Time to say goodbye to 2010…
and thank you all for visiting here:)
However…its time to for me so say goodbye to this blog as well..
If u still need to talk to me, you can find me here: http://www.facebook.com/bbryanwong
Maybe one day i will be back here…
or maybe not..
But a New year brings forth a new change…
and change…is good.
Many have asked me about the itenary of the Spain trip and so, i got it right here for you guys or, to have it with some pictures, click on the two highlighted texts:)
10D Glory of Spain with Bryan Wong (Eng)
10D Glory of Spain with Bryan Wong (Chi)
10Special Departure Date : 21 Nov 2010
Tour code : BCN-002AG
Barcelona • Valencia • Guadix Granada • Seville • Cordoba • Madrid
• Be astounded by the world-renowned Barcelona Sagrada Familia, including entrance to the cathedral
• Must-see Barcelona sights such as Parc Guell, the Gothic Quarter, Las Ramblas and modernist Paseo de Gracia, the site of the 1992 Olympics
• Get a glimpse of the famous castle and charming white-walled cottages of Peniscola
• Visit Valencia Town Hall with a photograph opportunity at Bull Ring • Take in the gorgeous sights of the unique Alhambra Palace and
Generalife Garden, also known as the Royal Summer Residence • Hop on a city orientation of the famous 2,000-year-old bridge in
Cordoba, with a visit to Mezquita • Be wowed by the magnificent architecture in Madrid • Take part in mock baby bull-teasing, enjoy a horse performance &
taste the local famous “Veneciadors” sherry wine
DAY 01 SINGAPORE / BARCELONA (Meals on Board) Assemble at Singapore Changi Airport for your flight to Barcelona. Flight Details Air France : 21 Nov SIN/CDG AF257 2330/0610+1 CDG/BCN AF1148 0740/0920 Singapore Airlines : 21 Nov SIN/BCN SQ378 2345/0840+1
DAY 02 BARCELONA (Breakfast on Board/Lunch/Western Dinner) Upon arrival, hop on a guided tour of the city. Drive along the Eixample district to admire Gaudi’s unfinished creation, the masterpiece of Sagrada Familia Cathedral and awe-inspiring Parc Guell. Drive past the Plaza de Cataluna, historic buildings along Paseo de Gracia, and the 1992 Olympic Games site. The city tour will end at the famous Ramblas, with open-air markets, cafes and many shopping malls.
DAY 03 BARCELONA ~ PENISCOLA ~ VALENCIA (Breakfast/Seafood Paella Dinner) After breakfast, head south to Peniscola to view the white-walled cottages clustered around the sea-lapped castle seen in the film ‘El Cid’. Thereafter, continue to Valencia, the third largest city in Spain. The city contains a dense monument heritage such as Llotja de la Seda, a world heritage site since 1996. Valencia is also a city of arts and sciences, an avant-garde and futuristic museum complex. It is here where the traditional dish, Seafood Paella originated from and you will be treated to this local specialty during dinner.
DAY 04 VALENCIA ~ GUADIX ~ GRANADA (Breakfast/Western Dinner) This morning, visit sites such as the Town Hall, Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias and photograph the exterior of the Bull Ring. Thereafter, leave for Costa Blanca, passing through the palm tree forest and the fertile regions in Murcia. Continue on the drive along the scenic Sierra Nevada with superb mountain views at most sides. Your day ends at the glorious Granada.
DAY 05 GRANADA ~ SEVILLE (Breakfast/Tapas Lunch/Dinner) Head to Alhambra, a fantasy Palace and fortress constructed during the mid 14th century by the Moorish. Visit the exotic water gardens of the Generalife, also known as the Royal Summer Residence. Pass by beautiful villages and flower fields on the way to Seville, the capital of Andalucia. Stay two nights here at this cultural, artistic and financial hub of Southern Spain with some free time for you to explore this charming city.
DAY 06 SEVILLE (Breakfast/Dinner) Begin your day with a mesmerizing tour to Giralda and Bell Tower. The sightseeing will also take you through Seville to see the pools and fountains of Maria Luisa Park and Christopher Columbus’ tomb, which lies in the magnificent gothic cathedral. Walk through the Jewish quarter, Santa Cruz district and you can experience an authentic Passion Spanish Flamenco Show tonight at an optional cost.
DAY 07 SEVILLE ~ CORDOBA ~ MADRID (Breakfast/Western Dinner) Depart this morning to Cordoba to visit the Mosque of the Caliphs and learn the Moorish history of the region. See the famous 2,000-year- old bridge, followed by the stunning Mezquita, an 8th century mosque with a Christian church built within it. Pass the Sierra Morena and cross the plains of La Mancha to Madrid.
