Here’s a part of China that looks more like Nepal. It’s actually a remote village in Wuxi County less than 300km from bustling first tier Chinese city, Chongqing. You can see from the beginning of the video that it’s a world apart from the glitz and glamour of Chongqing 山高皇帝远 – far from government supervision […]

Sky burial – humans and trucks. Sky burial is a grisly Tibetan ritual in which the bodies of the deceased are chopped up at the burial site. The flesh is sliced off, the bones are crushed and fed to the vultures. Some see the vultures as heavenly messengers that carry the “souls” of the dead […]

when travellers steal from other travellers Many people who don’t know me well are aghast when they hear that I travel solo. Why take the trouble? How do I ensure my own safety? Well, the fact is, nobody can ensure your safety even if you’re on a luxury cruise. Ask the ghosts on the Titanic. […]

One of the few countries open to tourists during the Covid-19 pandemic is Pakistan. After closing its borders to foreign tourists in March 2020, the country officially reopened its borders on 5th October 2020. While all incoming travellers should have travel insurance the covers COVID-19 for the duration of their trip to Pakistan, those who […]

It was June 1974. The Cold War was entering a phase of detente when there was a relaxation of strained relations through verbal communication. The USSR reached out to the world by holding an international mountaineering gathering to climb Lenin Peak 7134m located between the former Soviet states of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. The peak is […]

Singapore is an efficient, fast-paced, low tolerance, unforgiving society. What’s a reasonable time to wait for your food? Some say 5 mins, some say 10 mins, most people won’t feel happy waiting for more than 20 mins. The other day, my friend Larry posted on Facebook that he asked the boss at a vegetarian retaurant […]

Singapore Airlines (SIA) is looking to launch no-destination flights that will depart from and land in Changi Airport next month, in a bid to give its ailing business a lift. Sources told The Straits Times that the national carrier is working towards launching this option for domestic passengers – dubbed “flights to nowhere” – by […]

There are numerous 3,000m peaks in the region with the vast majority of them residing in Indonesia. That’s why it’s my chosen destination to accomplish NDP. The good thing about these hikes/climbs is that it takes only about 1 week from start to finish. And for “finish” how could I not throw in some R&R […]

I’ve originally planned for this very challenging Himalayan trip in November 2020. It’s going to be one of the toughest treks that I’ll be doing, crossing three 5,000m passes in the Everest region, namely the Kongma La, Cho La and Renjo La in just 16 days. With Covid-19 gripping the world so tightly at this […]

This is avirtual tour of Mt Bromo and the Tengger Highlands of East Java. Instead of the usual approach via Probolingo and Cemara Lawang, this trip approaches from the South, climbing over the outer rim of the caldera from Ngadas and Jemplang. The satellite images on Google offers many possibilities for further exploration. Let’s hope […]