Changi Heritage Trail

The Changi Heritage Trail by NHB features 23 heritage sites and six heritage trail markers, they will tell you the stories of Changi through the memories of its community, tracing its evolution across different eras, and shed light on Changi’s cultural, social, economic and military heritage over the centuries. Visitors on the Changi Heritage Trail will get to explore iconic landmarks and discover the diverse narratives of Changi, from the hardships endured by prisoners of war during the Japanese Occupation to the vibrant mix of cultures of the kampongs and communities in the Changi area. 

Mr Alvin Tan, Deputy Chief Executive (Policy & Community), NHB, said: “Through our heritage trails, NHB hopes not only to showcase the unique history of neighbourhoods, but to also leverage our trails to bring heritage closer to the community; facilitate community participation through the contribution of stories and photographs; enhance place identity; and in this case, encourage Singaporeans to explore Changi and rediscover its unique charms.”

Coastal lifestyle

Changi’s coastal area, fishing and other maritime activities shaped the economy, society and cultures of the kampongs in Changi. For the communities of Kampongs Ayer Germuroh, Mata Ikan and Beting Kusah, fishing was their livelihood, as were kerkarang (coastal foraging) and the making of kaput (lime-based whitewash). All these activities required deep knowledge of the seascape, weather patterns and monsoon winds, that were passed down through generations and they formed the foundations of many aspects of community life. The fishermen of Changi coast generally head out to sea after dusk, returning in the mornings, bringing the villages to life. 

Sun, sand and sea of Changi – Singapore’s Lido

During Singapore’s colonial era, the sun, sand and sea of Changi transformed into Singapore’s Lido. The Lido di Venezia in Italy is known for its fresh air and forested environment. Changi was a popular leisure destination for its quiet and clam beaches, cool sea breeze, and this was also the point for those who wished to sail to nearby islands or favoured fishing locations. 

Changi developed into a resort feel for the colonial society, this was highlighted by European visitors, as recorded in a diary entry from 1860 that detailed a visit to Changi: “Changhee is a sort of Singapore Brighton – a place where everyone goes for a picnic. It only consists of a few small fishermen’s huts, a government traveller’s bungalow, and another bungalow a little higher up belong to a Joint Hock Company.” 

A wooden bungalow known as Change Hut was constructed, this made Changi a popular location for the colonial society for their holidays due to its picturesque surroundings. With this popularity, more bungalows were constructed in the area, with private investors renting them out as resorts, further cementing Changi’s reputation as a leisure spot as Singapore’s Lido.

Changi’s military history and heritage 

After the 1920s, Changi went through significant transformation to become a strategic military and penal hub. Sembawang, located in the northern part of Singapore was confirmed as the location for United Kingdom’s (UK) new naval base back then, they needed another site for a cantonment (military quarters) and artillery emplacements to house troops and guns that would protect the naval base. 

Given the strategic location of Changi overlooking and commanding the eastern approach to the Johor Strait, as well as its distance from the city and major residential areas. Changi was chosen and a natural choice to play her role in the defence of Singapore. 

The Gillman Commission was established in 1927 to plan and develop the Changi Cantonment. Thereafter, the UK War Office began acquiring land in Changi and transforming the landscape to make way for concrete gun emplacements, airfields, hangars, barracks blocks and other facilities. 

Changi Prison came after the development of Changi Cantonment. They were built in response to overcrowded conditions at Pearl’s Hill Prison and Outram Prison in the early 1930s. Changi Prison would eventually house Western civilians and prisoners of war during the Japanese Occupation.

Hearing heartfelt stories of Changi’s history, heritage, culture and living

During the media tour of Changi Heritage Trail, we met people that were associated with Changi’s history, heritage, culture and living, hearing the heartfelt and wonderful stories of Changi.

At Sree Ramar Temple, Mr Thalapathi K.V, a temple volunteer, he shared quite a lot of interesting stories about his memories of Changi. The points that he shared with us that enlightened me were Sree Ramar Temple was facing East, there were two water elements in front of the temple down the road, Sungai Changi, followed by the sea/coastal area (Changi Beach Park) after the river. He also spoke about the connections and significance of the statues of Buddha and Guan Yin in the temple, about the communities in Changi, his childhood days playing around the neighbourhood, the multi-cultural communities and the kampong spirit. 