DAY 08 MADRID (Breakfast/Gala Dinner & Performance) Today, visit the Royal Palace (or Prado Museum if the palace is closed for ongoing ceremonies), Cervantes Memorial in the Plaza de Espana, the Puerta del Sol, the gorgeous Plaza Mayor and Cibeles Fountain. Come late morning, choose to join an optional excursion to Toledo, the old capital of Spain, which includes a guided tour of Synagogue, the church of Santo Tome and a local steel workshop. In the afternoon, take a short drive to take part in a mock baby bull-fighting session with guidance. Enjoy a horse performance, go on a guided tour and taste “Veneciadors” sherry wine. Wrap up the night with an authentic Spanish Gala Dinner and a fabulous time.
DAY 09 MADRID ~ SINGAPORE (Breakfast)
If time permits, you can do some last-minute shopping before you transfer to the airport for your flight home. Flight details : 29 Nov MAD/CDG AF1901 1930/2135, CDG/SIN AF256
2325/1845, arrive SIN on 30 Nov
DAY 10 ARRIVE IN SINGAPORE
PASSENGERS ON SINGAPORE AIRLINES (11D8N) DAY 1 – 8 same as above
DAY 09 MADRID ~ BARCELONA (Breakfast) Experience the high-speed bullet train from Madrid to Barcelona. Save up to 6 hours and convert the travelling time to satisfy your shopping desire. Famous Spanish brands such as Loewe, Desigual, Zara, Pull & Bear, Mango, Berskha and more are widely available.
DAY 10 BARCELONA ~ SINGAPORE (Breakfast)
Transfer to the airport in the morning for your flight home. Flight details : 30 Nov BCN/SIN SQ377 1000/0735+1, arrive SIN on 01 Dec
DAY 11 ARRIVE IN SINGAPORE
Note : Itinerary / Sequence is (are) subject to changes(s) with / without prior notice
480 Lorong 6 Toa Payoh #20-01 HDB Hub East Wing Singapore 310480 Tel: (65) 6252 6822 Fax: (65) 6251 7688 Email: UOBTP-Leisure@UOBgroup.com
Many have asked what happened to me..why is it that i stopped leaving my thoughts or experiences here.. Frankly, i don’t really know..perhaps its mental block that results in just mental blog:)
Any way, just to share that i am gonna have a real packed September..Just got back from a trip to Malaysia with the Five Stars tour and we stayed in a really cool new resort in Sepang Gold Coast and its called the Golden Palm.. The Rooms are really nice and the fact that from an aerial view the whole compound is in a palm shape and all the dwellings are on stilts above the water makes it really alluring:)
This is the two bedroom villa and this is the masterbedroom with the canopy and it looks out to a balcony which opens out to the sea..
And this is the study room, which could be transformed into an additional room…
Below we see the living room..done in tropical style..
A lovely sunken bath in the master room…
The second bedroom..
And of course, happy me:)
For the coming week, i shall be busy with the show “Behind Every Job” and a fortnight later, i shall be off to SuZhou to host a Variety show like wat i have done last year and then, when i am back, i shall depart for Kuala Lumpur to host the very first Golden Awards of Malaysia TV(that i am very excited about and will probably share in detail afetr the show:)).And then, on the very last day of this month i shall fly off to Spain to film New City Beat..What a september its going to be..Off to Malaysia,China and Spain..jetsetting around the globe:)
Many have asked me about when my next tour leading session is going to be and so, just to let u guys know that it will be on the 21st of November to SPAIN!
For more details, check this out:) http://www2.uobgroup.com/uobtravel/deals/experience/star_studded.html
http://www2.uobgroup.com/uobtravel/assets/pdfs/deals/bryanwong_spain_e.pdf
I remembered vividly , just a couple of days after Boxing Day year 2004, i was part of a medical volunteer team to lend a helping hand to those in need after the tsunami hit Sri Lanka..
Years later, i am back there, doing a travel segment of New Citybeat…Interestingly, the camerman who went on this trip was the same one that went along with me yrs ago..speaking of coincidences:) i guess..we were in a way, rewarded for our work years ago..and given the chance to see the beauty of Sri lanka in its natural form…
As this was a really short trip, we covered only GAlle and Columbo and here are some pics before u watch it on the tele:)
Arriving at the heart of the city of colombo, kym and i were treated to a spectacle of interesting buildings that were left behind by the Dutch and the English..It is a city bustling with life with a tinge of nostalgia..
