In conjunction with possibly the hottest MediaCorp Chinese drama of the year, “The Dream Makers 2”, we want to redefine the best of Melbourne so that you’re set for the ultimate dream vacation experience of your life!

Here’s 8 defining reasons why Melbourne is everything you want it to be. And more.

1. Food, Food, Everywhere

If you haven’t heard of Melbourne being a culinary capital, it’s time to venture out of your cave, pack your bags and catch that 8-hour flight to the gastronomic heaven! Whether you’re up for Greek, Peruvian, African, Vietnamese, Thai, or other world cuisines, Melbourne’s eclectic dining scene has much to offer in its myriad of restaurants, cafes, bistros and bars.

Brunch on the mouthwatering bagels at Manchester Press (the smoked salmon is to die for!), drop by Mekong Vietnam for a bowl of tasty Vietnamese pho, or shop for fresh produce and feast on fresh oysters at Queens Victoria Market or South Melbourne Market!

Now, you can’t forget about the drinks when you talk about food. Enjoy Melbourne’s best coffee in the self-proclaimed coffee capital, and for those who enjoy their wine, the beautiful vineyards of Yarra Valley are a must-go for great wines and fresh local produce.

Food and drinks aside, don’t forget to go on a hot air balloon ride over the scenic Yarra Valley!

2. Free Tram Zone

There’s nothing more satisfying than being able to save up on your transport fares when you are overseas, don’t you think so? If you are traveling within the CBD (which of course you will), you can hop on to any of the city trams without tapping in and out with your myki card (also known as ez-Link card in Singapore and Touch ‘n Go card in Malaysia) unless you plan to travel outside of the central area.

With plenty of transport options like trains, trams, buses and bikes, it’s so easy to get around in Melbourne. The clear and interconnected grid layout makes it hard for you to get lost too!

3. Meet The “Locals”

Now, don’t just stay cooped up in the city. Did you know? The state of Victoria is home to over 4,300 native plants and 950 animal species!

Take a short drive from the city to one of the numerous national and nature parks and experience the wonders of the natural world. Try spotting your favorite mammal species like the ever-adorable wallabies, sleepy koalas, puffy wombats and echidnas!

P.S. The highly popular Phillip Island Nature Parks has just opened its new Penguins Plus Viewing Experience last November! Featuring an underground viewing area for visitors to come face to face with their favorite wildlife, it’s a reason why every one should go whether or not they have already been to Phillip Island.

4. An Iconic Beach

Scroll through your Facebook friends’ profile photos now and chances are, you are able to find at least one friend with Melbourne’s iconic colorful bathing boxes as his or her photo’s backdrop.

About an hour’s drive south from Melbourne, the Brighton Beach is one of the popular beaches, and rightly so. No two boxes are identical and each has its own design, shape and character. Set against the spectacular Melbourne city skyline, Brighton Beach is also a sought-after destination for wedding photo shoots (hint, hint!) and a dream destination for photographers and holiday-makers alike.

Did you know? The bathing boxes were originally erected from the 1890s to protect ladies’ modesty when they change into their swimwear. Today, they are used for changing and storage of beach necessities like surf boards. Sadly, there are only 90 boxes left as many were washed away or have been destroyed by rough weather. Bathing boxes are rarely put up for sale, but last year, the historic box #6 on Brighton’s Dendy Street Beach was sold at a weekend auction for a whopping $276,000!

5. Street Art Capital

Forget the ugly graffiti. Take a wander down Hosier Lane, Melbourne’s iconic bluestone laneway and you’ll understand why its urban art scene is well recognized around the world. In the recent years, the street art‐covered walls have become a popular backdrop for fashion and wedding photography too!

Designed by local and international artists, the walls and grounds of Hosier Lane are constantly being updated with new, mind-blowing art pieces in a dazzling array of colors, characters and shapes every few weeks! There’s always something new to admire. Photo-taking is free so don’t forget to stop for one and strut your coolest pose in front of your favorite street art! If you are lucky, you might even be able to catch the street artists at work. And if you have been wondering… with proper permission, yes, street art is legal.

