The GypsyNesters

Singapore has set itself as a choice family-friendly holiday destination over the years in the Asian region. The city-state hosts many fantastic things including great beaches, rich culture, marvelous rainforests, and fantastic adventure sites. The island-state is never short of things to keep you and your family happy giving you beautiful memories.  You do not have to worry about getting a visa and travel documents for you and your family before going to Singapore because you can contact Visa Express Singapore who will assist you with processing the relevant documents as they have a wide experience in the field.

The following are some great places to go to in Singapore with your family:

Gardens by the Bay

This is one of the most amazing places to visit in Singapore and will certainly leave your family, especially the kids, very excited. The Supertrees are great eye-catching structures. There are also some cool gardens where children will certainly enjoy a lot. Cloud forest, one of several awesome gardens, has a 35-meter artificial mountain which is made even more beautiful by a waterfall. The climax of the trip in Garden by the Bay for the family is a visit to the Far East Organization Children’s Garden. There are a number of fun things here – tree houses, a water playground, and other exciting play equipment.

Singapore Flyer

Taking a ride on the giant observation wheel, which is the second biggest in the world, is a must-do activity for you and your family while in the city-state. The feeling at 165 meters above the ground on board the Singapore Flyer is just one of its kind. The ride also offers a chance to enjoy some of the greatest views of the city.

The National Museum of Singapore

The National Museum offers a chance to walk back into the past and experience wonderful things for all the family members. The place is lively, engaging, and is an excellent place for kids. The building that houses the museum is a beauty in itself. In the museum, there are some children activity rooms and your kids will certainly enjoy themselves while interacting with other kids.  There are also multicolored reconstructions that keep the kids quite busy.

Singapore Zoo

This zoo is probably the best zoo in the entire region. Situated at the Mandai Reservoir, it is an expansive area and very green.  There are many animals – tigers, giraffes, lions, zebras, polar bears, and local animals such as the Komodo dragon. The animals have been put into vast enclosures based on their natural habitats. The enclosures are spacious giving the animals the chance to run around, enjoy some play and make things look as close to the natural environments as a zoo can possibly make it appear.

Sentosa Island

This should probably be the first place to visit on setting foot in Singapore. It has great and fun-filled activities for kids. This island, off the main island of Singapore, is packed with family-friendly events and branded places, for instance, the Universal Studios Singapore. The island also has some top-notch hotels where you should consider spending several days. The list of attractions on the island is endless, and most places are well suited for the family.

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Touring through Iceland is like a treasure hunt. Many of the attractions are natural and not well mapped out, while the winding mountainous roads make turnoffs easy to miss. If you’re planning on driving yourself around this incredible country, you need to go in with a plan of attack.

Finding places to stay near the attractions you wish to see reduces stress and makes it easier to find the hidden gems of the country. Here are the best places to stay when planning your Iceland Tours and booking accommodations.

Reykjavík

Reykjavík is where you will most likely fly into when you visit Iceland and is not only the capital of the country but the only city. While you may be eager to get in your car and drive out into the wilds of the Land of Ice and Fire, it is worth spending a night in the city. Reykjavík is home to attractions like Hallgrímskirkja, a cathedral with a tower reaching over 200 feet. You will also see Harpa, an architecturally incredible music hall on the waterfront.

There are numerous museums worth visiting, covering everything from punk rock music to photography and natural history to odds and obscurities. Make sure you stop by the Sun Voyager statue before leaving the city for good luck on your travels.

Vík

Vík is slightly off the beaten path when traveling around the tourist-heavy Golden Circle. It is the one area where you will have to drive back the way you came to be able to continue your tour. What makes Vík so special? The black sand beaches and intriguing basalt columns, natural rock formations in hexagonal shapes making up the cliff face down the road in Reynisfjara.

The town of Vík is small and secluded, with only small churches, hotels, and a few restaurants. The black sand contrasts beautifully against the golden beach grass and old-fashioned red and white churches. Should you be lucky enough to see the sun during your trip, the sunset and sunrise over the black sand is a sight to behold.

Laugarvatn

Here’s an area you likely won’t find when searching online for accommodations. Laugarvatn is in proximity to Thingvellir national park, where you can walk between two continental plates, view waterfalls, and even go diving. This rugged, mountainous park is worth spending a day in exploring and taking photos. If your time is limited, you can quickly drive there from Reykjavík.

