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Marina Bay Singapore

April 23, 2016 by David Herd

World’s most expensive building

Marina Bay Singapore

Fullerton Bay Hotel (24)

Marina Bay Singapore is an integrated resort fronting Marina Bay in Singapore. Developed by Las Vegas Sands, it is the world’s most expensive building, at US$ 5.7 billion, including the cost of the prime land.

View from the Ritz Carlton

Marina Bay Singapore

Marina Bay Sands dominates much of the Singapore skyline, this view is from the front door of the Ritz Carlton.

Towards the end of construction

Marina Bay Singapore

One of the world’s most amazing developments in Singapore Asia’s Lion City.

Wonderful photo of Marina Bay

Marina Bay Sands Singapore

My friend Hamish Elton took this from the 70th floor at Equinox restaurant in April 2016. Equinox is rated 48th out of 7,819 by TripAdvisor.

Spectacular at night

Marina Bay Singapore

It’s difficult to decide what is more spectacular, night or day. The Equinox is on the 70th floor of the Swissotell The Stamford. Use this link to book a room and get a huge discount, you will probably pay around $215 usd.

Marina Bay Singapore Resort

Marina Bay Sands Singapore

The magnificent building is absolutely breathtaking.

Marina Bay Singapore Resort

Marina Bay Sands Singapore

Everything about Marina Bay Resort is on a grand scale.

 Marina Bay Singapore Resort from the roof.

Marina Bay Singapore

The view from the roof of Marina Bay Resort.

 From Marina Bay Sands Resort.

Marina Bay Sands Singapore

Singapore’s ever changing skyline.

Visit this magnificent building 

Fullerton Bay Hotel (13)

It really is special.

Marina Bay Singapore at night

Marina Bay Sands Singapore

Always spectacular and breathtaking, many thanks to my lovely friend Benjamina for this & the next photo.

A beautiful building

Marina Bay Sands Singapore

Another colour change to keep us entertained.

Time for a laser show.

Marina Bay Singapore

Many thanks to my friend Hamish Elton for these laser shots.

Is there a better pool anywhere in the world?

Marina Bay Sands Singapore

Wonderful by day and fabulous by night.

Marina Bay Sands rooftop infinity pool, Singapore.

 Thanks for visiting

Marina Bay Singapore

I hope you enjoyed my Marina Bay Singapore photo blog.

 
         
         
 
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For a great room rate at the A-One hotel opposite the beach just book through THIS LINK.               

 

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 That’s all folks

1g Duck

 

 

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Fortaleza Canoa Quebrada Brazil

September 17, 2013 by David Herd

Canoa Quebrada

Fortaleza Canoa Quebrada Brazil

Fortaleza Canoa Quebrada Brazil

Fortaleza  Canoa Quebrada Brazil, we were in a beach buggy to ride along the beautiful long beaches and wander through the amazing coloured sands.  Canoa Quebrada is 164 kilometers from Fortaleza.

Canoa Quebrada

Fortaleza Canoa Quebrada Brazil

The terrain really looks like red rock however it is in fact sand.  

Beach buggy and a long deserted stretch of sand.

Fortaleza Canoa Quebrada Brazil

Getting ready for a trip along the beautiful beach.

Speeding along the sand

Fortaleza Canoa Quebrada Brazil

This was a terrific experience.

Fortaleza Canoa Quebrada Brazil

Fortaleza Canoa Quebrada Brazil

Canoa Quebrada (meaning broken canoe in Portuguese), known as the pearl of the east coast of Ceará, Brazil, is an international tourist beach resort 164 km from Fortaleza, in the municipality of Aracati. This small fishing village, among dunes and cliffs, has good views and is becoming popular with tourists.

Magnificent sand dunes

Fortaleza Canoa Quebrada north Brazil

One of my favourite photos from this mini tour of the coast.

For a great hotel room rate in Brazil just book through THIS LINK.

Fascinating foamy water.