Keen to explore the fascinating urban art scene and immerse yourself in the local culture? Join a walking tour and discover not just of the city’s best laneways and artists, but the hidden shops and laneway cafes as well!

6. Amazing Coastal Drives

How can we forget about the spectacular Great Ocean Road, one of Australia’s most scenic drives?

If you are planning on a self-guided drive, we’ll recommend a 3-day touring route from the surf capital Torquay to the famous 12 Apostles, and end at the historic fishing village Port Fairy.

Now, there are plenty of things you can do as you make your way to your destination. The drive is some 420km in entirety and definitely warrants a 1-3 nights stay along the spectacular coastal drive to be able to soak in the sights and venture off touristy attractions for awesome photography! Spot koalas, kangaroos and other native wildlife, explore surf towns and seaside villages, enjoy seasonal local produce and seafood along the coast, and admire the stunning coastline on the Great Ocean Walk. For the more adventurous souls, there are also a great range of outdoor activities you can do like horse rides along the beach, soar up high at Otway Fly zip line, go on walks and hikes, mountain biking, fishing charters and open sea kayaking!

7. A Global Metropolis

Those who have been here will tell you that Melbourne is a city that takes great pride in being a giant melting pot — a city with different cultures, different nationalities from around the world, and one that straddles history, modernity, technology and tradition. It’s no wonder Melbourne was named the World’s Most Liveable City for the fifth year running recently.

8. Australia’s Capital For Events & Festivals

On the topic of arts and culture, the city is abuzz with fantastic festivals and events all year round. In fact, in 2016, Melbourne will see six major events in the first quarter alone! Tell us if that doesn’t already convince you!

Now, anticipation is already running high for the Australian Open Tennis (18 – 31 Jan), White Night Melbourne (20 Feb) Melbourne Food and Wine Festival (4 – 13 Mar), Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival (7 – 13 Mar), and Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show (16 – 20 Mar), and they are just the beginning of a long list of happening events in the new year!

Melbourne Food & Wine Festival. Photo: Ben King

Australian Open Tennis

What are you waiting for? Don’t dream your life. Live your dreams.

Plan your trip, pack your bags, and to Melbourne, let’s go!

For Singapore residents only:  Keen to trail “The Dream Makers 2’s” filming locations? Don’t miss out on Chan Brothers Travel’s 7D Melbourne & Surrounds Self-Drive Package Tour here. For more resources and reasons to choose Melbourne as your next dream vacation, see visitmelbourne.com.

More related articles on Melbourne & Surrounds:

- 48-Hour Itinerary: Food
- 48-Hour Itinerary: Family
- 48-Hour Itinerary: Fashion
- 48-Hour Itinerary: Art and Design
- Adventure, Explore, Experience Itinerary
- Mind, Body, Soul Itinerary
- Adventure, Explore, Experience Itinerary

About Dream Makers 2

Dream Makers 2 (DM2) is a sequel to the highly popular 30-episode TV series Dream Makers (DM) that aired on Singapore’s MediaCorp Channel 8 from late June to early August 2013. DM featured a heavy-weight cast of top billing actors and actresses.

DM2 continues to follow the lives of those working in the front and behind the cameras of a TV station where temptations of fame can change one’s character and outlook in life. The lead role is played veteran actress Zoe Tay who headed the variety channel in the first series. In DM2, she is now one of the VPs of the drama channel and her outlook in life has dramatically changed since the death of her boyfriend in DM. Because of declining advertising sales, the TV station hires another VP for the drama department to put pressure on the lead actress. This coupled with a new TV station entering the market creates friction among colleagues who are both friends and foe at the same time. Faced with competition and pressure, will the central characters overcome adversity to rise up the ranks?

DM garnered 21 nominations for 12 awards in the Star Awards, winning 9 gongs including Best Drama Serial. The series was sold to Malaysia (2 week delayed telecast), Thailand, Cambodia and China.

