Denmark – Page 2 – The Wknd Travel

Flight Report: SINGAPORE AIRLINES SQ 351 – Copenhagen to Singapore – Cozy & Enjoyable 12-Hour Window Seat Economy Class Flight Back to Asia

After 2.5 weeks of going solo around the Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic & Denmark, it is time to fly home. I flew out of Denmark from Copenhagen Airport to Singapore’s Changi Airport onboard Singapore Airlines. Today’s feature will be about this enjoyable Singapore Airlines SQ 351 flight from Copenhagen to Singapore on its Airbus A350-900 new generation aircraft. Find out everything about the airline’s ground & in-flight service, the aircraft used & flight information on this newest flight report.

In case you missed it, I also flew with Singapore Airlines from the Philippines to Europe in October 2019. I flew with their new-generation Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner on my 3-hour flight from Manila to Singapore & took another 13-hour flight from Singapore to Amsterdam, Netherlands onboard their newest (that time) Airbus A350-900 aircraft. Check out those 2 flight reports to know more about those excellent flights.

For sure by now you’re aware that I went solo around 4 countries in Europe late last year. I spent the first few days in the Netherlands, around Amsterdam, Utrecht & North Holland. I went down to Belgium & explored the cities of Brussels, Bruges & Ghent. A few days after, I flew to Czech Republic. I had the craziest nights around Prague & the quietest days around the beautiful towns of Kutná Hora & Český Krumlov. I finished my European journey in Denmark – around Copenhagen, living like a Dane & meeting up with a friend. This solo trip is my best yet & I cannot wait to go back there after all these world happenings. I posted a lot about this trip to Europe, check them out under the Going Solo in Europe category. Now, let’s go back to the flight report!

Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines is Singapore’s national carrier. The airline is based in the world’s best airport, Changi Airport in Singapore. This multi-awarded 5-star airline flies to over 60 destinations in more than 30 countries across 5 continents. They are one of the leading carriers in the Southeast Asian Region with the help of their subsidiaries – Silk Air (which operates to some regional destinations) & Scoot (which operates on a low-cost business model). The airline flies both Airbus & Boeing jets & boasts a young fleet of new generation aircraft.

Singapore Airlines is a full-service carrier. They offer free 30-kilogram check-in baggage allowance, in-flight meals & have personal entertainment screens in all of their flights. Please note that their subsidiaries, Silk Air & Scoot, do not offer the same services as the mother airline. The airline is a member of the Star Alliance & has a loyalty program called Krisflyer.

Airfare & Inclusions

As mentioned in my first Singapore Airlines flight report, I got this return ticket to Europe from Singapore Airlines & Bank of the Philippine Islands credit card promotion. The return economy class ticket from Manila to Amsterdam (via Singapore) & from Copenhagen to Manila (via Singapore) cost me $719.23. My credit card charged me ₱37,669.40 including conversion charges.

The ticket includes 30-kilograms check-in baggage allowance in all sectors. It also provides access to complimentary in-flight meals & snacks (drinks & liquor included) & a personal entertainment screen in front of every seat. Add to that the airline’s excellent service & hospitality. Not bad for a 5-star carrier, right?

Flight & Aircraft Information

This flight from Copenhagen, Denmark (CPH) to Singapore (SIN) took 12 hours & 24 minutes. It flew 10,713 kilometres non-stop from Denmark to Singapore. We left Copenhagen on-time & arrived Singapore 24 minutes late. We had a delay because we had a last-minute route change causing extra flight time.

Singapore Airlines used a 3.5-year old Airbus A350-900 for this long-haul flight. The aircraft was delivered to the airline in late 2016. The plane has 253 seats across 3 classes – 42 business class lie-flat seats on 1-2-1 layout, 24 premium economy class seats on a 2-4-2 seat configuration & 187 economy class seats on a 3-3-3 layout. This flight used the same aircraft type (not exactly the same body) I flew with on my Singapore to Amsterdam SQ flight.

Airport & Ground Experience

Singapore Airlines flies out of Copenhagen Airport Terminal 2. Their check-in desks are found on counters 88-94, near the escalator up to security check. The counters are sorted according to class – economy class, premium economy class & business class plus an additional lane for those who checked-in online.

This is Singapore Airlines’ check-in area in Copenhagen Airport Terminal 2. Not busy, no queues.

The airline offers online check-in 48 hours into the flight. Passengers who use this option can choose regular seats at no extra charge. I checked-in before the flight & chose window seat 53A. I normally prefer aisle seats for long-haul flights like this but there were no aisle seats during my check in. I didn’t want to end up in the middle seat so I opted for the window one. Check-in process didn’t take long. The guy on the counter was friendly & accommodating. I checked in for both Copenhagen-Singapore & Singapore-Manila flights. I left my heavy luggage in Copenhagen & picked it up in Manila Airport upon arrival.

Copenhagen Airport has a very efficient airport security screening process. I finished the whole security check in less than 5 minutes. There was also no queue in immigration. It didn’t take long for me to clear the border control. My flight’s assigned gate was gate C37 – one of the farthest gates of the airport. It took me around 10 minutes to reach the gate. I also saw an Emirates Airbus A380 arrive & park near our gate.

Singapore Airlines boards its passenger by class. Business class passengers & Krisflyer & Star Alliance status holders boarded first, followed by premium economy class passengers. Economy class passengers boarded the plane last – those seated at the rear part of the aircraft went in first, followed by us in the middle rear part of the aircraft. Forward economy class passengers boarded the plane last. The boarding process took less than 30 minutes.

In-Flight Product

Singapore Airlines is known for its quality in-flight product. Check out what this flight offered to its passengers.

Seat – Singapore Airlines’ economy class seat on the Airbus A350-900 has a pitch of 32 inches & width of 18 inches. Seat recline is generous enough. Each seat has an adjustable headrest & a foldable footrest. Leg room is adequate for an average person like me. All seats feature a touch-screen personal entertainment screens with remote. Seats also had USB & power outlets & many seat pockets in front of the passenger. Seats also have a foldable table with the signature mirror. It also features a coat hook & a separate cup holder. Seats are comfortable to sleep especially for this long-haul flight.

Meals – The airline gave 2 full meals for this flight with unlimited snack & drink options in between. The started the meal service with the menu & a hot towel for all economy class passengers. They gave out crackers & drink of choice while the main meal is being prepared. They gave out lunch about 1.5 hours into the flight. The crew offered snacks & drinks almost every hour. 2 hours before landing in Singapore, they served breakfast for everyone. The meal servings were just right but they tasted great.

I got the sweet & sour pork with rice & vegetables option for lunch. What a complete meal by SQ!

Had raspberry ice cream for dessert. It was really good. I’m happy to see SQ use metal cutlery! 🙂

In-Flight Entertainment – All seats in this Airbus A350-900 have decently sized personal entertainment screens. The system had a separate remote control but its touch-screen feature responded very well. Krisworld, Singapore Airlines’ entertainment system, offered over 100 recent movie choices & television series to watch on this 12.5-hour flight. It also had over 800 music albums to listen to. I didn’t get bored on this flight like I usually do on other ones.

Flight Amenities – Singapore Airlines offered a long list of amenities & features in this flight. All seats had earphones, newly cleaned pillows & warm blankets upon boarding. The crew gave out menu to all passengers & offered hot towel to all passengers. Passengers can personalize an amenity kit (from those available in the menu) & ask it from the crew. The lavatories had complete amenities – dental kit, moisturizer, mouthwash, hand soap & tissue. It was also spot clean throughout the flight.

Passengers can ask for amenities such as eye shades, earplugs, comb & a small kit from the crew.

This particular SQ flight from Copenhagen to Singapore offered a complimentary 30 MB internet chat access to all its premium economy & economy class passengers. The free data allocation was valid for 2 hours after log-in. This promotion / offer was only available for a limited period last November 2019.

