Gulivr

08/12/2014

Its Christmas in Shoreditch! Photos Credits: Made in Shoreditch
Location: Shoreditch Townhall, London, the UK
Opening hours: meet santas on the street all the way till 25 December!

08/12/2014

The Chill House House in Toronto is a one-of-a-kind bar. Everything about this place is made out of ice- even the beer glasses! Take advantage of the (long) Canadian winter and check out this cool place!

Activity Name: Hanging out/socializing at a bar made out of ice.
Place: 82 Bathurst St, Toronto, ON M5V 2P3, Canada
Schedule: Friday-Saturday, 12noon - 2am.
Budget: $18.95 CAD for a guest pass.

Photocred: blogto.com, viewthevibe.com, chillicehouse.com

08/12/2014

We love skating during the Canadian winter. Particularly, skating (and sledding) at the Rideau Canal in Ottawa is a beautiful, fun-filled activity that we highly recommend to travelers passing through Canada and born-and-bred Canadians alike!
Interesting fact: The Rideau Canal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the skating rink is 7.8 kilometers long.

Key Facts:
Activity Name: Skating at Rideau Canal
Location: Rideau Canal, Ottawa, K1M 1M4, Canada
Opening Times: Open 24 hours, but most skate rental shops stop renting skates at 8pm, and close by 10pm.
Budget: Free to skate if you bring your own skates. Skate rentals are additional.

Photo and information credits to: http://www.goworldtravel.com, http://www.ottawamuseums.com, http://www.ncc-ccn.gc.ca/places-to-visit/rideau-canal-skateway/things-to-do/skating-rideau-canal

08/12/2014

The holidays is just around the corner, and the team here at Gulivr just cannot wait! In the spirit of sharing, we are hosting an original contest called "I'll be home for Christmas".

In short, we want to hear about your favourite activity in your home town! Please share with us your images in JPEG format to [email protected], and for each image that is selected to be featured on Gulivr, we will send you $5!

For more information, please visit our website: http://gulivr.tumblr.com/

Do you ever get stuck on "what to do next"? Whether it's on a Friday night in your own city, or on a...

06/12/2014

Back up by 2,000 years of history and that there are 198 different varieties, tteok rice cake is definitely a Korean delicacy that is worth learning and treassuring! Whether you are in Seoul for holiday or for business trips or even if you are a local, Tteok Museum is a must to-do in the list! Tteok-making workshop runs every Saturday! Photos Credit: Best of Korea Magazine
Location: Tteok Museum, 72 Donhwamun-ro, Jongno-Gu, Seoul, Korea
Opening hours: check www.tkmuseum.or.kr

05/12/2014

Christ the Redeemer is standing tall and mighty way above the city of Rio de Janeiro...and standing on top of this 98-foot-tall statue is a different ball game altogether! Who dares to take up this challenge?
Location: Christ the Redeemer Statue, Rio de Janeiro, South America

03/12/2014

Do you know that the name "Tokyo" came from "Kyoto"?

03/12/2014

Unique Christmas mood in Marina Garden by the Bay! Now until 31 December and best to see 8 pm onwards when the sky is completely dark!
Location: Marina Garden by the Bay, Singapore
Opening hours: 9 am - 11 pm (but best time to see the lighting is from 8pm onwards!)

30/11/2014

At 1.3-kilometers long, Arrowhead Provincial Park's skating rink is the longest outdoor man-made skating rink in Ontario, Canada.

Schedule: Everyday, 8:30 a.m.to 5 p.m.
Budget: $14 per vehicle to enter the provincial park, skate rentals for $6 (if needed).
Credit: http://barrie.ctvnews.ca/mobile/skating-trail-one-of-best-kept-secrets-in-ontario-for-winter-fun-1.1617752

26/11/2014

We have never thought that Philippines will be an awesome destination for water, sun and beach holiday! Meet Palawan, the most beautiful island in the world! Highlights: island-hopping around the Bacuit archipelago for the cliffs, sinkholes and lagoons, and venturing to Puerto Princesa for its culinary delights!
Location: Palawan, the Philippines
Opening hours: best time to visit is between October - May! (1.5 hours by flight from Manila)

26/11/2014

As much as we enjoy snow, we love a tropical Christmas too! If you live anywhere near Singapore, do drop by! :-D Orchard road is full of stars this year! Also catch on iconic Christmas decorations in front of Forum Shopping Mall (next to Hilton hotel in Orchard Road), Shaw Centre, big white Christmas tree in front of ION Shopping Mall, and reindeers in front of Tanglin Mall (5 min away from Forum Shopping Mall)! See ya around!
Location: Orchard Road, Singapore
Opening hours: best in the evening when the sky has darkened! :-D from now till 31 Dec!

