The ongoing global pandemic has caused massive economic and financial impacts to the world tourism and travel industries. I wrote, shared and published an earlier article on “When can we Restart Tourism?” in June 2021. I was cautiously optimistic, however the world situation didn’t go according as planned with the Delta variant causing havoc and further disruptions towards many countries plans to reopen their economy, as well as their tourism and travel industries. On World Tourism Day 2021, this would be my follow up article that I published earlier in June 2021.

Looking back at my travel adventures over the years, I am missing it a lot. During this ongoing global pandemic period, my wanderlust for travel has also made me reflect a lot on the future of travel as it would never be the same again before the days of COVID-19. 

First and foremost, I will now always remember these words of wisdom, travel may be a privilege for some of us, not everyone can get to travel out overseas. This ongoing global pandemic could have further widen this gap between those that can travel and those who can’t.

When the time arrives whereby we can Restart Tourism, travel overseas safely again, this would be the time to add on more travel photography adventures to my TGH Photography travel portfolio, Flickr travel photography collections and travel explorer stories here on my TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.

I am keen to work on two areas when the world travel and tourism industries reopen – community based tourism and nature based/conservation/sustainable tourism. As we are preparing for the eventual reopening and recovery of the world travel and tourism industries, I am reaching out to the travel and tourism worldwide networks on collaborations and partnerships.  

While this global pandemic situation has caused massive impacts to the world tourism and travel industries, this is also an excellent opportunity for a “reset”, to address and change some of our tourism and travel industry standards, operating procedures, practices, mindsets, habits etc etc, to make a change for the better, for the future. 

Let’s help to restart the world tourism and travel industries again when it is safe to do so, sometime down the road, hopefully soon. Meanwhile, do support your local/domestic travel and tourism industries too. This is the time for inclusive growth. 

Meanwhile, when can we restart tourism again? A number of countries have started to open up their tourism markets in small and at specific destinations. Some countries have started to open up more than other countries. We are all taking steps towards reopening the international tourism and travel industries.

Till the day when we can safely #RestartTourism and travel overseas again, take care and be safe! I look forward to meeting my travel and tourism network friends when I get the opportunity to travel and visit them in their countries! 

The post World Tourism Day 2021 appeared first on TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.

We started off from Hort Park, where I met our tour guide Shanti from Jane’s Singapore Tours, along with other tour participants. It’s a small tour group outing, making it friendly and cosy. Walking along Canterbury, Winchester, Russels, York, Royal, Cornwall and Berkshire Roads, admiring the beautiful Black & White Houses with their nice spacious gardens and listening to the  given by Shanti, it seemed like I had traveled back in time. 

It was a short two hours Black & White Houses tour, nevertheless, I learnt a lot from my very experienced and wonderful tour guide Shanti. She shared many interesting history lessons, architecture, culture and lifestyle associated with the Black & White Houses at Alexandra Park. I reckon I had a good exchange with Shanti and gained much more knowledge as we were walking around the Black & White Houses at Alexandra Park.

Let me pose you some questions of Black & White Houses at Alexandra Park:

• Which SIT/HDB estate in Singapore has similar architecture/design to the ones at Alexandra Park?
• The Black & White Houses at Alexandra Park were built for which British military camps nearby? 
• Which hospital is just round the corner from the Black & White Houses at Alexandra Park? What is the connection between these two places?
• Have you seen/heard of a Black & White house on stilts in Singapore? 

Even though I had some prior knowledge of the Black & White Houses at Alexandra Park and some of their history. Under the excellent and knowledgeable travel guidance of Shanti, I learnt a lot more in depth of the history, lifestyle, culture and stories of Alexandra Park. While you may choose to ask Google for answers or I might write a lengthy history tour article here, nothing beats going for a physical tour of the Black & White Houses at Alexandra Park with an experienced travel guide! 

Due to this ongoing global pandemic, we are currently not able to travel overseas for our holidays. Since we can’t travel out, why not travel around, visit and explore places in our home country Singapore? This would give us the opportunity to learn and understand more of our local history, heritage, culture and tourist attractions. How much do we really know about our home country Singapore? Why not join a local tour from a wide selection of Jane’s Singapore Tours on offer and embark on your SingapoRedisovers tour?  

Personally, I sincerely hope that more people would do their own SingapoRediscovers adventure, from rediscovering Singapore’s history, culture, arts, food, architecture, tourist destinations, nature, outdoors etc etc, there are well known places and also hidden gems in our small land size Singapore. 

I had a fun, enriching and informative local tour of the Black & White Houses at Alexandra Park, I learnt so much more about the history, culture, architecture and real life stories behind them, an area that I am interested in since I have been documenting and photographing history, heritage and culture in Singapore over the past two decades. 

I would like to thank Jane’s Singapore Tours for hosting me on one of their iconic and popular tours, Black & White Houses Stroll: Alexandra Park.

For more information and updates on the various types of tours on offer by Jane’s Singapore Tours, do visit their website and social media sites below:

Website: https://janestours.sg/ 

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/JanesSGTours/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janessgtours/ 

YouTube: Jane’s Singapore Tours 

TripAdvisor: Jane’s SG Tours 

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Capella Singapore has partnered with a range of local and international brands to bring the best and most unique holiday experiences in the city through a series of pop-ups for their guests on a staycation during this year end festive season. This is in line with Capella Hotels and Resorts’ dedication to offer an enriching experience for all guests, Capella Singapore’s ever-changing roster of upcoming pop-ups ensures that no two stays are the same. The brand pop-up experiences at Capella Singapore is something different and unique, giving the local staycation scene a breadth of fresh air.

