24 Hours in Crans Montana

I was recently asked to Guest Blog at One Day Itinerary and write about a place that was a 24 hour Guide to a place. I thought about the smaller cities and towns I've visited that people would not feel rushed to SEE EVERYTHING and not sleep. I'm not that kind of traveler anyway! I do love watching Anthony Bourdain's The Layover when it was airing but the frenetic pace was just tiring for me. Even if I'm traveling for work or leisure, I need some down time to be in the present and look around me as opposed to rushing around. Its better for health and sanity in my opinion.

My decision: Crans Montana

Here's the post on the site: One Day in Crans Montana

I lived in this area for over a year during my postgraduate studies. Its a sleepy place but beautiful and peaceful. The morning, afternoon, and evening views are amazing! I miss seeing the stars at night walking home from the gym or a group meeting. Going to school here was wonderful.

I'm cross posting some highlights from the post below.

Crans Montana is a premier winter destination for skiing and is the perfect place to get away from the hustle and bustle of urban life. Made up of two towns, Crans and Montana have their own distinct character that is so typical of a Swiss Mountain town. Most of the year, these towns are fairly peaceful and calm except for the Caprices festival of electronic music in the spring and the Golf OMEGA tournament in August. During the winter ski season, Crans and Montana is teeming with skiers from all across the globe and businesses are open later than usual.

Top things to do in Crans Montana, Switzerland

Have breakfast at Taillens in Montana

After riding the funicular up to Montana from Sierre, walk to the Taillens café in Montana for a quick breakfast of a pastry and coffee (or tea if you prefer). For a heartier breakfast, they also have a full menu where you can order sandwiches, eggs, pasta, etc.

Rent your skis and head over to the ski station

You can rent your ski equipment (or snowboard equipment) from any of the retailers in Montana or Crans. Plan to leave your shoes at the rental location and take your equipment to either the Crans ski station or Montana ski station. It is probably the most convenient to rent your equipment that is nearest to either of these ski stations.

Ski all morning and then go up to the peak of Plaine Morte

Ski the areas of Cry’d’er, Bella Lui, and across Violettes then take the cable car up to the peak of Plaine Morte just before lunch time. It is highly recommended to go up before the lunch crowd settles in as there is a cozy bistro restaurant with beautiful views but limited seating. 

Ski from the top of Plaine Morte down to ski station

Skiing from the top of Plaine Morte down to any of the ski stations at the bottom of the mountain with stops along the way to take pictures of the beautiful Swiss Alps. By the time you reach the bottom you would have worked up quite an appetite.

Have a burger dinner at either Burger Lounge in Crans or Montana Diner

The perfect après ski dinner meal is a classic burger and fries washed down with beer. Burger Lounge  in Crans is known for their gourmet burgers. They are a favorite among residents and open most of the year. If you plan on dining here, pre-plan and reserve a table because it is usually to full capacity. A good alternative, the new Montana Diner by the lake and their burgers are solid with a beautiful atmosphere and large floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the lake.

Apres ski party at Zerodix

After dinner, walk back up to Crans ski station for the après ski party at Zerodix. The djs would already be turning up the volume and the party atmosphere is happy drunk. The party ends around 9 pm.

Join the crowd to the nearest pub before clubbing the night away

There are a number of bars in Crans that is popular among visitors and residents as well as students. Leo’s bar, Le Pub, Pacha, and Sky club are all popular and the party will keep going until 4 or 5 a.m. depending on the night of the week so make sure to bring your dancing shoes.

Some extra tips for visiting Crans Montana?

If you don’t plan on skiing there are also other activities in Crans and Montana that don’t involve downhill skiing. Some of the sports activities include ice skating, bowling, cross country skiing, curling, dog sledding. Crans Montana also has a wonderful array of luxury retail shops and quirky boutiques. For a quieter night, try a Fondue or Raclette dinner at Petit Paradis the tomato cheese fondue is addictive! After the fondue you will certainly be in a cheese coma so cozy up to a room at the quaint family owned hotel.

Dancing and stretching in London

Rambert Dance 

I just spent three weeks in London. During that time, I rediscovered my love for movement and dance. When I was strolling by the river Thames in Southbank, I saw a poster for dance classes by the Rambert Dance company. I got curious and checked out their website for class information. 

I always refer to it as a past life... In my past life, I danced. I danced A LOT! A typical day in NYC would be wake up, get dressed, go to dance class, get home, quick shower, eat lunch, commute to the schools/community center/studio, teach dance, commute, eat dinner & prep for rehearsal, commute, go to rehearsal for a couple hours. A tiring but rewarding life. 

I inspired young underprivileged students to dance, choreographed, worked with amazing dancers, created dance pieces that would perform and tour the festival circuit.  There were hours of administrative work as well and hustling of jobs to make sources of income. It was a struggle but I felt like I was making a meaningful life. 