DM2 will be broadcasted in Singapore from 4 December 2015 to 15 January 2016 on MediaCorp TV Channel 8, weekdays, at 9pm, and in Malaysia on ASTRO Shuang Xing Channel, weekdays, at 5pm. An estimated 42 scenes were filmed in Melbourne and Surrounds. For more information on “The Dream Makers 2″, visit Toggle, iWeekly and MediaCorp.

This article is created on behalf of VisitMelbourne and powered by Digital Influenza. 

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M is for May…
M is for Mother’s Day!

Mother’s Day falls on 10th May this year, and is a special occasion to show our love and gratitude for our mom.

Being someone who is so close to us, we tend to grow up and take for granted that whatever she does is of her duty to do so, and that no matter what, she would always be here by our side.

For those staying with their mom, you get to see her everyday but do you spend time to sit down and have a nice chit chat with her? For those who are not staying with their mom, when was the last time you visited her?

We might not be able to say “I Love U” everyday, thus Mother’s Day is that special occasion where we can to do something really special for our mommy dearest. Grab this once in year opportunity to show we care by making the effort to romance her, like how we romance our girlfriend/wife. Every lady loves to be loved, and to receive surprises that will sweep her off her feet. Don’t forget that your mom is still a fair lady, no matter how old she is.

“My mother likes perfume and has an extensive collection. What’s more perfect than an elegant set of designer perfume, complete with flowers!”

Timeless Glamour
(JBA27)
Find out more here

“Work absorbs our daily lives, but family is always important and should not be neglected. I find it important to prepare a Mother’s Day gift for my mother as a reminder of my love for her.
As you know, it can be abit embarrassing for a guy to be seen carrying a bouquet of flowers on the street, thus Noel Gifts becomes my first choice when it comes to gifting. Being an established brand, I can always find quality gift sets and be able to make hassle-free order online. It gets delivered right to her doorstep to surprise her!”

Alvin Lim
http://alvinology.com/

“My mum has a soft spot for jewellery, clothes and hand creams. As I just bought her a necklace for her birthday recently, I figured the Playful Elegance Gift Set which comes with a lovely bouquet accompanied by Crabtree & Evelyn’s hand cream and bath gel would be a good gift to pamper her. My mum has been advocating the use of hand creams since I was in my teens and thanks to her golden words of wisdom, my hands have gotten smoother and softer over the years.
I’m sure the flowers in this gift set would perk up her day at the office, plus she can easily pop this handy hand cream into her handbag and keep her hands hydrated throughout the day.”

Regina Chow
http://reginachow.blogspot.sg

A cozy celebration at our favourite restaurant is never complete without a surprise gift at the end of the meal. To be able to put a smile on my mum’s face and see her eyes light up when she receives a gift she adores truly warms my heart.

Playful Elegance Gift Set
(JBA25)
Find out more here

Regina Chow
http://reginachow.blogspot.sg

“Every year, I crack my brains thinking about what would make a special gift for her. I chanced upon Noel Gifts when my company ordered corporate gifts from them. I was pleasantly surprised by its plethora of gift options for Mother’s Day too! This year, they have gone one step further by bundling their gorgeous floral bouquets with practical gifts ranging from spa treats, hand creams, perfumes, cakes, organic tea, nourishing tonics to even jewellery! There is something suitable for every mom!

Thanks to Noel Gifts, I can now spring a surprise on my mum this Mother’s Day with the click of a button, regardless of where I may be. This is such an ingenious idea as it makes gift shopping more thoughtful, and also quick, convenient and absolutely fuss-free too!”

“Mother’s Day is a very important day to me as it is a great opportunity to make my mum feel extra special.

As a mom myself, I lead a busy lifestyle with work and family too and don’t have much leisure time to hit the malls. You know when you want to find something in particular, you simply couldn’t find it there and then. Lucky for me, Noel Gifts is the perfect place for me to order a special gift for Mother’s Day!

