It was probably in the early 2010s when the small Himalayan country of Bhutan caught my attention. I remember being fascinated when I learned about what the Bhutanese government has done to preserve its unique culture while at the same time opening up to the […]
Beginning in the 15th century in a land known today as Vietnam, Dai Viet – an empire of the Viet people from the north – which had successfully defeated their long-time rival, the Chams, expanded their territory further south. Quite the opposite of the Hindu-influenced […]
The Little Red Dot is a nickname Singaporeans love to use to describe their country: a small but dynamic dot in Southeast Asia. Despite its size (roughly 40% smaller than Rhode Island or 40% bigger than Andorra), Singapore is today among Asia’s leading financial hubs, […]
Chapter 4, Part 1 For more than a millennium the area known today as Goa had been ruled by different clans, dynasties, kingdoms and sultanates before Vijayanagara took control of it in the 14th century. The once mighty southern Indian empire eventually relented control of […]
Hong Kong Island is a small piece of land constantly bustling with round-the-clock activities, keeping its inhabitants living a fast-paced life. It is where new skyscrapers are built, often over the rubble of older ones, to continuously change the face of one of Asia’s economic […]
We were standing under Galata Tower, a 14th century gem perched on the hill of Beyoğlu, a district in the European side of Istanbul. South we headed, where an even more ancient landmark emerged from afar, on top on Seraglio Point. Hagia Sophia, once the […]
In a cold dawn at Cemoro Lawang, James and I are awaken by the loud alarm from my phone and smell the putrid odor of sulphur inside the room. The night wind must have blown away the puffs from Mount Bromo’s crater to the village […]
Recently James from Plus Ultra has kindly nominated me to join the Capture the Colour photo competition run by TravelSupermarket.com. The idea is to choose five original shots from your travels, each one representing the colors blue, green, yellow, white and red, and publish them […]
“Is there any skyscraper in Jakarta?”. That question still resounds in my head until now even though it has been almost five years since my cousin’s friend, Daniel, posed us that question on our way from the airport to the city center. Since I don’t […]
You cannot say you have visited Yangon if you haven’t gone to Shwedagon Pagoda. I mean it. For most people, Southeast Asia is a wonderful place with so many beautiful temples scattered throughout the region. But after traveling around for a while, some might frown […]
Dark-colored mountains covered in mist emerge from afar. Green rice paddies stretch as far as my eyes can see. Tiny glimmering golden pagodas mark some spots amidst the green tapestry. No skyscrapers, only houses and other low-rise structures. When the plane landed on the runway […]
On my recent second trip to the island of Bali I have watched the intense Kecak dance at Uluwatu, met naughty yet funny monkeys at Ubud’s monkey forest, hit some beautiful and tranquil beaches, got wet at Tampaksiring, witnessed the beauty of Lake Batur and […]
What an Amazing World! 