The Acropolis and the saga of the Parthenon Marbles

On my first visit to Athens I of course went to the Acropolis. How could you not. This ancient monument is so well known that there was the danger of it not living up to a lifetime of expectations. Fortunately I was more impressed than I thought I would be. After my Athens visit I […]

Where I’m At: July, 2019 – Hanoi edition

Greetings from Hanoi and another edition of Where I’m At – my monthly summary of where I’ve been and site news. Hanoi in July is probably not the best time to visit if you don’t like sticky heat, but apart from that I’m always happy to be back. Where I’ve Been Saigon View this post […]

Notes on Athens – Acropolis views for everyone, golden passports, graffiti, Greek coffee, and street cats

I knew I was going to like Athens even before I went. Apart from being one of the most culturally significant cities in Europe, Athens has a reputation of being a bit rough around the edges. That sounds like my kind of place, and after arriving I was asking myself why I hadn’t visited sooner. […]

Notes on Malta – old knights, planned cities, and EU passports

Malta is the 10th smallest country in the world, and it also qualifies as a microstate. When looking at a full map of Europe, Malta barely registers as a biscuit crumb under the Island of Sicily. This was my first time in Malta, and for this trip I just stayed on the island of Malta. […]

Taman Negara – the ancient rainforest in the heart of Peninsula Malaysia

Taman Negara is the largest national park in Peninsular Malaysia and one the most famous nature reserves in Southeast Asia. Taman Negara is Malay for “national park”, so there’s no need to say Taman Negara National Park when referring to it. As one of the world’s most ancient rainforests and being the green heart of […]

Jungle Railway in Malaysia – The best train times and most scenic sections

The Jungle Railway The Jungle Railway is one of the great train journeys of Southeast Asia, spanning the length of Peninsula Malaysia through its rugged interior. Officially known as the East Coast Railway Line (ECRL), the Jungle Railway travels from Johor Bahru near the Singapore-Malaysia border in the south, to Tumpat near the Thailand border […]

A day in Hong Kong is better than no day in Hong Kong

Taking a stopover between flights is a good way to get a bonus trip within a trip. Hong kong is one of those places where I’ll build in a stop if I have the time. I figure that a day in Hong Kong is better than no day in Hong Kong. I first used this […]

Where I’m At: June, 2019 – Saigon edition

Greetings from Saigon and another edition of Where I’m At – my monthly summary of where I’ve been and other site news. Where I’ve Been The last month was a big travel month that felt like more of a holiday than my usual travels. I did what has become my annual trip to Europe, which […]

Notes on Nha Trang – stopover edition

Nha Trang is a provincial coastal city of Vietnam that feels like a resort. Like Danang in central Vietnam, the city is right on the beach. While Danang has been grabbing international headlines with it’s Golden Bridge and listing of top places to visit by the NY Times, Nha Trang has been quietly getting on […]

Flight Review: China Southern Airlines – London to Guangzhou

Flight: China Southern CZ 304 From: London Heathrow (LHR) To: Guangzhou (CAN) I flew with China Southern Airlines from London to Guangzhou. This flight was the first leg of a flight from London to Ho Chi Minh City. After comparing flight options, China Southern was offering the cheapest one-way flight. This flight was $279 USD, […]