Youssef
๐ Rue Assouel, Marrakech 40000, Morocco
4. Bahia Palace Marrakech
๐ Marrakesh 40000, Morocco
We didn’t get to visit the inside of Bahia Palace as it was closed and under repair due to the aftermath of the earthquake.
We flew from Luxor, Egypt to Casablanca and was supposed to take the train to Marrakech but we had a change of plans due to a major earthquake that happened on Sept 8 of 2023. It was definitely our first mishaps, having to replan our itinerary while in Egypt. We decided to spend more days in Casablanca and monitor the situation instead of flying back home. Casablanca is a home to 14th biggest mosque in the world, located by the seaside. It’s also the largest mosque in Africa. It felt very laid back while we were there.
1. Dar Dada
๐ 31 Rue El Arsa, Casablanca 20250, Morocco
2. Old souq
๐ H9WJ+W75, Casablanca 20250, Morocco
3. Hassan II Mosque
๐ Boulevard de la Corniche, Casablanca 20000, Morocco
Luxor โ palace of Egypt. Luxor is surprisingly peaceful as compared to other parts of Egypt. 2 days are sufficient to explore the east and west bank or Luxor. It is a 3 hours train ride from Aswan to Luxor. Purchasing train tickets in Egypt was not straightforward as we had some challenges to do it online. We had resorted to buying them at the train station itself. Do note that they only accept payments in cash.
Day 1 – Exploring East Bank of Luxor
1. Karnak Temple
๐ Karnak, Luxor, Luxor Governorate, Egypt
2. Mummification Museum
๐ ุด Kornish Al Nile, Luxor City, Luxor, Luxor Governorate 1362501, Egypt
3. Felucca Ride on the Nile
4. Luxor Temple
๐ Luxor City, Luxor, Luxor Governorate 1362501, Egypt
Day 2 – Exploring West Bank of Luxor
5. Hot air balloon
๐ Luxor, Luxor Governorate 1340420, Egypt
5. Colossi of Memnon
๐ Al Bairat, Al Qarna, Luxor Governorate 1341703, Egypt
Memories in the making 
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