While Kyoto was incredibly nice and the Gion Matsuri an eye-opener to Japanese festivals, Takayama offered a slice of Japanese culture, tradition and architecture in a setting that felt a lot more authentic. One major highlight of the region is…
Kyoto: Of Geishas, Maikos and Matsuris
Kyoto was probably the city I was looking forward to the most on my Japan trip. I’d heard endless stories from fellow travellers about how Kyoto is the city which best preserved Japan’s cultural heritage. This holds true compared to…
Weekend in Saigon
…and I’m still procrastinating to complete my posts on Japan to talk about my quick weekend in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) while memories are still fresh. It was my fourth or fifth time there, the previous trips primarily for work. What a…
Weekend in Phuket
I have so much more to write about my Japan trip but I’ll skip to my short weekend in Phuket last month first. It was my third time in Phuket. I had great fun the first couple of times I was there,…
Hiroshima: City of Peace
After Miyajima, we had only a few hours to spare in Hiroshima before heading to Kyoto. Naturally, I wanted to see the A-Bomb Dome and understand the extent of the destruction. The Peace Memorial museum tour and graphic photos of the devastation were…
Miyajima: The Ryokan Experience
I read before that Miyajima could be done as a day trip combined with Hiroshima. While that may be true, I am just so glad that I decided to spend one night there instead. After all, the Torii Gate is…
Osaka: A laid-back Tokyo
Osaka was the first leg of my Japan tour and landing at Kansai International Airport got me all fired up. I had enjoyed myself tremendously the previous time I was in Japan and I just couldn’t wait to get past immigration…
Luang Prabang
My trip from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang may have been a nightmare because of the ridiculously cold weather and incessantly winding roads, but I just love that place. It has a very strong French influence, in terms of architecture…
Vang Vieng
When you reach Vang Vieng by land from Vientiane or Luang Prabang, you see yourself on a defunct air strip where dogs run about freely and kids play in the dirt. A tuk tuk picked all the passengers of the…
Vientiane
I was in Vientiane twice during my trip as were many other travellers. It’s usually a pit stop at the beginning and end of your journey in Laos. I understand that there are some nice temples, architecture and the Buddha…
Tokyo Food Porn
I recently visited Japan and Tokyo again but a couple of years ago, I was in Tokyo largely because I wanted to try some of the oldest restaurants in the city. Now, I did expect the food at these establishments to…
Gorgeous seas of El Nido
Boracay has been labelled by many as one of the top beach destinations in Asia. I haven’t been there yet but from what I hear, it is a perfect spot to party, enjoy the sun and indulge in water sports.…
Weekend in Bali
Bali holds fantastic memories for me. I enjoyed my times surfing the waves at Kuta and riding aimlessly with my ex-housemates. Or with my ex-colleagues and friends pigging out and drinking along the coasts. Most memorable was my stay at…
Weekend in Koh Samet
Bangkok is a great place but sometimes it gets overwhelming with all the hustle and bustle. If you want a cheap, quick and easy get-away, then a weekend in Koh Samet is just about right. It’s only about 4.5 hours…
Pigging out in Bangkok
I travel to Bangkok a number of times every year and among all the things I love about the place, food probably sits right at the top. On every single visit, my Thai friends manage to surprise me with dishes…
Road to Mandalay
Mandalay was my least favourite place in Myanmar but to be fair we didn’t spend much time there. In fact, we were only there in transit on our way to Bagan. And that was after a gruelling 18-hour train ride during which I…
Serene Inle Lake
Inle Lake is probably the highlight of my trip to Myanmar. It was literally a breath of fresh air after braving the dusty roads of Yangon, Mandalay and Bagan. Two years ago, I visited the Tonle Sap lake in Siem Reap. The floating…
Touring Yangon
We spent only one day and one night in Yangon and frankly I wouldn’t stay any longer. Yangon is a city which sleeps at 9:00pm so unless you like spending time in your hotel room watching TV, you’ll get easily…