The TravelSmart guide to Singapore, from street food to green spaces
This week, this special episode of TravelSmart – in partnership with the Singapore Tourism Board – is helping you get to know the incredible southeast Asian city state.
It's a place famous for its contemporary architecture, weaving of green spaces into the urban landscape, and beyond impressive street food – and somewhere that is far from simply a place to stopover. Join Annabel Grossman and The Independent 's travel correspondent Simon Calder, who shares why the Lion City is one of his favourites, from its diversity to how it blends a colourful history with cutting-edge modernity – all while preserving its natural heart.
Watch TravelSmart on Independent TV.
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Daily Mail
18 hours ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE I was excited to come to Australia on a working holiday visa - but here's what they DON'T tell you
A British traveller has shared one of the biggest struggles she's been faced with since moving to Australia that 'no one talks about'. Alice Carter moved Down Under four months ago, swapping London for Sydney, but has been left fearing she'll be forced to return to the UK after struggling to find a job. Despite plenty of experience, the former social editor has been unable to land a role in her chosen field due to the restrictions on her Working Holiday visa. 'It's been such a struggle and no one talks about it,' she told Daily Mail Australia. UK passport holders between the ages of 18 and 35 qualify for Working Holiday visas, which allow Brits to live and work Down Under for up to three years. As of July 2024, Brits no longer have to complete three months of farm work to apply for a second or third visa - but they cannot work for the same employer for more than six months. Ms Carter said she believed her most recent role as social editor at UK publication The Independent made her an ideal candidate for social marketing and strategy roles in Australia. But she has found herself in the same position time and time again where prospective employers have 'really liked her', but can't offer her a job because the visa limitations mean they will have to fill the position again in just a few months. While the rule is explained to applicants in the fine print, what isn't explained, according to Ms Carter, is how reluctant companies are to hiring anyone on a working holiday visa. Ms Carter said employer after employer has been wary of hiring her as she is unable to commit to a contract of longer than six months. 'I've just got off another interview and she said she really loves me and then she finds out I have my working holiday visa and then she tells me no,' she recalled in a video shared to TikTok. 'That's probably the 12th time that's happened where I've gone through a whole interview or started an interview and they've really liked me and I've really liked them. 'Then they say they can't offer the job due to my visa.' Ms Carter said she always makes it clear on any job application that she is a Working Holiday applicant The former social editor, who has worked with brands including Marie Claire UK, Depop and clothing brand TM Lewin, admitted she is considering returning home because she can't find work. Ms Carter's video was flooded with comments from other Brits who had found themselves in the same situation. One viewer said the same thing 'is constantly happening to me... starting to think Aus is no longer the dream'. Ms Carter replied: 'Sorry to hear! I've been here four months and I can't even get hospitality, thinking to have to go home too.' Another commented: 'Who the hell came up with the name of it like why's it called WORKING holiday if none of us can get any damn work, like???' 'It's a nightmare, I've managed 12 months at a place through a recruitment company and then working for the company itself but I'm now in the job hunting part again, job ends in two weeks and I'm dreading it,' another wrote. 'Just keep applying stay persistent I was the same you'll eventually get one that one employer who will give you a chance,' a third said. According the the Department of Home Affairs, the rule is intended to 'provide a temporary opportunity to work while exploring and enjoying the country'. It argues that 'tourism and travel should remain the primary focus of the visa holder's stay' and that work should only be for a 'temporary and secondary income source during a holiday'. However, as many visitors like Ms Carter are finding out, rather than limiting work to six months, the rule is preventing any work at all. Brits on Working Holiday visas are not subject to the six month work limitation if they work in plant and animal cultivation, natural disaster recovery, and critical sectors, including agriculture, food processing, health, aged and disability care and childcare, tourism and hospitality, anywhere in Australia. Certain industries in Northern Australia, including fishing and pearling, tree farming and felling, construction and mining, are also exempt. In certain situations Working Holiday visa holders can ask the government for permission to extend the limitation. You do not need to ask permission to work with the same employer for more than six months if you work in different locations, including working from home, but work in any one location must not exceed six months.