At Changi Sailing Club/Changi Boardwalk, overlooking the coast and sea, Mdm Isiah Majid, a former resident of Kampong Ayer Gemuroh also shared a lot about her childhood memories of Changi, “[The atmosphere at the beach was] just like a fish market, with people [gathering around each] boat to buy their fish. It’s a joyful moment, with children swimming and [playing] in the sea… while the adults are bargaining for their fish.”

If you are travelling to Changi Airport by car or bus on the road or your plane is landing at or departing from Changi Airport, you can’t miss the iconic Changi Airport Control Tower. At Changi Airport Terminal 1, we heard Mr Joshua Woo sharing priceless photos and memories of his late father, a former contractor that was involved in the building of the Changi Airport Control Tower.

Beyond the history, heritage, culture and tangible aspects of cultural heritage, these are great examples of our intangible cultural heritage, the life experiences, oral history and memories of Singapore.

My personal nostalgia memories of Changi 

When NHB launched its newest heritage trail, the Changi Heritage Trail, I was excited to retrace back my nostalgia memories, starting from my teenage days of visiting Changi Village, starting off with a long bus ride on bus service no.2 from Chinatown to Changi Village, followed by taking a bumboat across to Pulau Ubin for camping and hiking when I was a Boy Scout. I remembered going for hikes with our map and compass (no smartphones and maps app in our era) and one of the hikes led us to Changi. 

Thereafter, serving my full-time National Service, starting off at as a recruit at Pulau Tekong and we recruits during my time had to board a slow boat (if you know, you know) from a jetty in Changi to Pulau Tekong (not like today when they can take a ferry), I can’t forget watching the night sky from the slow boat and thinking when can I get back to mainland Singapore again. 

Continuing on into my adult years, even though going to Changi can be a quite a bit of travel for me staying at the western part of Singapore, I do enjoy heading to Changi once a while, on a road trip along the former Changi Coast Road, watching the planes landing at Changi Beach (and doing aviation photography), taking sunset photographs (a great spot for taking beautiful sunsets in Singapore) at Changi Boardwalk or Changi Beach Park. Not to forget wildlife and travel photography around the Changi Village area. 

You don’t have to worry about food and drinks at Changi Village, from the hawker centre, cafes and restaurants, there are different food and beverage options for you to choose from, to relax and enjoy and have a good time there. Before the days of cafes and restaurants coming to Changi Village, it’s the hawker centre for us, the nasi lemak is one of my favourite!

That part of Changi has a rustic and slower pace of life packed with rich history, heritage, culture and food, that you might not envision in a hectic and fast paced modern cosmopolitan Singapore. The growth, development and transformation of Changi, from coastal living and fishing, into a leisure destination, later into a strategic military district, and today a world famous international airport sits in the Changi district. 

Why not experience Changi for yourself, learning and experiencing its early days, coastal life transforming into the modern Changi international air hub of today. See and experience how Changi still retains its rustic charm, history, heritage, culture and natural surroundings. Come explore Changi on National Heritage Board’s newest heritage trail – Changi Heritage Trail.

How can I embark on the Changi Heritage Trail and explore Changi?

Changi Heritage Trail features three thematic routes:

Bungalows and Beaches in Changi (1 hour with public transport) – 4km

This route will bring you to explore the bungalows, sailing and beach clubs, and chalets in Changi. 

War and Peace in Changi (1.5 hours with public transport) – 7.6km

For those into history and heritage, this route brings you to explore the history of different military buildings in Changi with this route, including Changi Prison, Changi Chapel and Museum, and the former Changi Cantonment.

Gateways and Communities in Changi (2 hours with public transport) – 12km

On this route, you can find more about the communities of Changi and the places in which they lived, worked and played.

For more information on Changi Heritage Trail

For more information on Changi Heritage Trail, please visit https://go.gov.sg/roots-changi-heritage-trail, you can download the Changi Heritage Trail’s companion guide and map, time to start exploring! This map will also be made available in all four languages from June 2024. Limited copies of the companion guide will also be available at Siglap Community Club, Changi Chapel and Museum, and Asian Civilisations Museum. 

