Bino

The Ultimate Itinerary for Vientiane, Luangprabang and Champasak – Laos in One Week

June 27, 2018 by Bino Leave a Comment

Laos is no longer the undiscovered country that it once was. Sandwiched between Thailand and Vietnam, the Southeast Asian nation has benefited from tremendous growth in the region’s tourism sector. Visitors come here to experience a more relaxed pace of life – whether it be in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Luangprabang, the laidback capital of Vientiane or in the ancient ruins of Champasak or the Plain of Jars.

Here is an itinerary for Laos that can be easily done in as little as 5 days to 1 week, depending on your pace.

…

Wah Lok at Carlton Hotel Singapore – Limited Time 30th Anniversary Classic Dishes

June 22, 2018 by Bino Leave a Comment

Generally considered one of the top Chinese restaurants in Singapore, Wah Lok at Carlton Hotel has been delighting diners for the past 30 years. The restaurant industry is one of the most competitive in the city and it is already considered remarkable when a restaurant makes it to the 5 year mark. To still be around after 30 years is a sign of excellence – one that goes well beyond any passing fad. In celebration of 30 years in the business, Wah Lok has recently rolled out a limited time menu available from 1st July to 31st August 2018. These dishes has at one point or another graced the menu of the iconic restaurant and has been revived thanks to the memory of loyal staff who have been working in the restaurant for decades.

…

Hotel Review: Swissotel the Stamford – Unparalleled Views & Highly Convenient City Hall Location

June 20, 2018 by Bino 1 Comment

The iconic Swissotel the Stamford near Raffles City and City Hall MRT Station is in the midst of another renovation in its 32 year history in Singapore. One of the tallest hotels in the city, the property has traditionally been known for its sumptuous views – affording guests panoramic vistas of both Marina Bay Sands and the skyscrapers in Raffles Place. While the refurbishment is still well on its way as of this writing, one of the first room categories to showcase the new design is the popular Premier Harbour View Room which frequently gets booked out during Formula1 and National Day.

…

Only S$38.80 For Any Two Claypot Dishes at Hai Tien Lo – Pan Pacific Singapore (2018)

June 14, 2018 by Bino Leave a Comment

Almost two years ago, I remember being enthralled by Hai Tien Lo’s promotion of claypot dishes which at the time was quite a steal. The good news is that this promotion is back. From 4th of June to 31st August, 2018; diners can avail of themselves of any two claypot dishes for S$38.80 from Sundays to Wednesdays during dinner. This promotion is quite good value as two claypot dishes can easily feed two people. White rice costs extra at S$1.80 per bowl.

…

NEW: The Spot at Marina One – Compelling Dinner Option Near Downtown MRT

June 11, 2018 by Bino Leave a Comment

The Spot opened at the new Marina One recently with a positioning that makes it as much a restaurant as it is a nightlife venue. With a relatively generic name, one would be forgiven to be skeptical about the type of food served in its premises, much less its price range. But The Spot aims to be just that – a place to do it all. In the morning, diners can grab breakfast and coffee (which comes from Toby’s Estate). In the evening, guests can opt for one of the set dinner menus or grab a cocktail or two. Those who appreciate the finer things in life can even book the intimate cigar lounge that has a direct connection to the 1855 The Bottle Shop next door.

This is all possible within a 3500 square feet of space in the middle of the bustling CBD. Indeed, a number of restaurants have come up in Marina One recently including the steakhouse, Wakanui, that folks who work there are literally spoiled for choice when it comes to dining options. I was recently invited to head down to The Spot one evening to check out the menu. I have been hearing good things about the Southeast Asian-tinged cuisine here, conceptualized by Executive Chef Lee Boon Seng from Osia and Curate. At the centerpiece of his culinary concept for The Spot are the sauces which are all made from scratch in the kitchen.

…

A Peek at Kim Jong Un’s Presidential Suite at St. Regis Singapore

June 10, 2018 by Bino Leave a Comment

After weeks of speculating whether the summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un would actually happen; here I am looking at live footage of the latter’s entourage arriving in Singapore – this only being his second foreign trip as North Korea’s leader since he succeeded his father, Kim Jong Il, in late 2011.

…

NEW: Yellow Pot at Six Senses Singapore – Chinese Menu With A Focus on Health and Sustainability

June 8, 2018 by Bino Leave a Comment

Yellow Pot at the new Six Senses Singapore seems to break the mould when it comes to stereotypes about Chinese cuisine. When we think of Chinese food, we usually picture a boisterous setting filled with large families sitting in round tables having course after course of the usual meat and seafood dishes that most people of Chinese descent would have eaten a thousand times. The culinary tradition tends to be highly social where sharing is the norm. As such, elegance and subtleties aren’t elements that one would normally find when having a meal at such venues.

Yellow Pot in contrast, has a quiet elegance to its setting that one normally finds when dealing with culinary traditions where subtleties and implicit communication plays a key role (think: Japanese). By extension, the Chinese cuisine here has a distinct focus on wellness and sustainability – a type of positioning that you probably won’t find in other Chinese venues. As the flagship F&B outlet of Six Senses Singapore, this is no cookie cutter hotel restaurant as I soon came to realize when I was invited to have dinner there to check out their menu.

…

Ethiopia Launches New E-Visa Service Applicable to ALL Nationalities

June 4, 2018 by Bino Leave a Comment

Starting 1st of June 2018, Ethopia has been allowing visitors to enter through an E-visa applicable to all nationalities. Prior to this initiative, nationalities of only 2 countries (Djibouti and Kenya) could enter Ethiopia visa-free while another 40 nationalities could enter by getting a visa-on-arrival.

Ethiopia had initially put the e-visa service on trial for selected categories of visitors in June 2017 but now everyone can avail of it. The e- visa is processed and issued online where applicants apply, pay and secure their entry visa in a few steps. Once the application is approved, applicants will receive an email authorizing them to travel to Ethiopia and they will get their passport stamped with the visa upon arrival. Do note that the E-visa service is available only when entering through Addis Ababa Airport. It is not available for entry in other airports in Ethiopia nor at land borders.

Ethiopian Airlines has expanded to Asia for around a year or so now with direct flights from the likes of Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Bangkok, Hong Kong and soon, Jakarta to Addis Ababa. With the newly relaxed entry requirements, visitors from Asia can now actually stop in Addis Ababa and explore one of the more interesting countries in the continent rather than just use Ethiopian Airlines as a transit carrier to elsewhere in Africa or Europe.

Application for the Ethiopian E-visa can be made HERE.

Price for the Ethiopian E-visa is USD 52 with a validity of 30 days and USD 72 with a validity of 90 days. Only single entry visas are issued at a time.

As of this writing, I observed that the website crashes often so you may need to check from time to time.

Page 52 of 114

« Previous 1 … 50 51 52 53 54 … 114 Next »