Category: Reviews

Review: Stonehenge & The Cotswolds Tour From Bath, England

by A Purple Life, posted in Reviews, Spending, Travel, Travel Reviews

This summer I returned to the UK for the first time in about a decade and this was my Partner’s first time in the country of countries. His mother absolutely loves visiting the UK and her favorite part is the Cotswolds.

So one of my goals during our stay in Bath was to visit the smaller towns in the Cotswolds (I later learned that Bath itself is technically in the Cotswolds, but has a very different vibe since it’s a much bigger city). Continue reading “Review: Stonehenge & The Cotswolds Tour From Bath, England” →

Slow Travel Review: Amsterdam, The Netherlands – The Land Of Canals and Bikes

by A Purple Life, posted in Budget Check-In, Finance, Food, Reviews, Slow Travel Reviews, Spending, Travel, Travel Reviews

Since I retired in 2020 and started traveling the world, I’ve had a goal to only visit places that are 70F and sunny. My mood is instantly improved in sunny weather and a temperature that’s not too hot and not too cold makes exploration infinitely more comfortable.

So why did I live in The Netherlands for a month in the winter of 2024 🙂 ? I was in Amsterdam from early November to early December and I’m very glad I decided to break my rule and explore this beautiful city during those months. Let’s jump into why.

Continue reading “Slow Travel Review: Amsterdam, The Netherlands – The Land Of Canals and Bikes” →

Review: Singapore Air Economy Class – Singapore to Tokyo, Japan for $18

by A Purple Life, posted in Reviews, Travel, Travel Hacking, Travel Reviews

This is the second part of a very long post about my experience flying 17 hours in Singapore Air Economy Class. In case you missed it, here’s the first part:

Continue reading “Review: Singapore Air Economy Class – Singapore to Tokyo, Japan for $18” →

Review: Singapore Air Economy Class – Auckland, New Zealand to Singapore for $18

by A Purple Life, posted in Reviews, Travel, Travel Hacking, Travel Reviews

Surprise surprise – I’ve written a lot on this blog about Singapore Air Business Class, First Class and their First Class Suites, but until now, I had never sampled their Economy Class product. That all changed this year 🙂 . So let’s dive into if Economy on this airline lives up to the rest of its plane classes.

Continue reading “Review: Singapore Air Economy Class – Auckland, New Zealand to Singapore for $18” →

Review: Tiritiri Matangi Island Nature Reserve from Auckland, New Zealand

by A Purple Life, posted in Hobbies, Reviews, Travel, Travel Reviews

When I first visited Auckland, New Zealand in November 2023, a few people recommended that I check out Tiritiri Matangi Island Nature Reserve after learning about my love of birds. Unfortunately we were only in Auckland for a few short days and didn’t have the time to do a whole-day adventure on this nearby island.

However, when I returned to Auckland in February 2025, I was ready to see some birds! On my relatively short list to “Must Dos” for my almost 6 week trip, this was near the top of the list. And after I went , it is now my #1 recommendation for a nature-based day trip near Auckland if you’re a bird lover. So let’s dive in and see why this very affordable trek made my jaw drop.

Continue reading “Review: Tiritiri Matangi Island Nature Reserve from Auckland, New Zealand” →

The Best Budget Earbuds: Soundcore Space A40

by A Purple Life, posted in Hobbies, Reviews, Spending, Travel

Last year I was on the search for the best over-ear headphones I could find. After a lot of research, polling y’all, and testing, I found them!

Well now it’s time to expand that search to earbuds, which up to this point I thought would never be for me. So let’s see what changed 🙂 .

Continue reading “The Best Budget Earbuds: Soundcore Space A40” →

Review: Bioluminescence Kayak Tour Near Auckland, New Zealand

by A Purple Life, posted in Reviews, Travel, Travel Reviews

One of my dreams has always been to see bioluminescence. I saw it in Seattle once and also very briefly during my trip to the Great Barrier Reef in 2023, but I’ve never had a full experience with it.

After visiting Australia in 2023 I went to New Zealand and stayed in Auckland for a few nights. While there I discovered that they have tours to kayak at night to see this bioluminescence. However, it was historically windy while I was there and all the tours were cancelled. Continue reading “Review: Bioluminescence Kayak Tour Near Auckland, New Zealand” →