The long neck women are from Burma/Myanmar, and many live as refugees in Thailand. The long neck women are known as Padaung, a sub-group of the Karen tribe. The Karen tribe villages are near the Thai-Myanmar border, but there are also “villages” near Chiang Mai. I say “villages” as they are really just market stalls […]
Notes on Goa: Matt Damon, hippies, and Portuguese ruins
[Palolem – Goa] Goa is a small state on the west coast of India. It is often referred to as if it is a place. This former Portuguese colony was once one of the happening places on the overland hippy trail in the 1970’s, and ever since then every hippy worth their salt will tell […]
A tour of the slums of Mumbai
At every book stall on the streets of Mumbai there are always the same travel books on sale. The one you see the most here is Shantaram, by Gregory David Roberts. The book is a fictionalised retelling of the authors true-life escape from an Australian prison and flight to India, where he ends up living […]
Notes on Mumbai: Bollywood, World Cup Cricket, Shantaram
Welcome to Bombay, Sir Arriving at Mumbai International the terminal looked like it hadn’t changed since the 1950’s. I love it. It’s like a glimpse back in time which you are not afforded in todays modern hub airports of Southeast Asia. I turned on my mobile phone and I received a welcome message from a […]
A guide to budget accommodation in Dubai
There’s not much in the way of budget accommodation in Dubai. Cheap guest house style accommodation that is common in Asian destinations does not fit in with Dubai’s grandmaster plan of being a luxury holiday and shopping stop-over hub. Hostels There are some hostels in Dubai, the UAE YHA, though it’s not in the most […]
Notes on Dubai – old and new
Notes from my trip to Dubai in October 2007. Dubai Weather… …is hot. Damn hot! At the end of September the forecast maximum is 40 deg C and a minimum of 29 deg C. Step out of the air conditioned comfort of the airport and it hits you in the face and fills your lungs. […]
Notes on Shanghai – old and new
[Notes from my visit to Shanghai in November 2008.] Shanghai was once known as the Paris of the East. Today it is referred to as the Pearl of the Orient. Along the Shanghai river front is where you can see the best of Shanghai’s past and future in one spot. [Shanghai old and new. A […]
Sentosa Island – Singapore
Location: Sentosa Island – Singapore Sentosa Island is a leisure resort island off the city-state island of Singapore. It is regarded as the southern most point of continental Asia, though that is disputable as Singapore is an island, therefore technically not continental. [Southern Most Point Of Continental Asia] Sentosa has a theme park resort feel […]
Flight Review: Tiger Airways – Singapore to Melbourne via Darwin
Flight: Tiger Airways TR 702 Date: 27 Feb 2008 From: Singapore (SIN) To: Darwin (DRW) Flight: Tiger Airways TT 7567 Date: 28 Feb 2008 From: Darwin (DRW) To: Melbourne (MEL) Tiger Airways is a low cost airline based in Singapore, with its primary hub at Singapore Changi Airport. Tiger Airways began operations in 2004 and […]
Flight Review: Bangkok Airways – Samui to Singapore
Flight: Bangkok Airways PG 961 Date: 24 Feb 2008 From: Samui (USM), Thailand To: Singapore (SIN) Bangkok Airways is a Thai airline based at Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok. The airline operates flights in Thailand as well as to destinations in Cambodia, China, Japan, Laos, Maldives, Myanmar, Singapore and Vietnam. Bangkok Airways is not a low cost […]
