travel

Kampong Ayer: Postcards from a Water Village in Brunei

by
The view of Kampong Ayer, the largest water village in the world

Brunei had always been a mystery to me. For longer than I’d like to admit I thought it was in the Middle East (and I used to be good at geography – not sure how that one slipped by me), but it’s actually a small country wedged between 2 states of Malaysia, on the exotic … Read more

Gardens by the Bay, Singapore: The Coolest Gardens in the World?

by
The supertrees at night during the garden rhapsody at Gardens by the Bay, Singapore

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.

Read more

Kampong Buangkok: The Last Remaining Traditinal Village in Mainland Singapore

by
Kampong Buangkok, the last kampong in mainland 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.

Read more

A Milk Bottle Just Told Me it’s Time to Get Excited About My Trip

by
A bottle of Australian milk

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.

Read more

Should Travellers Be Working for Free in Guesthouses and Bars?

by
The main street on Koh Rong, Cambodia

“Are you looking for workers?” asked a weary looking couple at a guesthouse/restaurant in Koh Rong, Cambodia. “Not at the moment” was the reply from the offbeat Italian owner, and on they went. I heard this conversation twice in the 5 nights I spent there. I wanted to get to the bottom of why she was turning down free labour, as everyone else on Koh Rong seemed to be lapping it up; in pretty much every bar and guesthouse I saw travellers happily plying their trade.

Read more

Travel Playlist: A Musical Journey Around the World

by

One of the things I love about travel is getting onto a bus (or train) headed somewhere new, putting my headphones on and watching a new world go by. It’s the sense of freedom I imagine someone in the throws of a midlife crises feels when he hops into his newly purchased Porsche, cranks the stereo up and hits the road.

Music has been a big part of my travels, and everyone loves a good playlist! If you need some travel inspiration, check out these songs about (or sometimes just named after) places around the world. Click on the title to listen to the song on YouTube or just watch the whole playlist below.

Read more

The Perils (and Perks) of Getting a Haircut in a Foreign Land

by

The Perils:

They might forget to cut one side

Maybe the guy had been having a few beers, or hairdressing wasn’t really his passion in life, but still, getting half a haircut for the price of 1 isn’t such a good deal. This was in Singapore, and arriving home for the customary post-haircut mirror check was a horrific experience. In his defence, the haircut did cost about $3, so I couldn’t complain too much, and it didn’t look as bad as the above photo, from the TV show Nathan Barley.

Read more