One of the more interesting train journeys in Southeast Asia I’ve had is riding through the Maeklong market railway in Thailand. Even if you’ve never heard of the town, you’ve probably seen a youtube video of a train going through a tightly-packed market, where market stalls are set up on the rails. The train barely […]
Notes on Vang Vieng: The one with all the Friends Bars
It’s official. I’m old. 38 years old. Ancient really. I was born at a young age, but I’ve got to say that in all of my life I have never been this old before. I was reflecting on my age while staying in Vang Vieng, Laos. Vang Vieng is set in an incredibly beautiful location. […]
The world’s best airport names
Nepal have announced plans to name an airport after Sir Edmund Hillary and his climbing partner, Tenzing Norgay. Lukla airport will become Tenzing-Hillary airport. It is a common tradition worldwide to name an airport after a local hero. Here is a list of some of the best airport names in the world. UK – Liverpool […]
When can you say you’ve been to a country?
When can you say you’ve been to a country? Can you say you have been to a country if you only spent a few hours in one of its cities? Changing planes at international airports doesn’t count (of course), but what about a weekend or day trip to one place? Technically you can, but do […]
Holland or the Netherlands?
[Map of the Netherlands with Holland highlighted] It seems that some people and media institutions still don’t understand the Holland/Netherlands relationship. Technically Holland is a region within the Netherlands made up of the two provinces of Noord-Holland and Zuid-Holland. Saying Holland when you mean the Netherlands is like saying England when you mean Great Britain. […]
Tour Review: Classic Mini Tours of London
I have lived in London for two years of my life and I visit once a year for work. In all that time I have never been on a tour. The idea of getting on one of those big buses has never appealed to me. So when I was contacted by smallcarBIGCITY and offered a […]
Notes on Belgrade: A curious mix of Classical and Commie Europe
Visiting Belgrade When I was growing up Belgrade was one of those cities that I had only heard of on the news. Just like the other Bel -Belfast – whenever you would hear about Belgrade it was always for all the wrong reasons. Belgrade has emerged from the troubled breakup of Yugoslavia and is now […]
New Country Day – the sensation of visiting a country for the first time
On October 23 2009, I arrived in Serbia for the first time via train from Hungary. It occurred to me when my passport was getting stamped that I can never arrive in Serbia for the first time again. I call this New Country Day. Being in a country for the first time can only officially […]
Airport Guide: Kuala Lumpur Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT)
[EDIT: LCCT has now closed and KUL budget terminal now operates out of klia2. This post remains as a historical record of the old Low Cost Carrier Terminal.] Kuala Lumpur Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) is the budget airline terminal for Kuala Lumpur International Airport. LCCT is on the other side of the runway of […]
Hotel Review: Tune Hotels – Kuala Lumpur (the low-cost airline of budget hotels)
Hotel Name: Tune Hotel – Downtown Kuala Lumpur. Address: 316 Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Golden Triangle, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. [Edit: This hotel has since closed – the article has been kept for the historical archive.] Tune Hotels.com is a budget hotel chain from Malaysia. This hotel group is connected to AirAsia, so it has a […]
