Yatz Iran 伊朗亚兹德 (B) 3/2018（7)
17-19/3/2018. This was the place, Chak Chak, where the Zoroastrians still come to do their annual pilgrimage. Zoroastrianism is an ancient Persian religion that may have originated as early as 4,000 years ago and was...
Yazd Iran 伊朗亚兹德 （A）- 3/2018 (6)
17-19/3/2018. After seven hours of an overnight bus ride, I arrived at 7 a.m. in the desert town of Yazd and proceeded to the hotel. The hotel manager invited me for a free breakfast, the...
Shiraz Iran 伊朗设拉子 3/2018 (5)
14-16/3/2018. From Isfahan, I took a seven-hour night bus to Shiraz. The bus fare was less than USD 8, quite economical for a pretty luxurious bus. I was privileged to stay in a boutique hotel...
Isfahan Iran 伊朗伊斯法罕 3/2018 (4)
10-13/3/2018. From Kashan, I moved on to Isfahan, my fourth stop in Iran. This was the world’s second largest square and Isfahan’s most famous landmark, the Imam Square. Shops selling local handicrafts surround the square....
Abyaneh Iran 伊朗阿卜亚内赫 3/2018 (3)
10/3/2018. From Kashan, I rented a taxi heading for Abyaneh. On the way, nothing but desert, the dry, bland desert. Desert was good; I needed a break from the hustle and bustle, the noise and...
Kashan Iran 伊朗卡尚 3/2018 (2)
9-10/3/2018. From Tehran, I traveled to Kashan, about 250 kilometers away, arriving at about 3 p.m. It felt like a small town on the Silk Road. After a quick bite, I started asking for directions...
Tehran Iran 伊朗德黑兰 3/2018 (1)
8-9/3/2018. Curiosity kills a cat. It is part recklessness and part restlessness. I decided to visit Iran to unveil the mysticism of this country. A country that openly chants and taunts “death to America,” and...
I love Shanghai 我爱上海 1/2019
I have gone behind the firewall the past couple of weeks where Instagram, Google, Facebook are not available....
My Shanghai 我的上海 3-5/2019
I returned to Shanghai again after the Chinese New Year....
Penang Malaysia 马来西亚槟城 1/2020
19-21/1/2020. Penang is special. I had been there in my early teens. This recent visit was simultaneously nostalgic and refreshing. I fell in love with it, kind of head to toes. It did not charm...
Kuantan Pahang, Malaysia 马来西亚关丹 9/2020 (5)
23-24/9/2020. I spent some brief time in Kuantan when small. This is the town where many of my relatives still live. But the city has morphed into something unrecognizable. The Kuantan River still flows through...
Pulau Perhentian, Kuala Terengganu and other, Malaysia 马来西亚登嘉楼 9/2020 (4)
16-22/9/2020. From Kelantan, I proceeded southward into Terengganu state, blessed with beaches and beautiful islands. I stayed overnight at Besut. The next morning, I took a speedboat to Perhentian Island. My luxurious accommodation was a...
Kelantan, Kota Bharu Malaysia 马来西亚吉兰丹哥打巴鲁 9/2020 (3)
14-15/9/2020. The outbreak of Covid cases stopped me from going farther north to the next state, Kedah. So, I instead went eastward to Kota Bharu, the capital of the Kelantan state. I literally drove into...
Kangsar, Taiping Perak, Malaysia 马来西亚江沙，太平 9/2020 (2)
12-13/9/2020. After two days in Ipoh, I drove on to Kuala Kangsar. Kangsar is the royal town of Perak. The Sultan of Perak state lives here. There is, of course, a thick royal air in...
Ipoh Perak Malaysia 马来西亚霹雳州怡保 9/2020 (1)
9-11/9/2020. When the virus came calling, we all took cover at home. Going overseas was still off-limits, but domestic travel was free to go. I started from Kuala Lumpur, heading northward first, to try to...