All premium economy & economy class passengers on this flight got a free 30MB internet session.

Cabin Crew Service

Like my previous Singapore Airlines flights from Manila to Singapore & Singapore to Amsterdam, cabin crew service on this 12.5-hour flight from Copenhagen to Singapore was outstanding. The crew welcomed all guests with their warmest greetings & smiles. They checked on everyone before take off & landing. The set of crews on this flight was friendly, nice & hospitable.

This is my favorite drink on every Singapore Airlines flight – their signature Singapore Sling! 🙂

The crew made sure passengers don’t get hungry & dehydrated throughout the flight. They served snacks & drinks between meals. They gave out chocolate biscuits midway through the flight. Water service runs almost every hour. They granted by request of crackers & Singapore sling about 7 hours into the flight. They even gave me a glass of water with it – even if I didn’t ask for it. Cabin crew service was top-notch!

Verdict

It was another enjoyable flight with Singapore Airlines. I never thought I’ll enjoy this 12.5-hour flight from an economy class window seat! Let’s start with my airport experience. Check-in process, security check & immigration queue didn’t take long. If I remember it correctly, I arrived in the airport 2 hours before the flight & made it to the gate (after long minutes of walking) after 45 minutes. Copenhagen Airport has a very efficient passenger flow system.

Seating at 53A gave me amazing views of the A350’s wing & winglet. The windows were huge; it gave me beautiful views of the clouds & sunset somewhere in the Middle East. I sat beside a friendly & nice Danish couple who were on a holiday. The seat was pitch was just right. It was also comfortable to seat in for a 12.5-hour flight. The footrest & adjustable headrests helped me have a good sleep during the flight. I particularly liked the separate cup holder & the small mirror found in the foldable tray table. It was a simple but nice touch from Singapore Airlines. The entertainment system was alright – not the best in the market but it had decent movie, series & music choices. The earphones were so-so.

Food portions & service were excellent. It started with a hot towel, crackers & drink of choice – I went for red wine. I chose the sweet & sour pork with rice & vegetables option for lunch. It came with salmon salad, bread roll with butter & cheese with crackers. It also came with a delicious raspberry ice cream & a drink of choice. I got full up to the point where I only had crackers, chocolate & Singapore sling for snack. For breakfast, I went for the stir-fried noodles with prawn, chicken & vegetables served with fruit bowl, bread roll with butter & fruit-flavored yogurt. It came with a glass of water & orange juice. Oh, we used metal cutlery & reusable food containers for both meals. Overall, these are pretty nice meals by Singapore Airlines.

Went for the stir-fried noodles with prawns option for breakfast. I really liked the yogurt here! 🙂

The lavatory was clean & well-maintained. It had enough amenities throughout the flight. The free 30MB internet allocation was a plus! Connection was fast even if we were above the clouds. I used it to connect with my family & friends back home & those I met in Europe. Two things I didn’t like about the flight were the following: Too much use of plastic & lack of individual air vents per seat. The flight used a lot of plastic throughout the flight, from blanket covers, to cutlery covers & plastic cups. I hope they reduce the use of plastic in the future. The seats didn’t have individual air vents. It’s always a struggle for people who easily sweat like me. Good thing I already removed my jacket before seating down & only wore a shirt throughout the flight.

The flight’s highlight was the cabin crew service. The crew on this flight were passenger-friendly, accommodating & outstanding. They truly cared for the passengers & I felt it. Thank you, Singapore Airlines for another amazing flight with you; thank you for making this 12.5-hour flight enjoyable. Will I fly Singapore Airlines again in the future? Definitely. I was supposed to fly with them to Melbourne & from Brisbane last April but I didn’t push through because of the risks of Covid-19. I still look forward to flying with them once the pandemic is over.

Here are some details of this flight I took with Singapore Airlines:

Airline: Singapore Airlines
Flight Date: 9 November 2019
Flight Number: SQ 351
Route: Copenhagen (CPH) Denmark to Singapore (SIN)
Duration: 12:24 hours
Seat Number: 53A
Aircraft: Airbus A350-941
Aircraft Registration: 9V-SMH
Aircraft Engine: 2 x Rolls-Royce Trent XWB
Age: 3.5 years old
Year Delivered: 2016

It was another excellent flight with Singapore Airlines. I never thought I’ll enjoy that long-haul flight from a window seat. Have you flown with Singapore Airlines on their long-haul sector? How was your experience? Share your experiences in the comments section below. Do you have any questions about this flight or the airline in general? Feel free to shoot me an e-mail with those questions to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

Stay up-to-date with all my recent posts & blogs by following my social media pages – Facebook & Instagram. Thank you for joining me in today’s flight report. Don’t forget to check out my posts under the Going Solo in Europe category. Thanks again & please stay safe.

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

Going Solo In Europe: COPENHAGEN – Walking Around Denmark’s Wonderful Capital City

Day 14 of 19 – I arrived in Copenhagen, Denmark from Czech Republic. After spending days around Amsterdam, Brussels & Prague, I am in Copenhagen – the last stop of this memorable 19-day solo trip around Europe. I had bittersweet feelings landing in this beautiful Scandinavian capital. It’s another country to add to my list; the first Scandinavian country I’ve been to. It’s one of the happiest countries in the world with one of the happiest citizens. I’ve heard great things about this city & country. It is also the last of 4 countries in this Europe trip of a lifetime.

Hello from Rosenborg Castle Grounds!! One of the very few photos of me (in it) in Copenhagen.. 🇩🇰

You might ask why am I chose Copenhagen of all places to be the last stop of this trip. First, it was the cheapest way out of Europe when I booked my ticket with Singapore Airlines. Second, I took this chance to personally meet Mads, a Danish good friend of mine I virtually met during my HTC fanboy days with Elevate. Mads is based in Aalborg, Denmark’s fourth biggest city, but flew in to Copenhagen to meet & take me around Copenhagen. We had nothing but great times walking around the city & me being like a local for 2 full days. To Mads, thank you!

My stay in Denmark was not as busy & eventful as my stays in the Netherlands, Belgium & Czech Republic. I didn’t go outside of Copenhagen & decided to just relax & walk around the city. It was the last few days of my trip so it was the perfect time to slow down, live like a local & enjoy the remaining time in Europe. Join me as I share with you below details about my last few days in Copenhagen.

Copenhagen

Copenhagen is the capital of Scandinavian country Denmark. It is the country’s biggest & most populous city; it is also the country’s center of government, business, trade, finance & economy. The city started as a Viking fishing village in the early centuries & has evolved into a religious & trading town under the influence of Bishop Absalon. In the 1400s, the city became the official capital of Denmark & home of the royal family. Denmark, with Copenhagen as capital, flourished during the time of Christian IV. He created new cities, opened up trade & started companies that can trade to foreign entities. Copenhagen survived natural & man-made disasters & territorial battles throughout the years & emerged now as Scandinavia’s most important city.

Sunset view from the Round Tower observation deck. Beautiful place to see the the majestic sunset.

Denmark is one of the Schengen states & is also a member of the European Union. The country’s official currency is Danish Krone with kr. (with period) as sign & DKK as code. The same currency is being used by the Faroe Islands & Greenland. Conversation rate is 1 euro is to roughly 7.5 kr. For a budget traveler like me, Denmark is an expensive city to visit. The country has a different vibe compared to the others I’ve been to but is surely worth a visit. I felt super safe & secured when I was in this country compared to the other ones I’ve been to. People are very friendly, accommodating & happy in general. No wonder they’re consistently in the happiest countries in the world list.

Did you know that I applied for my own Schengen tourist visa? Yes! I did it all by myself & I got a multiple entry visa valid for 45 days. Check out this Tuesday Tip post to know how I did it.