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Just like this Rainbow illumiNation by Very Small Exhibition celebrating one year of Very Momentary Exhibition at Paya Lebar Quarter. Can you see the light at the end of the tunnel, the rainbow arch waiting for us as we move towards it?

It was comforting and encouraging, I reckon many of us shed tears of joy as we can start to embark on the next steps to further opening up Singapore. You can read on ChannelNewsAsia, in full: PM Lee’s address on Singapore’s new phase towards living with COVID-19. At an appropriate time, I might just reflect and recollect my personal, emotional, mental, struggles in both personal and business, and along with my visual story telling together in another article, over this past 2+ years of living, struggling, surviving, learning and growing from this global pandemic. 

We can finally start to see some light at the end of the tunnel, it’s a huge step even, we are not totally out of the woods yet. Many of us would be looking forward to travel out out of Singapore for a break in other countries, we have been cooped up too long on our small island country. 

I don’t wish to make any travel plans or commitments at this stage, I am coming up with some travel plans in mind, maybe a short trip (3D2N or 4D3N) in Q2 or Q3 2022, a long (1-2 weeks) trip during Q3 or Q4 2022.

Would I be able to get my travel photography and writing commissioned works? Or travel media trips? I am keeping my fingers crossed. 

I am just like this Grey Heron perched on the Old Jurong Railway Bridge, eagerly looking up and getting ready to fly away, traveling and exploring in other parts of the world again. 

* A TGH Photography x Canon EOS R3 Explorer Series Production *

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Travel writer

Although at times I have more travel photographs than travel writing, embarking on the travel writer route is a natural progression from where I had been sharing my travel stories on my photography and travel portal/blog over the years.

Most recently, I added the following travel writing guides “How to be a Travel Writer” from Lonely Planet, “The Art of Travel Writing” and How to make a living as a Travel Writer” from Nomads Worldwide, along with these books that had been with me for a while, “Globejotting – How to Write Extraordinary Travel Journals” by Dave Fox and “台灣街角小旅行” by emico. Last but not least, my Travelers Factory journals are waiting for me to fill in those journals with travel stories, moments, photos, stickers, ink stamps and drawings.

Therefore, I would practice my travel writing stories inside my upcoming photography zine publications, from online/digital to small prints.

Travel planning

The amount of travel tools, websites, apps, blogs etc are in abundance in this modern social media and digital era. It’s so much easier to do your travel planning with the information available such as Best Travel Sites: Top 25 List for you to plan and book your next travel adventure! For all fellow travelers and travel wanderlusts like me out there, travel accessories are important in your travel planning too, do check out Best Travel Accessories: The Top 25 List, you would definitely need some of these travel accessories before you embark on your next travel adventure!

Visit Japan!

If you have been a regular reader and supporter of my photography and travel, you would have noticed that I am a big fan of Japan travel! There are still many destinations to visit in Japan that I have to do so!

Visit Mie, has an instagram account that I followed, they recently conducted a lucky draw for the contest that I participated in and I won a pair of Kintetsu Rail Pass Plus 5 days pass! I can now travel across Kansai region, visiting Mie, Nara, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara! The expiry date for this pair of pass is end October 2020, I really hope that I can make this next Visit Japan travel photography adventure happen!

I also want to visit Hokkaido again, for spring, summer and late winter seasons, to complete my Hokkaido autumn 2016 and early winter 2014 travel photography adventures, that would allow me to produce my second book on Hokkaido travel photography!

Do visit my Flickr travel photography collection and check out my travel photographs of the various destinations that I visited!

Goodbye to a travel icon in Singapore

At Changi Airport Terminal 2 in Singapore, there is a solaris board at the Departure area, the iconic analogue flight information board that had influenced me to be a travel wanderlust since I tasted traveling overseas. It’s sad to say goodbye to the analogue flight information board, I hope that I can still see you somewhere in Changi Airport, for old memories sake!

What is my travel bucket list for year 2020 ?

Japan – Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Mie

Sri Lanka

Climb and conquer another mountain peak

Year 2020 kicked off to a very disruptive start, no thanks to the COVID-19 virus situation, travel and tourism industries are badly hit. The recovery from this virus situation might be three to six months away hopefully, keeping our fingers crossed.