Almaty and nearby, Kazakhstan 阿拉木图和周边 5/2018 (1)
2-3/5/2018. Although I live most of my life in Asia, Central Asia is as remote to me as any other continent. I flew into Almaty from Kuala Lumpur. Pardon my ignorance, but I had never...
Taraz, Shymkent Kazakhstan 哈萨克斯坦塔拉兹，奇姆肯特 5/2018 (2)
4/5/2018. After a brief stay in Almaty, I was looking forward to seeing more of Kazakhstan. I took an MPV taxi heading west to Taraz with a few other fellow passengers. The car was loaded...
Tashkent Uzbekistan 乌兹别克斯坦塔什干 5/2018 (3)
6-8/5/2018. From Shymkent in Kazakhstan, I took a taxi to go west toward Tashkent, Uzbekistan. An hour later, the taxi dropped me at the border. I then walked into Uzbekistan and straight into Tashkent, which...
Samarkand Uzbekistan 乌兹别克斯坦撒马尔罕 5/2018 (4)
8-9/5/2018. After two days in Tashkent, I was on the evening train bound for Samarkand. When I got on the train, I walked into a carriage packed with locals piercing me with their curious eyes....
Bukhara Uzbekistan 乌兹别克斯坦布哈拉 5/2018 (5)
10-11/5/2018. From Samarkand, I then took the train to Bukhara, just three hours away. As soon as I disembarked, a ball of fire engulfed me. It sure was hot as hell. I hastened to the...
Khiva Uzbekistan 乌别克斯坦希瓦 5/2018 (6)
12-14/5/2018, I shared a taxi with a young Spanish doctor, each of us paying USD 20, to drive to Khiva, which was 400 kilometers away and would take about seven hours. The car often drove...
Kuala Lumpur During Covid 疫情马来西亚吉隆玻 2020/2021
2020/2021. We were going about our daily chores, just like any other day, and the days before them. About 12 months ago, we were still partying in the streets to usher in the New Year....
Dubai UAE 迪拜酋长国杜拜 1/2016 (6)
23-24/1/2016. For the past nine days, I was stuck back in time, more than 3,000 years ago. I witnessed antique coffins of dignitaries from time immemorial, ancient tombs hidden deep in the desert ground, wall...
Genocide and the killing fields re-lived, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia 3/2023 (Stop 11)
12-15 March 2023 An estimated 2 million died in Cambodia in 1975-1979 under the Khmer Rouge, about a quarter of the Cambodian population. I was a young man then. It happened in my lifetime, in...
On the trail of lost temples in Angkor Wat In Siem Reap, Cambodia 3/2023 (Stop 10)
8-11 March 2023 I was eager to get to Siem Reap to see Angkor Wat. Don’t ask, Angkor what? It is the world’s largest temple complex, made up of many temples, of Hindu but later...
See mysterious Kathmandu stuck in time 11/2023 (Stop 17 part 2)
4th November, 2023 Katmandu, Nepal. There are 3 main squares around Kathmandu. I have visited the Durbar Square. One in the bag, 2 more awaited. So, the next day I set out for more. These...
See mysterious Kathmandu stuck in time 11/2023 (Stop 17 part 1)
2-3 November, 2023 Katmandu, Nepal. During the 5 days in Pokhara I did try to rise as high and as early as I could, to get a closer look at the Himalaya peaks, and to...
See the spectacular sunrise over the highest peaks in the world in Pokhara, Nepal 10/2023 (Stop 16)
26th October – 1 November 2023 Pokhara, Nepal It was hard to emerge from Varanasi after the incense, the orange robes, tilak, rituals, and the drumbeats. That is a fitting clomax to my discovery of...
Varanasi, where you see life and rebirth 10/2023 (Stop 15)
24-26th, October 2023 Varanasi, India From New Delhi, I took the train to Varanasi, the holy city of the Hindus. As I walked toward the guesthouse at about 6 am, people were already on the...
See the renaissance, from old to New Delhi 10/2023 (Stop 14)
22-23th, October 2023 New Delhi, India From Agra I now took the train to New Delhi, the capital of India, to see what has become of India. First, a look at her past – the...
