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YANGON MYANMAR<br />
Gill Pattison<br />
Art gallery manager,<br />
River Gallery<br />
BEST BREAKFAST: Mohinga.<br />
Without doubt, Myanmar’s<br />
tasty fi sh soup is the best breakfast<br />
treat. You supplement the basic<br />
piquant fi sh-and-noodle broth with<br />
fl avourings of your choice — lime<br />
juice, coriander, crunchy fried<br />
something-or-other. Yum!<br />
GREAT PLACE FOR DINNER:<br />
Monsoon Restaurant. An<br />
excellent Asian-themed restaurant<br />
with a good selection of Myanmar<br />
classics, it is an oasis of cool and<br />
calm in the frenetic downtown area.<br />
The friendly and effi cient staff make<br />
everyone feel welcome. It is just<br />
around the corner from my gallery, so<br />
I am often there for lunch as well.<br />
MUST-BUYS (MONEY NO<br />
OBJECT!): Rubies, I guess,<br />
although I have never indulged. For<br />
art-lovers, a must-buy is a beautiful<br />
painting by one of Myanmar’s fi nest<br />
artists. A great selection of works<br />
from Myanmar’s most talented artists<br />
can be found at River Gallery, right<br />
next to the famous Strand Hotel.<br />
Buddhist devotees at the<br />
Shwedagon Pagoda<br />
YANGON<br />
FROM THE AIRPORT<br />
CBD 15km from<br />
Yangon International<br />
Airport<br />
Travel time Around<br />
30 mins by car to the<br />
centre of town<br />
Taxi Approx US$6-8<br />
(S$7-10). Confi rm the<br />
price before you get<br />
in the cab<br />
ON THE GO<br />
1. Walking If you<br />
are keen to explore<br />
Yangon’s downtown<br />
area, it’s best to do<br />
it on foot so you<br />
can fully soak up the<br />
city’s quiet charm<br />
and unhurried pace.<br />
2. Taxi No meters,<br />
but the drivers will<br />
quote you a usually<br />
modest going rate.<br />
INTERNATIONAL ADVENTURES<br />
AUCKLAND NEW ZEALAND<br />
Kate Elliot<br />
Womenswear<br />
designer, Line 7<br />
BEST PLACE TO PARTY WITH<br />
THE GANG: Sale Street Bar<br />
and Restaurant on Sale Street just<br />
off Wellesley Street, down near the<br />
Victoria Park precinct. There’s a<br />
lovely outdoor patio lit by fairy lights<br />
at night, and an expansive bar inside.<br />
There is live music on weekends.<br />
MUST-BUY (MONEY NO<br />
OBJECT!): This would have<br />
to be a great outdoor jacket like the<br />
Line7 Squadron jacket; it’s lightweight<br />
but warm and will keep you<br />
dry during summer and winter.<br />
FAVOURITE LOCAL FESTIVAL:<br />
The Grey Lynn Festival, which<br />
is held at the end of November. It’s<br />
free and people converge on Grey<br />
Lynn Park with their picnic blankets<br />
and hampers to listen to local music<br />
and peruse the many stalls selling all<br />
sorts of goodies.<br />
I LOVE AUCKLAND BECAUSE:<br />
The city really shines in<br />
summer, with so many beaches to<br />
visit and islands out in the Hauraki<br />
Gulf to explore.<br />
AUCKLAND<br />
The Abel Tasman<br />
Coastal Track<br />
FROM THE AIRPORT<br />
CBD 20km<br />
from Auckland<br />
International Airport<br />
Travel time CBD is<br />
around 45 mins<br />
by car<br />
Taxi From NZ$60<br />
(S$60)<br />
Shuttle bus NZ$30<br />
(S$30), taking 45–60<br />
mins<br />
ON THE GO<br />
1. Jafa cabs This<br />
is a bicycle with<br />
bench seats for<br />
two. It is free if<br />
you board it within<br />
the Auckland central<br />
business district.<br />
2. Ferry Interislander<br />
is the main operator<br />
between Wellington<br />
(North Island) and<br />
Picton (South Island).<br />
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