Thank you for all your support and encouragement, please continue to follow me on my travel photography and travel writer adventures!

The post Travel wanderlust February 2020 edition appeared first on TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.

Thanks to Changi Airport invitation, our Changi Circle group got the opportunity to visit the Canopy Park and Changi Experience Studio @ Jewel Changi Airport for a preview! Let me bring you through on a tour, through my photos and stories, of our adventures at the Changi Experience Studio on Level 4.

Changi Experience Studio @ L4

Opening hours: 10am to 10pm

We might be regular or avid travelers flying in and out of Changi Airport, we knew they have been the best airport in the world for a number of years, we know about the high quality standards and facilities. I reckon many of us Singaporeans (if not all of us) are very proud of our Changi Airport.

How much do you know about Changi Airport? Her history, what goes on behind the scenes inside Changi Airport? Welcome to Changi Experience Studio, a virtual world for visitors young and old, into a journey of a very interactive fun and learning adventure for both children and adults.

Are you one of the those travelers that like to race/or being pushed on the luggage trolley? Have you ever wanted to be photographed in the Changi Airport working environment? Can you manage the taxi queue system for passengers at Changi Airport? Do you remember the race between a Porsche 911 and Boeing 747 on the Changi Airport runway?

Come follow me inside into the world of Changi Experience Studio! Let’s go!

Cloud

Your journey into the world of Changi Experience Studio begins here, with virtual butterflies greeting you. Armed with the interactive Travel Guide, learn how to use it and be mesmerised by the surprises that you are about to unlock along this journey inside Changi Experience Studio.

Time Tunnel

How much do you know about the history and beginnings of Changi Airport? Take a walk back in time through this time machine tunnel, view and learn about Changi Airport’s historical milestones, experience her transformation, growth and expansion over the years.

Hanging Garden

In this small beautiful garden, this is an interactive content zone, featuring seven discovery stations. With your Travel Guide, you can learn about many different aspects of Changi Airport, the behind the scenes action.

Amazing Runway

Rally your teammates for a fast and furious battle on the Changi Airport Runway, choose between Team Porsche 911 or Team Boeing 747. Relive the adrealine high speed action Changi Airport Race between a Porsche 911 GT3 Carrera Cup car and a Boeing 747 aircraft.

Sky Deck

For those who know Changi Airport as an international air hub, do you know how many cities around the world are linked to Changi Airport? When you visit Sky Deck, be mesmerised by a spectacle of  flight paths networks all around the world connecting Changi Airport and the rest of the world.

Smile Challenge

A big, warm and cheerful smile never fails to light up another person. At Changi Airport, this is a key part of the customer service there, also a hallmark of Changi Experience. If you have a gorgeous, big, warm and cheerful smile, flash your brightest smile in a friendly battle to determine who has the winning smile. Spot your big smiling face on the Smile Challenge Hall of Fame board, or have a good laugh at some of the smiling faces.

Backstage

Have you ever imagine yourself working inside Changi Airport? Here’s an opportunity to discover the various role airport staff plays in ensuring everything runs smoothly like clockwork. Your friends and yourself can take photos against the different backgrounds, take on the role of an air traffic controller, on the runway or at the fire station. Yes, remember to get the photos printed out at the kiosks nearby!

Arena

Would you like to play fun arcade games simulating the jobs of such as, a taxi coordinator and trolley handler, whereby you can learn and experience what it is like working at the airport?

Garden of Harmony

Enter into a meadow, take a stroll inside and let the butterflies be your guide into this enchanted garden. As you step into the Garden of Harmony, each visitor plays a different musical instrument with other fellow visitors there and  everyone inside there can come together to perform a symphony, accompanied by beautiful music and spectacular visual display.

This special Garden of Harmony represents Changi Airport teamwork of 50,000 strong community across the various airport operations segments that work together to deliver the best airport in the world.

Finale 

Final stop, the grand finale of your Changi Experience Studio journey. Enter into a multimedia room, sit down, relax and watch an inspiring audio-visual production, tracing the history of Changi Aiport, from her humble beginnings, to the present day and a vision for Changi Airport’s future aviation.

