Even though I’ve visited Kuala Lumpur over 20 times in the last ten years, I had never been up the Petronas Twin Towers. My frequent visits fell into a familiar pattern of visit favourites restaurants and finding cafes to work from. When my dad was visiting KL I took this as a good excuse to […]
The regeneration of Kuala Lumpur Old City
The first time I visited Kuala Lumpur was when I was overlanding my way down the Malay Peninsula in 2006. Like most backpackers I ended up in a cheap guesthouse in the Chinatown area of KL. I was amazed that there were so many heritage buildings that had not been restored. There are sections of […]
Best cafes in Georgetown, Penang
Georgetown is a former colonial city on the island of Penang in Malaysia. The old town is lined with colonial-era buildings and and the entire inner city is a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site. Traditional cafes here are kopi tiam style, which offer a simple food menu and a place to chat with friends. They […]
Giving Shenzhen a second chance
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 […]
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 […]
sky100 Hong Kong Observation Deck – the best view in Hong Kong
When it comes to getting a good view from a skyscraper observation deck you need a combination of height and position in the city to make it a worthwhile attraction. The sky100 Hong Kong Observation Deck ticks both of those boxes. Whenever I wanted a view of Hong Kong I’ve always gone to Victoria Peak. […]
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 […]