25/11/2014

We love Santa and all the more when we get to experience him and his daily life! Sledding with him....helping him to read letters that he receives from all around the world....and take picture with him as his elves! :-D Pssttt....we overstayed 3 days more because we were too impressed by it!
Location: Santa Claus Village, Napapiiri, 96930 Rovaniemi, Finland
Opening hours: 1 Sept - 30 Nov: 10am - 5pm, 1 Dec - 7 Jan: 9am - 7pm, 8 Jan - 31 May: 10am -5pm, 1 Jun - 31 Aug: 9am - 6pm

25/11/2014

While we can find good mule wine pretty much everywhere across many different Christmas markets, Dresden Striezelmarkt is unique as it serves the very best Christmas stollen (or: Christstollen)! (despite the massive amount they do it!). In fact, Striezelmarkt has its name derived from that very same well-known Dresden Christstollen! And oh! The second best thing about this market is its: Pulsnitz gingerbread!
Location: Dresden Striezelmarkt, Altmarkt, Dresden, Germany
Opening hours: 27 Nov - 24 Dec 2014: 10am - 9pm (exceptional opening hours for 27 Nov: 4pm - 9pm, 12 Dec: 10am - 11pm, 24 Dec: 10am - 2pm)

25/11/2014

Everybody loves The Sound of Music....we too! These are why we think Schloss Mirabell Christkindlmarkt is unique vs. other ones! 1. Giant live-size Advent calendar on cottage windows, 2. Remember the Gazebo scene of The Sound of Music? (It is literally right next to the market!), 3. Yummy Kiachln, the Advent doughnuts! Served pipping hot! Some other people love to have it with cranberry sauce on top but we love it simple! Only with powdered sugar on top! 4. Stalls are done up so well in the shape of real christmas cottages that made us wonder whether we were at a Christmas Market or it as really a Christmas town!
Location: Schloss Mirabell, Salzburg, Austria
Opening hours: 20 Nov - 24 Dec 2014: 10am - 8pm (except for 24 Dec: 10am - 2pm)

24/11/2014

For Christmas last year, we went around Europe to literally experience the best Christmas markets out there! And here is our 1st choice! Located in Strasbourg, Alsace, it is literally the oldest Christmas market in Europe! (Started in 1570), hence called "the Capital of Christmas!" It has 300 stalls across 11 different sites around the city! This year, Strasbourg will host Belgium village as well here! Stay tune this week for more updates on Christmas markets! :-D
Location: Ville de Strasbourg, pl. Benjamin Zix, Temple-Neuf, Meuniers, 67000 Strasbourg, France
Opening hours: 28 Nov: 2pm - 9pm, 29 Nov - 23 Dec: 10am- 8pm, 24 Dec: 10am - 6pm, 25 Dec: 2pm - 6pm, 26 Dec - 30 Dec: 10am - 7pm, 31 Dec: 10am - 6pm

22/11/2014

Yummy authentic Korean food tucked away in a low-key mall in Thornhill.

It's true, Toronto has a fantastic variety of authentic, Asian foods! This restaurant was another find that reinforced this point.

Place: Song Cook's Authentic Korean, http://www.songcooks.com
Budget: $
Opening Time: tbd
Other: no dress code, very comfy environment! There is regular table seating, or mat seating. Fear not, the mat seating is on heated floors- perfect for Canadian weather!

21/11/2014

When we thought that such scenic place can only be found in Maldives, we were surprised to find that it can actually be found much closer to our homes! This is Raja Ampat, located in Papua island, Indonesia!
Location, Raja Ampat, Papua, Indonesia

21/11/2014

Better prepare lots of Dorayaki for this Christmas tree!
Location: One Raffles Place Shopping Mall, Singapore

20/11/2014

Growing up in North America, I knew of music festivals such as Coachella and Lollapalooza, but I had never heard of Rock in Rio (pardon my ignorance!). Last year, I had the opportunity to visit and it was amazing! Rock in Rio is actually one of the biggest music festivals in the world, and includes popular local artists as well as huge international stars. Past performers include Queen, Guns and Roses and Beyonce:). Most importantly, the concert in Rio attracts a ton of people (over 1 million at times!), so it is a great opportunity to part/interact with the local crowd. A not so hidden gem that the rest of the world should get to know!