Canopy Park @ Jewel Changi Airport officially opens on Monday 10^th June 2019. Our preview visit to Canopy Park and Changi Experience Studio @ Jewel Changi Airport was made possible for us by Changi Airport, for this Changi Circle group of enthusiasts. We had fun and enjoyed ourselves at the various Canopy Park attractions!

More photographs of Canopy Park and Changi Experience Studio @ Jewel Changi Airport can be viewed here inside this flickr photo album!

Thank you Changi Airport for the invitation and hosting us!

Changi Experience Studio Pricing (SGD)

Standard Rate – Adult

Adult – SGD 25  |  Child/Senior – SGD 17

Singapore Residents*

Adult – SGD 19  |  Child/Senior – SGD 13

CapitaStar Members[Available only at Jewel Concierge Counters (L1, 2, 5)]

Changi Rewards Members[Available on Jewel App and at Jewel Concierge Counters (L1, 2, 5)]

Adult – SGD 18  |  Child/Senior – SGD 12

Family Value Bundle

Includes 2 Adults and 2 Child/Senior tickets: $54

Bundle Packages

Bundle Package 3

Bundle Package 4

(Refer to pricing table in my other article)

Purchase your Changi Experience Studio tickets here at  https://www.jewelchangiairport.com/en/attractions/ces.html

*Notes*

(1) Applicable for Singapore citizens, permanent residents and those living in Singapore, including holders of employment passes, work permits or dependent passes. Proof of residency may be required when purchasing tickets or when entering Canopy Park.

(2)Refers to children from 3-12 years old.

(3)Refers to seniors 60 years old and above

(4) Ticketing for Changi Experience Studio is based on time slots, with window of admission within one hour from stipulated entry time. No limit to duration of play within attraction. 

Social Media

Changi Airport

Facebook

 Instagram

Social media tags: @ChangiAirport #ChangiAirport

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Whisky with a view project was partially inspired by this account on Instagram, traveling the world drinking whisky and taking photographs of whisky in the mountains, in the valley, the forest, in such gorgeous natural landscapes that whisky is usually associated with. Prior to that, I was learning whisky appreciation, thanks to The Whisky Festival 2017 at Changi Airport where I was introduced to Balvenie and The Whisky Festival 2018 at Changi Airport whereby I was introduced to Jura. As I grew and learned more about whisky appreciation, it led into whisky and food pairing adventures with my friends Chef Keith Crackling Roast and Chef Jude, this food and whisky photography project is always a work in progress, we would eat, drink and appreciate with our whisky collection, along with some photography shoot of course!

Behind the scenes, I always wanted to produce similar Whisky with a view sceneries here in Singapore. This proved to be more challenging than I expect since the landscape and terrain here is limited not just in land size, there aren’t many any high mountains and valleys. Nevertheless, I decided to produce my own Whisky with a view project, that fits into Singapore’s landscape and terrain.

Whisky with a View Project – SG Edition, got its maiden debut recently during a planned photo walk to explore and discover this old place/lost world, Keppel Hill Reservoir. This was my maiden start to Whisky with a View Project – SG Edition, somehow, it had re-ignited the explorer fire inside me again.

Whisky with a View Project – SG Edition is about appreciating our gorgeous natural landscapes with whisky. As I return back to exploring with my Canon cameras and lenses, through my Canon EOS RP Explorer adventures and stories, I hope to share and showcase more of the unseen natural landscapes in Singapore.

More photography stories and works on the way from my Whisky with a View – SG Edition project, along with whisky and food pairing project. For all whisky fans, I hope you appreciate and enjoy my whisky adventures like I do!

The post Whisky with a View Project – SG Edition appeared first on TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.

The opening of Jewel Changi Airport attracted significant local and international attention, it’s more than just an airport shopping mall. Although some years back, there were some doubts and questions on building Jewel Changi Airport, this was Changi Airport strategically planning ahead for the future, innovating, adapting and taking big bold steps to continue making and keeping Changi Airport as world class airport hub and a destination hub for travelers.