The National Gallery

During my time in London, I took contemporary dance and ballet classes at Rambert Dance and Greenwich Dance. If you are looking to take some dance classes in London, you can visit either of these two studios or check out Danceworks with their proximity to Selfridges and Bond Street station.

Rambert Dance offers classes in the evenings and it's good for people who work regular hours. The classes there are mixed levels of students who have no dance background to those that have danced when they were younger to people like me who have danced professionally but are focusing on other aspects of life (for now). 

Greenwich dance has professional dance classes in the mornings but they also have other class offerings for the dance enthusiast. 

Danceworks has a convenient location in the highly populated shopping area. The studio has a more class offerings available and different level classes with different class timings throughout the whole day. 

I'm also a fan of yoga especially restorative yoga because it's such a relaxing and meditative experience yet you are stretched out so you feel like you had just gotten a nice Thai yoga massage without the heavy price tag. I also like regular vinyasa or flow yoga. I had been walking about 8-12km a day in London and my shin splints were begging me to get stretched out so I searched online where to take yoga classes. 

I found Frame in Shoreditch and they have other locations as well but since I was staying near Shoreditch, I opted to go to these studios. I'm so glad I did because it was such an amazing space! The graffiti sign art to an alleyway that led to an entrance. I felt like I was going to an underground rave or club or speakeasy bar! The studios inside were built under a railway bridge. Big loft studios that host yoga, Pilates, fitness classes and a small room with gym equipment. The cafe in the reception area also has juices and coffee. The fridge is stocked with healthy food, smoothies, etc. I was there about an hour early and there was wifi so I just hung out in the lobby area until the class. 

I will definitely come back and take more yoga classes here. 

The yin yoga class I took felt really good to stretch my limbs out and there were even some challenging moments that required deep breathing and concentration. I vowed to not go so long without taking a yoga class or deep stretch session again. 

Come dance with me! Alaine's Contemporary Dance class

6 Tips: How to avoid getting sick while traveling

Getting sick sucks. Somehow, I've been lucky and don't get sick often while on the road. Some tips I have are common sense but we often forget while we're busy jet setting and traveling. But of course, if I neglect all of these rules, I get sick and it really sucks especially when you want to be out and about.

Montreaux, Switzerland. May 2016.

1) Drink bottled water or boil the water.
Even if the water from the tap is safe to drink. It mostly means that local residents are able to drink the water. Visitors might not be used to compounds in the water and should take precautions to avoid getting ill from drinking the tap water. My personal tip: start with bottled water. Slowly introduce tap water (that is already mandated as safe to drink) with a few sips here and there and if you feel fine, try drinking a glass and see how you feel a few hours later.

2) Stay hydrated. 
I'm guilty of neglecting this rule and end up dehydrated in places where the air is particularly dry. The best way to avoid this is to bring a bottle of water with you when you leave your accommodation or purchase a bottle of water as soon as you leave for the day.

3) Get active.
I always try to walk a lot when I'm traveling because that is the best way to see a new place. A pair of good walking shoes is a packing essential. Some of my best memories is wandering the streets of Amsterdam, Berlin, Bali, Barcelona, Chiang Mai, Copenhagen, London, Vienna, Prague, Stockholm, and Zurich. This is also a surefire way to get your exercise in while exploring and save on transportation costs. If your accommodation has a gym or extra empty space, I also like to get at least a couple gym hours in for extra sweat sessions if I'm traveling for a certain period of time. Alternatively, you can also sign up for yoga classes, dance classes, rent a bike, go skiing, hiking, etc.

4) Take a multivitamin.
I always pack a multivitamin in my medicine kit when traveling. I particularly like the seltzer tablets that you dissolve in water and drink because its extra hydration and vitamins. This is really good to drink prior to taking a long-haul flight for an immunity boost.

5) A rest day. 
As much as we like to keep ourselves out and about while traveling, your body can get exhausted and it is wise to allocate a day of rest. A day at the pool, beach, people watching at a cafe, leisurely lunch/dinner, reading a book at a library, schedule a massage at the spa, etc. If you have been traveling for business, this is a great way to see the city outside of the conference room but not tire yourself out. If you are traveling for leisure but packed a lot of sightseeing in, slow down and remember that YOU'RE ON VACATION! I always feel great after a rest day because I get enough sleep, recharge my energy levels, and don't feel so stressed. Its ok that you don't see everything. If a location has a lot to see, vow to return another trip and don't stress about it.

6) Bring your own medicine kit. 
Replenish and stock it with the essentials: Cold/Flu medicine, Antacid, Ibuprofen, Imodium, Bandages, and whatever else you need. You know the kinds of medicine that works for you. When you travel to a new country, you may not know if they stock your medicine or that country may have different regulations on the strength or dosage. And then if there's a language barrier, if you are sick and stressed, you may not have the clarity to be able to describe how you're feeling in another language.

Fresh Watermelon juice. Singapore, July 2016.