Shenzhen and I didn’t get off to a good start the first around. It was the end of 2010 and I was finishing a two month trip in China. I was in Shanghai and I had a flight to catch in Hong Kong. Flights to Shenzhen were half the price of those to Hong Kong, […]
A bemused Melburnian returns to Melbourne after two years absence
I returned to Melbourne after being away for just over two years. I didn’t intend to be away so long, as I like to return to the homeland at least once every calendar year. Unfortunately my back injury of 2016 put me out of commission for a while and I wasn’t able to travel. This […]
Saigon to Phan Thiet by train – the easy way to get to Mui Ne
Mui Ne is a popular beach resort area in Southeastern Vietnam. The actual beach area is between the towns of Phan Thiet and Mui Ne, though most people just say Mui Ne for the general area. The easiest way to get to Mui Ne is to get the Saigon to Phan Thiet train, and then […]
Darwin as Asia’s gateway to Australia
My first time to Darwin was a stop at the airport in 2007, which we all know doesn’t count as a visit. I was flying from Sydney to Mumbai, which stopped at Darwin on the way. That flight route was made famous by Ralph Fiennes and a Qantas flight attendant, though my flight was not […]
Canggu – the hipster paradise of Bali
I first visited Canggu in 2014 when it was already creating a name for itself as the next cool place in Bali. By then it was called “the new Ubud” and “Ubud for surfers”, so of course I had to see for myself. Sure enough I could see the new-age/organic of vibe Ubud fused with […]
Da Nang – A dragon rising
I was in Da Nang for a wedding which was a great excuse to return to a city I enjoy visiting. I’ve been four times now over the space of 12 years. The first time I was in Danang was in 2005, where I only passed through on a bus from Hoi An. I remember […]
Flight Review: Malindo Air – Kuala Lumpur to Denpasar (Bali)
Flight: Malindo Air OD 308 From: Kuala Lumpur (KUL) To: Denpasar (DPS) I flew with Malindo Air from Kuala Lumpur to Bali. I compared flights online with Skyscanner and they were the cheapest, and also flying at a reasonable hour of the day. I had never flown with Malindo, which was another reason I picked […]
Hotel Review: Anggun Boutique Hotel, Kuala Lumpur – Malaysia
Guesthouse Name: Anggun Boutique Hotel Address: 7 & 9 Jalan Tengkat Tong Shin, Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia I stayed at the Anggun Boutique Hotel in Kuala Lumpur. I booked online after comparing hotels in Kuala Lumpur. I was looking for a 4 or 5 star hotel in Bukit Bintang area, so I set the […]
The changing face of Saigon – 2017 edition
With around 8.5 million people in Saigon the city will soon join the ranks of the world’s megacities. I wrote about the changing face of Saigon in 2015 which summarised the changes to the city. Much has happened over the last two years so here is an update on the changes – good and bad […]
My travel gear list for 2017
It’s been a while since I’ve done a packing list (my last one was in 2014). I was planning to do another one until I realised my 2017 list is remarkably similar to 2014. Not much has changed in my bags, or the bags themselves. Hell, I might even have the very same underwear in […]
