How to indulge in guiltless fun in Miami
Miami, Florida, United States. Visited on 3 – 5 April 2025. From San Juan, Puerto Rico, I flew to Miami in Florida, USA, drawn by its sun, style, and sea. I walked a short distance...
One of my most blissful holidays, in the Dominican Republic
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, the Caribbean. Visited on 19 March 2025. Stop 1. From the wintry chill of Madrid, I flew into the tropics at Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. I started this trip...
An exciting fusion of Spanish, American, and Caribbean in Puerto Rico
San Juan, Puerto Rico. Visited on 28 March – 1 April 2025. Part 1. I left Santo Domingo and flew into San Juan, Puerto Rico’s capital, on the 27th of March – never been, often...
Easy going exploring the best of Madrid on foot
Madrid, Spain. Visited on 12 – 17 March 2025. I flew into Madrid, Spain, on the 12th of March, after spending 11 days in Malta. I sailed through the gates and doors without passport control...
I discovered a beautiful gem in the Mediterranean, Malta
Gozo, Malta. Visited on 7 March 2025. Stop 3. I had an exciting plan to explore Gozo the night before. But in the morning, I was not woken by the usual bright light – not...
I discovered a beautiful gem in the Mediterranean, Malta
Valletta and St. Julian’s, Malta. Visited on 1- 5 March 2025. Stop 1. After spending 9 days in Sicily, I flew to Malta. Yes, Malta, a small country only one-fifth the size of tiny Singapore....
No crime bosses, only rich history, in Sicily
Palermo, Sicily, Italy. Visited on 19-21 February 2025. So I started in Oman in the Middle East and then made an abrupt turn to Iraq. From there, I flew to Tunisia in North Africa. Since...
How I experienced the best of Tunisia in 10 days
Kairouan, Tunisia. Visited on 12 February 2025 – Stop 3 From Sousse, I made a day trip to Kairouan, less than 60 km away in a louage, a local pooled minibus. I arrived an hour...
How I experienced the best of Tunisia in 10 days
Tunis, Tunisia. Visited on 7-9 February 2025 – Stop 1 After 10 days in Iraq, I was relieved to leave – the security checks throughout the journey suggest the country, while well-guarded, is still unsettled....
How is war torn Iraq now, in 2025?
Baghdad, Iraq. Visited on 28 – 29 January 2025. After spending 10 days in Oman, I made a last-minute swerve and flew from Muscat to Baghdad, Iraq. While in Oman, I heard from some Chinese...
See the unique natural wonders of Oman in 10 days
Muscat, Oman. Visited 16-17, January 2025. I flew into Muscat, the capital of Oman, on January 16. Unlike many of its GCC neighbors, Oman is relatively unknown and seldom makes the headlines. When was the...
How To Spend 3 Weeks To Enjoy The Best Time In Your Life In Indonesia
Stop 4 – Lombok. Visited 6-9 December 2022. After the big party in Bali and the hangover, I am now ready to move down a gear to Lombok. From Kuta, I shared a minibus with...
How To Spend 3 Weeks To Enjoy The Best Time In Your Life In Indonesia
Stop 3 – Bali. Visited from 1-5 December 2022. Lombok from 6-9 December, then returned to Bali from 10 – 15 December 2022. After enjoying the rich culture of Yogyakarta and the excitement of Mount...
How To Spend 3 Weeks To Enjoy The Best Time In Your Life In Indonesia
Stop 2 – Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Visited 25-29 November 2022. After 2 days of enjoying Jakarta’s diversity, I now depart for Yogyakarta, toward the center of Java Island, on an 8-hour executive train ride. Lush green...
How To Spend 3 Weeks To Enjoy The Best Time In Your Life In Indonesia
Stop 1 – Jakarta, Indonesia. Visited from 22-24 November 2022. I have not properly gotten to know Indonesia, though it is our close neighbor. I thought that the Indonesian culture was not too dissimilar to...
