CNA938 Rewind - Sail across the World to Japan, South Korea & Italy on a luxury cruise liner
Play
In 'Destination Anywhere', Melanie Oliveiro finds out about the destinations and countries that cruise passengers can discover when they sign up with Crystal Cruises, a luxury cruise liner. Evon Ler, director of sales, Asia at Abercrombie & Kent Travel Group, the parent company of Crystal Cruises, will talk about the activities – on and offboard – that await passengers. She'll recall travels to Busan, South Korea – eating live octopus; visiting a sake brewery in Kobe, Japan and enjoying fresh cannoli in Sicily, Italy. Ler will also describe the wellness and F&B options like curated plant-based menus and sound therapy sessions available on Crystal Cruises.
CNA938 Rewind - Sail across the World to Japan, South Korea & Italy on a luxury cruise liner
In 'Destination Anywhere', Melanie Oliveiro finds out about the destinations and countries that cruise passengers can discover when they sign up with Crystal Cruises, a luxury cruise liner. Evon Ler, director of sales, Asia at Abercrombie & Kent Travel Group, the parent company of Crystal Cruises, will talk about the activities – on and offboard – that await passengers. She'll recall travels to Busan, South Korea – eating live octopus; visiting a sake brewery in Kobe, Japan and enjoying fresh cannoli in Sicily, Italy. Ler will also describe the wellness and F&B options like curated plant-based menus and sound therapy sessions available on Crystal Cruises.
18 mins
CNA938 Rewind - Made for Mums by a Mum: Gisele Woon on Building Clare's Corner
In 'Made in SG', Melanie Oliveiro speaks with Gisele Woon, founder of Clare's Corner – a 1700 sq. ft events space located in Kembangan, East of Singapore. Woon explains how she set up the company after struggling to find a suitable space for her daughter's birthday and some rude shocks that came after that. She'll describe how Clare's Corner is designed for birthday parties, workshops and corporate events. A TikTok personality with over 1800 followers, Woon will also share the raw realities of motherhood and entrepreneurship.
32 mins
CNA938 Rewind - Paw-ssibly the Future: The Dog Grocer's Sustainable Take on Pet Nutrition
In 'Made in SG', Melanie Oliveiro speaks with the founder of The Dog Grocer, a Singapore pet food manufacturer that's also touted as the country's first sustainable pet food store. Founder Soo Ming Hui, together with marketing manager Nicole Chong, will recall what jumpstarted the brand's creation, how they strive to produce optimal nutritious pet food in their AVS-licensed kitchen, how sustainable the brand is, and the different eats popular with furkids: from freeze-dried treats to marinated jerkies.
33 mins
CNA938 Rewind - New Bahru's ECA Field Trip: collaborations, eats and more!
In 'Destination Anywhere', Melanie Oliveiro finds out where Singaporeans can go to attend a series of design-led fairs featuring local & regional brands. Tania Chan, partner & Chief Marketing Officer of hospitality company Lo & Behold Group will talk about lifestyle destination New Bahru's Extra Curious Activities (ECA) that will bring together local creatives in unexpected ways for visitors to enjoy. Happening from 6 - 8 June, 'ECA: Field Trip' will feature over 30 clubs, societies and lifestyle brands under one roof. Shermien Koh, founder of East Coast Commune will talk about how the café is collaborating with Cruddy, a creative design unit, on a picnic-style booth featuring exclusive merch and a new kids activity book.