Finding love in Agra India 10/2023 (Stop 13)
20-21st, October 2023 Agra, India From Jaipur I now rode the train to Agra, arriving the evening of Thursday. Everyone comes to India to see the Taj Mahal. I was rubbing my hands with great...
Jaipur, the most incredible, in the heart of Rajasthan 10/2023 (Stop 12)
16-19th October 2023, Day 1 Jaipur, India From Jaisalmer, I now went eastward for 13 hours to Jaipur on an overnight train. It was not pleasant as I slept in a 6 bunk-bed compartment on...
The best living fort and jaw-dropping havelis in desert Jaisalmer, India – 10/2023 (Stop 11)
13-15, October 2023, Jaisalmer, India I continued my adventure in the Indian state of Rajasthan. From Jodhpur, I took a bus ride for 5 hours to Jaisalmer, near the Western border with Pakistan. It looked...
Drunk with the beauty of Jodhpur palaces 10/2023 (Stop 10)
10-11, October 2023, Jodhpur, India From Udaipur, I headed north to Jodhpur, another city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. At my guesthouse, which was at a foothill, the towering Mehrangarh Fort rose in the...
Romancing the lakes in Udaipur, India 10/2023 (Stop 9)
8-9, October 2023, Udaipur, India From Ahmedabad, I continued northward by train. 6 hours later, I reached Udaipur. This part of India was getting into late summer and becoming cooler. I did not realize I...
Paying homage to India’s greatest, Gandhi, of Ahmedabad, India 10/2023 (Stop 8)
6 October 2023 AhmedabadAfter 2 days in Mumbai, I took a night train to arrive in Ahmedabad at 6.30 a.m. Stepping into the arrival hall, many were still sleeping snugly on the floor, like on...
Mumbai, more fun than Bollywood 10/2023 (Stop 7)
2-3 October 2023 Mumbai So, on this trip, I first flew to Malé in The Maldives, from Kuala Lumpur on 13 September 2023, then onward to Sri Lanka, on the 18th of September, and now...
One last indulgent fling with the beaches in Merissa, Sri Lanka 9/2023 (Stop 6)
29-30 September 2023 Merissa From Ella in central Sri Lanka, I headed south towards the southern coast, to Mirissa. Many foreigners came to rendezvous with the beaches and whale watching. Along the way, some rivers...
The most scenic train ride in the world, Kandy to Ella, Sri Lanka 9/2023 (Stop 5)
26 September 2023 Train ride from Kandy to Ella From Trincomalee on the east coast, I took the local buses towards Dambulla, in central Sri Lanka. After staying a night, I boarded another bus for...
Cycling to the beaches in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka 9/2023 (Stop 4)
23 September 2023 Trincomalee From Anuradhapura, it was a 3-hour bus ride to Trincomalee on the east coast of the island. All along the way was the jungle, with houses nestled in it. Some coconut...
Trying for enlightenment in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka 9/2023 (Stop 3)
21 September 2023 After seeing Sigiriya, I rode a tuk-tuk for 18 km to Dambulla, then a bus to Anuradhapura which was a further hour away. Anuradhapura was once the old capital of Sri Lanka...
Enjoying the good time in Colombo and Sigiriya, Sri Lanka 9/2023 (Stop 2)
19th September 2023 Colombo 3 days of in the sun and sea, my nose burned red and my lips cracked. This was the world where I chased the fish, giant turtles, sharks and nearly dolphins....
To party and have a good time in Vang Vienne, Laos 3/2023 (Stop 9)
3-4 March 2023 From Luang Prabang, I continued south to Vang Vieng in a new Chinese-built train, arriving in 2 hours. I rented a motorbike and went looking for the famed blue water lagoons. I...
How to explore Luang Prabang’s temples, rivers and waterfalls 2/3 2023 (Stop 8)
27 Feb – 1 March 2023 It was fun and therapeutic sailing down the Mekong for 2 days, through the scenic mountainous north of Laos. In the end, another reward awaited – Luang Prabang, a...
