My 'Travel' Bucket List

It wasn't so long ago that I was enjoying myself in Greece, and just 2 months later I am starting to feel the need to take to the skies and travel again. I have 2 days of leave to clear by end of March and with the Good Friday holiday, I get 6 days to go anywhere I want. 

I'm still feeling the pinch from my Greek adventure, so I'm thinking of going to Bali. Believe it or not, I've never actually been to Bali. In fact, there are lots of Asian countries and cities that I've not yet traveled to. So, it's time to start conquering South East Asia!

Truth be told, I started this list before my Greece trip last year, but I never got around to finishing it or posting it. Today, I just started my bucket list which can be seen in my blog Entitled To Opinion. So what better time than now to start my 'travel' bucket list. This will be a list of all the places I want to go to one day and all the things I want to do there. I'm sure this list will forever be changing, but at least I have a list to fall back on and start checking it off my list. So here goes...

Africa

Go to the top of Table Mountain (Cape Town, South Africa)

See a lunar rainbow at Victoria Falls also know as Mosi-oa-Tunya (Zambia) * UNESCO World Heritage Site

Antartica

See the Aurora Australis (Antartica) * UNESCO World Heritage Site
Observe the Penguins in their natural habitat (Antartica)

Asia

Marvel at the construction genius of Angkor Wat (Cambodia)
Climb the steps of the Great Wall Of China (China) * UNESCO World Heritage Site
See the Great Pyramids (Egypt) * UNESCO World Heritage Site
Vist the Taj Mahal (India) * UNESCO World Heritage Site
Visit the old city of Jerusalem (Israel) * UNESCO World Heritage Site
Visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Japan) * UNESCO World Heritage Site
Visit Itsukushima Shrine (Japan) * UNESCO World Heritage Site
Go to Petra (Jordan) * UNESCO World Heritage Site
Stay a week in Jeju Island (Korea)
Explore the archeological site of Troy (Turkey) * UNESCO World Heritage Site

Europe

See the Aurora Borealis (Finland)
Watch the sun set and rise in Oia, Santorini (Greece)

Visit the monasteries at Metéora (Greece)
Walk the streets of Venice (Italy) * UNESCO World Heritage Site
Go to the Red Square and check out the Pokrovsky Cathedral aka Saint Basil's Cathedral (Russia)
Explore the Sagrada Família (Spain)

North America

Explore Chichen Itza (Yucatán, Mexico)
Watch a Stanley Cup match 'live' (USA)
Stay at the Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona, USA) * UNESCO World Heritage Site
Look down at the city of Los Angeles from the Hollywood Sign (Los Angeles, USA)
Watch all 7 Cirque du Soleil shows in Las Vegas (Nevada, USA)
Celebrate Christmas and New Year's Eve in New York City (New York, USA)
Visit the Four Freedoms Park (New York, USA)
Walk the length of the Brooklyn Bridge (New York, USA)
Visit all the museums of the Smithsonian Institute (Washington D.C, USA)

Oceania

Climb Uluru aka Ayers Rock (Australia) * UNESCO World Heritage Site

Climb up Sydney Harbour Bridge (Australia)

Dive at the Great Barrier Reef (Australia) * UNESCO World Heritage Site

Watch the All Blacks play on home ground (New Zealand)
Go to Hobbiton (New Zealand)
Pick out Orion's belt in the night sky at Mackenzie Basin (New Zealand)

South America

Getting up close to Iguazú Falls (Brazil)
Go to Machu Picchu (Peru) * UNESCO World Heritage Site


It's time to start checking these places off! Woo Hoo!


The SIA Brat

What do you think?
Do you think a 'travel' bucket list is useful or necessary? Do you have one too? Share it with us! Is there a place I should add to my list? I'm sure there are many places I've missed out so do let me know and it might end up on my list. 

Venice Snapped!

View of Venice from the famous Rialto Bridge, the oldest of the four bridges of the Grand Canal.
- Venice, Italy

The SIA Brat - In Venice, Italy

What do you think?
Venice is one of the cities I'd love to go back to and explore again. When I was in Venice, I got to experience the rain as well as some sun. I was so excited when I saw the raised makeshift walkways come out. While on holiday, rain can put a damper on things. But even though it was a little depressing to get rained on in Venice, I was still pretty excited. And I've heard that Victoria Falls is best seen when there has been rain. Are there any cities that are especially good to explore despite the rain? What about cities and places that are more beautiful when there's a little rain? If you know of any, do share them with me.

New York City Snapped!

A day at Liberty Island, admiring the icon of freedom.
- New York City, USA (Statue of Liberty) 

The SIA Brat - In New York, USA

What do you think?
Hurricane Sandy came and went, and one of the cities hit by her was New York City. But Lady Liberty is still standing strong. I hope all those affected by Sandy will recover soon. Which famous monuments have you visited? Which landmarks is a must-see in your city? Let me know, and I'll add it to me 'travel' bucket list!

London Snapped!

Walking across the Tower Bridge on a rare, bright and sunny winter day in London.
- London, England (Tower Bridge)

The SIA Brat - In London, England

What do you think?
Put on your most comfortable pair of walking shoes and walk, walk, walk! That to me is the best way to explore a city. So that's what I did on my trip to London. In fact, I once walked for miles in Los Angeles until my boots gave way. While Los Angeles might not be the best city to explore by walking, New York City is a city meant for walking. Which other city is great for walking? 