Prague to Copenhagen

Prague, Czech Republic & Copenhagen, Denmark are not connected by direct trains. The fastest & most comfortable way to travel from one city to the other is via airplane. I took the sole Czech Airlines flight to Copenhagen from Prague last 5 November 2019. Check out the details of this flight in this Czech Airlines OK 508 Flight Report.

Steel House Copenhagen

All my 4 nights in Copenhagen were spent in Steel House Copenhagen. This New York-inspired luxury hostel in Vesterbo is owned & managed by ARP-Hansen Hotel Group – Copenhagen’s biggest hotel group. I wrote about my experience in Steel House Copenhagen in my latest hostel of the day feature. Check out my feature & review about the hostel here.

Going Around Copenhagen

Copenhagen is a tourist-friendly city. Majority of the places to visit can be reached by walking. The city also has a very efficient & modern subway system that goes to almost all areas of the city. Another way to go around the city is by cycling. Danish people, like Dutch people, use bicycles in their daily lives. Tourists can rent bicycles from hostels & shops.

Random but very clean street & canal in Copenhagen. Their canals have crystal-clear waters! 😍

I was travelling on budget & was not in a hurry so I walked a lot during my time in Copenhagen. Every day, I walk out of the hostel, go to different places, explore tourist destinations & walk back to the hostel at night. I remember one time when Mads & I took the automated subway from Nørreport Station to Christianshavn Station on our way to Christiania. Believe it or not, that 3-minute subway ride cost me 21 DKK (₱160-ish). Expensive, right? Yes – but we took it because we were running out of time. It’ll take us 35 minutes to walk to Christiania. It was a good experience, though!

Copenhagen Walking Tours

Just like what I did in Amsterdam, Brussels & Prague, I joined SANDEMANs New Europe’s walking tours around Copenhagen. SANDEMANs New Europe offers 5 group tours & 3 private tours around Copenhagen. I joined the free (well you know it’s tip-based) tour in the morning with our guide Bryony. We started the tour in Rådhuspladsen, then walked through the old streets of Copenhagen, to Christianborg, then Nyhavn & finish off at Amalienborg. Bryony shared to us the history of the city – how it started before & how it evolved into what it is now. These free walking tours run daily at 11:00 am (English & Spanish) & 2:00 pm (English only) & takes about 2 – 2.5 hours. This walking tour has a 15-minute coffee & toilet break in Espresso House near King’s New Square. Again, this walking tour is only tip-based & there’s no required amount from the joiners.

After the free walking tour, I joined the Must-See Copenhagen Tour: The Untold Stories also with Bryony. She took us around the Copenhagen landmarks that were not visited by the previous tour – The Little Mermaid, Rosenberg Castle, Kastellet, Gefion Fountain, Nyboder & finished in front of Copenhagen Cathedral. She also told us stories about battles between the Danes & Swedes, about the Norse gods & goddesses & some notable figures in Danish history. This tour costs €16 & starts at Espresso House – Østerport Station. It runs every Monday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday & lasts for 2 to 2.5 hours. You may get your tickets from SANDEMANs website or during the free walking tour break.

This is the afternoon view from the helix viewpoint of Church of our Savior in Christianshavn, DK.

For me, these walking tours are the best way to know a cities & places you visit. These experienced tour guides share everything they know about a place’s history, culture, politics & even arts. Most free walking tours are tip-based; there are also some who ask for a small tour fee. These tours also help freelance professional tour guides earn for a living.

Places To See Around Copenhagen

Copenhagen has a long list of places to visit. Believe it or not, I didn’t get to see all sights in my 3 full days of walking around the city. These are the ones I’ve been to:

Copenhagen Central Station

Copenhagen Central Station, Københavns Hovedbanegård or København H in local language, is the city’s main train station & is also the largest train station in Denmark. It is the city’s gateway to domestic & international rail routes. It is the main hub of DSB, Danske Statsbaner, Denmark’s largest railway company.

City Hall Square

City Hall Square, Rådhuspladsen as locals call it, is a public square in the center of Copenhagen. It is in front of the Copenhagen City Hall & is an important venue for local celebrations & events. SANDEMANs New Europe’s free walking tour meets & starts in this square.

Copenhagen City Hall

Copenhagen City Hall, Københavns Rådhus in Danish language, is the city’s seat of government. This old building that I initially thought of a as a church is found in the City Hall Square, in the middle of Copenhagen.

Tivoli Gardens

Tivoli Gardens is a famous amusement & theme park in the center of Copenhagen. This is the second-oldest operating theme park in the world. It only opens during tourist-heavy seasons such as summer & winter. Unfortunately, the theme park was closed during my visit. It was due to open a day after my flight out of Copenhagen. Locals say Walt Disney got his Disneyland idea from this theme park – unsure how true this claim is. I’d love to visit Copenhagen again in the future just to go inside & try the rides of Tivoli Gardens.

Magstræde

Magstræde is one of the oldest streets of Old Town Copenhagen. This beautiful street has colorful old & preserved houses which existed way back in the early days. It is only one of the remaining streets which have the original cobblestones.

Amalienborg Palace

Amalienborg Palace is the Royal Family’s winter residence. The castle has 4 identical palace buildings in an octagonal courtyard with the iconic King Frederick V statue in between. You will know if the members of the royal family are in if the Danish flag is up. Luckily, it was up during our walking tour. Bryony, our tour guide, told us that The Crown Prince sometimes waves to the people from his window.

Christiansborg Palace

Christiansborg Palace houses the Danish Parliament, the Prime Minister’s Office as well as the Supreme Court of Denmark. This palace also has the Royal Reception Rooms, Royal Stables & even the Royal Chapel used by the Royal Family. Our free walking tour group saw 2 royal horses being trained & fed during our visit to the palace grounds.

Christiansborg’s Tower offers a beautiful view of Copenhagen skyline. Access to the view deck is free of charge. Too bad I didn’t have time to visit this observation deck. I heard queues can be long at times.

Rosenborg Castle

Rosenborg Castle is a castle built by Christian IV in the 1600s. It is found within the King’s Garden in the center of Copenhagen. This castle now functions as a museum housing royal artefacts & historical collection.

Frederik’s Church

Locally known as Frederiks Kirke, Frederik’s Church is a Lutheran church in Copenhagen. It is also known as the Marble Church (Marmorkirken) & is found near the Amalienborg Palace. It has one of the largest church domes in Denmark & in Scandinavia.

Round Tower

The Round Tower, Rundetårn as locals call it, is Europe’s oldest functioning observatory. It was built by Christian IV in the 17^th century to continue the astronomical studies started by Tycho Brahe. The tower has a spiral way up (no stairs) – used before to bring heavy materials up to the observatory through horses & carriages. The tower has an open-air observation deck which tourists can access for 25 DKK.

Strøget

Strøget is Copenhagen’s longest & most famous shopping street. This street has almost all kinds of shops, cafes & restaurants the locals & tourists need or want. It’s a nice place to observe Danish locals & their everyday lives.

The Citadel

The Citadel, Kastellet in local language, is Copenhagen’s fortress constructed in pentagon-shape. It used to protect the city from Swedes & international invaders. The citadel still functions as a military area at the same time a public park where locals & visitors can have a walk.

The Little Mermaid

If Brussels has Manneken Pis & Singapore has Merlion, Copenhagen has the famous Little Mermaid statue. Known as Den lille Havfrue in Danish, this bronze statue was made after Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale. This iconic statue is found on a rock by the Langelinie promenade.

Gefion Fountain

Gefion Fountain, Gefionspringvandet in local language, is a fountain structure that depicts Norse goddess Gefjon with large animals. The statue was donated by Carlsberg Foundation to the Copenhagen city government on the brewery’s 50^th anniversary. The fountain is located near The Little Mermaid & beside St Alban’s Church.

St Alban’s Church

St Alban’s Church is an Anglican church in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is found near the Kastellet, the Little Mermaid & beside the Gefion Fountain.

