October has always been one of Cecilia's favorite months. The sky over Longyearbyen, Norway (78.2232° N, 15.6267° E) is painted in incredible shades of blue. Wisps of thick clouds roll over the awe-inspiring mountains, putting a mysterious veil over the peaks. Her mood is immediately elevated to a new height in this picture-perfect weather. It is the last month of the year she gets to soak up the sun before the two-and-a-half-month polar night … [Read more...]
About Teh Chin Liang
Teh Chin Liang lives in Georgetown, Malaysia, a scenic island city which is also a UNESCO heritage site. As a travel enthusiast, he has extensively traveled to more than 30 countries over the course of 16 years. He is a book lover. His favorite pastime is finding a quiet oasis and tucking away with a good book and a pot of matcha tea. He is currently a Communications Manager at a multinational company. While working a full-time job, he tries to take time off whenever possible to travel the world. He is multilingual too; he speaks Mandarin, Hokkien (Chinese dialect), Malay, English and a little Spanish - hablo muy poco Español.
His future plans include starting a digital nomad career, self-publishing his own books, venturing into screenwriting and learning to swim (his only regret in life is he does not swim!).
From Dawn to Dusk, a Day in the Life in The Last Shangri-La
At the crack of dawn, the distant crow of a rooster forms a natural symphony with the mantra chanting from a nearby monastery, waking Dorji from his blissful dream. Rubbing his bleary eyes, he is grateful to be blessed with another brand new day in life. He heads to the kitchen to make himself his favorite breakfast - Akha, Suja, and Azey. Akha is a dough made from roasted whole wheat flour. Suja is a tea made by churning tea with butter and salt … [Read more...]
A Stroll Down Memory Lane in George Town, Penang
Spending a day or two soaking in the colonial charm and beauty of George Town is the best way to discover this UNESCO World Heritage site. Visitors will be certainly mesmerized by the vivid and colorful murals and will be tempted by the delicious local foods. However, its character and heritage lie in its diversity of neighborhoods - one should also spend time wandering these streets. Once a free port under British rule, George Town was at its … [Read more...]
Stuart Every – CEO and Founder of Dolphin Creative
I met Stuart Every about two years ago at China House in Georgetown, Penang. He struck me as humble and unassuming, with a naturally calm demeanor. He is very knowledgeable and passionate about street arts industry. At the end of our meet up, I knew in my heart that I needed to interview him one day. Stuart has been a producer for 30 years. Since the age of 18, he has worked across multiple production genres including music, theatre, ballet, … [Read more...]
Why do I Travel Solo?
When I tell people I am going on a long solo trip, often eyebrows are raised followed by a barrage of questions such as: 'are you out of your mind?' - 'what are you going to do being alone in a foreign country?' - 'won’t you feel lonely?' - 'are you sure it is going to be safe for you?' and 'isn’t it weird doing things alone all the time?” The questions persist and at times I feel like in a military video game on the defensive - holding a bullet … [Read more...]
A Beach Paradise in less than 10 Minutes from the Mainland – Kapas Island
Less than 4 nautical miles from the shore of Marang – a sleepy fishing town on the east coast of peninsula Malaysia, lies a beautiful marine park island surrounded by stunning turquoise waters and pristine sandy beaches. The sand is powdery soft and the texture is very much cotton-like; this is how the name of this island came about – Kapas, a Malay word for cotton. The island can be reached in less than 10 minutes by a speed boat from the … [Read more...]
Book Review: Buy Your Own Island – The Ultimate Guide to Breaking Free and Making Your Dreams Reality
I would like to thank the author, Danny Flood, for providing me a free copy of this book. As a person living paycheck to paycheck, an escape to a paradise island always sounds like a rare luxury - a place I can temporarily escape from my 9 to 5 grind. But imagine, what if we could own an island so that our life would feel like a dream vacation all the time? “Buying Your Own Island” is a metaphor in the book for taking full control of your … [Read more...]
48 hours in Ko Samui – A short vacation with no prior planning at all
When the minivan pulled in at the station in Hat Yai, I got off the car and randomly made my way into one of the travel agent's offices lining a bustling street. At the desk sat a gray-haired woman with a warm smile, exuding the true hospitality spirit of the Thais. “Where are you going?” She asked with a heavily accented voice. I glanced at the clock. It was quarter past ten in the morning. “Where is the next bus leaving for?” I asked. … [Read more...]
A Beijing Trip with my Mother
Not long ago, I was enticed to watch a Netflix travel show - “Jack Whitehall: Travels with My Father”. The show follows Jack Whitehall, a British comedian on a gap year. Jack thought it would be fun to bring his old-school father, Michael Whitehall on an epic trip around the world. Through endless funny scenes and hilarious exchanges, the show wittily portrays the conspicuous generation gap between the father and son. At around the same time, … [Read more...]
Cheaper and comfortable way to get to Hat Yai from Northern Malaysia
Hat Yai is a popular food and shopping destination for Malaysian tourists looking for a nice weekend getaway. It is also a gateway for travelers especially backpackers to visit other parts of Thailand. For the sake of convenience, most of the people choose to get to Hat Yai by minivan with a wholesome service that will whisk you right from your very doorstep to the front of your hotel at a cost of about MYR 35 (USD 8.5) one way. Despite the … [Read more...]