Laugarvatn is a gem because it is home to fields of cottages under mountains and overlooking stunning lakes. Many of these cottages are available for rent on Airbnb and offer seclusion and coziness. Visit the Laugarvatn Fontana, a collection of thermal baths and saunas overlooking the lake. While this area has less allure than the Blue Lagoon, it’s a perfect escape for whiling away an evening.

Öræfi

Öræfi has hotels conveniently located between Skaftafell National Park– home to incredible waterfalls and natural attractions– and the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon. If you wish to spend time exploring both the park– which is a common attraction– and the glacier, then this is the spot for you. Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, in particular, is a physically demanding and time-consuming experience which is worth both the hours and the energy spent.

As this secluded area is popular for tourists and bus tours, you will want to book your hotel room far in advance. Many hotels also offer a northern lights wake up call. If you request it, the concierge will call you at any time of night to let you know that the lights are visible. Find a room with large windows, and you won’t even need to travel outside.

No matter where you stay in Iceland, you are sure to see something breathtakingly beautiful and have a memorable experience.

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When people think of ideal places to hold a wedding, the Algarve often makes the top of the list, and for a reason. With its miles of beautiful white sandy beaches, awesome food and even more awesome people, no wonder it is so prized as a prime wedding destination. As a matter of fact, there are so many reasons why the Algarve makes for the perfect location for a wedding, it’s hard to know where to start. Here are some of the reasons why the Algarve should be your top pick.

The Weather

One of the most difficult aspects to control when having a wedding abroad, especially if it’s an outdoor wedding, is the weather. Well, the Algarve enjoys over 300 hours of sun every year on average, which gives you about an 80 percent chance that your wedding will be on a sunny day.

Romantic Spots Abound

The Algarve is filled with romantic spots. It’s beautiful beaches, unique caves and coves, ancient castles and solitary lighthouses will give you quasi infinite photo opportunities and possible ceremony locations. With all that romance floating in the air, it is no wonder why so many people choose the Algarve as the perfect place for a proposal.

Tons of Great Affordable Venues

What separates the Algarve from other destinations is the surprising number of low cost high-quality venues. While many popular destinations will gladly gouge prices to take advantage of the influx of people coming in for wedding, you’ll have no issue finding a great venue that suits your needs in the Algarve.

The region truly offers the best of both worlds: a great, exotic and safe destination for you and your guests all at a budget friendly price. And with the number of weddings being held every year in the region, you won’t have issues finding a good wedding planner Algarve if you take the time to do your research.

Lots of Choice

Whether you want to have a religious or civil ceremony, the choices are plenty if you decide to hold your wedding in the Algarve. The bureaucracy makes it easy for expats to get their wedding officiated and the region is filled with beautiful churches as well. There are also tons of great alternative locations to choose from. You could go for a quaint ceremony in a small local villa or a lavish affair at one of the region’s many 5-star resorts if that’s more your speed.

Easy Flights

Flying accommodations play a crucial part when planning a wedding abroad. Since you have to take care of your whole party and make sure that guests will be able to get there easily, a site that offers easy access is a must. Fortunately, the Algarve is easily accessible from pretty much every major city in Europe. With tons of cheap flights, many with flight times of 3 hours or less, your guests should have no issues booking a suitable flight.

The Algarve has tons to offer if you are looking for a cheap, beautiful and romantic spot to tie the knot. So, if you are still on the fence as to which destination to pick, make sure you take a closer look at what the region has to offer before you make your decision.

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If you’re looking for an exotic and eclectic travel destination, then you could do a lot worse than Sri Lanka. This small island nation has been overlooked for decades in favour of more well-known and well-travelled Asian countries (we’re looking at you India and Thailand) and that’s doing it something of a disservice – because whatever it’s more popular cousins can do – Sri Lanka can do it just as good.

In spite of it now being the 21^st century and most destinations of a similar calibre have been frequented by travellers and tourists numerous times, for some reason, Sri Lanka seems to be an island you pass over when journeying somewhere else. Well, this just won’t do, so our friends Agness and Cez over at eTramping have put together what you can expect from this diverse cultural and environmental smorgasbord.