Nyboder

Nyboder is a row of heritage yellow houses built by Christian IV in the former Naval barracks of Copenhagen. These houses were built to accommodate the increasing Royal Danish Navy & their families.

Nyhavn

Nyhavn is is one of Copenhagen’s popular tourist destinations. The row of colorful heritage buildings by the harbor makes this place unique. The harbor was built during the time of Christian V & it served as the docking place for market goods & seafood. Nowadays, the colorful builders are all cafes, pubs & restaurants. It still functions as a harbor for selected canal tours. This is one of my favorite places in Copenhagen. I can literally sit on one side & look at the colorful houses / buildings all day.

King’s New Square

The King’s New Square, locally known as Kongens Nytorv, is a public square constructed during the time of Christian V. On one side, the square is in the end of Strøget, Copenhagen’s famous shopping street. The other side of the square is also the end of Nyhavn; one side also has the Royal Danish Theatre.

Royal Danish Theatre

The Royal Danish Theatre, Det Kongelige Teater in local language, is Denmark’s most famous performing arts institution. Located at the King’s New Square, this theatre hosts operas, ballet performances, concerts & even plays.

Freetown Christiania

Freetown Chrstiania, known locally as Fristaden Christiania, is a self-governing community which considers themselves independent of Copenhagen, of Denmark & of European Union. It is a place in Copenhagen where illegal things are legal, if you know what I mean. It’s a cool & hippie place to visit – just to visit. Mads & I went to this place just to see it. People were harmless but they offered weed to all passersby, including us. We said no, of course.

Church of Our Savior

Just a few meters from Freetown Christiania is Church of Our Savior. Locally known as Vor Frelsers Kirke, this baroque church is famous for its helix tower accessed through an open-air staircase. Mads & I went up this viewing point & saw stunning views of Copenhagen.

Warning! The helix structure & external staircase becomes smaller as you go up. In the end, only 1 person can stay & at some point, you need to give way to those people going up or going down. Entrance fee to the viewpoint range from 35 DKK to 50 DKK, depending on season.

Gråbrødretorv

Gråbrødretorv is a small & quiet public area just off Strøget. The square has restaurants, shops & offices around & has a tree in between with seating spaces.

Torvehallerne

Torvehallerne is an urban fresh food market near Nørreport Station in Copenhagen. This market is the place to have local snacks including Danish pastries & the famous open-face treat smørrebrød.

Copenhagen Christmas Market

Copenhagen’s Christmas Market in Nyhavn – those small white huts sell food & Christmas goods.

Copenhagen’s Christmas Market opened on my second to the last day in the city. The market was in Nyhavn & sold everything from socks, to beanies, Danish food & drinks & a lot more. We went around every shop & tried all possible food we can try. The booth owners offered free taste of the treats they’re selling. It was a fun experiencing a Christmas market – definitely a memorable in this first solo trip to Europe.

Copenhagen has its own beauty, isn’t it? The city has a different vibe compared to the other ones I’ve been to in this trip. Have you been to Copenhagen or other cities in Denmark? What do you think of the city? How was your trip around the city? Share your experiences in the comments section below. You may send your questions, if any, to contact@thewkndtravel.com. To be honest, I feel like I want to move Copenhagen after visiting the place. I know it is expensive but it is a great city to live in.

One last look at Nyhavn. This is the other side of the famous harbor – still beautiful & colorful. 🇩🇰

And just like that, my journey around Europe is over. This Copenhagen post will be the last post about cities on the Going Solo in Europe series. I still have P’s Lists & Flight Reports coming up related to this trip so please stay tuned. Thank you very much for joining me in this trip of a lifetime. I am already excited to go back there & to explore new countries.

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PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

Hostel of the Day: STEEL HOUSE COPENHAGEN – 4 Nights in Danish Capital’s New York-Inspired Industrial Style Luxury Accommodation

After landing in Copenhagen Airport from that Czech Airlines flight from Prague, I claimed my luggage, took the train to the city & went straight to Steel House Copenhagen – my hostel in Copenhagen for my last 4 nights in Europe. This New York-inspired industrial style luxury accommodation will be today’s hostel of the day feature. Find out in the post below how this hostel differs from DREAM Hostel Prague, Sleep Well Youth Hostel Brussels & Generator Amsterdam, the other hostels I stayed with throughout this trip to Europe.

In case you didn’t know, I went on 19-day trip around 4 countries in Europe late last year. I started my trip in the Netherlands & went around Amsterdam, Utrecht & North Holland. From there, I took the bus & went to Belgium. I stayed in the country for 4 full days & walked around Brussels, Bruges & Ghent. I flew to Czech Republic & settled in Prague for another full days. I also took day trips to Kutná Hora & Český Krumlov. I finished my trip in the beautiful city of Copenhagen (blog to follow) in Denmark. The details & posts that talk about this Europe trip of a lifetime can be found under the Going Solo in Europe category.

Steel House Copenhagen

Steel House Copenhagen is one of the city’s newest & renowned hostel properties. The hostel sits in the former Danish Union of Metalworkers building which has been transformed into a modern & well-designed luxury hostel accommodation. The hostel lives up to its luxury hostel vibe by providing hotel-like amenities & extraordinary shared facilities which you will know more about later in the post. The hostel has 253 rooms which are divided into dormitory & private rooms.

The hostel is owned & managed by Arp-Hansen Hotel Group – Copenhagen’s biggest chain of privately-owned & centrally-located hospitality properties.

Location & Access

Steel House Copenhagen is located in the hip neighborhood of Vesterbo, next to Nørrebro, Frederiksberg. It is in Herholdtsgade 6 & is 2-minute walk away from Vesterport Station of the Boulevard Line. It is also 10 minutes away by foot from Copenhagen’s main train station known as Københavns Hovedbanegård or København H. It is also 10 to 20-minute walk to most of Copenhagen’s tourist spots.

The nearest convenience store is 2 minutes away; the nearest supermarket is 3-5 minutes away. There are many pubs & restaurants near the hostel. Copenhagen Airport (CPH), Københavns Lufthavn in local language & Denmark’s main airport, is 30 minutes away from the hostel & can be accessed via the train (walking included). The journey from Copenhagen Central Station to Copenhagen Airport Station takes about 15 to 20 minutes. The hostel’s location is perfect. It is within the city & is walkable to almost everywhere in the city center.

Room Options & Rates

Steel House Copenhagen has a total of 1,154 beds in 253 rooms which guests can occupy in 1 night. These rooms are divided into private & dormitory rooms. The property has 64 private rooms offered in single, double & twin bed (with & without balconies) configurations. It also has 54 rooms with 4 dormitory beds each formatted in 2 semi-private bunks. The largest type of room they have is the 6-bed dormitory rooms in 135 rooms. The dormitory rooms are configured into mixed or female-only rooms. Nightly rates vary per room, bed & season. The beds in the 6-bed dormitory room are usually the cheapest. It can go as low as 125 DKK (Danish kroner) per night.

Private & dormitory rooms all have their own shower & toilet areas with quality shampoo, liquid soap & conditioner. Rooms have enough storage space (lockers for dormitory rooms) for luggage. All rooms have air conditioning. Each dormitory bed has a luxurious mattress with fresh linen, a personal power socket / outlet, a reading light & a small pouch or storage space by the bed. Private room guests have access to televisions in their rooms plus the option to upgrade to rooms with wooden terraces. The hostel provides towels to all guests free-of-charge.

I stayed in a 4-bed mixed dormitory room for 4 nights. I booked my stay with Agoda & paid $116.24 for all 4 nights – later charged as ₱6,210.98 by my bank. The rate didn’t include breakfast. The dormitory beds are semi-private with unique design. The mattress was comfortable to sleep with & the facilities are clean & well-maintained. The hostel provided towels & big lockers which fit my medium-sized luggage. Our room had a nice view of Sankt Jørgens Sø (St George’s Lake) in Copenhagen.

