My first impression of Kuala Lumpur was that it is a modern city on the move, ready to rival other big modern Asian cities. As I dug a little deeper into the city over the next few days, I realised that is so much more than that. It is also a city that embraces its [...]
Although the rushed, over crowded and impersonal tour that I joined to the Mekong Delta in Vietnam was far from enjoyable, it did have the occasional small highlight that made it all worth it in the end. One of those moments was stopping at a honey bee farm, which at first appeared to just be [...]
From the window of my guesthouse in Chinatown, one of the first things I noticed was a building off in the distance with a huge, blue, star shaped roof. I had no idea what it was until I opened up my map of Kuala Lumpur and my Lonely Planet guide. That interesting building that I [...]
Chiang Mai is the first place I've ever stayed in a foreign country for longer than a couple of weeks. During my two months in this city in Northern Thailand I realised the benefits of an extended stay in one place. Once I had seen all of the popular tourist attractions, temples and markets, I [...]
It was strange to be in a big city again. I think the last time I had seen a skyscraper was back in Saigon, over four months prior. As the bus made its way through the outer suburbs of Kuala Lumpur, I realised that this really is a big city, with endless buildings, streets and [...]
We must have looked like the oddest people in town. At least, that was the look that we were getting from locals who drove past us in their cars or on motorbikes as we wandered along the winding road. If it wasn’t odd looks that we were getting, it was looks of amusement at seeing [...]
Vientiane is a capital city that doesn't really feel like a capital city, especially when you compare it to the metropolises of Laos' neighbouring countries. Compared to cities like Bangkok, Hanoi or Phnom Penh, Vientiane is a sleepy little city, located right on the Mekong River. It is a city that is now forever changing, [...]
There are some temples in Chiang Mai that seem to attract all of the tourists, while there are others that are just as impressive but see very little tourist traffic. Since I had visited the more popular temples during my first visit to Chiang Mai, this time around I decided to check out some of [...]
I had dragged my hiking boots along with me for over five months through Southeast Asia, and I had only used them once in Vietnam, way back near the start of my trip. I was a little disappointed with myself about that. Obviously I had planned to do quite a lot of trekking during the [...]
It was a pleasant morning in George Town, Penang, as I wandered along a quiet street in Chinatown. Old Chinese buildings lined the street, each one showing signs of age and character; each with its own story to tell. As the street led me out of Chinatown, I could suddenly smell that unique aroma that [...]