Fortaleza Canoa Quebrada Brazil

Coming from Australia I grew up around some of the best beaches in the world, I have always been interested in the sand & the surf. So you can probably understand why I was keen to photograph the foamy Canoa Quebrada surf.  😎

If you are more interested in bikinis than foam this link is for you.

Canoa Quebrada Church.

Fortaleza Canoa Quebrada Brazil

This city is certainly worth having on your bucket list.

Fortaleza high rise.

Fortaleza Canoa Quebrada Brazil

Fortaleza (Portuguese pronunciation: [foʁtaˈlezɐ], Fortress) is the state capital of Ceará, located in Northeastern Brazil. With a population close to 2.3 million (metropolitan region over 3.4 million), Fortaleza is the 5th largest city in Brazil.  Fortaleza is one of the three leading cities in the Northeast region together with Recife and Salvador. The city will be one of the host cities of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, for which Brazil is the host nation.

Fortaleza Canoa Quebrada Brazil

Fortaleza Canoa Quebrada Brazil

Fortaleza is a good place for single guys, in 2010, the city had 433,942 opposite-sex couples and 1,559 same-sex couples. The population of Fortaleza was 53.2% female and 46.8% male.


Fortaleza main street.

Fortaleza Canoa Quebrada Brazil

I enjoyed visiting Fortaleza however it is not a city I will rush back to.

Lovely Brazilian family in Teresina.

Fortaleza Canoa Quebrada Brazil

One the way to Fortaleza I stopped for a few days in Teresina, the hottest city in Brazil, to visit a friend I met online,  Sueli Oliveira Mesquita and her lovely family.

Sueli Oliveira Mesquita

Fortaleza Canoa Quebrada Brazil

Enen now in 2016 we still stay in touch on Facebook. 

Sueli’s lovely sister Silmarinha

Fortaleza Canoa Quebrada Brazil

Both sisters were very sweet ladies.

David Herd in Teresina Brazil.

Fortaleza Canoa Quebrada Brazil

  Teresina is the capital and most populous municipality in the Brazilian state of Piauí. Being located in North-central Piauí 366 km from the coast, it is the only capital in the Brazilian Northeast that is not located on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. With 814,439 inhabitants, Teresina is the 19th largest city in Brazil, and the 15th largest state capital in the country. Teresina is the hottest city in the country and the third city with the major incidence of lightning in the world.  

For a great hotel room rate in Brazil just book through THIS LINK.

 That’s all for Fortaleza Canoa Quebrada Brazil
 
 
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1g Duck

 

 

 

  Click here for my road trip around northeast Brazil.  

 

Samba dancers in Paraty

 

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White Sands Beach Koh-Chang

September 12, 2013 by David Herd

Welcome to Koh Chang

White Sands Beach Koh-Chang

White Sands Beach Koh-Chang

White Sands Beach Koh-Chang I first visited 10 years ago & I wanted to see whether there were many changes on this lovely island. This jetty is the first thing you see upon arrival, then after a 10 minute hilly drive down the west coast you arrive at White Sands Beach.

It really has not changed much since I was there in 2003.

Ferry was a rust bucket.

White Sands Beach Koh-Chang

The ferry service is very good, 1/2 an hour across the water and only 280 Baht or $9 for our SUV & 2 people. Lots of drinks & snacks on board as well. For those without a vehicle there are busses waiting to take you to your hotel.

White Sands Beach Koh Chang

White Sands Beach Koh Chang

In many ways Koh Chang reminds me of Koh Samui 15 years ago. I used to love Koh Samui in the 90’s but the more it developed the more the attraction faded. That is until I returned in 2015 and found Chaweng had much more to offer with restaurants, bars & shopping centres.

Pool at the Kacha Resort.

White Sands Beach Koh-Chang

 The Kacha Resort was a great place to stay, close to lots of restaurants and bars and probably one of the best hotel rooms I have ever stayed in. This time I lived up to my name, the Five Star Vagabond. Here is a short video showing some details of this terrific hotel.

Use THIS LINK for a great room rate.

