• asian girl smiling in public bus geneva agirlnamedclara
    Life,  Travel

    The Art of Taking Your Time in Geneva

    Hello, friends! This week, I feel like sharing with you my express, one-day trip in Geneva. I didn’t explore the city much, but I enjoyed the slow pace. I went to Geneva during the summer of 2023. It was blazing hot and in some areas, the roads were completely empty like a ghost town. Maybe people opted to have a siesta to avoid the heat, hehe! I joined a group rail tour from Amsterdam to Barcelona, and we stopped in Geneva for one day. Since it was only for a day, I didn’t have a to-do list or must-visit restaurants. But one thing was for sure, I wanted to visit…

  • Clara and the Chasing Grandma of Christiania Copenhagen mural agirlnamedclara
    Travel

    Clara & the Chasing Grandma of Christiania, Copenhagen

    Are you thinking to visit Denmark? If a trip to Amsterdam isn’t complete without visitting the Red Light District and perhaps, sampling a space brownie or smoking weed, then a trip to Copenhagen, the capital city of Denmark, isn’t complete without visitting Christiania. What comes to your mind when you hear “Copenhagen”? The birth town of Hans Christian Andersen and The Little Mermaid? The yummy butter biscuits in a round tin? I thought so too, but after the Northern Europe trip, Christiania comes #1 to my mind – thanks to the unique memory! Freetown Christiania or Christiania is a controversial community in the borough of Christianshavn, Copenhagen. In short, this…

  • girl tourist smile trastevere cobbled stone rome italy summer agirlnamedclara
    Travel

    Trastevere, a Hidden Gem in Rome

    I’m sorry that recently I only update this blog once every two weeks. I don’t have the mood to share travel stories when many people are tired of the lockdown (like me) or facing financial problems. But! I realized that I feel happy when I recall summer trips when the sun shines so bright and the air feels light. Therefore, this week I want to share with you my lovely experience in Trastevere, a hidden gem in Rome, Italy. Finding Trastevere, a Hidden Gem in Rome I reached Rome in the afternoon and had a quick lunch at the airport (something that I regret). By the time I put my…

  • girl smile gabriella cruise deck stockholm to finland sea background agirlnamedclara
    Travel

    M/S Gabriella – What Overnight on a Cruise Feels Like

    Now that we have new hopes that the Covid-19 vaccines might be rolled out in November, December or Q1 2021, we can continue our travel dream. It’s not that I’ve stopped dreaming, but I had no mood (and inspiration) to write about my travel experience seeing the cases are increasing. This week, let me share with you my experience boarding a cruise when in Europe. We’ll be boarding M/S Gabriella, a cruise ship that departs from Stockholm, Sweden to Helsinki, Finland. My Room and My Favourite Spot on the Gabriella Cruise I love travelling but I never dreamt of boarding a cruise. Luckily, I was able to have the experience…

  • pink hair girl traveler tourist take photo of ship building sea porto portugal agirlnamedclara
    Money,  Travel

    Vitamin Sea in Porto & How Financial Goals Saved Me

    I didn’t expect that many people enjoy reading my previous post. One friend even messaged me saying that it’s so refreshing. So I guess in unprecedented times (or stressful, to some) like this, you’d like to see a similar post. This week, let me take you to Porto, an enchanting coastal city in northwest Portugal and share how my financial goals saved me. P.S.: the girl on the cover photo is not me, but I like how her pink hair is contrasting with the blue sea hehe… Porto: Sea, Wine Tasting and Sardines I had only two days in Portugal – one in Lisbon, one in Porto. Of course, one…

  • Travel

    Summer in Sorrento

    As someone who dreams of traveling to as many countries as possible yet has a limited budget, usually, I only visit a country once. However, there’s a country that I won’t mind to re-visit again and again. And that country is… Italy! xxx During the summer holiday in June 2017, I went for a 12-day Italy trip and dropped by Sorrento for a few days. It was a very memorable trip – excellent food, classy architecture, lively people, beautiful scenery… Summer in Italy could be really hot but trust me, once you visit their gorgeous beaches and coastal towns, it’s totally worth it to travel to Italy in summer! On…

  • Travel

    Beach, Babe & BaraCoco Bungalows

    Following the previous post about the digital detox trip, this week I want to recommend a beautiful beach bungalow in Tanjung Bira, South Sulawesi, Indonesia: BaraCoco Bungalows. That’s right! South Sulawesi is more than just witnessing the ‘walking dead’ ceremony, hanging coffins and historical burial sites in Toraja. If you plan to go to Toraja (August is the best month), why not end your trip with a nice stay at a beautiful beach bungalow? BaraCoco Bungalows is located right at Tanjung Bira (Bira Beach), giving you direct access to the beach whenever you want. Each bungalow has its own balcony, a queen-sized bed and a private bathroom, ensuring you have…

  • Travel

    I Flew Almost 24h to Cuba Only to Find It’s Quite Similar to Asia – Updated

    When it comes to Latin American countries like Cuba, what pops into your mind? Exotic culture, sensual music, sexy people… “Despacito” and “Havana”, perhaps? Been to Cuba in April 2018, and I agree with that. However, there are things that many people, especially Asian, will find it shocking when they travel to Cuba. That’s mainly because we don’t realise that Latin American countries are underdeveloped. After sitting on the plane for almost 24 hours and feeling my a$$ flatten like chapati, quite a number of things made my jaws drop during my 15-day tour. I was like, ‘I traveled from far far away to find this??’. Although surprising, I enjoyed…