Fellowship of the Wanderlusters

The living room was dimly lit, the furniture was from a forgotten era, and the room smelled of age. Sitting on the bygone era sofas were six travelers, from different countries. Their presence, youthful excitements, and lively chatters injected life to a room that had seen its glory days.

Unconventional Beds

In these 12 years of wandering life I have encountered all kinds of accommodations and slept in all sorts of beds; rocking trains, luxurious buses, swinging hammocks, third-class boats, bedbugs infested beds, etc. But I have also slept in some really unusual beds.

Wanderlust in Motion

For many people, watching movie is a form of escape from reality. Movies take us to a different reality, and some even take us to places. I love watching movies, even more so movies set in exotic destinations and movies about travel. Some movies are so well made that they created a traveling boom for…read more

Observing Equanimity

As the bus, carrying only a dozen passengers, left BTS Bus Terminal in Kuala Lumpur, my thought had already covered the 250km to my destination; an oasis of calm in the middle of an oil palm plantation near the town of Kuantan on Malaysia’s east coast.

Looking for My Khaosan Road

I came to Bangkok for the first time with my family when I was 15 years old. Like any typical Asian family travel, we joined a tour. We were bused from sites to sights, and the only thing I remember was getting sick from the boat ride to Pattaya. I had never heard of Khaosan…read more

Outer Travel Inner Journey

The autumn of 2005 I did something that changed my life – I walked the Camino de Santiago. For 37 days I traversed over 800km from Roncesvalles, in the Pyrenees, to Finisterre, at the Atlantic coast of northwestern Spain.

Postcards 4U: Swinging game

Finding Lucky

There is nothing compare to the warm and relaxing sensation of sitting by the beach and watching the sun slowly sets on the horizon. And there’s no sunset quite like the one in Borneo. 2014 was the year I explored my own backyard, Sarawak, and I was surprised to find treasure trove of cultural gems…read more

Chat with a coffee farmer

Salento is fast becoming a must-stop for travelers in Colombia. Drawn here by the spectacular Valle de Cocora and its quaint streets dotted with bohemian cafes, it’s one of the best places to unwind and rest. One of the activities offered in Salento is visiting a coffee farm. There are a few that charge a…read more

Postcards 4U: Magical realism

A trek through smiley land

Trekking in many parts of Southeast Asia, you have to battle leeches and dangerous terrain. But the trek from Kalaw to Inle Lake in the centre of Myanmar is one of the best treks I have done in this region.

This is… Bagan

If you can only go to one place in Myanmar, make it Bagan. The fame of Bagan cannot rival that of Angkor in Cambodia (yet) but its beauty and the energy of the place is on par with that of Angkor.

Chat with a horse cart driver

Myanmar is quickly gaining popularity as a tourist destination. This is because it has been closed off for so long and now that it’s opened, many tourists want to be the first to see it, while many backpackers want to be among the first to create a beaten path. But there is no denying how…read more

This is… Shwedagon Pagoda

The most famous landmark in Yangon, Shwedagon Pagoda is one of the most sacred place for Burmese Buddhists. It is believed that as far as 2,600 years ago there was a pagoda at Shwedagon’s current location; making it one of the longest continuous religious site in the world.

Observing Yangon

Myanmar – a country that was shrouded in mystery and conjured images of lush undiscovered natural beauty until recently – is still relatively untouched by tourism. There is no luxury resorts to lure the big spenders; no banana pancake trail to tempt the average backpackers looking for fun. But it is THE destination most avid…read more

The best meal I have ever had

“What’s the best meal you’ve had?” One of the backpackers I met in Dali, China asked us as we sat on the step of an old Chinese temple nursing a bottle of mao tai (a strong Chinese liquor). Four backpackers from 4 corners of the world and distinctive travel experiences, we were sharing our experiences…read more

Ramadhan food bazaar in Malaysia

Ramadhan is the fasting month for the Muslims; a time of spiritual reflection and increased devotion. It is almost like Lent for the Catholics but more severely practiced and observed. For about a month (29 to 30 days), the Muslims are supposed to fast from food and drink from sunrise to sunset.

Postcards 4U: Piety

Dear U, If Thailand is the land of smile, then Myanmar is the land of piety.