See the new South Korea in 20 days – Jeju
Stop 4 – Jeju, South Korea. Visited 2 – 5 November October 2024 The last stop of my South Korean visit will be its southernmost point, Jeju, an island 82 km from the nearest point on...
See the new South Korea in 20 days – Busan
Stop 3 – Busan, South Korea. Visited 27 – 31st October 2024 From Gyeongju, I traveled a further 80 km south to the southern coastal city of Busan, Korea’s second-largest city. It had been drizzling. I...
See the new South Korea in 20 days – Gyeongju
Stop 2 – Gyeongju, South Korea. Visited 25 – 26th October 2024 After six days in Seoul, I rode the train southward to Gyeongju. The train arrived at the station at Gyeongju earlier than I anticipated....
See the new South Korea in 20 days – Seoul
Stop 1 – Seoul, South Korea. Visited 19 – 20 October 2024 I have spent almost 25 days in Japan in the past few weeks. From the last stop in Japan, Hiroshima, I flew to Seoul,...
The best of traditions and modernity – Japan in 25 days
Stop 9 – Miyajima, Japan. Visited 16th October 2024 After a serious day in Hiroshima, I made a day trip to Miyajima island, the train ride and ferry took about 1-2 hours. As soon we...
The best of traditions and modernity – Japan in 25 days
Stop 8 – Hiroshima, Japan. Visited 15th October 2024 If ever there is one great poignant reminder of human tragedy, Hiroshima stands out foremost in my mind. And it is so close to home. Japan was...
The best of traditions and modernity – Japan in 25 days
Stop 7 – Himeji, Japan. Visited 13-14th October 2024 From Nara, I continued my journey westward, this time to Himeji, a mere 130 km train ride. Arriving in the city center, the castle can be seen...
The best of traditions and modernity – Japan in 25 days
Stop 6 – Nara, Japan. Visited 11-12th October 2024 From Osaka, I proceeded to Nara, only 32 km away – almost a short commute. As I passed through Nara Park on my way to my accommodation,...
The best of traditions and modernity – Japan in 25 days
Stop 5 – Osaka, Japan. Visited 7-10th October 2024 From Kyoto, I rode the train to Osaka, only 60 km away, barely time to warm the seat. Osaka is one of the largest cities in Japan,...
The best of traditions and modernity – Japan in 25 days
Stop 4 – Kyoto, Japan. Visited from 3 October 2024 From Hakone, I moved on to Kyoto. Others along the way told me I was going to like it. How do they know, right? It...
The best of traditions and modernity – Japan in 25 days
Stop 3 – Hakone, Japan. Visited 1st October 2024 From Nikko, I returned to Tokyo to proceed westward to Hakone, about 86 km away. Hakone is an illustrious hot spring town, also known for museums,...
The best of traditions and modernity – 25 days in Japan
Stop 2 – Nikko, Japan 29 September 2024 Japan is more than just Tokyo. So, after 6 days in Tokyo, I went north searching for more. I headed to Nikko, a mountain town 2 hours...
The best of traditions and modernity – 25 days in Japan
Stop 1 – Tokyo, Japan 21st September 2024. I flew into Tokyo from Kuala Lumpur. By the time I cleared the customs, it was already midnight. Public transport had stopped. So I joined many others for...
How to experience the unique cultures of Xinjiang, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in 70 days (Stop 22 Zhangye, Gansu)
Zhangye (张掖), Gansu, China. Visited 11-12 August 2024 After scaling the Great Wall at Jiayuguan and reconnecting with ancestral history, I continued eastward in northern China, pretty much still along the ancient Silk Route. The...
How to experience the unique cultures of Xinjiang, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in 70 days (Stop 21 Jiayuguan)
9-10 August 2024 Jiayuguan (嘉峪关), Gansu, China From Dunhuang, I next went to Jiayuguan, 360 km away. The high-speed train whizzed me to my destination in less than 3 hours. Godspeed to my journey! You...
