What do you get when you mix Malay, Portuguese, Dutch, English, Indian, Japanese and Chinese? You get Melaka – a particularly diverse Malaysian town of about 500,000 inhabitants. And though the population is mostly Malay now, you’ll quickly notice the diversity in architecture, languages, people and foods. No wonder the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For anyone with an interest in history or culture, the city center of Melaka offers a … [Read more...]
Qatar Tourism Authority Targets USA Market
QTA Opens Representative Office in New York Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) is extending its global footprint by opening a representative office in New York to cover the USA, one of the Gulf state’s fastest growing visitor source markets. “The number of USA arrivals in 2015 totaled 93,174 and this year, numbers have remained steady with 50,243 visitors as at end June. We are confident that this market has great potential for growth with 11 … [Read more...]
Traveling to Malaysia?
I have been fortunate to have spent significant time in South East Asia over the years with many trips to Thailand. During several trips I've either flown or taken a bus from Thailand to Malaysia. I was recently approached by a Malaysian online booking company that offers flight tickets, Traveloka Malaysia. I was not familiar with this company; in the past I've booked directly through some of the major airlines in this part of the world or some … [Read more...]
Southeast Asia Honeymoons
South East Asia is the honeymoon capital of the world, it has so much to offer newly wed couples with its quintessentially idyllic combination of stunning and endless white sandy beaches coupled with some of the most luxurious hotels in the world, perfect for you to embark on your new life together. So why is South East Asia such a good honeymoon destination, well being such a vast and varied area there is no real bad time to go on your … [Read more...]
Backpackers – by Paul Bellamy
This is not just your ordinary tale of backpackers seeing the world. The scene is the late 1980's in South East Asia - before Internet, before cell phones, before instant communication around the world. Two budget backpackers (Andrew and Kirsten) are trying to see the world on the cheap - pinching pennies by staying in ratty cockroach infested hostel dorms and quickly running out of money. Then Andrew discovers a money belt full of money and … [Read more...]
Buy the Right Travel Insurance
With such a wide variety of insurance options available these days for travel, it can be a dizzying process just to think about coverage when planning a trip. Travel insurance can range from single trip, to yearly, to add-ons to age specific. For active and adventure travelers, especially for boomer travelers - having trip insurance is just one less thing to worry about while on a trip. Travel insurance for people over 65 is becoming more … [Read more...]
Eagle Creek 4-Wheeled Upright
Eagle Creek recently reached out with some products to review - and also donated several prizes for our annual travel writing contest. I've been familiar with a number of their products for many years - one of my go to Eagle Creek products that I always take with me on International travels is my trusted money belt. I've had this for years and have worn it on all my International travels. I'm always on the lookout for durable luggage - … [Read more...]
Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, Cambodia- What to Expect
Freshly off a sweltering, barely-running bus, I’m poised at the entrance to Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, or as it’s known to most visitors, S21. This was a former schoolhouse turned torture prison from 1975-79 during the Khmer Rouge’s notoriously brutal, merciless, yet hasty, reign of Cambodia. I hand over the small entrance fee, and am instantly clouted by the deceptively pleasant grounds. Aromas of freshly planted flowers punctuate the insane … [Read more...]
Passage to Burma, by Scott Stulberg
Acclaimed Photographer Scott Stulberg has recently released a photography table top book - "Passage to Burma". This is a collection of vivid and often intimate looks into the second largest country in Southeast Asia - a country that the western world often knows little about - especially after it has been "closed" for half a century. This collection is based upon many trips he made to Burma over more than 10 years. It is a tribute and his love … [Read more...]
The Journey of a Lifetime
As I hastily climbed the stairs of my neighbor’s house, gasping for air with sweat dripping across my forehead, I had one goal in mind: to win this game of Hide and Go Seek. I had no idea that this simple game would change my life forever. Continuing up the stairs I had the mentality of many young children - my life seemed invincible and the thought of death was distant and abstract. Thinking that I would outsmart everyone, I climbed onto a … [Read more...]