Blogs from Asia - page 12990

We waited at the ABC jetty (Ayer Batang) for some time in the early morning to catch our boat back to the mainland. Admiring the views for one final time, crystal clear turquoise waters, tropical vegetation and small hilly peaks covered in fir trees. A lovely cat came to say farewell, hoping a few fish might come its way. An idyllic unspoilt island, not commercialised where the locals still continue their traditional ways of life. It took a short 1 hour and 15 minutes to reach the mainland. We would definitely visit Tioman again, perhaps visiting Juara next time, on the opposite side, with its' beautiful tranquil stretch of beach with white sands - a perfect hideaway. We managed to find a small snack at the bus terminal that looked both edible yet hygienic. Then we ... read more

So it’s St. Patrick’s Day and the Irish have got even more excuses than usual to get drunk - their new status as one of cricket’s top sides and Darryl’s stag weekend. Little sign of it here in Kuala Lumpur though - it’s a Muslim country and so much so even our hostel is alcohol-free. We were up early and went to the Petronas Towers, the ex-tallest buildings in the world, but when we saw the size of the queue we decided it would be best to return the following morning even earlier. Our advice would be to get there at about 8am. Gemma’s map reading led us on an unnecessarily long circuit before we caught a train to Merdeka Square, KL’s main square and Malaysia’s main flag pole. We went to the National History Museum ... read more

I hailed from a place where there are only a few structures made of concrete (and not one made of stone). Visiting the Angkor complex with its countless stone structures constructed at a time when the Filipinos were still "up in the trees" was therefore jaw-dropping for me. The experience also proved incorrect many of my ideas about the Angkor Wat. The trip to the Angkor complex was an extension of my second ASEAN trip. We started our trip from the former US Military Base in the Philippines, Clark Air Base, which is about 60 kilometers northwest of Manila, the capital city. The trip would not have been possible if it were not for Air Asia, Asia's budget airline based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Up in the air, Siem Reap, the town where the Angkor complex ... read more

S17/03/2007 : Baiyun mountain Asia » China » Guangdong » Guangzhou By LilooChinaMarch 17th 2007 Our MBA classmates invited us for a healthy walk at Baiyun mountain situated in Guangzhou. We really enjoyed breathing natural air without pollution (almost…)!!! We took the bus for our first time in China as it is impossible for foreigners to take it without knowing how to read Chinese. Buses are very clean like the metro in Guangzhou and you can read the newspaper for free because newspapers are attached to the seats. What a clever concept! We really enjoyed walking in that mountain even though the sunny weather was not present at all… Baiyun ... read more

Hope all the heads are ok from all the green beer and Irish rover singing! Thanks for posting the messages on the blog, I love hearing from you all! Had a pretty great one myself. Its not often that you get to celebrate the Patron Saint of Ireland by hopping on an elephant for some trekking! Sus and myself decided to celebrate in style by getting a jeep up to Island Safari to aquaint ourselves with some hairy mammals, mainly our newly found friend Chumpo the spotted-eared elephant! What a cutey. It was a really cool experience even though I got totally sun burned (check out those milky Irish thighs!) Ame was our guide and he did such a great job showing us about the safari which included the elephant trek, the elephant show (were a ... read more