A Brief History and Location

Sri Lanka is known as “the teardrop of India,” so called because of its distinctive shape, off the South East coast of its larger and better-known cousin. Settlements here can be traced back an astonishing 125,000 years, which might go some way in explaining the diversity you’ll find on these shores.

It also indicates that it takes more than a day or two to explore, so it is best to plan for about ten days to enjoy an extensive visit.

Its history has not always been plain sailing though, and a 30-year civil war threatened to tarnish the country for life until it finally came to an end as late as 2009.

British colonialism originally named the country Ceylon, but it’s now clocking up 70 years of independence and flourishing in the wake of a turbulent past.

Famous for…?

As the title suggests, what more could you want apart from beaches, elephants and tea? Sri Lanka is more than famous for all three and a lot more besides. From wildlife to ancient ruins, adventure holidays or scenic, relaxing train journeys – the choice is yours. For such a relatively small island, Sri Lanka caters for every taste and it’s also extremely friendly if you’re on a budget too. So, have your Sri Lanka visa completed before your holiday and get yourself there. But, what should you see and do?

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage

Let’s start with arguably the reason you came here in the first place, to get up close to these gentle giants; except they’re not so giant just yet! The Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage is exactly that, a shelter and rescue centre for ickle baby Heffalumps! Of course, they grow to be big ones too and the centre has a wonderful range of rescued and rehabilitated animals.

Volunteering at elephant sanctuaries is very popular in the country too – but don’t even think about riding them. As we always say – make sure whatever animal experience you’re having is 100% legit. No riding elephants and no lying on drugged up tigers!

Sigiriya 

Located near the cultural hub of Dambulla in the very heart of the country you’ll discover the ancient rock fortress of Sigiriya – which used to be the capital of the country many years ago. Known locally as the eighth wonder of the world, this huge 200-metre-high monolith was formed from an extinct volcano’s magma and contains the ruins of the fortress of King Kassapa. Today you’ll find frescos and graffiti here dating back to the 5^th century, as well as a dizzying climb to the top that isn’t for the faint of heart.

Play Cricket

While volleyball is officially the country’s national sport, cricket is, in fact, it’s most popular. They’re pretty good at it too, winning the World Cup in 1996 and runners-up in 2007 and 2011. Not bad at all considering their size! And there’s nothing locals like doing more than getting involved in a game, so even if you hate watching it – it’s a lot of fun to play on a pristine, sandy beach as the sun goes down!

Tuck In

Our mouths are watering at the very prospect of Sri Lankan food – and you’d be mad not to dive right on into this eclectic and delicious cuisine. From high end eats to incredible street food, this country has got something for every palate. It can be as spicy as you like while also being light and throws in a real hotchpotch of flavours and influences. Expect delicious curry and rice dishes for the most part, with extensive vegan and seafood options too.

Adam’s Peak

A conical mountain stretching up 2,243 metres is one of the most famous and popular attractions in the country, the summit of which is believed to be the Buddha’s own footprint. As you might expect it’s a site of pilgrimage for many believers and non-believers alike, and it affords some breathtaking views from its peak if you have the energy to attempt it.

Tea Plantations

Tea is synonymous with Sri Lanka and Kandy is the region known as the birthplace of Ceylon and a good place to start if you want to see colourful tea pickers almost lost in a carpet of green leaves across the mountainsides. There are plenty of plantations to try your hand at picking your own brew, but The Ceylon Tea Museum will get you on your way.

Beach Life

With 1,340 kilometres (833 miles) of coastline in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka has got some of the best beaches on the planet. Don’t just take our word for it, see for yourself in places like Unawatuna Bentota and Hikkaduwa – all with the kind of sand you see on postcards trying to make you jealous you’re not there.

You can be as energetic or as relaxed as you like here, with locations that cater to party people and world-class surfing, to those looking to read a good book in a quiet beachfront fishing village. And as well as the diverse wildlife inland, whale and dolphin watching is also extremely popular if you haven’t already had your bountiful fill of the natural world on the island.

More! More! More!

We haven’t even begun to describe what else is on offer here, including temple caves, golden Buddhas, stunning national parks to rub shoulders with 35 leopards, romantic and exotic train journeys and not to mention some of the friendliest people you’re ever likely to meet on your travels. There isn’t the time or the space to do it justice, so we’re going to have a cup of tea instead!

Where would you like to visit in Sri Lanka? Let us know your thoughts!

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