Besides the traditional hampers & flower bouquets, the e-store also offers other well-thought choices and endless gift combinations for you to spoil my mom. Noel Gifts also have hampers and gifts combinations for all other occasions. Convenient for busy moms like me to find a nice gift whenever I need.”

Jessie Ting
http://blog.myfatpocket.com/jessieting/

Lady Yang
(JBA3A)
Find out more here

“This year, besides flowers and a nice meal which is a must for Mother’s Day every year, I decided to add an additional touch. I ordered this combination gift set – Lady Yang from Noel Gifts. I feel that other than a nice bouquet of flowers, my mom would be happy to get the wine, cake and chocolate for our Mother’s Day celebration. Price for this is $74.90 including GST. This is seriously value for money, don’t you think so?!

Jessie Ting
http://blog.myfatpocket.com/jessieting/

“Mother’s Day happens only once in a year, and I believe this occasion acts as a reminder for us to show gratitude to our mother. My mother plays such an important role in our development, and our gift for her is a way of demonstrating our love & appreciation.

The first thing when I need to buy a gift is to check out Noel Gifts. The convenience and assured quality of Noel makes them a natural preferred choice for me. I like the fact that I can have a wide variety to choose from, enable me to order online instantly, and have the gift delivered straight to my mum’s doorstep!”

Edmund Tay
http://edunloaded.com/

“My mum has a sweet tooth, thus I would like to send her a this lovely set of flowers, tea and honey so she can have Hi-Tea in the comfort of her house. Honey is a great supplement for her too, so I believe she will love this surprise and put it to good use.”

Organic Honey Sweet Tea Time
(JBA12)
Find out more here

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Unlike most tourist posts about Bangkok, this short excerpt is just about one place that most reviewers have either missed out on or not been to. We happened to chance upon it during one of the random conversation with locals.

Click to get the app on your mobile

Getting There. If you have WIFI, getting there will be a breeze. We stayed in Amari WaterGate and JJ Green is about 6km away on google map. We used GRAB TAXI APP and just pumped in the road name “Kamphaeng Phet 3 Rd”. Two great things about GRAB TAXI. One is the astonishing number of taxis that are using it. The second is that they are expected to switch on their meter so there is absolutely no hassle at the end of the trip. The ride took less than 15 mins to reach there and the service fee is 25BHT. Brilliant.

When to go. We were there on a Saturday night so the place was blooming with locals, mostly tertiary or young working couples. We were told JJ Green opens from Thursday – Sunday and the probable best time to go is in the late evening till late. At the gate of JJ Green, we were greeted by many cars taking part in Car Boot Sale and it almost felt that we were in a Gypsy Market. A very unique and different kind of feel you get from your normal Bangkok city buzz.

 * A point to note is that it is really walkable from the famous Chatuchak Market. If you have the appetite and the stamina, you might want to visit the day market and walk down for a chill beer at JJGreen.

What we did & loved about the place. We probably been to Bangkok no less than 10 times over the last 5 years, JJ Green was like a refreshing minty gum that you just popped in your mouth. The crowd were not seen with their pradas bags and ferragamo shoes. Well dressed nevertheless, they oozed their own style with cool hats, bags & accessories. Almost everyone had a different style.  We actually felt young (again) mingling with the crowd and everyone was just really friendly and nice. No one was too eager to sell their ware which is, out of the world.

A lot of these stores are a walk down memory lane. We found one store that was selling all our favorite tikam toys for a mere 10bht. Check out the fun we had posting on Facebook on this one!

A lot of pre loved items, especially converse shoes that are going for 150bht. Other great finds were cool ornaments and vintage furniture that could find in abundance at every corner of the market.

Some of these pre loved are actually impressive new

Spidey among the rest of the M&M and other cool characters at this vintage shop

Found this spiderman and was tempted to bring it back to Singapore. It costed about S$1,000. Absolutely gem. 

