Cape Town is a place I have been wanting to visit for years. I’ve read Cape Town as being described as a cross between San Fransisco and Sydney, and a few long-term travellers I know have called it their favourite city in the world. With such endorsements, I was curious to see what it is […]
Lake St. Lucia – home to the largest hippo population in South Africa
When it comes to the big animals of Africa the hippopotamus lives in the shadow of the Big Five: African lion, African elephant, cape buffalo, African leopard, and rhinoceros. The term “Big Five” was coined by game hunters for being the five most difficult animals to hunt on foot. It has since become a check-list […]
Ko Phayam: “like Pai, with a beach”
On my quest to visit some new islands in Thailand, I ended up at Ko Phayam; an island in the Andaman Sea in Ranong province, close to Myanmar. The most distinguishing feature of the island is that it is car-free. Apart from some tractors, the only motorised transport is motorbikes. The island has a network […]
Notes on Battambang
Battambang is the second largest city in Cambodia and is considered the artist capital of the country. It also has one of the best preserved colonial quarters in Southeast Asia. It’s an easy-going city that gets relatively few visitors. It doesn’t help that it shivers in the shadow of the tourism goliath of Angkor Wat/Siem […]
Visiting the aircraft graveyard of Bangkok
In an unassuming suburb of Bangkok is an empty lot that has become small airplane graveyard. I have been meaning to visit this site on my last few visits to Bangkok and I finally got my chance when a friend organised a trip. The highlight of the this aircraft boneyard is a 747 which is […]
Cholon Wanders – Visiting Saigon’s historic Chinatown district
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 […]
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 […]
Notes on Bira: A beach town in South Sulawesi, Indonesia
Bira is a beach town at the far south of South Sulawesi, Indonesia. It’s popular for its beautiful beaches and great diving spots. Given its isolated location it’s not an over-developed beach spot, which for some people this is part of its charm. Unless you are going to Selayar Island this is the end of […]
Notes on Makassar: The largest city in Sulawesi
Makassar is the largest city in Sulawesi and a major hub for travel in Indonesia. I flew into Makassar for onward travel to Tana Toraja and Bira Beach. These are my notes of things to see, where to stay, cafes, and food to try. Makassar travel map I have marked a map with cafes, food […]
