I have seen the future, a giant shopping mall interconnecting small residential enclaves, parks and roads. The mall reaches in every direction, polished floors gleam, shop fronts sparkle, a temple to consumerism, every need and desire can be met by the purchase of a 40inch plasma screen TV or a computer so smart it doesn't need an operator. The streets, those that are not part of the mega-mall-opilis are clean, empty of all but traffic which flows orderly, controlled by lights indicating lane and speed. People are well behaved, come from many different ethnic origins, speak in a variety of tongues but share a common language in English. The future is controlled, everything is legislated for, government departments encourage breeding of the people through the SDU (Social Development Unit). In certain places; no food or drink ... read more

Some people travel solely to experience the great rail journeys of the world - the Orient Express, the Trans-Siberian Railway and the Jungle Express. The Jungle Express for me turned out to be a 4 hour leg of the Singapore to Thai border train, on a local train. Hot sweaty, confined, slow, but with exotic scenery from every window, we made progress snail like towards the Taman Negara National Park, stopping at every reed shack in the jungle (or so it seemed). The Taman Negara National Park pulsates deep in the heart of the Malaysian Peninsula, more land life than any place I've seen. The park is home to tigers (100 est), Rhinos and Elephants (400 est), unfortunately these larger animals are wary of human contact (justifiably given our record of hunting species to extinction) - ... read more

Into KL at 6am... damn another of those missing days, too late to check in, too early to have had a decent nights sleep, 4 hours bus sleep and wandering around the hostels looking for a place to stay - so again the usual, take the first place that has a sofa spare. Eventually I checked in to the Pudu Hostel, windowless dorm rooms, but a friendly vibe and air-conditioning, probably essential for breathing during the night. Kuala Lumpur bustles, monument to a Tiger Economy. National sport, shopping, national stadium, the golden triangle Kuala Lumpur. In the market for a waterproof housing and a small digital camera I spent the first few days searching the malls for a suitable model and price, more research on the Internet, confirming the quotes as really great prices, and the ... read more

Any excuse for a party. It's a fair accusation, and a full moon is a fairly lame excuse. It's just nature, it happens 13 times a year, and in most parts of the world, without lycanthropy, passes off without note. Not on Koh Pha Ngan, the next island on from Koh Samui, the scene of one of the largest beach parties in the world, every single month, the other locations for such revelry are Ios in Greece, and somewhere in Goa, India. I met people at this party that had been to all three - this is the original and biggest. The reputation of the full moon party is for excess, dancing and drugs. To be honest drugs would have been easy to get hold of, many of the cafés will “serve” special requests, but on ... read more

Bangkok has been notably described as the “Arsehole of Asia” and “Cesspool” by others on Travelblog. After 48 hours I think these titles are a little unfair, but the Thai name - Krung Thep - translating to “City of Angels” - is a touch on the flattering side -maybe somewhere in the city, between the skyscrapers and the slow moving stinky rivers there maybe a real angel, but one thing is sure - there are plenty of girls who'll be your angel for one night for only 300 baht! and there are plenty of guys searching for angels. The sex tourism aspect of Thailand has been present ever since Heathrow Airport waiting lounge, chatting to a “business man” while waiting for a flight - “I love Thailand... a bottomless barrel of women who all think I ... read more