Sisters in Switzerland: Kempinski Grand Hôtel des Bains

Judging from the title and my previous post about our trip, I’m sure you’d have guessed that my sister and I stayed at the prestigious Kempinski Grand Hôtel des Bains when we were in St. Moritz last year. Unbelievable huh?!  Even I still can’t believe how lucky we were!

The hotel certainly lives up to its name. Everything about it shouted luxury and grandeur.  Very impressive!

Sisters in Switzerland: Train Ride from Zürich to St. Moritz

The third day of our Switzerland trip was a Sunday, so in the morning, all the shops were still closed and Zürich was pretty quiet.  Plus, it was drizzling.  Still, my sister and I decided to go out because we wanted to find a church to say a prayer of thanks before leaving the city.  We came across this church, and although it wasn't a Catholic one, we still went in to talk to God because we didn't want to go too far and get lost.

Sisters in Switzerland: Mt. Titlis and Lucerne

Augh! I am so behind in my Switzerland posts.  Bear with me, please.  Life has just been really busy lately. Anyway, here's the continuation.  Just a friendly warning though: this is a photo-heavy post ☺.

The following morning after breakfast, Ate Ning and I headed to the pick-up point of Gray Line Tours that would take us around the tourist spots.

Originally, we wanted to go to Mt. Pilatus; but upon checking out the flyer and talking to the guide/driver, we changed our minds and decided to visit Mt. Titlis because it sounded more fun.  And I'm so glad we did because it was absolutely amazing!

Sisters in Switzerland: Strolling Around Zürich

With only 2 full days in Zürich, my sister and I immediately set out to explore the city by ourselves on our first afternoon.  The hotel staff had given us a map and mentioned some places for us to visit, but we decided to go wherever our feet (and available buses) would take us. Anyway, most of the people we had met earlier were friendly when we asked them directions, so we assured ourselves that if we got lost (which thankfully didn't happen), we could easily find our way simply by asking around.

We didn't completely ignore the hotel staff's suggestions, though.  Since he highly recommended going up to the church near the University, that's the first thing we did.  It had started to drizzle on our way but we continued and took our time.

Sisters in Switzerland: Crowne Plaza Zurich

As I mentioned in my previous post, Ate Ning and I stayed in Crowne Plaza Zurich during the first half of our trip.

Staff & Service

Despite our tired bodies when we arrived at the hotel on our first day, we couldn’t help feeling energized by the cheerful Guest Relations staff who warmly greeted us as soon as we entered the lobby. When we told them it was our first time ever in Switzerland, they were more than happy to assist us.

Like most hotels, they have contacts with local tour companies; and once we decided what we wanted to do on our second day, they made the arrangements and explained how to reach the pick-up point. We didn’t have to worry about anything else.

Sisters in Switzerland: From Dubai to Zurich

Early this year, my sister and I went on a trip. A trip that was really memorable because it allowed me to accomplish 3 things on my bucket list. Not only that, it was also our first time to travel together, just the two of us, to a place that neither of us had ever been to.

Honestly, I never imagined it would happen. With her being so busy with work, and me having my own family whom I would usually prefer to travel with, it just didn’t seem likely.

But one day in October last year, Ate Ning showed me a voucher for two nights stay in a hotel in St. Moritz, Switzerland and told me that it would be a pity if they went to waste because she didn't have anyone to go with. To make the long story short, and as you can expect, we used that voucher in January and had a blast for 5 days!

Applying for a Schengen Visa to Switzerland in Dubai

And I’m back in the sandpit!

Actually, we arrived yesterday morning. While my sister went home and had the day off (lucky her), I headed to the office directly from the airport and went straight to work. Not a good idea, I tell you. Since I had been travelling for around 16 hours (via train and plane), and taking into consideration the difference in the time zones, I felt tired, dizzy, and groggy. Thank goodness my work load was manageable and there weren’t any major deadlines to meet. Now, I’m still a bit jetlagged, but 9.5 hours of sleep somehow helped.

Of course you can bet I'm still over the moon from my recent trip.  Switzerland is truly a place that everyone should visit at least once. I’d definitely want to go back there with my family. I’m so excited to share all the details, but my blog posts about this vacation will have to wait because I still have to sort out the photos...plus I haven’t finished blogging about our Canada trip yet! Augh!.

In the meantime, here are the steps I followed to apply for the visa…you know, just in case my posts in Instagram, Facebook and Twitter inspired, tempted, and/or convinced you to visit this beautiful country ☺

Hello from the Country of Finest Cheese, Chocolates, and Watches

Hi everyone!

Yes, you guessed it...I'm currently in Switzerland! Woohoo!

My sister and I flew in to Zurich on Friday morning and we'll be back in Dubai on Wednesday.  That means we're halfway through our trip already. Time sure flies when you're having fun...and we're definitely having a great time here!

So far, the best was yesterday when we joined a tour to Mount Titlis in Engelberg which is 10,000 feet above sea level. It was my first time to experience snow and see the alps so you can imagine I was like a little girl, all excited and happy. It was absolutely awesome!

The Swiss are so friendly and helpful, and the places we've gone to are so beautiful! It's no wonder Switzerland is one of the best places to visit.

Anyway, we'll be checking out of the hotel we've been staying at a bit later, and then we'll catch the train that will take us to St. Moritz where we'll spend the next half of our stay.  From the looks of it, there will be plenty of snow for us.

Do you wanna build a snowman? ☺

P.S. If you can't wait for my blog posts about this trip (and knowing me, it'll take a while), you can stay in the loop by liking my Facebook page (Glimpses of Pam), and foĺlowing me on Twitter and Instagram (@glimpsesofpam). Since we have free wifi where we stay, I've been able to tweet and post photos and videos from time to time. Yaaaay!