Sri Lankan Gems

Did you know the best gems in the world can be found in Sri Lanka? Remember Princess Diana's Sapphire engagement ring from Prince Charles? Yes, it's Sri Lankan Sapphire. Sri Lanka is the Sapphire capital of the world.

If you're looking for an exquisite piece of jewelry with precious or semi-precious gemstones. Sri Lanka offers the best quality of Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald, Topaz, Garnet, Quarts and many more. Even Marco Polo wrote this in his journal. Jewellers from around the world import their gemstones from Sri Lanka.

During my visit to Sri Lanka, a lot of Asians and Europeans buy Sapphire from Sri Lanka to sell it in their home country. And the secret of buying it cheaper is do not bring your tour guide or driver with you when going to the Jewelry shop. Apparently they also get commission so the price goes up very, very high. I stayed at Mount Lavinia Hotel and there were a few jewelry shops in the resort, believe me, I got my earrings at 80% discount complete with certificate.

So when in Sri Lanka, don't miss to visit the reliable jewelry shops like Sri Lanka Gem and Jewellery Association, Zam Gems, Vogue Jewellers, Colombo Jewellery Store. Even if you're not going to shop, it's just fun to look! 😜

Yala National Park Safari

As an animal lover, I am definitely inquisitive of the animal life in the wild and being able to see them all in the jungle is just compelling.

As the most visited park in Sri Lanka, Yala National Park covers 979 square kilometers (378 sq mi) which makes it as the second largest national park in Sri Lanka, next to Wilpattu National Park.

Situated in the southeast coast of Sri Lanka with the nearest city, Katagarama and about 290 Km from the capital Colombo. The park is renowned for the variety of it's wildlife and tropical flora. From a substantial elephant population along with the big cats (leopards), spotted deer, wild buffalo, Sloth bear, jackal, wild boar, crocodiles and many more. The bird life comprises of over 120 species. Consisting of five blocks and adjoining parks, two blocks are opened to the public for safari adventures. Block one is the most visited area since it contains the highest density of Leopards. To be able to appreciate Yala, choose a suitable guide that will inevitably show you the alluring attributes of the park. 

Plan your trip Yala National Park.

Address: B499, Sri Lanka

Coordinates: 6° 22′ 22″ N, 81° 31′ 1″ E

Grand Opening of Mango Mega Store in Ho Chi Minh City

Yesterday, it was truly a great pleasure and a privilege to be invited to the grand opening of a Mango Mega Store at Vincom Center in Ho Chi Minh City.

Upon arriving at the event, I handed my invitation and they gave me a Mango Goodie Bag. Then I looked around the shop to see their latest collection. The new Mango Mega Store in Vincom Center is huge.

Photo from Facebook

As guests starts to arrive, food and beverage was served. The store was packed with guests like bloggers, the media and a lot of famous Vietnamese celebrities also promoting the event but my incomprehension of Vietnam's show business, I'm totally oblivious. Though I had my photo taken with a Vietnamese singer, Phuong, who performed that night.

The event started Phuong singing a song from Bruno Mars ''Just the way you are'' and at the same time, models walked around the store to feature Mango's new collection for men and women.

Photo from ngoisao.net

Photo from ngoisao.net

Mango Kids also showcased their latest collection. Cute Vietnamese models walked confidently around the shop to show the guests their outfit.

Photo from ngoisao.net

The event ended with a raffle draw and great prizes like six winners of 250 USD worth Mango voucher as the 3rd prize, Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge as the 2nd prize and for the grand prize winner, a Samsung Flat Screen TV. Sadly, I'm never lucky with raffles.

#ootn

Dress: Soaked in Luxury

Shoes: Christian Louboutin

Bag: Chanel

Accessories: Trollbeads

Batu Caves

Planning a holiday to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia? Don't miss the most visited temple, Batu Caves, in your ''must see'' list.

Simple Facts About Batu Caves:

-Located in Golambok, Selangor, Malaysia. Just outside Kuala Lumpur.
-The formation of Batu Caves dates back to 400 million years.
- Batu Caves temples consists of 3 main caves and a few smaller ones, with Temple Cave as the biggest.
-Dubbed as one of the most popular Hindu shrines outside India.
-Batu Caves is dedicated to Lord Murugan, the Hindu God of War.
-There are 272 steps to reach the caves and temples.
-Just outside the cave stands the tallest statue in world of Lord Murugan.

Valentines Pizza

They say, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach! So ladies, if want to do something special and personalized to your boyfriends or husbands this Valentines, make him dinner!

Today's blog, I will be sharing to you my easy Pizza dough recipe. And the toppings? It's up to you! You can put whatever you want or however you like it.

Hope you enjoy my pizza dough recipe and Happy Hearts Day. ♥

Pizza Dough

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
2 1/4 teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
1 tablepoon White Sugar
1 teaspoon Salt
3 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 cup warm Water
Butter

Method:
1) Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a big bowl and mix thoroughly.
2) Cover the bowl with cloth, let the dough rise for 30 minutes.
3) Knead the dough flat for 10 minutes, add flour if necessary.
4) On a non-stick pan, rub some butter and place the dough carefully.
5) Spread tomato sauce on top of the dough, add toppings like tuna,vegetables, cheese.
6) Place pizza inside the pre-heated oven and bake for 20-30 minutes until dough starts to become brown. 

For my other recipes, click here.

Trakai Island Castle

A 15th century style castle located on an island in Lake Galvė, Lithuania. Trakai Island Castle was once a residence of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania. The castle doesn't only exhibit the affluent history of Lithuania but is also a favorite venue for cultural events and conferences.

Built in 3 phases, the construction of the stone castle began in the 14th century by order of Grand Duke Kęstutis. In 1377, the castle was attacked by the Teutonic Knights with Kęstutis defeated.

The second phase, regarded as the major development in the history of the castle, started its construction in 1409. Two wings were added and a 6-storey keep was also built. The castle was adorned with glazed roof tiling, red Gothic bricks were utilized to build the walls and embellished the windows with stained-glass.

The expansion of the castle in the early 15th century marked as a the third phase. The outer walls were expanded to a thickness of 2.5 metres. A main gatehouse was constructed and 3 major defensive towers were built.

In the 17th century, the war against Muscovy created a massive destruction of the castle. But it was not until the 19th century where the reconstruction of the castle began.

Today, Trakai Island Castle is one of the major tourist attractions in Lithuania.


Trakai Island Castle
Address: Trakai, Lithuania

Coordinates: 54° 39′ 7.2″ N, 24° 56′ 2.4″ E Admission:  6€