Personally, I was impressed by their architecture and design, a good mixture of modern contemporary design, from the exterior walking towards Jewel Changi Airport, it looks like a space station/planet from Star Wars! Upon entering, there is a mix of Jurassic Park with its greenery and valley design (that’s the Shiseido Forest Valley), the roof top looks a bit similar to Gardens By The Bay Cloud and Flower Domes and there are also some similar elements from Marina Bay Sands Shoppes! The World tallest indoor waterfall at 40m high, is probably inspired by Avatar and science fiction movies/dramas depicting a portal/stargate to teleport people to another universe and dimension!

I brought the Canon EOS RP with the RF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM lens and EF 17-40mm f/4 L USM lens for my two visits to Jewel Changi Airport during the preview period. The small, compact and lightweight Canon EOS RP is great, liking it a lot for its performance and quality of photos. I shot some videos of Jewel Changi Airport with the Canon EOS RP too! For my next visit to Jewel Changi Airport, I am planning to bring my EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM lens along as well!

Me, the Canon EOS RP Explorer was just busy finding various locations to take photographs inside Jewel Changi Airport, while it had been really crowded during the preview, I managed to find a few spots that I like and I would definitely go back again at a later time, to further explore the Canopy Park on Level 5 (opening on 10^thJune 2019), take a walk on the Canopy Bridge (opening 10^thJune 2019), find spots for plane spotting inside Jewel Changi Airport and finding other spots to photograph the HSBC Rain Vortex from other locations at the Shiseido Forest Valley. At the foot of the HSBC Rain Vortex, I am planning to photograph the light rays shining through the waterfall from below and hopefully rainbow across it too!

Oh yes, I haven’t even started exploring the wide variety of food options. As a young kid, A&W was part of my childhood, yes, A&W, I am definitely coming for you! Since I am not too much of a shopper, shopping would not be a top priority, nevertheless, I would check out some of the retail outlets that I like, such as Tokyu Hands.

Through the photographs that I took at Jewel Changi Airport with my Canon EOS RP full-frame mirrorless camera, I hope that it would give you more information on the spots and locations inside this modern multi usage and facilities hub that caters to both local and international visitors. When I depart from Changi Airport and arrive back at Changi Airport, I hope to take and share photos of Jewel Changi Airport from the sky! More photographs of Jewel Changi Airport can be viewed here inside my flickr photo album!

For travelers departing from Singapore, there is now a big incentive to arrive a few more hours earlier at Changi Airport, relax, have a meal and fun at Jewel Changi Airport before checking in for your flight.

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There are many exciting festivites and activities taking place at The Whisky Festival and one of them is the Whisky Appreciation Master Class! In the year 2017, I attended a Whisky Appreciation Master Class by Balvenie at Changi Airport Whisky House inside Changi Airport Terminal 2 transit area. I had a great time know more about Balvenie whisky, tasting and appreciating it, check out my article that I published on my Whisky Appreciation Master Class during The Whisky Festival 2017! Although it was my second time visiting The Whisky Festival, I was just as excited, having the opportunity to attend another Whisky Appreciation Master Class at the Whisky House!

Thanks to Changi Social organising it for Changi Social Ambassadors, we attended the Whisky Appreciation Master Class by Jura whisky, hosted by Darroch Ramsay, Global Brand Specialist for Jura Whisky and we were guided on the tasting and appreciation of the new Jura Sherry Cask Collection.

Jura Whisky has a new Jura Sherry Cask Collection and there are four varieties of them, namely:

The Sound

Colour: Antique Gold

Aroma: Hazelnuts, orange and maple syrup

Taste: Caramel fudge

Finish: Black forest fruits and milk chocolate

ABV: 42.5%

The Bay

Colour: Copper Gold

Aroma: Toffe apple

Taste: Raisins, fig and ginger spice

Finish: Soft liquorice

ABV: 44%

The Loch

Colour: Mahogany gold

Aroma: Treacle

Taste: Baked apple, praline and coffee

Finish: Tropical fruit salad and cracked pepper

ABV: 44.5%

The Paps

Colour: Deep mahogany gold

Aroma: Ginger cake and vanilla

Taste: Balsamic, spiced pear and fig syrup

Finish: Roasted Walnut

ABV: 45.6%

Each of the four new Jura Sherry Cask Collection whisky has something special behind it, an inspiration and whisky story. Since we all have different tastes and preferences, that would be a taste that you would like from this Jura Sherry Cask whisky collection.

