Southeast Asia has been good to me. It was the first place I travelled (after living in Taiwan for a year) and that 6 month stint of backpacking in Southeast Asia morphed into a lifelong passion for travel. I met the love of my life while working in Singapore and filled in some of the gaps that I missed on my first trip. Since leaving my job in April I’ve filled in even more of those gaps, and now I’m waiting for a flight to London to continue a trip that will eventually take me around the world.
A Snow-capped Sunrise in Sarangkot, Nepal
If you’re travelling to Nepal, chances are you’ll want to see the sun rise over snow covered peaks at least once. Most people will do this on a trek, but what if trekking isn’t for you? Maybe you’ve been eating too many pizzas and are physically incapable of walking uphill for more than 5 minutes, … Read more
How to not Lose Yourself When You Travel
Travelling to find yourself seems to be all the rage these days, but unless you’re Kevin Bacon or Christian Slater (They each played invisible men in Hollow man 1 and 2 respectively) you probably never lost yourself in the first place. Instead of finding themselves, a lot of people actually end up losing aspects of their personalities that they’d be better off keeping. Their previous traits get replaced by new ones (often arrogance, laziness, self importance) and they become annoying global citizens who judge other people’s travel habits and plans. Unless you are running away from something awful back home, it’s a good idea not to lose yourself when you travel – and I’m here to show you how.
The Planet of the Apes: The Monkey Temple in Kathmandu
It took me 28 years to learn the difference between apes and monkeys. I always thought it was based on size: King Kong > gorillas > apes > monkeys. Apparently I was wrong, and it took a text book for five year old Singaporean children to teach me that. Apes don’t have tails but monkeys do, gorillas … Read more
Luang Prabang: The Land of Temples and Rivers
Laos is full of lazy river towns where you can lose yourself in hammocks for days. You’ll overhear people moaning about having to leave or frantically cutting out places they’d planned to go just to spend a bit more time away from the bustle of the Southeast Asian tourist trail. Luang Prabang isn’t quite as relaxing as Don Det, Nong Khiaw or Muang Ngoi, but its mix of history, culture and stunning river views makes it one of the nicest (and most popular) towns in Southeast Asia.
My Predictions for the Future of Travel
Selective time travel
It’s always a good thing when destinations are as authentic as possible, so as soon as we invent time travel I’m sure we’ll use it to make tourism reach its full potential. Going back in time sounds great, but who wants to go without modern conveniences like internet and flying cars? Someone will invent a kind of gun or time-mist that can blast a predetermined area into the past, leaving everything else around it in the present (or future for us – this is getting as confusing as most time travel movies). We’ll be able to visit tiny villages untouched by the ravages of time and still be able to use magical food making machines all in the same outing – what could be better?
The Mysterious Plain of Jars in Phonsavan, Laos
Between 2 and 3 thousand years ago, in what is now Central Laos, an ancient civilization decided to build thousands of jars. The obvious question is why, and it’s one that has never had a definite answer. There are a few theories floating around for why the Plain of Jars came into existence. The most likely … Read more
5 Tips on How to Stay Healthy While Travelling
Travel is a lot better when your’e not constantly sick — so here are some tips on how to stay healthy on the road! Get spiritual Spiritual tourism is becoming popular, so why not jump on the bandwagon and get yourself to an ashram or yoga retreat. Praying to gods you don’t believe in must … Read more