Category: Travel Reviews

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” →

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” →

Review: Singapore Air Economy Class – Singapore to Auckland, New Zealand for $37

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:

So let’s get back into it! When I left off, I had just finished a 7 hour layover in Singapore.

Continue reading “Review: Singapore Air Economy Class – Singapore to Auckland, New Zealand for $37” →

Review: Singapore Air Economy Class – Tokyo, Japan to Singapore for $37

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 – Tokyo, Japan to Singapore for $37” →