Your creative, funny and touching entries for the Happy Ending contest were simply impressive! Choosing just one winner was so difficult; countless cups of coffee were consumed before we reached the final decision. There were some entries we loved so much that we just had to share them with everyone.
In no particular order, these are some extracts from the entries that got us giggling, pulled at our heartstrings and made us wish we could give everyone their dream trip. And of course, we’ve got our lucky winner right here!
Superfans of #TravelSSBD, Represent
From some inventive usage of acronyms to Katy Perry and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle references, the #TravelSSBD fans showed a lot of creativity and humour! Here are some entries we loved:
#(S)unrise view at Borobudur (Yogyakarta): Love the peaceful feeling of witnessing the sunrise at an amazing historical structure.
#(S)piderwoman rockclimbing (Krabi): I have always wanted to try my hands on a real rock climbing experience and not the same like the ones in Singapore.
#(B)adass Ninja experience (Tokyo): A side of gentle Japan that people hardly see. I would love to pick up some skills and show my badass side.
#(D)own the river on a bamboo raft (Chiang Mai): I would love to do this to have a jungle woman experience and cross this off my bucket list!
- Rei
Would love to win a trip to Tokyo to try the ninja activity. Always wanted to be a ninja turtle, carrying some shell around Tokyo while killing the activities. Would love to set off fireworks in Yogyakarta because I feel like a plastic bag drifting through the wind; I want to start again. (Haha, Katy perry reference here.) Water rafting is my cup of tea for Chiang Mai. It just kinda represents life to me. Life is full of treacherous paths but we just gotta overcome it! Gotta say, the SSBD series is one of the first travel series that really captures the essence of travelling. Really hope I can win this for me and my girl.
- Zheng Yang
I just finished watching all the videos and before I get on with my adventure-gushing, allow me to say CONGRATULATIONS! This #TravelSSBD series was well-done—from the destinations and chosen activities to the cinematography and little quirks in the editing. And do I dare leave Sonia out? Dat gurl is HI.LA.RIOUS. I didn't know her before this series but now, I'm all over her social media pages, hahaha! #creeperalert Onto my favourite adventures! Tokyo: I have been to Japan twice but I have never tried attending a tea ceremony - and wearing a kimono while doing it, at that! So if I get this opportunity, I would definitely be excited to do that. Like Sonia, I would love to re-discover my waist (lol), feel beautiful and, well, sip some good old tea.
- KB
The Awww Moment
This entry gave us a collective "Awwwww" moment. Does enduring romance go together well with sushi? You bet it does.
Tokyo is a destination my wife and I have wanted to visit long ago, because we were trying to start a family and our immediate family believed that we should not go to Japan due to radiation released from Fukushima. Now that my wife is 40 weeks pregnant and she will be giving birth to our lovely princess soon, there's no time more appropriate than now. Both of us love sushi, and we would embrace the opportunity to learn how to make sushi. Sushi is healthy and we can even make it for our baby girl in the near future. #sonigiri
- Kody
The Happy Ending Winner
We chose this as the winning entry because the easygoing, self-deprecating humour in this entry made us laugh (a lot). It also encompassed the freewheeling, carefree spirit of #SameSameButDifferent travel. Congratulations, Kenneth!
In Tokyo, I would like to break out in silent dance on the train till someone claps for me, but I do that in Singapore all the time. So instead, I would choose to learn how to be a ninja in the dojo! I always get “arrowed” at work so it would be nice to know how to dodge once in a while.
In Yogyakarta, I would love to be able to witness the sunrise at the stupas of Borobudur Temple against a backdrop of active volcanoes. It would be amazing to learn and explore more about Buddhism and the temple's history by walking the grounds of the UNESCO Heritage Site.
In Krabi, it would be spectacular if I could go island hopping and snorkelling to soak in the beautiful sights and the warm rays of the sun! It is a dream of mine to be acquainted with marine life, so snorkelling would be a great first step. I'm also currently a bit pasty, so a tanning session would be appreciated.
In Langkawi, I want to get in touch with my manhood by trying out parasailing! I'm all up for trying crazy things, and parasailing is definitely on my bucket list. I've never done parasailing or paragliding—only parapara.
Last but not the least, in Chiang Mai, it would be great fun to go water rafting on an inflatable boat and on a bamboo raft! To absorb the sights and sounds of nature along the river (if I'm not screaming, of course)!
- Kenneth
We caught up with Kenneth, who told us more about who he's planning to bring on his dream trip around Asia, as well as his favourite destination in the world. Happy wandering!
Q: Who will you be taking with you on your Happy Ending adventures?
I will be delighted to bring my close friends and family with me, some of whom are avid travellers. However, they’re not just any travellers but ones who dare to try something different! I’m bringing Gabrina, a great friend of mine since junior college. She loves being one with nature, so I’ll be taking her to catch the sunrise at Borobudur and to take in the beautiful sights that Yogyakarta has to offer. Also, I’ll be taking my adrenaline-junkie sister, Robyn, to brave the river currents on a bamboo raft in Chiang Mai! We all can’t wait!
Q: What's your favourite destination so far?
My favourite travel destination is Bolivia! Bolivia may not appear to be the most pleasant country to visit, but it was the place that taught me to push my limits. Never did I think I would scale the summit of a snow-capped 5,320m-tall mountain, descend the notorious Death Road on bicycle or marvel at the sunset over the beautiful salt flats. It was a life-changing trip!