“We’re constantly thinking of ways we can elevate our stay experience and ensure that our guests are enjoying unique, compelling activities that they will remember for years to come,” shares Fernando Gibaja, Capella Singapore’s General Manager. “These initial pop-ups are the first few of many as we continue to offer an unparalleled luxury hospitality experience.

The brand pop-up experiences series includes mastering the fine art of writing with Montblanc, drumming with award winning Chow Kiat, learning the basics of organic farming with Edible Garden City and up close and personal wildlife encounters with Dr Ooz from the Singapore Zoo.

Calligraphy with Montblanc

While typed text can feel impersonal, a handwritten note or letter is charged with the emotion, energy and time of the writer. Handwritten letters are not just a romantic pastime tinged with nostalgia, it’s a unique form of self-expression that builds a meaningful connection with others. Guests can explore self-expression through handwriting and the art of calligraphy with Montblanc.

Available on December 18 from 2:00p.m. – 4:00p.m.

Drumming Jam Session

Guided by local award-winning drummer, Mr. Er Chow Kiat, rhythm enthusiasts can learn how to lock down a groove and be the backbone of a band. Participants will gain insightful first-hand knowledge in basic drum theory and techniques in this specially curated workshop.

Available on December 1, 8 and 15, from 11:00a.m. – 12:00p.m. and 12:00p.m. –1:00p.m.

Your Edible Garden

Foodies will delight in a session with Edible Garden City, where they’ll be able to learn the basics of organic farming, how to grow micro-greens growing, kombucha-making and more. Dedicated to creating social change through community-centric agriculture, Edible Garden City is the perfect gateway for guests to understand how cities can become self-sufficient by growing their own food

Available on December 3, 10, and 17, from 4:00pm.

Adventures with Wildlife Reserves Singapore

Animal-lovers can embark on a journey with Wildlife Reserves Singapore, where they will witness how the reserve provides world-class animal care. ‘The Zoo Comes to Capella’, gets guests acquainted to native species such as Oriental Pied hornbill, reticulated python and pangolin with Dr Ooz from the Singapore Zoo and understand our “wilderful neighbours” better.

While ‘Zoo Careers with Wildlife Reserves’ will shine a spotlight on the dedicated keepers, veterinarians and wildlife nutritionists who work tirelessly to keep the animals in the pink of health, both physically and mentally.

Zoo Careers with Wildlife Reserves will be available virtually on 10 December from 2:30p.m. – 3:30p.m. and The Zoo Comes to Capella will be available on 16 December from 2:30p.m. – 3:30p.m. at at Capella Grand Ballroom.

For more information on Capella Singapore, please visit https://www.capellahotels.com/en/capella-singapore

If you are looking for a staycation during this year end festive period that is something different with unique experiences, do check out Capella Singapore and their brands pop-up programmes! They are suitable for both young children and adults, great time for family bonding activities!

Let’s all support our local travel, tourism and hospitality industries in Singapore during this difficult period through SingapoRediscovers!

* Information and pictures courtesy of Capella Singapore and VIM & VIGOUR *

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I am currently reviewing both the Canon RF24-70mm f/2.8 L IS USM and RF70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM lenses with my Canon EOS RP, building up my photographs that I am planning to curate and publish in my upcoming first photography zine and a future photo book on this SG55/SingapoRediscovers theme! The review of both Canon RF lenses would be published at a later date, do keep a lookout!

Meanwhile, I would like to share some photos of my SingapoRediscovers with Canon RF24-70mm and RF70-200mm. Can you guess the locations of those places in Singapore that I shot from the photos I shared below? 

Shot with Canon RF24-70mm f/2.8 L IS USM

Shot with Canon RF70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM

Where are those locations in Singapore that I shot with both Canon RF24-70mm and RF70-200mm lenses, are you able to identify them? Have you been exploring more of Singapore’s natural beauty, your own backyard in your local neighbourhood? Besides the cute otters that have attracted local and international news coverage, have you spotted other wildlife around in Singapore?   

I would like to encourage you to explore your own backyard in Singapore with SingapoRediscovers, there’s no doubt that we are a small country in land size. However, Singapore has her fair share of charms, hidden gems, secrets and places tucked away, from cultural, heritage to nature and wildlife.

More SingapoRediscovers stories and photos coming soon! Stay tuned and keep a lookout!

A TGH Photography x Canon EOS RP Explorer Series Production

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It takes a global pandemic Covid-19 to make/encourage Singapore explore its small land size area domestic tourism. We can start to explore and appreciate our own backyard, our history, heritage, culture, museums, nature. 

Time to support local businesses, explore, rediscover Singapore, her favourite tourism destinations among international visitors such as Gardens By The Bay, Sentosa, visit our heartlands, go for your local food adventure discoveries, explore our many nature parks, hike/walk/cycle along our extensive park connector networks (PCN), they are underrated and deserves more credit. 

Visit our network of museums, they are very interesting, informative and enriching, from local history and heritage to international contemporary arts. Rediscover our Singapore heritage and old places, my personal photography and documentation project over the years.

Through my Singapore photographs collection that I compiled over the years, I hope that this would encourage you to explore your own backyard in Singapore. We are a small country in land size, domestic tourism may not exactly ring a bell, this would be the time for change, we can rediscover Singapore again, appreciate the domestic tourism that Singapore has. 

I look forward to continuing my own SingapoRediscovers explorations that I collected over the years, updating and adding more photographs and stories of Singapore and her own backyard stories, photographs and adventures with my TGH Photography x Canon EOS RP Explorer Series Production.

Time to start your SingapoRediscovers – Explore your own backyard!

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