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...]
About Teh Chin Liang
Teh Chin Liang lives in Georgetown, Malaysia, a scenic island city and a UNESCO heritage site. As a travel enthusiast, he has extensively traveled to more than 30 countries since 2004. He is a book lover and writes across multiple genres.
His favorite pastime is finding a quiet oasis and tucking away with a good book. While working a full-time job, he tries to take time off whenever possible to travel the world. He is multilingual that he speaks Mandarin, Hokkien (Chinese dialect), Malay, English, little Spanish - hablo muy poco Español and keen on practicing Thai language.
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...]
i-SITE New Zealand, more than just a regular tourist information office
A tourist information office is conventionally known as a resource where visitors can learn about the local region. Generally, these are nondescript locales that seldom merit a mention. However, during my vacation in New Zealand, the local tourist information office took on a whole new meaning for me. Owned and managed by Tourism New Zealand, i-SITE Visitor Information Centers not only offer the best information to help tourists navigate, they … [Read more...]
Open Cremation at Pashupatinath Temple
It was a crisp Friday morning in December; I was standing on a temple compound in Kathmandu thronged by hundreds of sombre-looking devotees offering prayers with garlands and fruits. The air was scented with a mixture of fragrance from the flowers and incense. The sidewalks were bustling with vendors hawking a wide variety of religious souvenirs and infested with stray dogs scavenging for food through piles of garbage. The place was overrun with … [Read more...]
2018 Penang Temple Fair
Chinese New Year is undoubtedly the best time to visit Penang. During this time, this UNESCO World Heritage site becomes a buzz of activity with crowds, colorful holiday decorations and a lineup of exciting and interesting events. One of the most anticipated events that always draws a diverse crowd is the Temple Fair, otherwise known as Miao Hui in Chinese. This celebration is a large-scale street fair co-hosted by a collective of Chinese … [Read more...]
People I met on the Romanian train ride – Part 2
After a fun-filled day of exploring the historic and scenic sights of Sighisoara, I made my way back to the train station. The earlier encounter with the eccentric Romanian family was still vivid in my mind. I wonder what the next train ride back to Brasov had in store for me. The train back to Brasov was a couchette car. It was old, stuffy and reeked of cigarette smoke, a far cry from the train I took earlier with a modern and air-conditioned … [Read more...]
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