Category: Exploring

Exploring Istana Woodneuk – a haunted mansion in Singapore?

There are plenty of examples of glitzy new buildings in town, as well as colonial houses in (almost) perfect shape. However, there are not many visible ruins. Istana Woodneuk, the former residence of family members of the Sultan of Johor, is just that – an abandoned villa. The fact that...

Impressions of markets in Sri Lanka

Wherever I travel, I enjoy visiting the local markets to get a feel for the culture. Besides, it is usually an adventure for all senses and a great place to pick up fresh and cheap produce. Needless to say, Sri Lanka was fantastic with its markets and below is a...

Galle: a charming colonial town in Southern Sri Lanka

Our last stop before bustling Colombo was Galle, a colonial town along the southern coast. Our guide book hyped the city quite a bit so we were looking very much forward to seeing a different kind of Sri Lanka. The town spent most of its colonial past under Dutch rule...

Sri Lankan curry recipes

Sri Lankan cuisine is not really well-known on the global foodie radar. I am not sure why, maybe it just stays in the shadow of the great Indian neighbor which is somehow similar (the Southern Indian cuisine). Even in food-crazy Singapore, only 3.5 hours flying time away I am yet...

Our visit to the Temples of Angkor Wat

As previously described, a visit to the Temples of Angkor Wat is a breath-taking experience and definitely worth it. Don’t expect an authentic present-day Cambodian experience since Siem Reap is probably the most developed city in the country and far ahead in terms of economic situation due to the very...

Thoughts on visiting Angkor Wat

I’d say there isn’t a single historical area with a larger “wow” factor than Angkor Wat. There may be monuments that are almost out-of-this-world spectacular. However, what sets Angkor Wat apart is the sheer size and number of buildings that are out-of-this-world spectacular. In case you haven’t been (which I...

Hong Kong: “exotic” markets in Kowloon

Probably most tourists visiting Kowloon end up visiting the Ladies Market in Mong Kok. While entertaining, in my opinion, mostly junk is sold there or just your average souveniers (like fridge magnets) that you can get elsewhere as well. If you wander further north (and this is by no means...

Hong Kong: Dragon Boat Festival

On a recent visit to Hong Kong, I just happened to be there during the yearly Dragon Boat Festival (which is observed as a Public Holiday). Races took place all over the island(s), with the biggest or most famous one in Stanley. We started out by taking a boat around...

Bogor: an Indonesian city off the tourist trail

A few weeks ago I visited old friends who are currently living in Bogor, Indonesia. Bogo-where you ask? At least, that was when I first thought when I was invited. With a population of around one million (which would make it Switzerland’s biggest city… by quite a stretch), Bogor is located...

Qingdao: Laoshan / Mount Lao

On our recent trip to Qingdao we were looking for a day trip to see a bit more outside the city. Not far away is the Laoshan region / Mount Lao. As always, I won’t go too much into detail of the history and significance as you are probably better...