Sailing Down The Mekong In Laos 2/2023 (Stop 7)
25-26 Feb 2023 I have by now traveled the entire length of Thailand from south to north. From the northern tip, I want to see Laos by boat up the Mekong. At Huay Xai, the...
Chill in northern Thailand Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Chiang Khong 2/2023 (Stop 6)
21-24 Feb 2023 From Bangkok, I was continuing to head north, Ayutthaya, Sukhothai, and toward Chiang Mai. Away from the beaches of the south, the north landscape became greener, hilly and cooler. Ancient Buddhist temples...
Thailand’s World Heritage Sites, Ayutthaya and Sukhothai 2/2023 (Stop 5)
18-20 Feb 2023 Before there was Bangkok, there was Ayutthaya, the capital of the old Kingdom of Siam. After 3 days in Bangkok, I was heading north. I had to go back to go forward....
Swimming with the sharks in The Maldives 9/2023 (Stop 1)
Caption: Itinerary on this trip through The Maldives, Sri Lanka, India and Nepal: 12 Sept 2023 I flew to the middle of the Indian Ocean, trying to land on the Maldives, made up of many...
More than one night in Bangkok, see the temples, palaces and walk on the wild side 2/2023 (Stop 4)
15-17 Feb 2023 After a few days in laidback Koh Samui, I would now go to Bangkok, Thailand’s capital. It promises to be mouth-watering. Thai cuisine is popular the world over. It stings, it sets...
The enthralling story of a beautiful people with the saddest story, Lebanon 6/2023 (Stop 5 Part 2)
From Beirut, I would make a second-day trip, this time to Baalbek, 85 km away. Having gone through the stomach-churning ride in the local mini bus yesterday, I decided to hire a taxi this time....
The enthralling story of a beautiful people with the saddest story, Lebanon 6/2023 (Stop 5 Part 1)
I want no bloodshed, but we should learn lessons from the past. I wanted to see bullet holes, not blood. After Jordan, my next destination was Lebanon. Going via Syria would have been the shortest...
Visit the Red Sea, Dead Sea, and Jaresh in Jordan, for old times’ sake 6/2023 (Stop 4)
An hour away from Wadi Rum is the Red Sea. I have read about Moses parting the Red Sea, so I wanted to see it. I mean the sea, not the parting. I drove past...
Time to explore the most beautiful desert moonscape in Wadi Rum, Jordan 6/2023 (Stop 3)
I soon left Petra in the rear-view mirror and drove south toward Wadi Rum. The enjoyment continued, the roads wound around the hillsides and hilltops, surrounded by rocky mountains and valleys, shaped by the elements...
Hiking in Petra, Jordan: how to experience one of the seven wonders of the world 6/2023 (Stop 2)
11 June 2023 After staying a night at Madaba, I drove to Petra the next morning. The land turned browner and more hostile. Even the sky looks unhappy; covering the sky from end to end...
The best way to enjoy Arabian culture, in Amman, Jordan 6/2023 (Stop 1)
6-10 June 2023 I have been looking for places that are exotic and exciting to visit, but not too far away. Many places are still trouble spots. These hot spots are still too hot –...
See the world’s best tropical beaches, Phuket and Koh Samui, Thailand 2/2023 (stop 3)
9-12 Feb 2023 2 hours boat ride away from Krabi was another well-known island, Phuket, my next island-hopping destination. Many came for the beaches, others, to be wild. Patong Beach was the most famous of...
The best that Thailand has to offer, Koh Phi Phi 2/2023 (Stop 2)
7-8 Feb 2023 From Krabi, the next destination was another island group, the largest of which was Koh Phi Phi, 2 hours boat ride away. I climbed to the top of a hill to see...
Visit Kolok, Hat Yai, Krabi in Southern Thailand for a fun-filled vacation 2/2023 (Stop 1)
4 Feb – 6 Feb 2023 It’s time to visit Thailand properly, our famous neighbor to the north. I mean, go the whole length of the country. So, I snuck into Thailand from the south....
