Italy

Capri

Capri is another of my favourite this trip. Maybe I’m just a die-hard beach girl but there’s just something so alluring about it. Maybe it’s the crystal clear blue waters, the elusive beach clubs, the convertible taxis, the grandeur of designer boutiques lining down the street. All I can say it’s exquisite and pleasing, all done in a tasteful fashion. And yes I do wanna return for a longer stay. A day trip was definitely insufficient to soak into the captivating charm of Capri.

We took a semi private boat from Sorrento to Capri which took about an hour (which included some grotto touring). Capri is an island on its own not too far away from Sorrento/Amalfi coast and it’s very famous for its blue grotto. We didn’t have enough time so we had to skip it but I’m definitely checking that out the next time I’m back. 

It took us a funicular ride, a 15 mins stroll through the town and another 30 mins hike down to this gorgeous and one gem of a beach club, La Fontelina. It’s the most stunning beach club I’ve ever seen not just because of its crystal clear water but everything from the soft white mattress on the rocks, natural plunge sea water pool, amazing wine and food were made to perfection. I wish I could stay there f o r e v e r. And you get an ace view of the Faraglioni cliffs during your hike down, what’s there to complain.

Jumped into the crystal clear Tyrrhenian Sea after half a bottle of wine, conversations with complete strangers in the middle of the ice cold sea, fell asleep under the hot sun, got an uneven tan. Woke up tipsy as hell and had to charter a boat just to send me back to the port (tried walking back but I couldn’t even make 200m hahaha, please don’t kill me when you see this mum). What a day in Capri, but I’d do this all over again. These are the memories that I live for.

If you’re planning to visit Capri, I’d say prepare a bit more cash cos everything in Capri is jacked up. Though it’s expensive, the scenery, crystal clear sea and ambience is worth it!

Amalfi Coast

Amalfi Coast is like the French Riviera of Italy ; wide coastlines and winding mountainous roads. We stayed at Praiano which is in between Positano and Amalfi. It takes us about 30 mins by bus to get to both towns so I think it’s a relatively good choice considering we wanted to explore both sides. Personally, I preferred Positano a lot more cos it’s cleaner, more structured and less touristy! I love the white washed shops selling little handmade leather sandals, ceramic tiles, beachwear and paintings. Positano is lovely and has many nice cafes and bars lining the whole town! Love the vibes for sure!

We stayed in a beachfront hotel called Alfonso A Mare and yes, it comes with a nice little private beach (:

Le Sirenuse Restaurant, great food with a perfect view of Positano!

You can never go wrong with European summers and this summer spent in Amalfi Coast has been nothing short of amazing. I loved every single moment spent in the southern part of Italy, it’s beyond beautiful and there’s not a thing about it that I wanna change. So blessed to have witnessed this little slice of Italy!

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Sophia Chong

I don’t want to put a full stop to the title of my blog post today “Beautiful Florence,” because I don’t want to have any sort of closure with Florence. I’ve fallen truly deeply in love with that city and I hope to return again sometime soon. I have a lot to share regarding my Italy trip but I’ll separate it into a few posts and of course, I’ll start with my favourite part…FIRENZE!

First and foremost, my 4 days in Florence wouldn’t have been made so perfect without Riva Lofts Florence. Florence has many beautiful accommodations and Riva Lofts is one that stood out for me. It’s so stylish yet unpretentious, luxurious yet homely. Located next to Arno river and 10 mins cycle away from the city, it’s set in a convenient and serene location. What really drew me to Riva is the balance of feeling at home and away. My entire stay felt like an ideal home in a picturesque city and I love this feeling, don’t you?

This is how a firenze morning is like in Riva ;

7am wake up, lounge around with a book and a pot of tea, feel the morning breeze in a throwover in my patio
8am communal breakfast (croissant with nutella and honey, cheese and coffee and conversations with strangers from other lofts)
9am morning dip in the pool after breakfast or soak in the vitamin D at the hammock just beside the pool
10am grab a bicycle from Riva and cycle along the river to the city for a good cone of pistachio gelato (yeah, they provide complimentary bikes for you to explore Florence the way locals do it)

If I’m heading back to Florence, I’d definitely consider staying in Riva again for their other insta-worthy rooms like these…

Definitely recommend you guys to stay at Riva if you’re heading to Florence!
http://www.rivalofts.com

We decided to take a day trip out to visit Chianti and Siena since we’re already in Tuscany. Chianti boasts of stunning landscape, vast vineyards and never-ending greenery. It was a good choice to break away from the hustle and bustle of the city and bask into the serenity of Chianti where we had tons of wine and cheese. If we had more time, I would love to spend a night in Chianti sipping on wine and cheese in the backyard, go harvest my own grapes and maybe even attend a cooking class!

Siena

Dusk in Siena, so beautiful.

We also spent half a day shopping at one of Florence’s most popular outlet malls, The Mall. I haven’t been to many outlets my life but I thought this was not too bad, although it pales in comparison to the one I went in London 2 years ago. They have brands like YSL, Prada, Gucci, Balenciaga, Bottega etc and even a Gucci cafe so if you’re a shopaholic, you probably won’t wanna miss this place. However, I feel like the city square itself is pretty nice to shop too! There are many good and romantic restaurants along the river in Florence, so I really enjoyed eating there. Not to mention, they have the widest selection of Asian food among all the cities I went to in Italy!

My love for Florence goes above and beyond. It’s a charming, beautiful, romantic and self-sufficient city and I’d LOVE to go back there asap hehe. Hopefully the next time would be my special other half since it’s such a romantic place!

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Sophia Chong