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 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 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 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 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,...
How to experience the unique cultures of Xinjiang, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in 70 days (Stop 24 Xian)
Xian, China. Visited 15-19 August 2024 I wanted to culminate my travel along the Silk Route in Xian, where it started. It was also the ancient capital of 13 dynasties. I read the stories of Qin...
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 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 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 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 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...
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...
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...
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 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 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 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 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 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...
How to experience the best of Central America in 50 days solo and overland – Stop 16 Bacalar, Mexico
5-6th April 2024 It wasn’t my plan to go to Mexico but here I was, on a boat from the island of Caye Caulker in Belize straight to Chetumal, a coastal town just across the...
How to experience the best of Central America in 50 days solo and overland – Stop 15 San Ignacio and Caye Caulker, Belize
1- 4th April 2024 After seeing the Mayan ruins in Tikal, my next move was to go across the border to San Ignacio in Belize. I arrived at a town shut down for the public...
How to experience the best of Central America in 50 days solo and overland – Stop 14 Flores and Tikal, Guatemala
28-31 March 2024 From Copan Ruinas in Honduras, I returned to Guatemala at Chiquimula, to go to Tikal in the north. First I aimed for Ro Dulce to break from the long journey. I arrived...
How to experience the best of Central America in 50 days solo and overland – Stop 13 Copan Ruinas, Honduras
26-27 March 2024 From Antigua, I took a chicken bus to Guatemala City, then another bus to Chiquimula. I stayed a night there, and at 8 am, I was on my way to the border...
How to experience the best of Central America in 50 days solo and overland – Stop 12 Lake Atitlan, Guatemala
21 -22 March 2024 After spending 2 days in Antigua, I took a shuttle bus to Lake Atitlan, which is about 2 hours away. This is another very popular tourist destination, a lake formed by...
How to experience the best of Central America in 50 days solo and overland – Stop 11 Antigua, Guatemala
18-20 March 2024 From El Tunco on the east coast of El Salvador, I made an ambitious attempt to reach Antigua in Guatemala on the same day. First I caught an early morning bus back...
How to experience the best of Central America in 50 days solo and overland – Stop 10 San Salvador and El Tunco, El Salvador
16-17 March 2024 I wanted to cross into El Salvador at La Union from Potosi in Nicaragua by boat. Upon arriving at the crossing, there was no one except me. The border crossing was shuttered,...
How to experience the best of Central America in 50 days solo and overland – Stop 9 Leon, Nicaragua
10-13 March 2024 From Granada, I boarded a local bus to Managua, and from there, I caught a shared taxi straight to Leon. In many ways, Leon feels like Granada – a small Spanish colonial...
How to experience the best of Central America in 50 days solo and overland – Stop 8 Granada, Nicaragua
7-9 March 2024 From Ometepe, I returned to the mainland of Nicaragua before taking a shared taxi to Granada, by Nicaragua Lake in the north. This is a small town of humble folks going about...
How to experience the best of Central America in 50 days solo and overland – Stop 7 Ometepe, Nicaragua
4-6 March 2024 From La Fortuna, I attempted to cross into Nicaragua, via the Panas Blancas border crossing to Ometepe. Initially, I took a taxi to a small bus stop at El Tanque, where I...
How to experience the best of Central America in 50 days solo and overland – Stop 6 La Fortuna, Costa Rica
29 Feb – 2 March 2024 I was making my way towards Nicaragua. From San Jose I rode a bus heading for La Fortuna, in Spanish means The Fortune. Let’s see. Enormous and head and shoulders...
How to experience the best of Central America in 50 days solo and overland – Stop 5 San Jose, Costa Rica
27-28 February 2024 From the shore of Puerto Viejo of the Caribbean, I took a bus for 5 hours to the capital of Costa Rica – San Jose, in the heart of the country. The...
