Which trip made you realize that you love traveling?

The 2009 trip to Gold Coast with my partner. It wasn’t the first time I was there but I think it was the first time I could really sit back and take everything in slowly. It made me realise what sort of traveller I wanted to be as well; not the “I came, I saw and I left” type but the kind who spends a bit more time and has the luxury to “do nothing” on some days, without worrying bout not experiencing enough of a place.

Since you are a fan of OZ, share the best moments you had over there.

Spending a month in Gold Coast at my aunt’s place with my partner. It was a trip that gave us time to relax and live a bit like a local. It’s really the most memorable trip yet.

How would you categorize yourself as a traveler?

Depends on the place I’m going to really. I’d probably be a backpacker in expensive countries and a flashpacker in cheaper ones, haha!

Share with us what is on your travel playlist.

None. Honestly, I don’t listen to music when I’m out and around or on the plane. I read more when I travel than listen to music. Oddly it’s the reverse when I’m home.

Did anything funny happen in any of your trips?

It was a clear sunny day in Phuket and we decided to check out one of the viewing points. We were on our scooter and it started pouring like crazy! Thankfully we brought our ponchos along. On the way back, we were behind this songtheaw and the people started laughing and taking photos of us. I guess we were their source of entertainment in the heavy rain.

Where is your dream destination?

Wow, I really don’t have one because I can’t narrow it down. Let me give you the one that’s in my head now (it could change tomorrow), Greece!

Share with us one travel tip.

Don’t be afraid to venture down the wrong alley!

What would you love to do ten years down the road?

Be travelling and writing to pay for the travelling.

Thanks Ruby! Do make sure to check out Singapore Gay Guide written by our dearest Ruby.

What made you shift your interest from fashion to travel?

My folks are working in the airline industry and I get the chance to travel ever since I was a baby. Every year we will fly to places we have never been before. I would say traveling has become a part of me ever since. Plus I need a break from fashion but that does not mean I lost interest!

What would you never leave when traveling? Other than passport, cash and luggage.

Oil blotter and camera. My face tends to get oily by noon and the blotters come in handy. As for the camera, you never know what you get to see when traveling and it helps to record your trip too.

Name the best holiday trip.

I would say all the trips I’ve went are the best. I got lost in Florence, walk around New York City despite having jet lag, played with lion cubs at Johannesburg, laze like a beach bum at Koh Phangan and surfed in Bali. Every trip I’ve went has its best moments.

What camera do you use to take travel photos?

Nikon P600 and Holga are my sidekicks.

Have you ever tried any adrenaline rush activities?

Surfing at Canggu in Bali almost got me swept away by the ocean current. Having the thought of a 6 feet high wave heading towards you and the basic instinct to get up on the board gets my head and heart racing.

Share a piece of travel advice.

Make friends with the locals. Ask them where to eat and places to see. This way you just don’t go to “touristy” places but hidden places only the locals know.

Name a place where you would like to live forever.

It is a tie between Hawaii and Bali. I love beach destinations. The idea of having a beach front house has always enthrall me. Waking up in the morning with the best view of the ocean and not your neighbour’s house, or worst HDB flats in Singapore.

What would you like to accomplish in the near future?

Get to do a volunteer travel at least before I am 40 and learn Sign Language too.

Thanks Shazana! For more information on beach destinations, check out our Bali guide.

Henry all good and ready to show us how to make spring rolls.

Authentic rice paper from Vietnam.

Fillings for Spring Roll.

As we sat around the table, there were slices of cucumber, fresh lettuce, bowl of dark Soy Sauce, shredded fried eggs, bowl of Bee Hoon, crisp looking rice paper and plate of carrots.

Cooking class begins.

We then followed Henry by soaking the rice paper in warm water and place it gently on a dry plate. He said “Just pick whatever you like and put it nicely on the rice paper.”

It was definitely an interactive lunch especially when you need to pick either some or all the fillings and wrap it nicely. For most of us, we felt a little foreign because it was our first time wrapping a Spring Roll. Like they said, practice makes perfect. Well in this case, as long as the vegetables or Bee Hoon (white noodles) does not fall out of the wrap, you are good to eat.

Daniel and Ruby are giving it a try.

Pick, arrange and wrap!

