Next Destination

It is a name we have all heard, a name that conjures up images of a city of the orient, a crossroads where Portugese and Chinese cultures collide but how many of us have been there? A recently took a trip to investigate and found myself enjoying a stimulating and rewarding experience in a city that offers its own distinct atmosphere.   The name Macau is known by many as the Las Vegas of the far east, a Mecca for gamblers across South east Asia. I am not, by any stretch of the imagination, a gambler but somehow the bright lights, larger than life interiors and cacophony of sounds from a thousand slot machines are strangely attractive. Once I stepped foot in Macau, I found myself energised and eager to seek out the attractions this city has to offer.   The journey started wit...

Once known as the “Pearl of Asia”, Phnom Penh is Cambodia’s capitol and largest city. It is sited at the junction of 3 rivers, the mighty Mekong, Tonle Sap and the Bassac River. Once considered as one of the most French of French built cities in Asia, recent history has changed some of those perceptions. Now inhabitant by over 14 million people, Phnom Penh has been developed in steps to keep pace with neighbouring Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City and as a result the city has garnered rapid growth of both domestic and international visitors.   Like the Phoenix, Phnom Penh is rising from the ashes of its devastating history. Without actually burying the past Cambodia is proud to show the tenacity of its people as they climb out of the dark days of the Khmar Rouge led holocaust. Monument...

Darwin is the capitol city of Australia’s Northern Territory or “Top End” as Australians like to call it. This multicultural cosmopolite has transformed itself over the last 40 years to become one of Australia’s major tourist hubs for both Australian and international visitors. Darwin lies on the tropical band that stretches across the topmost northern part of Australia. Like Bali it has its ‘wet’ and ‘dry’ seasons with “the dry” delivering clear blue skies and refreshing sea breezes. Darwin is a modern city that has maintained some of its best colonial buildings. Parks, gardens and public events add colour and vibrancy to this once pioneer outpost on the Timor Sea. The Top End is teaming with wild life but it is not necessary to “Go Bush” to get close to Northern Australia’s oldest resid...

Highly populated Tokyo is a great example of Japan’s urban living environment. This huge and wealthy metropolis makes good use of an advanced technology that blends gracefully with some of the fascinating aspects of traditional Japanese culture. Tokyo is one of the great cities of the world; it is a major destination for business, education, and holiday travel and ought to be a destination for everyone - sometime in life. Despite its size, Tokyo should not be thought of as a single city. It’s actually a constellation of cities and districts that merged together. Starting out from Bali, I took the AirAsia flight to Kuala Lumpur where I was able to catch a connecting flight on to Tokyo; Japan’s capitol. To experience the best of Tokyo one should select the most suitable accommodation for o...

There is no doubt that Bangkok has made its mark as one premier dining cities of the world. Here restaurants range from the exclusive fine dining establishments through to casual eateries and on to some of the most adventurous street vendors in the world. Traveling to Bangkok is easy these days as AirAsia offers convenient twice-daily direct flights from Bali. I arrived around noon for my culinary journey with some thoughts about where to have lunch and as it turned out I found myself in the popular food court at Siam Paragon. It is here that one can, if so inclined, spend the day sampling different dishes with a never-ending variety of small bites. Like a lot of people, I really love the aromas, tastes, special spices and colourful presentation of Thai food. Each one of their dishes is...

The Amazing City with So Much on Offer. Kuala Lumpur is one of those cities that I keep going back to because it has something exciting to offer every time. Starting my journey from Bali I took a direct 3-hour flight with AirAsia to Kuala Lumpur and was ready to enjoy this trip the moment I landed. Quite apart from the many well-known places of interest around and just out of KL I had decided to make the 2-hour drive to visit some of the historic landmarks in the city of Malacca. The city was listed a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008 because of its rich cultural and historic sites. Enjoying Malacca was a comfortable one-day trip for me as this is a small city where most of the attractions here are close together. While there I visited St Paul’s Church, the old Stadhuys (Town Hall) an...