How to experience the best of Central America in 50 days solo and overland – Stop 4 Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica
23-26 February 2024 After Bocas del Toro, I set my sights on Costa Rica. I boarded a boat to Almirante on the mainland, then proceeded to the border crossing at Guabito-Sixaoli. At the Costa Rica...
How to experience the best of Central America in 50 days solo and overland Stop 3 Bocas del Toro
20-22 February 2024 From Boquete, I now made my way further north to the island of Bocas del Toro. The shuttle bus carried the bus load of us, Western tourists, plus one Asian, along the...
How to experience the best of Central America in 50 days solo and overland – Stop 2 Boquete
18-19 February 2024 After spending 3 days in Panama City enjoying the sea, I boarded a night bus bound for the mountainous town of Boquete near the border with Costa Rica. At an elevation of 1200m,...
How to experience the best of Central America in 50 days solo and overland – Stop 1 Panama City
14-16th February 2024 After 32 hours, I finally arrived in Panama City, the capital of Panama, from Kuala Lumpur. This is the start of the trip to Central America. Despite its negative reputation due to...
See Morocco, One Of The World’s Most Popular Tourist Destinations In 2 Weeks 7/2023 (Stop 14 – Tangier)
13-14 July 2023 Africa sounds like a different and remote world. Yet, my next Moroccan destination Tangier, in North Africa, can see Spain, which is in Europe, on a clear day. I sat down to...
See Morocco, One Of The World’s Most Popular Tourist Destinations In 2 Weeks 7/2023 (Stop 13 – Chefchaouen)
12 July 2023 From Fes, I rode in a bus to go further north, to Chefchaouen. I headed straight to the medina. If blue is your favorite color, this will be your dream world. After...
See Morocco, One Of The World’s Most Popular Tourist Destinations In 2 Weeks 7/2023 (Stop 12 – Meknes)
10 July 2023 While at Fes, I made a side trip to Meknes, just an hour away. Some of the well-known attractions were Lahdim Square, Bab Mansour, Medina, the Royal Palaces, the Mausoleum of Moulay...
See Morocco, One Of The World’s Most Popular Tourist Destinations In 2 Weeks 7/2023 (Stop 11 – Fez)
8-9 July 2023 From Rabat, I then explored the northern part of the country, starting with Fez. Every major city in Morocco seems to have an old market or old souk, where they have been...
See Morocco, One Of The World’s Most Popular Tourist Destinations In 2 Weeks 7/2023 (Stop 10 – Rabat)
7-8 July 2023 From Essaouira in the south, I finally made it to Rabat, the capital of Morocco. Unlike the names of Marrakech and Casablanca, Rabat did not sound so familiar to me before I...
See Morocco, One Of The World’s Most Popular Tourist Destinations In 2 Weeks 7/2023 (Stop 9 – Essaouira)
5-6 July 2023 From inland Marakech, I now took a bus westward toward the coast to Essaouira, about 2 hours away. In Marrakech, the heat was scorching. Just 2 hours away, Essaouira was semi-arid and...
See Morocco, One Of The World’s Most Popular Tourist Destinations In 2 Weeks 7/2023 (Stop 7 – Casablanca)
30 June – 1 July 2023 After more than a week’s European holiday in Cyprus, I flew to Casablanca, Morocco, a city that became well-known for a classic war and romantic movie of the same...
See Morocco, One Of The World’s Most Popular Tourist Destinations In 2 Weeks 7/2023 (Stop 8 – Marrakech)
From Casablanca, I took a train to go south to Marrakech, one of the top tourist destinations in the world. It was only a two-and-a-half-hour ride. As the train approached Marrakech, the landscape outside the...
See divided Cyprus and the only divided capital in the world in 6 days 6/2023 (Stop 6)
24-29 June 2023 After Jordan and Lebanon, I am ready for the 3rd country on this trip. Larnaca At midnight, after a 40-minute flight, I landed in Larnaca, Cyprus. I did not realize I was...
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...
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 –...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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....
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...