That’s the best part of making Vietnamese Spring Rolls for lunch. Pick only the ones you wish to eat, tuck it nicely and wrap it. Dip it in the black sauce, which is Soy Sauce drizzled with Vinegar. The Spring Rolls are really addictive.

Success!

Thanks Henry. Lunch was good and we are looking forward for next session of Food Feast. Meanwhile, check out our Singapore Food Guide to whet that appetite.

Henry hails from Vietnam and came to Singapore for better prospects and experience. He holds a Degree in IT Management and Masters in E-Management from Hanoi University of Technology and Institute of InnoTech. Henry is into a photography craze and is always on the hunt for better gadgets. Don’t worry we are not going to ask him about technical stuff.

Which part of Vietnam do you come from?
I was born in Thai Binh province and grew up in Hanoi.

What do you do in your free time?
I usually spend my free time with friends and we go for movies. I like reading news too.

What is the weirdest Vietnam dish?
Pig intestines, which most of it are imported from China.

We heard you are into photography. How many cameras do you own?
I currently own one camera, which is the Nikon D90.

Who would you like to photograph?
My female friends and scenery.

Where would you like to go for a holiday?
Somewhere that has nice beach, mountain, forest and ancient villages, which has to be more than a century old.

Which part of Vietnam would you recommend others to visit?
I would recommend going to Duong Lam village (Ha Tay province), Hanoi, Ha Long bay (Quang Ninh Provinces), Phong Nha – Ke Bang (Quang Binh province), Cham towers (Ninh Thuan province), Nha Trang, Mui Ne (Binh Thuan), Ho Chi Minh and Can Tho.

Complete this sentence, “If I wasn’t working in Singapore, I would live in Hanoi and enjoy it with my beloved ones.“

Thanks Henry. Well, for more information about the recommended places you have to read our Vietnam guide!

We have expanded our team and welcome Nabilah Husna, a Mass Communication graduate from one of Singapore’s top tertiary, Temasek Polytechnic. Now, she is part of our Editorial team. A scarf tied around the head and those striking blue highlights are her signature style. This girl will go all the way to see her favorite acts and that’s probably a smart way to see the world too! We get down to ask some questions with Nabilah.

What or who made you want to travel?

It’s probably a collective effort from the universe. (Putting the blame on one person for all my travel-rooted financial woes might be a bit unfair, I think!). The first time I traveled independently, sans-family at least, was for a music festival, and I got hit by wanderlust pretty bad after that. The quote “I was not born for one corner; the whole world is my native land” springs to mind. My first foray into living this probably started when I was when I knew that traveling would only be a ‘distant future plan’ if I didn’t just do it while I could!!

Where is the best destination you have ever been?

It’s a toss-up between Wellington and London. I probably treasure the experience of Wellington more because the people I met there, through Couchsurfing, but London summoned my Harry-Potter-fangirl side far too much to not enjoy.

Where would you love to go?

Iceland – and I’m not even sure why. Something about its glacier-ridden environment (coupled with the lack of people) fascinates me. Living in an Icelandic turf house would be awesome.

Tell us the top 5 things you must bring whenever you travel.

My iPod Touch; the wackiest, most out-there clothes in my wardrobe; antiseptic wipes; ramen packets for days when I feel poor; boots.

Since you are a fan of gigs, which best/wildest music festival have you been?

I queued up for 9 hours for a barricade spot and almost broke my neck by a kicking crowdsurfer at the Green Day gig (worth it!), but I think the most obsessive thing I’ve done was fly to Japan and Australia for gigs. The Lostprophets gig during SINGfest 2008 was pretty mad too!

Name us your favorite band/singer.

I would only spend ridiculous amounts of money for My Chemical Romance and Motion City Soundtrack (and I have). Right now my iPod’s going through a The Wombats and The Libertines phase. Can’t go wrong with British music.

Tell us the wackiest thing you have ever done at a music festival.

The Japanese show crowds are quite unlike normal crowds – raucous and loud during songs, but between them, after a round of polite applause, they calmly (and very quietly) wait for the next song. Classical music concert or heavy metal show, they’d be just as silent you can hear a pin drop. The girls I met before the shows, both American, and I were not used to this so we yelled out random stuff (“CHICKEN!!”) and got far too happy when it echoed through the entire arena. Cheap thrills.

What would you like to accomplish by end 2011?

Go back to London, join a volunteer programme, go for more gigs abroad and meet more awesome people!

