At first, people traveled to discover new destinations. They would pick up a famous city that appeal to them for some reasons, would go there, check some of the touristic attractions of the place, then come back home with photos for friends and colleagues to show off (mainly cultural and status seekers tourists). They just wanted to say I’ve been there: Paris, New York, Tokyo, Rome, Venice… and so on. By exposing themselves to new places, people and cultures, they had a sense of widening their horizons and felt better about themselves. Not a bad thing actually.
Then they began to search for better experiences. More than 60 percent of travelers say they value experiences more than anything else. Thrill-seekers. They would not pick famous touristic attraction but rather uncharted places where they could have the adventure of their life. Climbing mountains, diving into the ocean, isolating themselves on an island or trying local dishes in ethnic restaurants were the top list activities. Adventure and experiential travel, I would say.
The new travel trend is meeting local people and find true inspiring stories of the places they would visit or of the past and present people’s lives. Like going in former communist countries and trying to find some interesting stories to blog about. Or working with local people around their habits, culture and ways of life, as a more enjoyable experience then just wandering about doing nothing.This trend is common especially among travel journalists and bloggers, as they want to come back at their desks with an exciting story to tell.
Thinking about my own reasons to visit Singapore, I chose to be about a mixture of checking some tourist attractions, relaxing on the beach and experiencing some of the great Asian tasty food right in an Asian country. And of course, spending time with my son. I can’t wait to go to the beach – any beach in Singapore – and immerse my feet deep in the warm fine sand, then befriend the wild ocean. In fact, I am so eager to feel the cold ocean water embracing my body that I’m deeply sorry teleportation is still unavailable to us.
I am fascinated by the nature itself. Being in the middle of nature is my escapism from boredom, sadness and the struggle of everyday life in general, I really find comfort in its beautiful warm green grey maroon blue arms.I love the green grass, the trees, the rivers, the streams, the brooks, the sea, the ocean, the fields, the woods … everything.
Siloso Beach of Sentosa Island is not the most spectacular beach of the island but is the closest to the main transport to the island, therefore it came naturally that I first stopped by to walk down its charming promenade. Blessed with raw natural beauty, Siloso Beach is rich in opportunities for any kind of traveler. On the left side, the quiet yet imposing ocean, on the right side a themed selection of pubs, restaurants, shops and clubs. Temptations for both Jungian’s types of personalities, introverts and extroverts. I find myself inclined towards the introverts side, and wonder if really I’m on my way to change my personality, as I was an extrovert until recently. My inclination for solitary activities, philosophy and love for meditation places would rather suggest that. But don’t get me wrong. I’m by no means a deep philosopher, just a common woman with common thoughts and desires.
On the other side, I feel tempted to indulge myself in a hedonic pleasure sipping a rich and smooth aromatic cup of espresso in one of the many cafes on the main road, while observing the crowd strolling down the alleys or the bodies tanned by the equatorial sun. I guess I can have both ways, right?
White is the color of Siloso Beach, the women’s dresses are white, the light sliding over the ocean is white, my thoughts are white, my mood is white. Only the sun is turning red while diving into the ocean.
And then, the floating bridge. Wow, I’ve never seen anything so beautiful…It felt a little dangerous when first start to walk on it, but then I could not have enough of it. Buried memories surfaced while on the bridge: long time ago, while in primary school, I used to cross every day a very narrow wood bridge with no support rails. Only one person could cross at the time. In the morning or afternoon was pretty much ok, but at night, with no lights at all, was a really dangerous adventure to cross the Neajlov river. Maybe that time I started to develop a taste for adventure.
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