Guest Facilities & Amenities

Steel House Copenhagen offers a long list of facilities & amenities which all guests can enjoy. This is by far the longest list of amenities I’ve had in all hostel of the day features in this website.

Free Wi-Fi – All guests have access to ultra-fast Wi-Fi connection inside the rooms & in the common areas.

Café & Bar – The hostel has an in-house café & bar where guests can grab something to eat & drink. They have a happy hour promo of 1+1 on Carlsberg & Tuborg beers every Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

Breakfast Bag – The hostel sells breakfast bags every morning for 49 DKK. They don’t have breakfast buffets or breakfast meals; these healthy breakfast bags will do. It has a bun, a small bottle of juice, a fruit bar & a cup of coffee or tea.

Free Unlimited Water Refills – One of the best things about Steel House Copenhagen is the free unlimited water refills from the tap in the common area. Tap water in Denmark is clean & potable.

Communal Lounge Areas – The hostel has spacious communal lounge areas beside the café & bar. Guests can choose from the comfortable couches to the wooden tables & chairs.

Night Concerts & Jamming Sessions – The hostel hosts small concerts & jamming sessions in the communal area beside the café & bar. They invite local artists to perform in the lounge area & to serenade or jam with the guests.

Private Amenities & Communal Toilets – All rooms have their own private hot & cold shower & toilets complete with complimentary shampoo, conditioner & liquid soap. There are also communal amenities in the basement for those who are in the common areas.

Self-Service Kitchen – The hostel has a luxurious & fully-equipped kitchen which guests can use during their stay. Access to this kitchen costs 20 DKK for the duration of stay. Guests who buy access to this kitchen can store food in the fridge & cook their own food. This kitchen room is open daily from 6:00 am to 12:00 am.

Fitness Center – Steel House Copenhagen has a small gym or fitness center with limited equipment. Access to this fitness facility costs 20 DKK for 2 hours per session. The fitness center is open from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm daily.

Swimming Pool – Guests can enjoy a bath in the hostel’s 40 sq m swimming pool for 20 DKK. The pass is good for 2 hours. The swimming pool is open daily from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm.

Games Room – Guests can kill time by playing pool, table football or shuffleboard in the games room.

Cinema Room – The hostel has a small cinema room that can accommodate up to 25 people. They show movies & sports games in this communal room found in the lower ground floor.

SoMe Garden – Steel House Copenhagen has set-up 12 communal & free-for-all tablets where guests can browse the internet, open their social media accounts, catch-up on YouTube videos & plan the next leg of their trip. It is also the perfect place to do some work if you are working in between holidays.

Venue Area – The hostel has a multi-purpose venue or space in the lower ground floor for small events like comedy shows, band concerts & presentations.

Television Room – Guests who want to catch-up on shows & news they’re watching can do so in the television room found in the lower basement level.

Paid Luggage Storage – Guests who need to leave their luggage before check-in & after check-out can store them in the storage room for 20 DKK for 3 hours, 35 DKK for 6 hours & 50 DKK for 24 hours.

Laundry Facilities – The hostel has a laundry room in the lower ground floor. Access to these self-service laundry facilities cost 20 DKK per guest.

24-Hour Reception – Steel House Copenhagen’s reception area is open for 24 hours. There will always be someone who will smile & welcome you every time you arrive at the hostel you.

Express Check-in & Check-out – The hostel has a cool express check-in & check-out system. Guests who will check-in need to complete the guest form in one of the computers in front of reception then just claim their access cards from the staff. Guests who will check-out only need to drop their access cards in the drop box by the reception area.

Welcoming & Friendly Staff – The hostel’s staff are very welcome & friendly. They greeted me with a smile when I arrived from the airport. Those in the reception smile to everyone going inside the hostel. They even engage guests into small talks. These lovely people made my stay memorable.

Daily Activities – Aside from the night concerts & jamming sessions, Steel House also hosts other activities with guests such as games & quiz nights, yoga & capoeira sessions, running activities & pub crawls. Schedules vary per week so it’s always best to check the weekly activities posted inside the elevators.

Free Walking Tours – The hostel has partnered with the touring company to offer a free (well, tip-based) tour around Copenhagen. This walking tour happens every day & starts at 10:20 am in the reception area.

Basement Car Parking – Steel House has 60 car parking spaces underneath the hostel. Guests can park their cars in this parking facility for 210 DKK per 24 hours. Car parking spaces cannot be reserved & follows a “first come, first serve” policy.

Bicycle Rental – Copenhagen, just like Amsterdam, is a great city to cycle around. The hostel offers bicycle rental for 125 DKK for a day until midnight. I didn’t have the chance to cycle around the city but it’s something I’ll do next time.

Lift Access – Hostel guests have access to lifts up to their rooms. This makes luggage easy to be brought up to & down from the rooms.

Secured Hostel Access – Steel House gives their hostel guests a key card or access card that only works on your specific level & room. Only guests can go up to & down from their rooms.

Experience

My 4-night stay in Steel House Copenhagen & around Copenhagen was the perfect way to end this 19-day Going Solo in Europe trip. To be honest, there were other relatively cheaper hostels around the city. But I opted to treat myself by staying in this hostel. I paid more to stay in Steel House Copenhagen & I had no regrets. Who would ever think I’ll stay in this luxury hostel for 4 nights in such an expensive country like Denmark?

This hostel impressed me from the time I arrived in the hostel up to check-out. The staff welcomed me with their best smiles, pointed me to the express check-in kiosk then gave me my key card afterwards. They also granted my request of staying in a lower bunk bed. They have small chitchats with the guests every time they order in the bar & café.

The room size was enough for 4 people to stay in. The lockers were big to fit my medium-sized luggage. The semi-private bunk beds had a nice design; the bed was comfortable to sleep in. I like that each room had a private toilet & shower. The rooms are cleaned daily. My only issue with the bathroom & toilet is its automatic lighting system. The bathroom lights turn off when they do not detect any movement for a certain time. I always need to go out of the shower area to activate the lighting system.

The hostel makes sure that all guests have a good time by organizing daily activities from walking tours, to daily exercise sessions, games & quiz nights to jamming nights & pub crawls. The weekend happy hour 1+1 promo on beers is a big plus for me. Beers in Copenhagen or in Denmark in general are expensive compared to Prague’s so these promos are much appreciated. It came to a point (during my last night in Steel House) where I ordered for 4 glasses of Carlsberg & got 8 because of the happy hour. Don’t worry, I only had 4 & the other 4 was for my friend Mads.

One thing Generator Amsterdam, Sleep Well Youth Hostel Brussels & DREAM Hostel Prague had which Steel House Copenhagen didn’t is buffet breakfast. I know they have breakfast bags for 49 DKK but it would have been a full-package if they had this kind of breakfast option for guests. I guess I only expected them to have one because all my 3 past hostels had it. However, it’s not a major issue for me. I still enjoyed the treats inside the breakfast bag.

Steel House also made up for the breakfast part by having an unlimited free water refill option for guests. The other 3 hostels I stayed with didn’t have this option. In a continent like Europe where is more of a luxury, having the unlimited free water refill feature is such a lifesaver. Thank you, Steel House, for this amenity.

Steel House Copenhagen has the best range of facilities & amenities in all the hostels I stayed with so far. Imagine a hostel with a fitness center, a swimming pool, a self-service kitchen, games room, lounge area, television room, cinema, events space, café & bar? Even though access to some of these facilities come with a price, I still can’t over the fact this hostel has these amenities which are mostly found in hotels. Take note, all these areas are all clean & well-maintained. Steel House Copenhagen is one of a kind – they live up the expectations of being a luxury hostel.

