Boyd was the British High Commissioner to Malaysia when I worked as Contact Database Officer at the High Commissioner Kuala Lumpur in 2009. Despite his high- profile status and prominent role, there was never a barrier between him and the rest of the staff. He is a highly charismatic leader with a fun-loving sense of humor. He always dropped by our office and chatted us up, and the conversation always ended with a good hearty laugh. … [Read more...]
Horror Talk with Rich Ragsdale – Director, Composer, Producer and Writer
“Ghost House” is one of the best horror movies I have seen in a long time. The horror elements are so original and raw - the jump scare, the atmosphere, the soundtrack etc, everything is done completely right. The movie does not throw in excessive unnecessary special effects or follow the Hollywood’s formulaic scare tactics. It hit me in a way that most horror flicks hadn’t. I remember when the movie was over, I immediately pulled out my phone … [Read more...]
Quick Guide To Jakarta
Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia is a fantastic destination and is becoming ever more popular, in fact it was host to 15.8 million overseas tourists last year alone according to The Jakarta Post which was a 12.5 % increase on the previous year, with the tourist board targeting 20 million in the current year. So why is it so popular? Well, it's a great place with loads going on so we have put together this quick guide to give you a head … [Read more...]
Colonial Melaka
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...]
