Sahara desert? No Gobi desert? No Arabian desert? No Kalahari desert? No Atacama desert? No Well, we can also find such beautiful deserts in our region (Southeast Asia rocks! heh) without the need to travel too far. It was amazing to see the desert on one side, and the beach on the other end. So …
continue reading »
Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) is Vietnam at its most dizzying: a high-octane city of commerce and culture that has driven the country forward with its pulsating energy. Most people mistake HCMC to be the capital of the country, in comparison to its quieter and less international city of Hanoi, in the north, which used …
continue reading »
Jakarta is a typical metropolitan city in Asia, filled with congested roads that can drive you crazy, shrouded with smog everyday and skyscrapers being built at an alarming rate as the city expands. It is a dynamic city filled with rickety slums built around train tracks to the glitzy upmarket gated communities around Menteng or …
continue reading »
With a strong urge to get out of the noisy city of Jakarta with its incessant traffic and bad pollution, I decided to make a day trip to Curug Nangka, a famous waterfall located at the base of Mount Salak. It is about an hour’s travel from Bogor, a city south of Jakarta, in the …
continue reading »
Being one of the natural wonders of the world, Halong Bay is a definitely must-visit if you are planning a trip to Hanoi. It makes for a comfortable 3d2n getaway, or if you do not have enough time to spare, just a day trip from Hanoi is also possible. However, bear in mind that it …
continue reading »
Ho Chi Minh mausoleum For the first-time traveler to Vietnam, crossing the roads must have been a daunting task because of the sheer number of motorcycles which never seem to end. The trick is to take the first step, look forward and just cross like a boss. The motorcycles will try to avoid you along …
continue reading »
Bulgaria is located in southeastern Europe, at the crossroads of Central Asia and the West. It borders Romania, Serbia, Macedonia, Greece and Turkey, all of which I have visited except for Greece. This Balkan nation has a diverse terrain encompassing Black Sea coastline, rivers, including the Danube, and a mountainous interior. Bulgaria has a rich …
continue reading »
Thanks to budget airlines, Skyscanner and other various social websites (eg. Couchsurfing, airBnB, WWOOFing, Workaway etc.), it has provided people with more travel opportunities and to make new friends across the globe. Here are some tips on how you can get more travel for your buck. 1. Choose another gateway Sometimes, the most direct route …
continue reading »
How not to fall in love with the shimmering scallop-shaped bay, replete with crescents of golden sand of La Concha and turquoise waves, in the northern Spanish city known as San Sebastian? Designated as the European Capital of Culture this year, I was lucky to be able to visit this small town with huge thundering …
continue reading »
After bidding farewell to South America, I took a 12-hour flight from Buenos Aires to Madrid on Aerolineas Argentina. I like the plane because it has a 2-4-2 seating arrangement, broad legroom and touch-screen entertainment system. Madrid may lack the cachet of Paris, the monumental history of Rome, or Barcelona’s reputation for Modernista masterpieces. And …
continue reading »
After saying adios to Spain, I took a flight from Madrid (where I was finally reunited with my delayed luggage after one week) to Eindhoven, Netherlands. Ryanair uses Eindhoven as its Dutch base for operations, so it’s cheaper to fly there. Since I landed around 10pm, I still had to make my way to Nijmegen …
continue reading »
What did I do for 2015? So I did fulfill my new year resolution of traveling more and making sense of the world we live in. This has been an epic year of thesis submission, graduation, pedagogical training and lots of crazy traveling. most unique experience – sleeping in a Mongolian ger (yurt) in the …
continue reading »
1) trekking alone can be depressing at times 2) what goes up must come down (I was moaning at the steep ascents and was delighted at the downhills) 3) carrying my heavy backpack and hiking is not my style (I’m used to doing day trips with a small bag) 4) reserve your refugios or camping …
continue reading »
My journey to Antarctica started in Ushuaia which is the southernmost city of the world. The cruise was called the Ocean Diamond and it set sail from the port after a 6 hour delay. We spent two days crossing the Drake passage, where many people got seasick. Luckily for me and my roommate Gabriel, we …
continue reading »
Why’ll go to Antarctica? Why is Antarctica a great place to visit? Because if you are looking for a holiday, voyage or adventure with a difference you cannot go past Antarctica. Why visit a cold extreme place like Antarctica? It really is the last mostly unexplored frontier on earth. Everything about Antarctica is unspoiled, it is pristine and …
continue reading »
Johor Bahru makes for a convenient day trip from Singapore to Malaysia. There is not much stuff to do there, especially if you restrict yourself to City Square mall. However, venture slightly further and you will be surprised to discover some hipster area or hidden food haunts in the city. How to go to JB …
continue reading »
I retired early to my hostel as I was not feeling well. The symptoms were clear, I had altitude sickness as I was having a bad headache that would not go away. Welcome to Cuzco, the gateway to Machu Picchu, this town is located 3400m above sea level, high up in the mountains of Peru. …
continue reading »
Stay Blanco Room & Apartments | 228 Moo 2, Ao Nang, Krabi, Thailand 81000 We stayed at Blanco Room & Apartments, which is about 20 minute on foot to Aonang beach. We liked the area because it is not so touristy, there is a Tesco supermarket opposite, 7-eleven and roadside food stalls. You won’t go …
continue reading »
Just one month after visiting Bangkok, I am back here again in Thailand, this time to have a taste of some adventure sports. With return flights from Singapore costing about S$90-100, it is quite affordable to visit Krabi or any part of Thailand. For this trip, we took AirAsia to Krabi and came back via …
continue reading »
Bangkok has a pulsating night life which can be compared to Singapore, but the better thing is that alcohol in Thailand is much cheaper. So there is a good reason to celebrate every night. The concept of sky bars has been quite popular because people like to enjoy the panoramic views of the city from …
continue reading »
For my recent trip to Bangkok, I took the Dreamliner 747 on Scoot from Singapore to Bangkok. Actually the plane was flying to Osaka, via Bangkok. I loved the plane, the seats were spacious, the window shades changed automatically according to the light intensity and it was very quiet inside. Plus since I booked early, …
continue reading »
My friends have always wondered why I like to travel alone. Am I a loner? Who is there to look out for me should something happen to me? Yes, I have taken these into consideration, but sometimes no one is as adventurous as you to travel to exotic off-the-map destinations, so of course I do …
continue reading »
This is how to do Kawah Ijen without a tour: Kawah Ijen can be accessed by either Banyuwagi or Bondowoso. If coming from Bali, Banyuwagi might be more convenient while Bondowoso is more convenient for those coming from the west (like Mt. Bromo or Surabaya). From the bus depot in Bondowoso, a morning bus leaves …
continue reading »
welcome to Mt Bromo national park Here is how I went to Mount Bromo without joining a tour and I did not pay the admission charges. Mountains are part of nature and I think they should be made free to all, hence I do not like to pay hefty admission charges or even for tour …
continue reading »