Paris Snapped!

Marvel at the construction genius of the Eiffel Tower. Erected in 1889, it was named after its engineer Gustave Eiffel.
- Paris, France (Eiffel Tower)

The SIA Brat - In Paris, France

What do you think?
The french are divided when it comes to how they feel about the Eiffel Tower. Some think it sticks out like a sore thumb and is too modern for their liking, while others learned to embrace what has become a Parisian Icon. Does your country also have a world famous structure you disapprove of? What other icons of the world have you visited or wish to visit? 

Hiroshima Snapped!

So that we may never forget, the horrors and destruction of war.
 - Hiroshima, Japan (The Atomic Bomb Dome)

The SIA Brat - In Hiroshima, Japan

What do you think?
The Atomic Bomb Dome is part of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. Which other UNESCO World Heritage Site have you been to? And which UNESCO World Heritage Site should be my next stop?

The SIA Brat: An Introduction

I started travelling when I was just four years old. Of course at four, I can't remember anything about the country I visited or which country it was. In fact, I never actually appreciated the concept of going to another country to explore or discover new places until I had to pay for my own trips. You see, I am an SIA brat.

What do I mean by SIA brat? My dad worked for many years for Singapore Airlines, my country's national carrier. Now maybe you did know, but for the benefit of those who don't, SIA staff get a free ticket each year to fly to any country the carrier flies to. And this free air ticket extends to the spouse of the staff as well as their children - provided the children are not working and under 26. Unfortunately, I have to reveal my age here for you to fully comprehend the meaning of this. I am most definitely above 26. In fact, I am closing in on the big 3-0 very soon. 

So this yearly free ticket to go anywhere in the world SIA flew to meant that I could travel the world once a year for free. If you think about it, its not entirely free of course! There's still the accommodation to pay for, the attraction entrance fees, food, and of course you pay for all the shopping you eventually will do when you're visiting a new country. But we all know that when travelling, the 2 most expensive things you tend to spend a lot of money on is the air fare and the accommodation. So being able to fly for free frees up your budget for perhaps better accommodation, decent food, and a few more attractions. 

When I was going on family trips with my parents and my younger brother, because I have been travelling since a really young age, I took the ease at which I was able to travel to new places for granted. So I never realised how much I loved to travel until I didn't have that many years left to fly once a year, for free. Now, with work taking up most of my time, the opportunity to travel is diminished. I pay more than I ever had to to travel, and considering I'm not in a high paying job, travelling to different countries becomes even harder. But nonetheless, I love to travel and I won't stop trying to find ways and means to do so. Hence the name of my blog The SIA Brat Adventures.

One of the main features in my blog will be the series of articles called My Week In. It's a work in progress as blogging is currently still a part time thing for me and my work keeps me busy most of the time (I'm a writer at my national broadcasting station you see). So what is My Week In all about and how did it come about? Well, here's the story.

I recently returned from a work trip in New York City. And although I was physically in New York City for more than a week, I really only got to explore the place for a week. And I was thinking, I have 21 days annual leave, I can afford the time to make 3 to 4 trips anywhere in the world if I wanted to. Money is another matter, but I don't have to travel to exotic or expensive places for all 3 trips. 

"One week is not enough to do justice to any country or city" I hear you say. And I agree wholeheartedly. But, if I can only afford the time and money to conquer a place one week at a time, then so be it. I used to think it was more worth my while to go to one region of the world then hop from country to country for a whole month. Because that way, I saved on having to buy the expensive air ticket it would cost me to fly to a region further away from home (Singapore) more than once. Well it does make sense to do that. However, I find that I become greedy and eventually, I will put more and more places I want to cover on the trip and end up only going to places for less than a week. I did that last year with my Mother and visited 5 countries in a month - Spain (Barcelona), Italy (Capri, Florence, Milan, Naples, Pisa, Pompeii, Rome, Sicily, Sorento, Venice, Verona), Vatican City, London, Paris. And true enough, I was never in any city for more than a week. 

So from here on end, even if I do a month long trip, I'm going to explore one city or one country for at least a week before moving on to the next place. 

Now everyone enjoys taking photographs, especially while on holiday. I am no exception. And so the photo series Snapped was born. I love taking photographs and I don't just take landscape photographs. Maybe it's an artwork that draws me to it, or something pretty that caught my eye, but usually I end up going to great lengths to snap a photo of it. 

Another main feature will be the Book It! series. You see I am not the kind of traveller that likes to wing it or backpack. So I like to plan and book what I can way ahead of time. With Book It!, I will share my thoughts on things one would book for a trip - like a tour, or hotel, or show/performance. 

Well, that's it for now. And I know this blog is pretty sparse right now. But hey! Rome wasn't built in a day right! So I hope you will enjoy my blog and join me as I go on my adventures. 

Monica Alexia - The SIA Brat

What do you think?
Is one week too short a time to get to know a city? How many 'one weeks' would I need to get to know your city? Which city would you suggest I plan my next trip for?