Overall, I had an excellent stay with Steel House Copenhagen. This was the best hostel among the hostels I’ve stayed with in this trip & probably in the top 3 hostels I’ve stayed with in my life. The hostel has been superb in all aspects – from the rooms, the beds to the communal facilities, amenities, staff & guest activities. I realized I got so much more than the ₱1,552.75 (roughly $30) I paid per night. Will I go back to Steel House? Yes. Will I recommend this hostel to everyone? Hell yes! Look no further, book your stay with this hostel when you are in Copenhagen. Oh, book early as they sell out all 1,154 beds on some days.

In case you have questions to Steel House Copenhagen, you may reach them on the following platforms:

Steel House Copenhagen
Address: Herholdtsgade 6 DK-1605 København V
Number: +45 3317 7110
E-mail Address: reservations@steelhousecopenhagen.com
Website: www.steelhousecopenhagen.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/steelhousecopenhagen
Instagram: www.instagram.com/steel_house_copenhagen

What do you think of Steel House Copenhagen? Have you ever stayed in a hostel that has hotel-like facilities like this? What & where is this hostel? How was your stay? Share your luxury hostel experiences in the comments section below. Do you have questions about my experience or about the hostel? You may also send them to me via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. I will try my best to answer these questions as soon as possible.

Thank you for joining me in today’s hostel of the day feature. I think this has been my longest entry so far. Steel House Copenhagen offers so much to its guest. This also marks the last hostel to feature from my Going Solo in Europe series. I hope you enjoyed this & my other features on Generator Amsterdam, Sleep Well Youth Hostel Brussels & DREAM Hostel Prague.

Please don’t forget to follow me on social media – Facebook & Instagram. Have a nice day & please stay safe!

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

Flight Report: CZECH AIRLINES OK 502 – Prague to Copenhagen – Czech Republic’s National Carrier & World’s Fifth Oldest Operating Airline

Hi & welcome to another trip report! Last time, I took you with me onboard Brussels Airlines flight SN 2811 from Brussels, Belgium to Prague in Czech Republic. I went around the country for 4 full days – walked around Prague & Prague Castle, saw the bone church in Kutná Hora & visited the quaint fairy tale town of Český Krumlov. I enjoyed my time around Czech Republic but I had to move to the next country – Denmark.

Last November 2019, I flew from Prague to Copenhagen in Denmark onboard Czech Airlines flight OK 502. This short flight on one of the world’s oldest airlines will be the subject of today’s flight report. Join me as I share bits about Czech Airlines & its in-flight product, the ground experience in Václav Havel Airport Prague & the flight in general.

Czech Airlines

Czech Airlines, České Aerolinie in local language, is Czech Republic’s flag carrier based in Václav Havel Airport in Prague. The airline started operations in 1923; it is (at time of writing) the world’s 5^th oldest airline after KLM, Avianca, Qantas & Aeroflot. The Czech government used to own the airline but was passed on to different private owners including Korean Air. As of today, Smartwings, Czech Republic’s biggest (low-cost) airline, owns majority of Czech Airlines. The airline flies to more than 30 European & Middle Eastern countries on both regular schedules & seasonal charters.

Czech Airlines is a proud member of the SkyTeam Alliance & has partnerships with Air France, KLM, Aeroflot, China Airlines, Delta, Korean Air, Garuda Indonesia & a lot more. The airline’s frequent flier program is called OK Plus. The program gives passengers OK Plus Miles on flights with Czech Airlines.

Airfare & Inclusions

I booked my Czech Airlines ticket directly with the airline 5 months before the flight. I paid 1,588 Kč (₱3,658.88 in local currency, credit card charges included) for this one-way ticket that includes 8-kilogram carry-on baggage allowance, 23-kilogram check in baggage allowance & free standard seat selection.

This was my ticket. Our flight’s number changed from OK 508 to OK 502 weeks before the schedule.

Czech Airlines, like most European carriers, offer their tickets according to fare bundles. The airline offers an economy lite fare which only includes carry-on baggage allowance & a guaranteed seat on the flight. All other services, such as check in baggage & seat selection, come with extra fees. I availed of the economy plus fare which, as mentioned above, includes carry on-baggage allowance, check in baggage allowance & free standard seat. They also offer an economy flex bundle which includes a light snack, priority check in & boarding on top of all the perks of economy plus passengers. Earning miles, rebooking & refund conditions differ from one bundle to the other. The airline also sells business class tickets on bundles. Inter-Europe business class products are not impressive so let’s not talk about it.

Remember my previous flight report on Brussels Airlines on my flight from Brussels to Prague? I availed of their Light & Relax fare bundle with has the same inclusions as Czech Airlines’ Economy Plus fare bundle. These fare bundles remind me of low-cost carriers here in the Philippines – the likes of Cebu Pacific Air & Air Asia.

Flight & Aircraft Information

Czech Airlines used a 19-year old Smartwings Boeing 737-800 aircraft. This aircraft, with registration OK-TSV, has been in use since December 2000. The plane has 189 seats on a 3-3 configuration. Business class passengers are seated in front of the cabin & have the middle seats vacant.

This flight I took is actually a Prague to Reykjavik flight which has a technical stop in Copenhagen. The flight left Prague with passengers both bound for Denmark & Iceland. We, the passengers bound for Copenhagen, disembarked in Copenhagen Airport. The plane took in new bound for Reykjavik, Iceland from Copenhagen. This flight from Prague, Czech Republic to Copenhagen, Denmark took 1 hour & 5 minutes from one airport gate to the other. We were airborne for only 59 minutes.

Airport & Ground Experience

I arrived Prague Airport 2 hours before my flight. Czech Airline’s check in counters were empty, not even a single person checking in during my time. Check in process took less than 5 minutes. The guy at the check in counter wasn’t friendly at all.

After check in, I went through security check. Business class & priority passengers & status holders have a special line. Economy class passengers go through the general line. The line moved fast because the airport’s security system is very organized & efficient. There was no need to clear immigration since I was travelling within the Schengen zone.

Prague Airport has spacious pre-departure areas. There were very few people during my time, leaving many seats empty. Some seats have power outlets & charging ports. The ground staff commenced boarding on time. Business class & priority passengers boarded first, followed by those seated at the back of the plane. I was one of the few passengers who boarded last. Boarding process was peaceful & organized. It took 25 minutes to board all passengers.

In-flight Product

Czech Airlines’ in-flight product is very basic. The seats were fitted with dirty & old leather covering. Each seat has 2 small pockets in front. The 1^st pocket found within the eye level has all the in-flight literature – in-flight magazine, food menu & safety card. The smaller pocket found somewhere by the knees are for the passenger’s things – boarding pass & passport, phone, etc. The leg room was standard – not very limited but not too spacious. Seats didn’t have power outlets or charging ports. My seat 7A’s recline function was broken; I sat & slept upright throughout the flight.

Czech Airlines provide onboard snacks / meals to business class & economy flex passengers & to those who pre-ordered snacks at the time of booking or at least 24 hours into the flight. The airline has a buy-on-board scheme where economy passengers can buy snacks & drinks during the flight. The food & drinks menu is found in the seat pocket in front of each passenger.

The airline doesn’t offer personal entertainment screens for their inter-Europe flights. The only form of entertainment is the in-flight magazine found in the seat pockets.

Cabin Crew Service

Believe it or not – I had limited contact with the cabin crew. They greeted me when I boarded the flight & said thanks when I left the aircraft after the flight. That’s it! There was nothing special with the service provided on this flight. They did their job, assisted the passengers put bags in the overhead cabins, did the security checks & offered snacks & drinks midway through the flight.

Verdict

Believe it or not, I believe this flight with Czech Airlines went well. After flying with Brussels Airlines to Prague a few days before, I didn’t put in high expectations for this flight. The flight was alright – not exceptional & not bad. Mad respect to the airline’s long & eventful history but I think they need to step-up their service in everything.

