In Thailand there are many cities that decorate their street signs with icons associated with the city. Here are some that I have seen over the years in my travels in Thailand. Patong Beach, Phuket Patong Beach in Phuket with a dolphin street sign. Krabi Town Krabi Town with a sword-wielding elephant. Of course. Maeklong […]
Where to stay in Georgetown, Penang – The best area to stay and the pick of the hotels (2023)
Penang is a state in Malaysia that includes the island of Penang and the strip of adjacent land on the peninsula. For most visitors when they say they are going to Penang they mean they are going to Georgetown, on the northeast tip of Penang island (Pulau Pinang). [Georgetown in relation to Pulau Pinang and […]
Notes on Nakhon Phanom: Down by the river, and hanging out at Uncle Ho’s House
Nakhon Phanom is the capital city of Nakhon Phanom Province in northeastern Thailand (Isaan). The city is on the Mekong River above Mukdahan Province, which is where I travelled from. There is a highway near the river that connects Mukdahan to Nakhon Phanom, though you rarely get a glimpse of the water along the way. […]
Where to stay in Da Nang – the best areas and most notable hotels (2023)
Da Nang is increasingly becoming a travel hotspot in Southeast Asia. Located midway between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, this city is geographically blessed with a river and seafront, and surrounded by mountains. It wasn’t long ago that travellers bypassed Da Nang on the way to and from Hoi An. Nowadays Da Nang has […]
Where to stay in Hanoi: The best areas for first-time visitors
Hanoi has a population of over 8 million people and is broken up into 30 administrative districts. This soon-to-be megacity is a confusing mess of streets with seemingly as many motorbikes as there are people. [Motorbikes in the Old Quarter.] If you are visiting Hanoi for the first time it may not seem apparent where […]
Where to stay in Dubai: The best areas and most iconic hotels
Dubai has grown to become one of the most visited cities in the world. Even if you’re not planning on visiting, you might end up here on the way to somewhere else thanks to the extensive Emirates network. Dubai is a geographically enormous city, so choosing what area to stay in is just as important […]
Cambodia Railways: A guide to train travel in Cambodia
Cambodia has two railway lines that operate from Phnom Penh. There is a line from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville (Southern Line), and Phnom Penh to Poipet via Battambang (Northern Line). The railways of Cambodia were established during the French colonial era. The lines fell into disrepair during and after the Khmer Rouge era, and they […]
Malaysia railways – a guide to train travel in Malaysia
Getting the train in Malaysia should be part of any overland travel experience in mainland Southeast Asia. The railway line from the Thailand border to the Singapore border forms part of a journey where you can travel by train from Laos to Singapore. The most frequent train services in Malaysia are through the more populated […]
Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh by bus
Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh is 240 km apart by road, and getting the bus is the cheapest way to travel between the two cities. Despite the relatively close distance and flat terrain, the roads are congested and not built for highway cruising. Google Maps says the trip can be done in 5 […]
Tokyo subway maps – A guide to finding high-resolution maps of every railway in Tokyo
The Tokyo subway system is one of the world’s largest mass transit networks. There is not an official name that represents all of the lines that serve Tokyo, though Tokyo Subway is often used to refer to all lines. Technically, the Tokyo subway is just one part of the urban rail transit network. The Tokyo […]
