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Travel Expenses: Greece
First foray to Europe, and was pleasantly surprised that I did not go over budget! Of course, the airfare was expensive, and the visa application also cost me a couple of thousand of pesos (I did not include them in this list of expenses), but the overall expenses during the trip was lower than expected.…
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Snapshot: Mykonos
I love Mykonos. No fancy words, no flowery sentences. I love this place. I didn’t really have any expectations for the place. It was Chris who added it to our itinerary, and apart from knowing it’s one of the most visited islands in Greece, I know nothing about Mykonos. After nearly three hours at sea,…
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Snapshot: Santorini
“Why would you go with him, he’s gay,” said one of the touts that met us when we docked into Santorini’s port. Suddenly, I was reminded of our time in Fez, where touts and scams followed us in the medina. Santorini, for us, did not give a good first impression. The white buildings and blue…
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Snapshot: Heraklion
Heraklion was a bit of a letdown. After the beauty of Chania’s old town, and the breath taking views of the sea we saw during the nearly three-hour long bus ride, we were underwhelmed by Heraklion. Iraklio, as it is sometimes spelled, is the main reason why we’re in Greece in the first place. The…
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Snapshot: Chania
When people talk of Greece, Chania is hardly ever mentioned. People talk about Athens, Mykonos, and Santorini, but never this small town with a beautiful harbor. We wouldn’t have known about Chania, if it were’t for our original travel plans that included a short trip in Rome for some tennis. I don’t want to backtrack…
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Snapshot: Athens
When I was reading up on Greece prior to our trip, I came across some comments that dismissed Athens as a dirty, chaotic city that’s overrated and only serves as a gateway to the Greek islands. I don’t know where they stayed or what happened to them in Athens, but our experience so far has…
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Finding tranquility in Shangri-La Hotel, Guangzhou
Guangzhou, I find, is just like any booming city — busy, fast-paced, and teeming with people. Though I like the comforts of city living, I do enjoy discovering little pockets of tranquil space where you can relax, recharge, and get ready to delve back into the chaos. The lobby of Shangri-La Hotel, Guangzhou Shangri-La Hotel…
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Living the high life at Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong
Shangri-La Hotels has always been about luxury. Despite knowing that and after two previous stays in Singapore and Sydney, I was bowled over when I found out just how luxurious staying at the Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong can be. Yay for paperless check-in! The experience starts at check-in. I arrived at the hotel just past…
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