I was not impressed with the guy at the check in counter. I was impressed by how things happened so quick – check in, security check & walk to the boarding gate all done in less than 30 minutes. Prague Airport’s facilities & organized passenger flow system were excellent. The waiting areas were clean, spacious & quiet.

View from my seat 7A – look at the Smartwings winglet on this 20-year old Boing 737-800 plane.

The aircraft used for the flight is 20 years old. The seats & interiors badly need a refit. On-board service & in-flight soft product was alright – nothing spectacular. Having almost the same experience with Brussels Airlines made me think that in-flight experience with relatively small European carriers are pretty much the same with some Asian low-cost carriers; but these Asian LCCs have relatively newer planes, more hospitable cabin crew & even cheaper fares.

Will I fly Czech Airlines again? Yes, no or maybe. Just like Brussels Airlines, it’ll all depend on the ticket price. If the fares are cheaper than other flag carriers or low-cost airlines, then I’ll go with Czech Airlines. If the fares have small differences, then I might opt for the other airline. The experience was not bad but it was also not exceptional. It was just alright & I couldn’t be happier that they flew me to Copenhagen safe & on time.

Avgeeks, check out the details of this short flight from Prague, Czech Republic to Copenhagen, Denmark:

Airline: Czech Airlines
Flight Date: 5 November 2019
Flight Number: OK 502 (changed from OK 508)
Route: Prague (PRG) to Copenhagen (CPH)
Duration: 1:05 hours
Seat Number: 7A
Aircraft: Boeing 739-809
Aircraft Registration: OK-TSV
Aircraft Engine: 2 x CFM International Jet Engines
Age: 20 years old
Year Delivered: 2000

Have you ever tried Czech Airlines in the past? What do you think of the airline? Do you have any questions about the airline & its flight policies or perhaps anything about Prague or Czech Republic? Post them in the comments section below. I will try to answer them as soon as possible. You may also send your questions via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

Thank you for joining me in today’s flight report! I hope you can support & follow me on my social media pages – Facebook & Instagram. Watch out for more flight reports & Going Solo in Europe content in the coming weeks! Ciao.

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

2019 Rewind: Crossing Borders & Making Dreams Come True

Another year of travels is coming to an end. Those of you following me since 2016 know that I always post a year-end blog detailing what happened to me & where I went in that specific year. 2016 was all about travelling solo, exploring places by myself; 2017 was exploring relatively known & unknown places & 2018 was all about reuniting & travelling with friends. 2019 is a mix of all 3 years of recaps. I went & explored places by myself, I flew & took trains to both & unknown places & I had a few trips with my friends. I can say 2019 is my best year yet for travelling – I’ve crossed many borders & made my long-time dreams come true.

Allow me to share with you details of my 2019 in terms of trips taken. I will also give insights of the interesting content developments here in my website.

trips recap ✈️

SORSOGON 🇵🇭

I started off the year with a day trip to the beaches of Matnog, Sorsogon. I didn’t post about this day trip in this website but I believe it’s worth sharing here. My cousins from Australia welcomed the new year in our hometown. Days after the new year, we took them to the islands of Subic, Matnog in Sorsogon. We first went fish feeding in a sanctuary then continued to Subic Beach. It was a fun day spent with cousins in the beach.

JAPAN 🇯🇵

Back in February, I flew to my favorite Japan for 9 days. My supposed-to-be trip to Nagano, Kanazawa & Toyama turned into a family trip around Tokyo & Kansai Region (Osaka, Nara & Kyoto). I flew with them to Tokyo then took a side trip to Nagano then met my sisters in Osaka afterwards. It was a delight seeing the snow monkeys in Nagano & spending some alone time in a very cold & snowy place in Japan. I then flew to Fukuoka to spend a day around the city before catching my flight back to Manila. I may not have been to Kanazawa & Toyama in this trip but I’ll make sure to go next time.

I didn’t post much about this but I went to Japan again a few months ago. My friend & I decided to surprise another friend in her flight to Fukuoka & to ruin her first ever solo trip. We spent 48 hours around Fukuoka, Japan, went to pretty interesting places, savored every Japanese meal & drowned ourselves with the Lipton milk tea drink.

Blog List:
Japan Highlights 2019: TOKYO – 36 Hours In The Land Of The Rising Sun’s Most Famous Metropolis
Japan Highlights 2019: NAGANO – 48 Hours In The Inland Prefecture Of The Snow Monkeys
Japan Highlights 2019: UNIVERSAL STUDIOS JAPAN – A Theme Park That Brings You Back To Being A ‘Kid’ Just For A Day
Japan Highlights 2019: KYOTO – Japan’s Ancient Capital In One Day
Japan Highlights 2019: NARA – A Morning Visit To The Deer Park
Japan Highlights 2019: MATSUMOTO & FUKUOKA Stopovers

BACOLOD 🇵🇭

Office friends & I went on a spontaneous Bacolod weekend trip last February. We flew to the city & went to the famous Ruins then had chicken inasal for dinner in Manukan Country. We then went to the town of Don Salvador Benedicto to check out Negros’ Little Baguio. After a few hours around the mountains, we went back to the city & decided to just eat out until we flew back to Manila.

Blog: Spontaneous BACOLOD Weekend: 48 Hours In The City of Smiles

MELBOURNE 🇦🇺

I flew to Melbourne, Australia with Leng & Shane (from Sydney 2018 trip) during the Holy Week break last April. I spent 8 days around the city & the nearby suburbs. We also went to the Brighton Bathing Boxes, Great Ocean Road, Phillip Island & Yarra Valley Wine Country. My friend Lord, who I was with on It’s The Ship 2018, joined us on our first few days in Melbourne.

We didn’t make out Melbourne itinerary that busy compared to our Sydney one. We just enjoyed our time there, strolling around the beautiful city, trying out different cuisines & hoarding every single interesting item in the supermarkets.

Blog List:
N9 In Straya Series: Walking Around MELBOURNE Part 1 – Parks, Gardens & Heritage Sites
N9 In Straya Series: Walking Around MELBOURNE Part 2 – Hipster Laneways, Communal Spaces & Modern Areas
N9 In Straya Series: BRIGHTON BATHING BOXES – Iconic & Photogenic Bathing Boxes Found In A Coastal Melbourne Suburb
N9 in Straya Series: GREAT OCEAN ROAD – A Day Trip To The World’s Largest War Memorial
N9 In Straya Series: PHILLIP ISLAND – A Perfect Day Out With Nature & Australian Wildlife
N9 In Straya Series: PUFFING BILLY RAILWAY & YARRA VALLEY WINE TOUR – Victoria’s Heritage Steam Railway & Wine Region In A Day

TAIWAN 🇹🇼

It’s been years since our last family trip to Singapore. My parents decided to bring the family to Taiwan for the Fathers’ Day weekend. We went to the city of Taichung on our first day as per my sister’s request. She wanted to see the flower farms in Taichung plus take nice photos with the family. We then went around the city on Fathers’ Day – went to church, strolled around Daan Park, ate at Din Tai Fung, hiked the Elephant Hill & walked around Raohe Night Market.

On our third day, we took the Klook guided tour to Yehliu Geopark, Jiufen Old Street & Shifen then finished the day around Ximending. We spent our fourth day in Chiang Kai Shek Memorial, Liberty Square & in the airport for our flight back to Manila. I met with my good friend Richard, whom I knew in Komodo, Indonesia in 2018, for a few nights in Taipei. He was also in the city waiting for his flight back to Europe. It was fun catching up with this man over food & drinks!