Kacha Resort

White Sands Beach Koh-Chang

A great location on the beach & near lots of restaurants & shops.

Nice pool

White Sands Beach Koh-Chang

Pool or beach, decisions decisions. 🙂

A cold Singha beer hits the spot.

White Sands Beach Koh Chang

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Banpu Resort, White Sands Beach.

White Sands Beach Koh-Chang

A more conventional Thai resort which is right ext door to Kacha.

Nong Bug restaurant.

White Sands Beach Koh-Chang

 

 

This Thai seafood restaurant with the great name was the busiest in White Sands Beach by a long way. To us that meant the food was fresh because of the turnover. The price was low and the food excellent.

Street market White Sands Beach.

White Sands Beach Koh Chang

All the usual stuff is on sale at the street markets, a sexy ladies bikini can be bought for 250 Baht or $8. Naturally you are expected to haggle.

Genuine reproductions here.

e7286cc0-2501-4866-8f0b-d54c4c6e887d

There are many art shops in Thailand where you can have your favourite painting copied for a very low cost, want a Picasso? Well this guy will paint you one.  😳

Happy beach vendors.

White Sands Beach Koh Chang

 The beach vendors here are a happy bunch, lots of bracelets, and goodies for 50 to 100 Baht.

Amari Emerald Cove hotel Koh Chang.

White Sands Beach Koh Chang

 The Amari Hotel Emerald Cove is quite an amazing property, absolute luxury. It is on the beach and has the biggest swimming pool I have ever seen in a hotel. If you want to spoil yourself this could be the place for you.

La Dolce Vita.

dd4f2d6d-48e0-4ed9-bb46-d37ec38ee16b

La Dolce Vita is a very good Italian restaurant in White Sands Beach, the staff are friendly and the food is good. The owner hails from Milan and knows how to make a very good pizza.

Caught up with the owner

White Sands Beach Koh-Chang

A happy Italian who serves up good food.

Beautiful Coconut Beach.

White Sands Beach Koh-Chang

Just 6 kms south of White Sands Beach is Coconut Beach, a beautiful almost deserted stretch of white sand where the water is clean and calm. A number of resorts are here for those who prefer a quieter more peaceful environment. The Coconut Beach Resort is one worth considering.

Coconut Beach Resort.

White Sands Beach Koh-Chang

Much quieter than White Sands Beach, and a much nicer stretch of sand, I imagine it would be an ideal honeymoon destination.

Koh Chang sunset.

White Sands Beach Koh-Chang

Koh Chang is famous for beautiful sunsets, I never get tired of watching the sun set in the west. My next Thai island adventure will probably be a return to Koh Samui.

In fact I went back to Koh Samui in June 2016, & was pleased to see it has improved out of sight.

Pothole is happy

White Sands Beach Koh Chang

Pothole aka John Martin loves Thai ladies & orange clothes. 🙂 He is with Tom & Annie from the Double Lucky bar.

Motorbike taxi

White Sands Beach Koh-Chang

I gave this nice lady 100 Baht to drive me 500 meters to the hotel before the rain, a small price to pay to stay dry.

Farewell to Annie & her friend.

White Sands Beach Koh-Chang

A nice friendly island.

Fun with the elephants

White Sands Beach Koh Chang

Here is my friend Hamish Elton having fun with the elephants.

This is lovely Nitt

                   White Sands Beach Koh Chang

 The gorgeous Thai girl is Nitt from Khon Kaen, Hamish of course is known is Thailand as the king of selfies. 🙂

White Sands Beach Koh Chang

White Sands Beach Koh-Chang

About a 40 minute cruise from the mainland.

Thanks for visiting my White Sands Beach Koh-Chang photo blog. 

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 That’s all folks

1g Duck

Well folks, many thanks for visiting my White Sands Beach Koh Chang photo blog, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed being here.

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Click here to see one of my popular Thailand posts.

 

If you like to play golf click here.

 

Pattaya is only a 4 hour drive away

 

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