After listening to each different inspiration and whisky story, followed by tasting and appreciation of the new Jura Sherry Cask Collection, I am thinking to myself that I need to plan a trip to visit whisky distilleries in Scotland and Jura sounds like a very gorgeous destination to visit in Scotland, I can have a great time photographing Scotland landscapes and going for whisky tasting visits too!

If you are a whisky lover, don’t miss out on The Whisky Festival 2018 at DFS SingaporeChangi Airport! More information on The Whisky Festival 2018 at Changi Airport can be found on their website!

If you like to discover and know more about Jura Whisky, check out their website, Facbook pageand Instagram.

I would like to thank Changi Airport Social for the invitation to the whiskey appreciation masterclass!

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The world of whisky is pretty big out there, yet there is this duplex in the world today, that has a wide selection of whiskey from all over the world inside the duplex. Where can you find this wide whiskey selection? Inside Changi Airport Terminal 2, it is known as The Whiskey House! With a diverse range of 179 single malts, 68 blended Scotch whiskies, 30 American whiskies inside The Whiskey House, for the Whisky or Whiskey lover in you, this is a must visit place when you visit Singapore! As a whisky fan and avid traveler, I am wondering to myself, how did I manage to miss out this awesome whisky place inside Changi Airport during my previous trips?

On the upper level of the duplex, there is an amazing, must visit destination for all whisky lovers, an intuitive and experiential whiskey shopping experience whereby you can enjoy complimentary tastings of 100 different whiskies from around the world. This is where you taste and enjoy the whisky before choosing your favourite whiskey to bring home.

This was also the location whereby I attended their Whiskey Appreciation Masterclass, part of the Whiskey Festival, taking place from May 25 to July 1 at Changi Airport. For that weekend on June 16 and 17, the regional brand ambassador for The Balvenie whisky house played host for whiskey appreciation masterclass. That was where we met Neil Strachan from Scotland, who hosted us for the whisky appreciation masterclass. His sharing was very interesting and interactive, teaching us how to appreciate and learn more about whisky, the fragrance, aroma and taste. Having an expert to share about whisky tasting makes drinking whisky even more special and fun! If you are a Scotch whisky fan, do follow Neil on his Instagram account! Neil is an awesome ambassador, I hope to have future opportunities to learn more about Scotch whisky from him!

I am probably the “worst student” among the group of us at the Whiskey Appreciation Masterclass because I was busy tasting/drinking the Balvenie single malt vintage whiskies (I don’t wish to declare the number of whisky glasses that I had during the masterclass!) and taking photos of them for this article! While this is not specifically a whisky review article, I would just share some of my thoughts, all of them are pure vintage class and each has its own distinct fragrance, aroma and strength. What were the types of Balvenie whiskies that we tasted during the Whiskey Appreciation Masterclass? There were the 12 years, 16 years, 21 years and 25 years! Do you have a favourite from these four bottles of Balvenie whiskies? From these four bottles of Balvenie vintage whiskies, my preference is the 25 years vintage!

While drinking and enjoying Balvenie whisky, it brought back my recent travel memories to Nikka distillery in Yoichi, Hokkaido, during October 2016. I had a memorable and fun whisky tasting/distillery tour on my own! I would love to visit the whisky distilleries in Scotland in the future! Nothing beats visiting a whisky house/distillery, soaking in the atmosphere and surroundings! It’s like a pilgrimage for whisky lovers!

Whisky and Whiskey lovers in the world, I know you have a bias towards particular whisky houses around the world, you have your favourite whiskies. When you visit Singapore, don’t miss this golden opportunity to visit the Whiskey House inside Changi Airport Terminal 2!

I hope to share more about my whisky tasting experiences in the future, along with cuisines that would be suitable for each type of whisky. Whisky and cuisines pairing sounds like a great food and beverage adventure for me!

I would like to thank Changi Airport Social for the invitation to the whiskey appreciation masterclass!