See Vietnam in a new light – Stop 7 Ha Long Bay, Tam Coc, Trang An
20 October 2024 Ha Long Bay For many travelers, Ha Long Bay best epitomizes Vietnam’s unique beauty. Wherever we are traveling around Vietnam, a pilgrimage to Ha Long Bay is too sacrilegious to miss. It...
See Vietnam in a new light – Stop 6 Hanoi
17-18, 23 October 2022 From Hue, I flew to Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, located in the northern part of the country. I started my journey on the 6 October, nearly 2 weeks ago, from...
See Vietnam in a new light – Stop 5 Hue
15-16 October 2024 My next destination from Hoi An is Hue, still in Central Vietnam. The rain followed me from Hoi An, and it was damp and dark when I arrived in Hue in the...
See Vietnam in a new light – Stop 4 Hoi An
13-14 October 2022 My next stop from Da Nang was Hoi An, only 20 km away. Of all the destinations in Vietnam, this one sounds particularly Chinese, it is ( in Chinese 会安）. It was...
See Vietnam in a new light – Stop 3 Da Nang
12-13 October 2022 My next destination is Da Nang, which lies along the coast but is more than 500 Km by road and would take more than 10 hours to reach. Instead, I opted for...
See Vietnam in a new light – Stop 2 Nha Trang
9-11 October 2022 After spending 4 nights in Ho Chi Ming City, I rode the train going north to Nha Trang, a coastal city eight hours away. I arrived just in time for dinner, so...
See Vietnam in a new light – Stop 1 Ho Chi Ming
6-8 October 2022 I remember Vietnam well growing up, alas, not in a good way. It was imploding fighting each other, the North against the South, a battle between those who believed in communism and...
How to experience the unique cultures of Xinjiang, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in 70 days (Stop 23 Lanzhou, Gansu)
Lanzhou, Gansu, China. Visited on 14 August 2024 From Zhangye, I made an unplan detour to Xining in Qinghai after hearing that there were attractions worth seeing. The train only took 2 hours to arrive....
How to experience the unique cultures of Xinjiang, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in 70 days (Stop 20 Dunhuang)
Dunhuang, Gansu, China. Visited 8 August 2024 I started this journey by flying from Kuala Lumpur to Urumqi on 12 June 2024. I toured South and then North Xinjiang in 25 days. I then explored...
How to experience the unique cultures of Xinjiang, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in 70 days (Stop 19 Dushanbe)
Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Visited 30 July – 4 August 2024 After a night at Iskandarkul Lake, I made my way to Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, less than a 3-hour bus ride away. I ended up staying...
How to experience the unique cultures of Xinjiang, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in 70 days (Stop 18 Iskanderkul Lake)
Iskanderkul Lake, Tajikistan. Visited 29 July 2024. I left Panjakent in a shared MPV. It dropped me at the junction of a highway and the mountain road leading to Iskanderkul Lake, 22 km short of...
How to experience the unique cultures of Xinjiang, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in 70 days (Stop 17 Panjakent)
27 July 2024 Panjakent and The Seven Lakes (Haft Kul), Tajikistan My journey in Tajikistan started with Khujand. I then took a shared shuttle bus to Panjakent, five hours away. In Panjakent, I joined a...
How to experience the unique cultures of Xinjiang, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in 70 days (Stop 16 Khujand)
Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) to Khujand (Tajikistan). Visited 20-25 July 2024. I planned to go south to Nardyn and then to Osh after Karakol. When I heard there was flooding down south, I changed my plan to...
How to experience the unique cultures of Xinjiang, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in 70 days (Stop 15 Karakol)
Karakol, Kyrgystan. Visited 16th July 2024 The following morning, I took a shuttle bus to go towards the eastern end of the lake, Karakol. A large part of the road was unsealed as it was...
How to experience the unique cultures of Xinjiang, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in 70 days (Stop 14 Bokonbayevo)
Bokonbayevo/Issyk-Kul Lake. Visited 12 -13 July 2024. After 2 nights in Bishkek, I rode a public shuttle eastward for 5 hours to Bokonbayevo, almost touching Issyk–Kul Lake. Bokonbayevo is a small town; even the head...
