Frankly, I wouldn’t bring my kids on the second toughest trek in the Nepal Himalayas at that age. I don’t think it’s suitable or even safe. However, the risks can be managed on quite a number of much easier treks, but even these will scare the hell out of most Singaporeans. I’m embarrassed that my […]

This was part of our jeep tour around Kaliurang. The exciting finale is drive inside Sungai Kuning. Check Out Knapsack Books by Chan Joon Yee

After the tragic eruption of Gunung Merapi in 2010, the locals, while keen on rebuilding, have also decided not to let the ruins go to waste. The legendary gate keeper of Gunung Merapi, Mbah Marijan’s home is now a tourist attraction. I first knew about Gunung Merapi and Mbah Marijan when I visited Kaliurang in […]

The culture and traditional way of life for many tribes in remote regions are always at risk of being lost as a country modernises. When I first visited Nepal in 1994, there wasn’t even a single ATM in Kathmandu. Things have changed drastically as tourists kept pouring into the formerly reclusive Himalayan kingdom, but many […]

While he is paid by the families that offer rewards for finding missing members of their family (one tycoon’s daughter offered NT1M), Petr has been risking his life on these search and rescue missions. Nobody would do what he’s doing for the sake of money. He’s doing it out of passion and compassion. Like everyone, […]

When I was young, I often heard stories about people who were lost in the mountains and how they found their way back by following some river or stream. Do you know that that could be the worst thing you can do when you are lost and people are looking for you? The videos I’m […]

Marco Polo was the first European to leave a detailed chronicle of his experience in China (known to him as Cathay). This account of the Orient provided the Europeans with a clear picture of the East’s geography and ethnic customs, and was the first Western record of porcelain, coal, gunpowder, paper money, and some Asian […]

An eruption of Mount Semeru, a volcano in the East Java province of the Indonesian island of Java, began on 4 December 2021. The eruption began after heavy precipitation caused the collapse of the lava dome at the summit. Pyroclastic flows and lahars damaged at least 5,205 homes and several public buildings. This very interesting […]

Gunung Agung 3031m according to Google, is the highest mountain in Bali and also the island’s only 3,000m peak. Increased volcanic activity put a temporary stop to climbing 2017-2019. For NDP 2022, I decided to climb Gunung Agung. Though Gunung Agung’s altitude is modest compared to many of the other 3,000m peaks in Indonesia, climbing […]