For visitors to Saigon the most popular sites are in a compact area around District 1 and 3. If you have time though I recommend making a visit to Cholon, which is the old Chinatown area, most of which lies in District 5. Cholon used to be a city in itself until it was merged […]
Tra Su Forest, Vietnam
One of the lesser-known attractions of the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam is the Tra Su Forest. The forest is a former plantation that is now a wildlife reserve. There are canals which are flooded (usually between November to March) and there are boats that will take you on tour. The forest is about 20km […]
I’m done with visiting “traditional villages”
It was on a tour around Bajawa in Indonesia where I came down with traditional village fatigue. I had hired a bike driver to take me to the sites in what was a well-worn itinerary. The tour included a walk to a volcanic lake, a waterfall, hot springs, and visiting traditional villages. The traditional village […]
Notes on Tana Toraja: Torajan homes and traditional funeral ceremonies in South Sulawesi
Tana Toraja (also referred to as Toraja) is a region in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. It is a landlocked regency and it is famous for the Torajan homes (Tongkonan) and traditional funeral ceremonies. For the purpose of this guide I have listed the region rather than an individual town, as most of the sightseeing involves driving […]
Guesthouse Review: Birdnest Guest House 2, Kuala Lumpur – Malaysia
Guesthouse Name: Birdnest Guest House Address: 64 Jalan Hang Kasturi, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia I stayed at the Birdnest Guest House 2 in Kuala Lumpur. I arrived in KL without any accommodation booked (I had been on an island without internet) so I just turned up in the Chinatown area and walked around. There are lots […]
Guesthouse Review: ABC Chalet And Restaurant, Tioman Island – Malaysia
Hotel Name: ABC Chalet And Restaurant Address: Kampung Air Batang, ABC Beach, Tioman Island, Malaysia I stayed at the ABC Chalet And Restaurant on Tioman Island, Malaysia. I booked online for the rate of 85 Ringgit ($19.31 USD). Tioman is one of those places where you could turn up and look around for a place […]
Hotel Review: Mandarin Orchard Singapore
Hotel Name: Mandarin Orchard Singapore Address: 333 Orchard Road, Singapore [Edit: Mandarin Orchard Singapore is now rebranded as Hilton Singapore Orchard. This review is left as an archive.] I stayed at the Mandarin Orchard Singapore as a guest of Meritus Hotels and Resorts. The Mandarin Orchard Singapore is a five-star hotel on Orchard Road and […]
Libertad Apparel: the travel shirt that doesn’t look like a travel shirt
I’m always on the lookout for shirts that look good and are practical for travel. The problem I have with most travel clothes is that they usually look like travel clothes. The checklist of travel-shirt cliches include: – variation of green/beige/khaki (army/explorer colours) – ugly fabric – zips and multiple panels – a big logo […]
Apartment Review: short-term rental in Zizkov district, Prague
Apartment: Vlkova Apartment 1 Address: Žižkov, Prague, Czech Republic I had a week in Prague and I ended up splitting my time between two apartments, mainly because I had credits in my Airbnb and Wimdu accounts to use. The first place I stayed at was in central Prague. This apartment was in the Zizkov neighbourhood, […]
A monolith and a meerkat – camping at Namibia’s highest mountain
Brandberg Mountain is Namibia’s highest peak, standing at 2,606 metres. It is also a monolith, so when you cross the northwestern Namib Desert you will know when you see it. I was in Namibia visiting the Mad Max filming locations, which was mostly shot near Swakopmund (this was a press trip on behalf of the […]