How to experience the unique cultures of Xinjiang, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in 70 days (Stop 13 Bishkek)
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Visited 10-11 July 2024. After spending 25 days exploring Xinjiang in China, I wanted to hop over to Kyrgyzstan, next door to Xinjiang, a neighbor of China. So, on the 9th of July,...
How to experience the unique cultures of Xinjiang, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in 70 days (Stop 12 Hemu)
Hemu, Xinjiang. Visited 6 July 2024 From Kanas, I booked a taxi to take me to Hemu, only an hour away. In the Hemu Scenic Area, I took the cable car up to the summit...
How to experience the unique cultures of Xinjiang, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in 70 days (Stop 11 Kanas)
Kanas Lake, Xinjiang. Visited 5 July 2024 After spending a day in Buerjin, I am now ready for Kanas Lake. As with most scenic spots, the Kanas Scenic Area is gated so visitors could be...
How to experience the unique cultures of Xinjiang, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in 70 days (Stop 10 Buerjin)
Buerjin, Xinjiang (布尔津). Visited 4 July 2024 From Yining, I returned to Urumqi by train, then took the night train to arrive at Beitun (北屯), and the last leg by bus to Buerjin (布尔津). Buerjin...
How to experience the unique cultures of Xinjiang, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in 70 days (Stop 9 Sailimu Lake)
Sailimu (Sayram) Lake, Xinjiang. Visited 30 June 2024. I stayed a few days in Yining, Ili, to rest from the gallops on the grass the past few days. While resting, I made a day trip...
How to experience the unique cultures of Xinjiang, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in 70 days (Stop 8 Yining)
Yining, Ili, Xinjiang. Visited 29 June – 1 July 2024 I arrived in Yining, the capital of Ili State, Xinjiang, after exploring the grasslands of Nalati and Kuerdening. I took the opportunity to take in...
How to experience the unique cultures of Xinjiang, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in 70 days (Stop 7 Kuerdening)
Kuerdening, Ili, Xinjiang. Visited on 27th June 2024. After a full day enjoying the grassland in Nalati, I again joined a pool car to go westward into the state of Ili. Many from around China...
How to experience the unique cultures of Xinjiang, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in 70 days (Stop 6 Duku Scenic Drive to Nalati)
Duku Scenic Drive (独库公路) to Nalati. Visited 25-26 June 2024. With the Kashgar visit, I completed my tour of Southern Xinjiang, known more for its cultural experience. I now set my sights on Northern Xinjiang,...
Enjoy the unique culture of Xinjiang, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in 70 days (Stop 5 Kashgar)
Kashgar, Xinjiang, visited on 22-23 June 2024 From Kuqa, I took the night train to near the Western border, Kashgar, perhaps the most well-known of the Uyghur cities in Xinjiang. The old city is extensive,...
Enjoy the unique culture of Xinjiang, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in 70 days (Stop 4 Kuqa)
Kuqa, Xinjiang, China, visited 18 -21 June 2024 From Kuele, I now boarded the train which sped across a desert landscape to arrive in Kuqa, less than 4 hours away. Kuqa was the homeland of...
How to experience the unique cultures of Xinjiang, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in 70 days (Stop 3 Kuerle)
16-18 June 2024 Kuerle, Xinjiang I went to the train station to try to catch the train after failing to book the ticket online. After waiting for half a day at the train station, I...
How to experience the unique cultures of Xinjiang, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in 70 days (Stop 2 Trupan)
From Urumqi, I next headed to Turpan, 180 km away. I provided my passport number and bought my train ticket online. At the train station, after they verified my passport in a split second, I...
How to experience the unique cultures of Xinjiang, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in 70 days (Stop 1 Urumqi)
The route: China Urumqi > Turpan > Kuerle > Kuqa > Kashgar > Kuqa > Nalati (via Duku Scenic Drive) > Kuerdening > Yining > Sailimu Lake > Yining > Urumqi > Buerjin > Kanas...