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My Hokkaido 2016 photography adventure began in the early morning of Thursday 20^th October. I was taking Scoot TZ 216 to Sapporo (Hokkaido) New Chitose via Taipei, departure at 0615hrs. Scoot currently fly to Sapporo (Hokkaido) three times a week with their Dreamliner 787. This is an travel route worth considering for those who wish to fly to Hokkaido on a budget.

The Scoot flight schedule was as follows

TZ 216

0615hrs – 1045hrs Taipei (Taoyuan International Airport)

1155hrs – 1700hrs Sapporo, Hokkaido (New Chitose Airport)

During my flight from Singapore to Taipei, the flight encountered some gusty cross winds and a bit of heavy air traffic at Taoyuan, causing the plane to be slightly delayed in their arrival timing. The transit procedure wasn’t too difficult, just like any other transit procedure at international airports. After another round of hand carry baggage security check, I was back at the departure gate to board my next leg of flight from Taipei to Sapporo.

Overall, the flight from Singapore to Sapporo via Taipei was pretty smooth with the usual turbulence along the flight route. I did manage to capture the sunset at Hokkaido from my seat prior to the plane landing at New Chitose Airport.

Upon landing at New Chitose Airport, night time has arrived in Hokkaido. After clearing immigration, my friend, Kato san, who is also my Hokkaido Photo Guide for Days 4 to 7, picked me from the airport and gave me a lift to Otaru where I based myself for the next 4 nights

While driving along the highway from New Chitose Airport to Otaru, snow rain fell on the highway, winter season kind of arrived early for Hokkaido and my friend Kato san said, “The snow welcomes you back to Hokkaido!” This is really awesome but I am not prepared for early Hokkaido winter! The snow rain was pretty heavy at some stage and Kato san had to drive more slowly and carefully!

Upon reaching Otaru, we went for dinner together and I chose ramen for a cold chilly autumn night. My first Hokkaido meal, was simply amazing, authentic ramen in Japan! I had a good chat and catch up with Kato san, he also passed me some brochures and tourism information for the areas that I wanted to explore on my own during my first 3 days in Hokkaido.

My hotel was Dormy Inn Premium Otaru, right in front of JR Otaru station, very ideal location, they have onsen too! After checking in and settling down, I immediately head towards the onsen! I missed the onsen experience in Hokkaido, it was really amazing, soothing and relaxing, allowing me to have a good sleep on my first night in Hokkaido!

Hokkaido Autumn 2016 Day 0

Hokkaido Autumn 2016

The post Hokkaido 2016 Photography Adventure Day 0 appeared first on TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.

For all the Star Wars fans out there, the new and younger ones, the older and loyal ones, everyone of us had been eagerly and anxiously waiting for the official launch of Star Wars VII – The Force Awakens in December 2015. Star Wars fans in Singapore were given an awesome surprise with Star Wars “flying” and landing inside Singapore Changi Airport! Two iconic and well known Star Wars starfighters made an appearance at Singapore Changi Airport, the X-Wing Starfighter at Terminal 3 and TIE Fighter at Terminal 2 for Star Wars at Changi!

A big time Star Wars fan like me, I was jumping with joy and excitement when I read the news of the life sized Star Wars fighters “flying” into Singapore! For many of the Star Wars fans, I am pretty sure they would make the trip to Changi Airport and photograph the X-Wing Starfighter and TIE Fighter! On a Saturday evening, I was going to send my friend Deborah off at the airport and decided to photograph the TIE Fighter and X-Wing Starfighter before meeting my friend Deborah.

It was an amazing experience, quite up close and personal to the life sized TIE Fighter and X-Wing Starfighter. While the background scenes weren’t exactly Hoth, Yavin or Endor, it felt great, nostalgic and exciting! There were quite a number of people at Terminal 2 and 3, taking photos of the TIE Fighter and X-Wing Starfighter, while waiting for their flight or just arriving into Singapore.

Sometimes, no words are needed for Star Wars fans. We just loved to be there and be up close to the two life sized Star Wars fighters. Let my Star Wars at Changi photographs collection do the talking!

May The Force Be With You! Always! 

The post The Force is Strong with Star Wars at Changi appeared first on TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.