Thank you, Nabilah. Check out this week’s featured article written by her.

Here is a gist of Via Ferrata. It is a traditional European mountaineering activity which had been said to have started in Italy during Word War 1, letting the troops crossing to Dolomites.

Border Crossing at Orchard Central

That’s us and Henry is behind the lens.

Last chance to back out!

After filling out the form, we braced ourselves and proceed with the activity. We were told to divide ourselves into groups of 3 so Ruby, Shaz and Daniel were in one team and Umar, Henry and Nabilah were in the other team. Afterwards we were instructed on the dos and don’ts and safety regulations by the instructors. With our safety gears on, we practiced the key movements which are “transfer” and tying the rope to the pigtail. Team work is extremely crucial!

Heart’s thumping, palm’s sweaty and the pull of arm muscles for each step was no excuse to back out as the only way to go was to climb up. It may look easy from afar but honestly, it is extremely tough especially when you are the kid who prefers to stay indoors and read books. Nevertheless, team GuideGecko climbed the Via Ferrata slow and steady but only God knows how exhausted we were.

In the first team, Ruby lead the climb followed by Shaz and Daniel. As for the second team, Umar was the first climber followed by Henry and Nabilah. The Border Crossing instructors were helpful and attentive. There were a few hurdles along the way and I bet without their guidance, we will not able to make it. Here’s a shout out to the instructors, thank you for all the help! As soon as the sun sets, we were almost there and with the help of the instructors and cheering motivated us to climb all the way to the top.

Alas everyone made it to the top and the view was definitely worth the climb. We took a breather and the instructors asked if anyone wanted to do abseiling. With sore muscles and no more energy to spare, we were all waving white flags except for Ruby who was still energetic and brave enough to slide all the way down.

Abseiling approximately 5 storey down.

Look up, it’s Ruby!

Here she comes.

100% satisfaction.

This whole experience was grueling and challenging but definitely worth it. Thanks to the team’s spirit and the help from Border Crossing’s instructors, otherwise we would all be stuck somewhere at the Via Ferrata. For adrenaline junkies and anyone else who wants to sweat it out, here is Border Crossing’s info.

If you are from the United States, you might think I am Italian. But I am at home almost everywhere in the world. I have been to Africa, Asia, America – you name it! Even Antarctica, but that was a bit too cold for me.

I simply couldn’t resist when the folks at GuideGecko asked me to give them a helping foot: There is nothing I love more than sharing my knowledge!

So, here I am to guide you through GuideGecko. I will tell you all about exciting new guidebooks, help you finding the right guide for you, and even explain to you how to publish your own guidebook. I will make sure you have fun and enjoy using GuideGecko as much as I do.

GuideGecko is all about sharing the fun we have! Come and see!

Yours,
Guido

Constantly traveling all over the world as a consultant, I got very tired of researching all the nice places I’m visiting for hours on the web. I looked for small, quick and easy to read guidebooks on specific topics for my favorite destinations.

And from now on, GuideGecko is the place to find them – along with many other guidebooks as well! See you around the world!

After having lived in Poland, Germany and the USA, I am now based in Singapore. I am passionate about traveling, and I love the nearby tropical islands on Malaysia’s east coast. My most memorable trips so far have been diving with Manta Rays near Komodo in Indonesia, and backpacking through South-America, where I had the rare chance to witness Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni covered with water – in the dry season! What an unforgettable experience!

On the professional side, my focus areas are entertainment, lifestyle and information technology. I have led PR campaigns for telecommunication and TV companies, game developers, cinemas and movies, just to name a few.

I believe that information technology will become more and more important for entertainment, lifestyle and traveling - and GuideGecko will be part of that movement. Or can you imagine future travelers with their all-in-one-camera-phone-mp3-player in one hand, and an outdated travel-book in the other?

More than computers, I love to travel. I have been touring the world quite extensively. Now based in Singapore, my recent focus is on South-East Asia. Singapore is a perfect travel-hub for South-East Asia – lots of budget flights and interesting places to see. Not to forget the countless spots in Singapore and surroundings as well!

While I love traveling, I hate thick and heavy guidebooks. That’s why in late 2007, I quit my job in a semiconductor company to open Net Gecko Pte Ltd, which is the company behind GuideGecko. Our vision is to bring you better guides and travel-tips for every destination and topic you can think of.

It will be a long way. See you on the road!