Indonesia is home to a unique blend of cultures and landscapes, and an equally unique blend of movies which are set there. The Japanese occupation is a well documented part of Indonesia’s history, but less known are the mass killings after the failed coup in 1965. Watch these movies set in Indonesia and you’ll learn all … Read more
Malaysia is often underrated when it comes to islands. It has some of the best islands in Southeast Asia, but also one of the worst. Warning: a rant is coming…..
From a distance Perhentian Kecil looks pretty good, but once you walk down Long Beach you start to see its “no makeup” face, and it isn’t pretty.
Gardens aren’t usually the most exciting of places. Sure, if you are a huge flower fan or are really into ponds, they might be the highlight of your holiday, but to your average person they are just pleasant places to kill an hour or 2. Gardens by the bay is different, a futuristic wonder beamed down from space that might just be the best tourist attraction in Singapore.
The pumping pistons of the Singaporean dream machine are in full swing, turning this former rural backwater into the modern metropolis we know today. This sweeping modernisation definitely has its good points; Singapore has become the safest, cleanest and richest country in Southeast Asia, but at what cost?
Turn the clock back 50 or 60 years and a different picture of Singapore emerges. Dirt roads wind through small villages (kampongs), chickens roam through overgrown gardens, the only thing dominating the skies are the heat and the haze, and people don’t work insane overtime hours just to get ahead. Some would call this paradise, but some would rather destroy this way of life in favour of progress. That progress has bought wealth to the nation, but such a large lifestyle shift, in only 1 or 2 generations, left a hole in the soul of the country.
Can setting foot on 2 islands really be considered island hopping? That’s the kind of philosophical question I’d have to spend years meditating in an ashram to answer, but what island hopping in Langkawi lacked in islands it made up for in value. Walking down Pantai Cenang, Langkawi’s main backpacker beach, I was immediately struck by … Read more
Don’t worry; I haven’t started having conversations with inanimate objects. Anyway, if milk bottles could talk I doubt they’d be wasting their time giving me wisdom, they’d probably be more interested in talking about cows or cereal.
I haven’t gone crazy just yet, but I recently received a sign that it’s time to get excited about my trip. In the past I looked forward to certain things so much that it started to have a negative impact on the time in between. Sometimes it felt like I was treading water waiting to finish university or finish a contract. I decided that I couldn’t live in the future so much, so now when I buy a bottle of milk that has a use by date that is past the date I’ve been looking forward to, it’s time to let my mind wander. Before that time I’ve tried my hardest to live in the moment and enjoy each day.
A lot of Singapore’s history has been buried under endless high rise buildings and other urban developments. Life has changed a lot here in the last 50 or so years, and while many would say the progress is a good thing, it seems the soul of Singapore has been diluted in the process. A few pockets of the past remain, and these are where Singapore breaks free from its robotic suburbs and becomes something truly interesting. The historical districts of Singapore have a great mix of colour, chaos and expression, something that is sorely lacking in other parts of the country.
“But Jon, isn’t pretty much everywhere in Laos quiet?” Yes, but quiet isn’t always created equal, and while you might find plenty of laid back places in Laos, none are likely to be in a more scenic location (and provide you with more travelling comforts) than Nong Khiaw. Sure, you could rent a motorbike and … Read more