16 mins
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Independent Singapore
4 days ago
- Independent Singapore
Singapore passport remains world's most powerful in July 2025 ranking
Photo: Depositphotos/ [email protected] (for illustration purposes only) SINGAPORE: Singapore has once again topped the global passport rankings. According to the Henley Passport Index for July 2025, the Singapore passport holds on to its title as the most powerful passport in the world, offering visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 193 destinations. The index, published by London-based global citizenship and residence advisory firm Henley & Partners, is widely recognised as a benchmark for global passport strength. The ranking is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and assesses the number of destinations passport holders can enter without a prior visa. Coming in just behind Singapore are Japan and South Korea, both tied in second place with 190 visa-free destinations. These three Asian powerhouses have consistently ranked near the top of the index in recent years. In third place are seven European countries — Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, and Spain — each offering passport holders access to 189 countries without needing a visa in advance. India climbed several spots to reach 77th place, thanks to expanded bilateral travel agreements. At the other end of the spectrum, Afghanistan remains at the bottom of the list, with its citizens able to travel visa-free to only 25 destinations. () => { const trigger = if ('IntersectionObserver' in window && trigger) { const observer = new IntersectionObserver((entries, observer) => { => { if ( { lazyLoader(); // You should define lazyLoader() elsewhere or inline here // Run once } }); }, { rootMargin: '800px', threshold: 0.1 }); } else { // Fallback setTimeout(lazyLoader, 3000); } });
CNA
5 days ago
- CNA
Some visitors to the United States will soon need to pay US$250 'visa integrity fee'
SINGAPORE: International visitors to the United States will be required to pay a 'visa integrity fee' of at least US$250, CNN reported on Tuesday (Jul 22), citing a provision in President Donald Trump's flagship tax and spending Bill that was passed earlier this month. The US$250 fee will apply to all visitors who are required to obtain non-immigrant visas to enter the US. This includes business and leisure travellers, as well as international students. The fee will be in addition to existing visa and immigration fees. Tourists and business travellers from countries or regions that are part of the US visa waiver program - such as Singapore, Australia, Japan and many European countries - are not required to obtain visas for stays of 90 days or less. US Visa Waiver Program The US Visa Waiver Program enables most citizens or nationals of participating countries or territories to travel to the US for tourism or business for stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa, though they must still have a valid Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) approval. Travellers must be a citizen or national of the following countries or territories: Andorra Australia Austria Belgium Brunei Chile Croatia Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Israel Italy Japan Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Monaco Netherlands New Zealand Norway Poland Portugal Qatar San Marino Singapore Slovakia Slovenia South Korea Spain Sweden Switzerland Taiwan United Kingdom Collapse According to the legislative provision, visitors will be required to make payment at the same time their visas are issued. There will be no fee waivers, though visitors who comply with their visa provisions can have the fee reimbursed after their trip is over. Any fees that are not reimbursed "shall be deposited into the general fund of the Treasury", a provision in the Bill says. The initial fee for fiscal year 2025 is outlined at either US$250 or greater, determined by the Secretary of Homeland Security. The fee is also subject to annual adjustments for inflation. "The intent behind this refund provision is to incentivise compliance with US immigration laws by treating the US$250 as a refundable security deposit - essentially rewarding those who follow the rules," wrote immigration lawyer Steven A Brown, a partner at Houston-based Reddy Neumann Brown PC, in a blog post on his firm's website. Trump on Jul 4 signed his "Big Beautiful Bill" into law, saying that the Bill's passage would supercharge the US economy. However, it is also expected to add trillions of dollars to the US deficit. Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has cracked down on immigration, banning citizens from several countries and making efforts to deny enrollment of foreign students. While the visa integrity fee was approved after the Bill was passed, it has not been implemented yet. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the agency instituting the new fee, has not provided any specific details about the refund process or other aspects of the implementation of the fee. 'The visa integrity fee requires cross-agency coordination before implementation,' CNN reported, citing a DHS spokesperson. Brown warned that the fee reimbursement is not automatic, and that the burden will likely fall on visa holders to prove compliance and request the refund through a process that has not yet been announced. 'Until those procedures are announced, employers and foreign nationals should treat the US$250 visa integrity fee as a non-refundable upfront cost and plan accordingly,' Brown said. 'If a refund becomes viable in the future, it may provide an added benefit - but for now, it remains a theoretical incentive awaiting implementation guidelines.'
CNA
5 days ago
- CNA
Mediacorp teams up with TaiwanPlus for new travelogue series Double Yummy
Mediacorp has partnered with Taiwanese international media platform TaiwanPlus to launch an English-language infotainment programme that combines two crowd favourites: Food and travel. Titled Double Yummy, the new food travelogue will be fronted by Mediacorp Class 95 presenter Yasminne Cheng and Taiwanese actor Andrew Chau, the son of of popular singer Wakin Chau. Spanning six episodes, Double Yummy takes viewers on a flavour-packed adventure, offering insights on the colourful food cultures of Singapore and Taiwan. More than just a celebration of cuisine, the series explores how food serves as a bridge between generations, communities, and across geographies. Each episode will highlight one of six widely loved ingredients: Chicken, beef, fish, crab, pork and noodles. Renowned chefs from Singapore and Taiwan will put their culinary skills to the test, creating reinterpretations of the featured dish in each episode. Virginia Lim, Chief Content Officer, Mediacorp, said in a press release: 'Partnering with TaiwanPlus to offer Double Yummy to audiences in Singapore, Taiwan and beyond allows us to connect people through the universal language of food and entertainment.' 'This latest collaboration underlines Mediacorp's commitment to work with global partners on a wide repertoire of both scripted and non-scripted projects, leveraging the creative and production talents from both ends to bring authentic stories from Singapore and Taiwan to our audiences.'