What makes a great place?  Great ambience is a result of spontaneous crowd, deco & great food & drinks at great prices. JJGreen has a couple of bistros that are filled with amazing unique creative deco and acoustic bands. The menus are all in Thai but they should hardly stop you from getting what you want. After 4 bottles of beers and 4 dishes, we were merely setback by 550bht. 

Nice use of recycled materials

What they did & loved about the place. Do a search on #JJGreen, JJGreenMarket and you will see great photos posted by locals and tourist all over the world. Post your comments if you have other great photos to share. In short, we had a great time at JJGreen & will strongly recommend a visit if you are going Bangkok anytime soon. go visit JJGreen before it turns into another tourist attraction.

Below are the 6 favorite Instagram pictures we found. 

The post If you have not been here, you have not been to Bangkok appeared first on Digital Influenza.

How to get there | Hotel at the Beach Front | Things to do in Boracay Beach | Food. What’s Good & Not | Water Sports | Inland Sports | Overall Budget & Experience

Introduction
We have had the opportunity to travel to Boracay, thanks to the excuse of celebrating my wife’s birthday there. We are not sure if it’s coincidence but Boracay seem to have grown in statue, to be one of Singaporean’s favorite getaway. Here’s some of our recommendations on some the things to do in Boracay for friends outings, family retreat or just a couple getaway.

How to get there
There are only two options to get there from Singapore, via Calticlan and Kalibo Airport. We chose Kalibo Airport on a 3 hours direct flight from Singapore via Silk Air. From the airport, we had to take an approximate 70km road ride to the ferry terminal. The ride was windy and bumpy, often hugging mountainous roads and slow moving vehicles. Reaching the ferry terminal, it took an easy ten minutes boat ride to Boracay island.

If you can get car motion sickness, we feel the better option is to Cebu Pacific Airlines and land at Calticlan Airport instead. The good about this option is it is only a fifteen minutes ride from the airport to Boracay beach front itself. The flip side to this is it is a slightly costlier option (i.e. another $100 SGD++ per ticket) and if you are traveling from Singapore, you would have to transit at Manila for approximately two hours.

Although on hind sight we would have chosen the via Calticlan option, luck has it that we chose the Kalibo Airport route. We were there during the monsoon and typhoon (Glenda) season and Calticlan Airport was closed temporary, leaving many tourist stranded in the island of Boracay.

Hotel at the Beach Front
The stretch of boracay beach is separated into 3 stations (i.e. station 1,2,3). We stayed in The Boracay Beach Resort at station 2 and it seems to be the place to be. Beach front was only meters away from the entrance of the resort and if you managed to stay at the ocean facing suites, you would have an amazing view of the Boracay Beach for the rest of your trip. The hotel is also well situated along the walking street of the beach front where street peddlers, performances and chill out coffee houses and pubs are. It is also walking distance to D’Mall and Di’Talipapa market, a must go tourist attraction.

Beach front hotels are expensive and they range from S$200-300 per night, even during low season. If you have the budget, it is the best place to feel the culture and atmosphere. Boracay Beach is for everyone and there are other budgeted alternatives in many non-beach front hotels which are 5-10 minutes walk from the beach front as well.

Things to do in Boracay Beach

With the remains of Typhoon Glenda approaching, the beach is still magnificent in its view.

It must be said we couldn’t have gone at a worse time to Boracay. In the middle of their monsoon season and typhoon Glenda which was due to hit Manila, we pretty much had a “wet” beach experience for a good half of our trip. One of the local guide mentioned the best time to come to Boracay is during December and January so it is great to take heed. But nevertheless, we were undaunted and braved through the flooding, wind and rain at times.

Food. What’s Good & Not
Di’Talipapa Market – Situated in Station 2, Di’Talipapa is a seafood night market with many restaurants surrounding, ready to grill, steam, fry your live purchases. It’s really like your average wet market joint in Singapore. You get to choose a great variety of fresh live seafood from lobsters to clams but It is almost important you know how to bargain your way through as the peddlers name cut throat prices in the beginning. Our meals average $20 – $40/per head for a table of 8 adults. I won’t say it’s the best deal i ever had but it’s decently priced and one of the things you do as a tourist.

