Stepping Away from the Skyscrapers in Singapore

As Southeast Asia’s most Westernised nation, with a Chinese, Malay, Indian and expat population, ‘bland’ is perhaps the last word you would associate with Singapore, yet it cropped up several times in my trip planning research. Surely there were places to visit in Singapore, an an international island with an historically diverse culture and community, that had some excitement to offer?

Island Hopping in Italy’s Aeolian Islands

We paused our three-week boat trip around Sicily to visit other islands, the Aeolian Islands. Named after the Greek wind god Aeolus, these seven islands are just a short ferry ride from the northeastern tip of Sicily. Sprinkled like glitter in the Tyrrhenian Sea forming a Y-shaped cluster, these islands, also known as the Lipari Islands, are all a result of volcanic activity and are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.