St Valentine

I will never be able to decide if I prefer sunrises or sunsets, I think there is a certain charm in each. I've been fortunate enough to experience some pretty incredible sunrises, I have particularly fond memories of trekking to see the sunrise in Fiji from the top of a mountain.

That said, I witnessed a beautifully magical sunrise in Koh Phangan in Thailand. With a romantic colour theme of pinks, reds and oranges the picture was flooded with light. Looking at it now conjures up incredible memories for me.

Where have you seen the best sunrise?

The Clean City

A while back I spent a weekend in Singapore, just a few days. It's an interesting place; a cleaner subway system than anywhere else I've ever visited, huge buildings and ridiculously sleek and fashionable women.

Experiencing huge expansion and growth in previous years, the economy in Singapore slowed up in 2011 and looks to stay much the same in 2012. It's a small country and will inevitably be effected by the economic problems in Europe.

That said, there's a lot of business in Singapore accross various industries, from banking to technology to the tourism trade. It's a popular stop-over destination for people travelling from Europe to Australia and is also popular in it's own right with first class shopping, world- renowned sights such as Raffles Hotel and the interesting island of Sentosa (it's like The Truman Show!).

Here are some of my pictures from the trip:

Thriving nightlife at Clarke Quay

Tiger made of flowers on Orchard Street

 Long Bar at Raffles Hotel, where one can enjoy a Singapore Sling (anyone can visit the bar, even if you aren't fortunate enough to be staying at the hotel.

THE Singapore Sling...

Leopards at the night safari

Bright colours at the Botanical Gardens...

Luging on Sentosa island- lots of fun!

The Dream Team:: Shutters on the Beach

Just the name of this hotel sounds idyllic, which isn't a word I would use for many hotels around the Los Angeles area of California.

Photo, courtesy of Shutters  on the Beach website

Shutters on the Beach is one hotel that I would love to stay at. It is a luxury beach front property in Santa Monica. A boutique hotel which looks cool yet comfortable, stylish yet friendly and of course, it's right on the beach.

Following the spot-on location, the credibility of the hotel is enhanced by beautifully crafted rooms, wonderful food and a wellness spa.

The rooms and suites have the mod-cons and cleanliness you would expect from a Californian hotel, but juxtapose this with a beachy-boutique feel. The clean, light and airy rooms are perfect for relaxing and enjoying the sea views.

There are 3 restaurants to choose from; One Pico, Coast and the Living Room. I imagine a lazy weekend at Shutters, including a wonderful morning brunch of Eggs Benedict on the Sunday down at One Pico whilst reading the papers.

The hotel looks modern, very slick and is quite big, yet what I love most about it is the way they appear to have retained a friendly beach-house vibe throughout the decor, restaurants and character.

Week-day doubles in February start from approximately $510 based on 2 people sharing a room.

See more for yourself at their website, Shutters on the Beach.