Epic Cafe (station 2) – After some research on trip advisor before the trip, we decided to go to Epic Cafe for a exciting ribs experience. Although i was not around for that lunch, my friends had so much rave reviews about the ribs that we decided to try it for the second time the next day. Surprising on the second day, it didn’t turn out to be as great as the first as some part of the ribs were cold in the inside. At 800 peso (approximately S$25) per single serving, it’s on the pricey side in Boracay but it’s worth a try if you love ribs.

I Love BackYard BBQ (D’mall) – Philippines is known for the barbecue and grills. We particularly had a deep impression on this nice restaurant. The price is correctly priced (approx $15 per head) and the food is just tasty! We recommend the Seafood Grill and the “I love BackYard BBQ Burger”. One small setback is the restaurant is really cosy and small so it is important to either avoid the usual lunch/dinner hours or call for booking. You can read more on review from trip adviser here.

http://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/Restaurant_Review-g294260-d3607786-Reviews-I_Love_Backyard_BBQ-Boracay_Visayas.html

Beer
The price of beer in Philippines is notoriously cheap and it’s just amazing even in such densely commercialized beach, the price of beer has not been inflated. In the pubs and restaurants, there are 3 kind of beers that they serve in the pub (San Miguel Light, San Miguel Pilner & Red Horse) and averagely cost about 50-80 pesos (S$1.50 – S$2.40 per bottle). I mean.. enough said on this one.

Jonah’s Fruit Shake & Snack Bar (Station 1)
Not so much into alcohol? Try Jonah’s Fruit Shake & Snack Bar. Even with a heavy downpour in the late evening, there was still a queue forming. We tried the banana choco peanut shake and you could really feel the crunchiness of peanut and the thickness. Some recommend it as the top 10 things to do in Boracay, we don’t think you will be disappointed with this one.

Water Sports
OK. Epic Failure for this one. As mentioned, the weather was really terrible. We had every intention to try the Ariel Point which is a landmark for the exciting cliff diving venue and even paid 500 pesos (per head) for deposit. The tour (costs 2000 peso per head) leaves every morning at 10am and includes free meals and all you can drink alcohol. No luck on this one as thunderstorm brewed the next morning, and so did our deposits.

In the end, we didn’t managed to do any water sports but did take to the beach to take some photos. We hope it shows you how beautiful the beach is even with inclement weather.

Inland Sports
Undaunted by the weather, we moved inland for some excitement! For 1670 peso per head, we booked an one hour ATV ride, a platform view at the highest point in Boracay and an extremely exciting experience Zorbing. Words would never describe the fun. Hopefully these photos take with a GoPro Hero 3 could give you a better idea!

http://www.digitalinfluenza.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/IMG_4637.mov

For golfers, there is only one golf course called Fairways and Bluewaters, Boracay. Unless you are staying at the resort, there is no worth paying S$190 for a golf game there. The course is extremely poorly maintained and the course is pretty straight forward. There is nothing much to review about the course except you could probably put the money to better here in Boracay.

Overall Budget & Experience
The people of Boracay depends mainly on tourism. The overall experience i had with Boracay people was one that was genuine and sincere. I felt this is largely due to the fact Boracay has not been fully commercialized yet (unlike Bali, Phuket etc). Sadly, it should not take them too long so if you have to go, plan your trip in the next few years. Having been to Maldives, i am impressed by how beautiful the beach and sea could be. The sea has a nice 3 tones blue when the sun is up while we were there. There is a nice cosy feel to this place and you don’t feel the locals look upon the tourist like big fat red carrots waiting to be chopped. For 4 days/3 nights, we spent about $1,000 (inclusive of the terrible golf game) for 2 persons (excluding flight and hotel stay). This is a place i will recommend highly for anyone that is looking for a beach retreat holiday and as the title suggests, it’s worth a consideration besides more common beaches like Krabi, Phuket, Bali etc.

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