Budget: Not a budget concert. Beginning at around $100-$200 USD, cost will quickly add up depending on how many days you plan to attend.

Length: Around 2 weeks.

18/11/2014

A very experienced cultural traveller recommended this to us for one long weekend trip and we were totally mesmerized to discover its beauty! And we were shocked when it only cost us SGD 214 for 3 nights for 4 people!
Location: Lee Wine Ruk Thai Resort, Muang District, Mae Hong Song; 35 min flight from Chiang Mai by Kan Air or 6 hours drive from Chiang Mai

17/11/2014

We fell-in-love with this beach even though we are never a big fan of beaches! Why? because it is pretty-in-pink!
Location: Horseshoe Bay Beach, Southampton Parish, Bermuda
Opening hours: best time to visit is March or April (lukewarm water and great price deals)

17/11/2014

The strangest and most surreal landscape that happened because of constant duel between fire and water. Black basalt columns and glacial rivers (shown here spring vs. winter view). and a bonus of Crystal Cave in the winter.
Location: Svartifoss (Black fall) & Svínafellsjökull (Crystal Cave), Vatnajökull National Park, Skaftafell, 785 Öraefi, Iceland
Opening hours: check here for more updated closer to date details! http://www.vatnajokulsthjodgardur.is/english/operation/visitor-centre/skaftafellsstofa/

17/11/2014

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Let's hangout in Changi airport this weekend!
Location: Changi airport Terminal3 (Mickey in Neuschwanstein Castle), Terminal 2 (Mickey and Minnie dressed in Spanish costume), Singapore
Opening hours: all the time till Christmas is over

15/11/2014

20,000 LED roses beautifully illuminate roof garden of Dongdaemun Design Plaza!
Location: Dongdaemun Design Plaza, Seoul, South Korea
Opening hours: installation runs till 30 Nov
Budget: free

10/11/2014

Sapporo Snow Festival 2015
Location: Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan (address in Japanese: Japan, 〒060-0042 北海道札幌市中央区大通西４丁目)
Opening hours: 5 - 11 Feb 2015 (lights lit up till 22:00 everyday)
Budget: free!

10/11/2014

Starving after hours of walking around Prague but to our delight, we stumbled upon this tasty curly fries at the exit.
Location: exit of Prague Castle, Prague
Opening hours: everyday 10 am - 5 pm
Budget: 2 Euros per stick

10/11/2014

Being a fan of Maggie Beer, it delights us to stumble upon her real kitchen where we can taste her expertise in real, while on the way to the desert. What we ordered: ‘Pheasant Farm’ Terrine (Selected Meats and Porcini Mushroom Terrine wrapped in Sour Cream Pastry, Salad Greens with Vino Cotto Vinaigrette and Maggie’s Cabernet Sauce - AUD $20) and Duck, Currant & Muscat Pate Picnic Basket (Pate, Verjuice Steeped Sultanas, Caper berries, Freekeh Salad and Wood Oven Bread - AUD &16). Simply delicious! On top of that, the setting is simply beautiful and oh! We spot terrapins in the lake too!
Location: Maggie Beer, 50 Pheasant Farm Road, Nuriootpa SA 5355 (nearest big city: Adelaide)
Opening hours: everyday, 10.30am – 5pm (Closed Good Friday, Christmas Day, Boxing day and New Year’s Day)
Budget: as above!

10/11/2014

Let's DECK THE HALL with these beautifully hand-decorated Christmas-themed Easter eggs! Its like a dream comes true for me when I stumbled upon this shop full of 150,000 hand-crafted Easter Eggs! Interestingly enough, this shop opens all year round but changes its name every season! So, it will be "The Easter Shop" instead of "The Christmas Shop" every Spring!
Location: The Easter Shop/The Christmas Shop, Judengasse 13, Salzburg, Austria
Opening Hours: all year round
Budget: 2 Euros for a simple egg all the way to 146 Euros for an Ostrich egg with Mozart's portrait on it!