I’m a big fan of urban walking, and Singapore – being the urban planning masters that they are – are planning to create one of the world’s greatest walks along a former railway. Singapore and Kuala Lumpur were once connected by a direct railway, which ran from Keppel Road near Downtown Singapore to the Kuala […]
The Green Corridor – Singapore’s former railway line that’s now a walking path
September 26, 2018 By 6 Comments
A day in Dubai – 2018 edition
September 18, 2018 By 8 Comments
My last visit to Dubai was in 2007, just before the Global Financial Crisis. There was so much construction going on that I knew I would have to return to check on its progress. I finally returned 11 years later, at what feels like the peak of another financial bubble, and like last time there […]
A sweaty summer stopover in Sharjah
September 11, 2018 By 7 Comments
There is a saying that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and expecting a different result. I thought about this saying when I found myself back in the United Arab Emirates in the summer, when I said I would never again visit in the summer. The last I was in the […]
Rebuilding the new Beirut
September 2, 2018 By 5 Comments
Sometimes you get a good feeling about a place even before you step foot on its soil. This was the case for Beirut when I first caught a glimpse of the city. The airport is close to the city centre, and if the flights are arriving from the north the flightpath goes over the old […]
Nicosia – the divided capital of Cyprus
August 28, 2018 By 3 Comments
During my trip to Cyprus I included a stay in Nicosia. Most visitors do day trips from the coastal resorts, but I wanted to stay and have a proper look around. Its inland location wipes out any interest of visiting for most foreign tourists, who come to Cyprus for sand and sea holidays. I’m more […]
Notes on Cyprus – Roman ruins and a future global business hub
August 25, 2018 By 3 Comments
When I announced I was going to Cyprus it elicited differing reactions from friends online. For some English friends, Cyprus is associated with cheap package holidays, and the holiday makers that go with it. At some of the places I visited I did see that element, which reminded me of the Australian bogan culture in […]
Notes on Astana – the futuristic capital of Kazakhstan
July 31, 2018 By 2 Comments
When I was looking for a flight from Bangkok to London I kept seeing deals with Air Astana with a stopover in Almaty and Astana. With the flight being as much as a direct flight it seemed like a good opportunity to visit a new country. Astana is the capital of Kazakhstan, and I happened […]
Notes on Osaka – A city break dedicated to eating and urban wandering
July 11, 2018 By 10 Comments
My first visit to Osaka in 1999 was as a stopover en route to the USA. I was there for less than a day, so it barely counts as a visit. I didn’t know it at the time, but that was the first day of my expat life. I was on my way the the […]
The case for direct Hanoi to Havana flights
July 9, 2018 By Leave a Comment
[Vietnam Airlines A350 at Hanoi Noi Bai International Airport.] Wherever I travel I read the local news to get a feel of what’s going on in the land. While you’re not going to get hard-hitting political analysis from state-controlled media, it’s good for finding out about current affairs and development news. And then there are […]
Notes on Luang Prabang: Soups, trains, bad bikes, and sad waterfalls
June 19, 2018 By 5 Comments
The last time I visited Luang Prabang I remember leaving sooner than I would have preferred. It might just be the most charming town in Southeast Asia. Since that trip in 2010 I’ve often thought about if it would be a good base to stay for a while. It ticks the boxes of having plenty […]