The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- The Herald Scotland
Scotland flights ambitions of Edinburgh Airport chief
Asked in an exclusive interview with The Herald about new routes, taking into account how demand from travellers was developing, Gordon Dewar said: 'We think the Chinese and the Indian markets and other Asian markets are clearly things we should be working on, and we are.' While he said he was 'not going to speculate' on what would happen on this front, Mr Dewar added: 'The growth there demonstrates the opportunity. 'We just work quietly and we celebrate them [new routes] when they arrive.' He highlighted a major uplift in travel to destinations to which new, direct long-haul routes were launched. Mr Dewar said 'longer-haul new destinations add 30% to 50% to travel', noting direct routes meant journeys were 'less time-consuming". He highlighted Edinburgh Airport's success in winning direct flights between the Scottish capital and Beijing operated by Hainan Airlines, which revealed recently it was extending this service to year-round. Mr Dewar said: 'Hainan were one of many Chinese airlines we talked to. They were the one that responded first to really compelling data about why Chinese airlines will be very successful flying to Edinburgh." He flagged 'tens of thousands of Scots travelling between Scotland and Beijing…having to do it through other destinations' previously. Read more It was announced in late April that Hainan's direct service to Beijing would be increasing from seasonal to year-round. Edinburgh Airport has also enjoyed significant success in recent times in winning and building direct flights to North America, serving various key destinations in the US and Canada. It was announced in the spring that United Airlines is extending its service between Edinburgh and Washington DC to what the airport characterised as 'almost year-round'. In March, it was confirmed that Air Canada would launch a new direct route between Edinburgh and Montreal this summer. Mr Dewar said: 'We got a new Montreal route that was probably at least in part motivated by the reduction in traffic between Canada and America. We would have got Montreal at some point. I am not sure we would have got it this year if it hadn't been for that disruption.' Edinburgh Airport chief executive Gordon Dewar (Image: Edinburgh Airport) He highlighted his confidence that Edinburgh Airport will handle more than 16 million passengers this year, setting another all-time high to exceed the record of 15.78 million it achieved in 2024. In 2012, the year in which Mr Dewar took up the chief executive post at the airport, the passenger total was 9.19 million. Asked about the airport's capacity, in the context of its rapid increase in passenger numbers in recent years and the further expansion of flights projected, Mr Dewar replied: 'We have to build quickly…but we are not at the stage of being full yet. That has been true since 2012 where, apart from Covid, we have been in a constant build programme to keep up with that demand. 'We have got the space. We have got the funding. It is just a matter of getting it all lined up and making sure it lands the day before it is needed.' Mr Dewar highlighted the scale of the growth in the long-haul segment at Edinburgh Airport, and the general reduction in domestic traffic as things he did not foresee when he became chief executive. He underlined the extent to which overall passenger growth at Edinburgh Airport had been driven by international flights. Mr Dewar said: 'The ratio of international [traffic] we have is higher. All the growth is international. We have increased our proportion of inbound [passenger traffic]. The American routes – they tend to be stronger inbound demand.' Asked if he would in 2012 have envisaged passenger numbers being where they are now, Mr Dewar replied: 'We had a five-year plan [in 2012] which we slightly bettered.' 'Thirteen years later, the mix is slightly different from what I expected. No one would have seen the reduction in domestic and during Covid.' He declared that 'no one would have seen the growth in long haul'.
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Daily Mirror
Popular Spanish city with strict curfew rules in place - what it means for Brits
In a huge blow to sun-worshipping Brits, a huge Spanish city has unveiled a strict curfew impacting bars, nightclubs, and restaurants - following noise complaints from fed-up locals Brits are being warned of a brutal clampdown in one of Spain's most popular tourist destinations. Last year, a staggering 18 million international visitors passed through Alicante-Elche Airport - located on the southeastern stretch of the iconic Costa Blanca region - marking a 16.8 per cent spike compared to 2023. While droves of these passengers will have left the city on cramped coaches heading over to party-mad resorts like Benidorm, almost five million chose to stay in the city for their holiday. Famed for its sugar-like sand, rich history and eclectic range of shops - there's no denying Alicante's mass appeal. Here, you'll find the Santa Bárbara Castle, the old town of Santa Cruz, the bustling Central Market, and half a dozen golden beaches. However, following a series of noise complaints from fed-up locals - authorities green-lighted a strict curfew ahead of the peak summer season. The ruling, which impacts bars and restaurants, means establishments will have to close at 12.30am on weekdays. They will be allowed to stay open slightly later (1am) on Fridays, Saturdays, and on the eve of national holidays. Nightclubs will also be given permission to stay open a little later, but must still close their doors at 1am during weekdays and at 3am on the weekend. Those dining outside on terraces will also be impacted by the crackdown, as Alicante is slashing its al-fresco seating by half. According to local press, customers will be asked to leave their table 30 minutes ahead of closing time. The curfew, which will be a huge blow to Brits wanting to dance the night away, applies to two areas of Alicante City that have been designated as Acoustically Saturated Zones (ZAS). This includes parts of the Old Town as well as the area around Calle Castaños, which was previously known for its 'lively' nightlife. The Independent reports that police will be enforcing the rules and helping 'disperse revellers from the area'. It is said the ruling will also have an impact on 24-hour shops that cash in on drunken Brits desperate for a nightcap, as they will also need to comply with the curfew. Alicante's crackdown follows escalating anti-tourist sentiment that has grappled the country in recent months. Last year, a slew of protests erupted across the country as angry residents blamed Brits for Spain's worsening housing crisis. The movement's momentum has continued into this summer season, with more demonstrations to take place in Spanish hotspots this month (June 15). As previously reported the Assembly of Neighbourhoods for Tourism Degrowth, which is behind the action, has been encouraging protestors to bring water pistols to target holidaymakers and get their message across.