Blog List:
TAIWAN All Over Again – Family Long Weekend In Taipei
TAICHUNG Photo Blog: Picturesque Places Outside Taipei
YEHLIU-JIUFEN-SHIFEN Klook Tour – Perfect & Hassle-Free Taiwan Northeast Coast Day Tour

YOGYAKARTA 🇮🇩

One spontaneous trip I took this year was that to Yogyakarta. I saw a piso-fare ticket to Jakarta last June for an August trip & decided to buy that ticket. I contacted Yudi, a friend I met on Its the Ship 2018 who is now based somewhere in Indonesia. We then agreed to meet in Yogyakarta & volunteered to take me around.

Lord of LordAroundTheWorld, who joined me in Melbourne last April, decided to join me a week before the trip. We then met with Yudi & his friend Dallin in Yogyakarta & we went around the city. We went to different temples (Borobudur, Prambanan, Taman Sari) & also took the lava trail tour in Mount Merapi. We ate in different local restaurants & tried several local dishes. We spent most of our time in Yogyakarta in the road, in restaurants & in our hotel. It was a relaxing trip; not the usual busy one. It’s nice to step back for a while & just enjoy chilling.

Blog: The Wonderful Indonesia Series: YOGYAKARTA – A Relaxing Weekend In Indonesia’s Special Monarchy Region

BORACAY 🇵🇭

My buddy Rick & I flew to Boracay last September to surprise our high school friends having their holiday in the island. They didn’t know that we were coming so we decided to show up on the afternoon of their 2^nd day, right after arriving in the island. We ate in nice restaurants, walked along the shore, swam on the beach & spent some quality time with the group.

Rick & I stayed for 2 more days in the island & just spent most of the time relaxing, eating, walking & drinking. I didn’t expect this September trip to have its 2^nd part after the Bohol weekend in 2018 but I hope there will be a 3^rd installment in 2020, 4^th installment in 2021 until this becomes a regular trip with them. By the way, I didn’t join my family in Hong Kong to join these people plus I also don’t have my passport during this time.

E-U-R-O-P-E!!! 🇳🇱 🇧🇪 🇨🇿 🇩🇰

Finally, A TRIP TO EUROPE! This is the highlight of my 2019. It was a dream come true. I haven’t posted anything about this trip in the website but I’m happy to share that this long-time plan of going to Europe happened last October to November 2019.

One of my Europe trip highlights – a trip to Český Krumlov. This town is picturesque & peaceful. 🇨🇿

It all started with an affordable ticket I got from the Singapore Airlines & BPI promotion last January 2019. I got tickets flying from Manila to Amsterdam, Netherlands & leaving from Copenhagen, Denmark, both via Singapore. I saved up the whole year, planned my itinerary, booked my hostels & booked the inter-country flights ahead of time. I applied for a tourist visa on my own – no help from any agency & got it after a week.

Nyhavn – my favorite place in Copenhagen… It’s where the Danish Christmas market is found! 🇩🇰

And the trip happened. Due to busy work schedule, I didn’t have time to do more research & make my final itinerary. I arrived in Amsterdam with no plans, not even a single idea how to go to my hostel. I got scared at first but I ended up having the best days of my life around Europe. I went to 4 countries (Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic & Denmark), explored cities & small towns, reunited with friends I met from previous trips, met cool new friends along the way, took walking tours in every city / town, drank more beers than waters in a day, walked thousands of steps & tens of kilometers a day & ate all local food I can in every place. I did all of these alone! Yes, I FLEW TO EUROPE ALONE & I SURVIVED. It was probably the bravest thing I did this year.

Obligatory photo with the canals of Amsterdam in The Netherlands.. Can’t wait to go back here! 🇳🇱

I have so much to share about this trip but I am reserving that for the individual posts. I hope you’ll watch out for those write-ups.

Blogs: TO FOLLOW.

blog highlights ✨

Aside from the usual blog contents I post, there were 2 significant developments in this blog. First is the continued posts for the Tuesday Tips & Hostel of the Day features. I had 3 Tuesday Tip posts & 7 hostel of the day features published in my website solely for 2019. I still have a long list of Tuesday tips to share & hostels (especially the ones from Europe) to publish so watch out for those. My main goal of posting these Tuesday tips & hostel features is to show the world that there are nice things out there that don’t need hefty amounts of money. You can have the same fun & memorable experiences by paying small amounts.

Blog List:
Hostel of the Day: DOT HOSTEL NAGANO – Wooden House Turned High-Rated Affordable Hostel
Hostel Of The Day: KHAOSAN WORLD ASAKUSA RYOKAN & HOSTEL – Clean & Affordable Traditional Japanese Accommodation In The Heart Of Tokyo
Hostel Of The Day: NEW WORLD INN OSAKA – Simple, Affordable & Modern Property Near Tennoji
Hostel Of The Day: FUKUOKA HANA HOSTEL – Fukuoka’s In-Demand & Best Valued Tourist Accommodation
Hostel Of The Day: FLINDERS BACKPACKERS MELBOURNE – Budget-Friendly & Extremely Popular Hostel In The Heart Of The City
Hostel Of The Day: UINN TRAVEL HOSTEL – Modern, Space-Themed & Excellent Taipei Hostel
Hostel Of The Day: MAD MONKEY HOSTEL BORACAY – Paradise Island’s Hidden Party Hostel Gem
Tuesday Tip: 4 TRUSTED HOSTEL GROUPS To Check When Looking For AFFORDABLE ACCOMMODATION in JAPAN
Tuesday Tip: 6 WAYS To SAVE MONEY In MELBOURNE
Tuesday Tip: Do-It-Yourself SCHENGEN TOURIST VISA Application With VFS NETHERLANDS

This year, I introduced a section in my website called Flight Reports. You guys know I love flying & my interest in aviation is something else. I thought of sharing my flight experiences with different airlines – how the service is from check in to boarding to in-flight services & cabin crew service. Since I started the section in June, I already published 8 flight reports about 5 local & international airlines. I didn’t expect this section to get hits but I’m happy that I get regular website visits for these specific posts. I still have about 5 or 6 flight reports to share with you, most of them from my European trip. I hope you’re excited for these flight reports as I am!

Blog List:
Flight Report: EVA AIR BR 277 – Taipei to Manila – Taiwan’s 5-Star Airline For An Affordable Fare
Flight Report: CEBU PACIFIC AIR 5J 328 – Legazpi to Manila – ₱600 ($11.50) Flight Back To Manila
Flight Report: CEBU PACIFIC AIR 5J 759 – Manila to Jakarta – ₱1,236 ($24) International Flight To Indonesia
Flight Report: INDONESIA AIR ASIA QZ 7550 – Jakarta to Yogyakarta – Low-Cost Domestic Flight To Indonesia’s Royal City
Flight Report: INDONESIA AIR ASIA QZ 7551 – Yogyakarta to Jakarta – Redemption Flight Back To Indonesia’s Capital
Flight Report: CEBU PACIFIC AIR 5J 905 – Manila to Caticlan (Boracay) – Short & Relatively Empty Flight To Paradise Island
Flight Report: CEBGO DG 6244 – Caticlan (Boracay) to Manila – Quick Turboprop Flight Back To The Metro
Flight Report: SINGAPORE AIRLINES SQ 915 – Manila to Singapore – 5-Star Economy Class Experience In A New Generation Boeing Dreamliner

By the way, this just came in. This website has finally hit 90,000 site views! This is another milestone hit before the end of the 2019. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for the endless support – from sharing my articles & posts, to commenting & liking the posts that appear on your timelines to your comments & questions. I appreciate all of these.

Thank you for giving me the reason to continue sharing more content in this website. I can tell you this is not the end, it is just the start of more tips, flight reports, itineraries & blog posts. I have a long list of topics to share & upcoming trips & flights to take. You’ll definitely see more in this website next year.

Here’s to an adventure-filled 2020. Happy New Year, dear readers!

PS. Some photos were taken using my HTC U11. Shout out to my friends Junelle, Mark & Richard for allowing me to use your photos in this post.