We took the coastal drive and arrived in Galle, where we stayed in this beautiful hotel Jetwing Lighthouse which has simply breathtaking views..Interestingly, on my last mission here, they held a thank you tea reception at this very hotel for us and i remembered telling myself that one day, i will come back and stay here and amazingly..here i am:)
The waters , the Indian Ocean,at this part is not for swimming..but, we couldn’t resist the idea of a shot..can we?
Nestled at a corner of the hotel is their spa..and we definitely have to showcase massage unique to this region..
Most of the time, when i have a massage, it would be hands that are kneading the knots at my shoulders or some other aching parts of my body but, this time round..hmm…the masseur stepped all over…
One of the highlights of Galle would be the Dutch fort, a UNESCO heritage site that showcases the early settlements…
Our team went on to another fishing village Negombo, where due to the rain that went on for that week, there are no fresh catch for us to see but,
we get to see how the salted fishes are made..
Its a really short trip and we were commuting long hrs each day..i really had a superb time as the team were really nice
and it is a real pleasure to go on a trip with kym..
its been many yrs since we last filmed together in Hong kong..which would be during the original City beat era..
how time flies…but somehow, amist all the changes that is on going ,
its heartening to know that some of us…
remains the same.
The second season of new City Beat has got some changes..First and foremost, change of casts..Adrian is off to pangdemonium(all the best!) and Gurmit off to his 1 month hiatus in Italy(WOW!) and Yifong coming in as the new host..Secondly, instead of an hour long programme, it is now a half hr slot:) Thirdly, expanding areas of coverage with the new item of travel destinations:)(Yipeeee) and that brought me to Club Med Bali:)
This trip boasts quite a lot of {first time} for me:) This is the first time that i visit Club med..A decade long revisit to Bali…The first time hosting with Dasmond Koh( guest appearance in this segment)..first time going to sleep three nights in a row in a semi drunken state..and the list goes on for quite a fair bit..
And now to Club Med..hmm…my knowledge of this establishment mainly stems from reading off magazines and papers..knowing of their endless streams of activities and their GO’s enthusiasm..Being whom i am, naturally i will shy away from all these ooh la lassss and much prefer a resort that is quiet where everyone mind their own business.. However, this trip proved me wrong because i actually had a ball of a time! First of all, u pay a flat rate ,somewhere between $900-$1200, and that includes the airfare,the accomodation,all the meals you need and all the drinks you can possibly consume..and the activities here are quite well thought out..lead by the GM Stephan Noublanche,a charismatic french man who knew all about entertainment,his team left a wonderful impression on all of us:)
Needless to say, the facilities here are really comprehensive..You will probably find almost all the sporting activities that you desire..the sun over here is scorching hot, giving me a real super tan that i so desired,even throwing in two days of sun burnt discomfort..but, hey, me not complaining though, to have that sun kissed look, you just have to stomach in just a wee bit of discomfort:)
Most of the time, i play the role of the entertainer..this time round, i entertain you guys on the tele with the club entertaining me:) kudos to the wonderful team for making such a beautiful effort to make everyone feel welcomed and most often than not,bring a smile onto all our faces:) To sum it all up, the club, the sand,the sea,the sky and the people..it makes you go CLUBing like MED!
My dear friends,
Its been days since my last win at the recent awards..hope that all of you heard my sincere thank you speech on the tele.. was given 90 seconds,starting count from the moment my name was being called, to deliver my word of thanks and i hope that it, however brief,was able to let you guys know how much i appreciated your support over the years. Looking back, i remembered the earlier times when i got the award..how jubilant i was..so hyped up that i could hardly trust myself to speak..almost incoherent and bursting with pride:) But as years passed, i realised that this award is not solely by me and about me..it is an invaluable appreciation that was bestowed upon me by you guys and for that..i have to be..calm..collected …and in the simplest form possible..to let you know what your kind support meant to me. some have came forward and ask me why i seemed so ..well…not as wildly happy or jumping in glee..i guess, like all you you..we have all grown and mellowed:)
Its been almost a month or more that i seemed to have disappeared from the tele..besides the repeat telecast of Destination Most Wanted on sat 1830hrs on Ch U..Presently i am working on the..erm..3rd season of the citispa programme and just started on the second season of New City Beat, with kym and yifong.Interestingly, this new season has got a new item in it that will bring us overseas to feature some places that we could go enjoy ourselves:) in fact, this coming tuesday, i will be heading off to Bali:)
Just in case i don update here too often, you can find me on fb bryan wong 王禄江, http://www.facebook.com/bbryanwong which i might give you slight info of wat i am up to:)
walk with me…
bryan:)
