Kolkata is third-most populous metropolitan area in India, with a population of over 14 million. Calcutta (as it was formerly known) became the headquarters of the East India Company in 1773, and it was the capital of British India from 1858 to 1911. The remains of this period have left one of the grandest cities […]
Old Goa – Time machine dreams and the fragility of civilisation
Old Goa (Velha Goa) was the former capital of Portuguese India from the 16th century until the 18th century. It was once a significant city with a population that rivalled Lisbon, having an estimated population of over 200,000 people. The city was eventually abandoned due to a plague in the 18th century, and the capital […]
Notes on Panaji – The quaint capital of Goa, and the Macau of India
Panaji (formerly Panjim) is capital of the state of Goa. There’s no beach here, and at just over 40,000 people, petite Panaji feels positively provincial. While there are 36 states and union territories in India, Panaji doesn’t even crack the top 300 biggest cities in India. I think though that in the future Panaji will […]
Notes on North Goa Beaches
Goa is the smallest state in India, with a coastline of approximately 160 kilometres facing the Arabian Sea. Despite its diminutive size its a bit of a pain to get around due to the roads and its geography. The state is comprised of two districts: North Goa, and South Goa. When people are planning a […]
Notes on Bengaluru (The Garden City) – Old city mayhem, transport apps, and fancy airports
Bengaluru is the third largest city in India, located in the middle of the Deccan Plateau in South India. I was in Bengaluru on the way to somewhere else. I visited Bengaluru in 2007 during my first trip to India, so I would have preferred to visit a new city. 13 years between visits is […]
Chow Kit – an emerging inner city neighbourhood in Kuala Lumpur
While reading the NY Times 52 Places To Go In 2020 I raised an eyebrow when I saw Chow Kit in Kuala Lumpur listed as one of the featured destinations. Older KLites who have not been to Chow Kit for many years might have raised both eyebrows and popped their eyes out a bit. Chow […]
The new Bangkok metro to Chinatown and the Old City, and future old city metro plans
Bangkok is slowly but surely building out its metro railway system to help ease its infamous traffic problems. In July 2019 the western extension of the MRT Blue Line opened, making it the first railway of any kind in the Bangkok old city area. The extension is from Hua Lamphong (the main railway station), through […]
Notes on Can Tho – Urban life in the Mekong Delta
Can Tho is the fourth-largest city in Vietnam, and it’s one of 5 cities that’s an independent municipality at the same level as a province. From a tourists perspective it’s mainly seen as the jumping off point for the Cai Rang floating market and other trips around the Mekong Delta. I’ve been to the market […]
How travel narrative blogging has changed over the last decade, and where to find great travel reads
10 years of Nomadic Notes and travel blogging in the 2010’s In February 2019 Nomadic Notes marked the tenth anniversary as a registered domain. I never got round to doing a blogiversary post (and it’s closer to 11 years now), but the passing date did get me thinking about the early days of my blog […]
Notes on Tra Vinh – Khmer temples and a tourist town that might have been
Tra Vinh is a city deep in the Mekong Delta region, 140 km south of Ho Chi Minh City. It’s not on the way to anywhere unless you are going to another place even more out of the way. It’s worth a visit though if you have more time to travel beyond the main Mekong […]
