RECENTLY, I returned from a month-long trip to Thailand. You might think, big deal, and for the most part, you’d be right. Thailand is the most visited Asian country after China, and Bangkok remains the world’s number one most visited city – that is, it’s ahead of Paris, London, New York and Tokyo among others….
Yes, I am Concerned About the Coronavirus!
A few weeks ago, I wrote about my thoughts on the (still beginning) coronavirus pandemic and its travel-related implications. At that time, I’ll admit, they were somewhat nonchalant. Boy, has the situation changed since then. The world is in full-blown scare. Tens of thousands of people are being infected far outside of China, the initial…
Destination: Northeast India (part 2)
In part 1 of this destination guide, I wrote about the Northeast Indian states of Sikkim, Meghalaya, the region of Darjeeling and the general logistics and reasons for visiting of the Northeast. This post describes the remaining states of his fascinating part of India. Assam By far the biggest state of the Northeast by area…
The Story of a Photo – Picking at the Sun (Philippines)
In travelling, and in travel photography, sometimes you encounter those “perfect” moments of light, place and atmosphere. You know, when everything kind of just feels perfectly balanced, perfectly calm, and all set for some good pictures. I felt exactly like that when I, completely by accident, “discovered” Barangay Seawall, the waterfront neighbourhood in the city…
Destination: Northeast India (part 1)
There is no other country for a backpacker like India. With the population of a quarter of the world and a vast territory, it has literally a wealth of things to see and to do, and you would need a lifetime to do them all. Any backpacker and really, pretty much anybody else should visit…
10 Items You Should Never Lose On Your Trip
Last week, while lounging on a beach on a small Thai island, I went into the sea with my waterproof camera in the pocket of my shorts. The waves were a bit rough, and getting out of the water was challenging. I managed to cut my foot a bit on a sharp rock while doing…
Am I Concerned About the Coronavirus?
As some of you know, I spend a big chunk of my time each year in South East Asia, and the region has indeed been on the heightened news alert lately due to the spreading of the new coronavirus from China. The pace of the spread is indeed quite alarming – over 20,000 cases as…
8 Common Mistakes in Street Photography
As someone who shoots in the streets or outside almost every day, I have gone through a pretty steep learning curve over the years and realized a lot of “dos” and “don’ts” of street photography. I did it the hard way – by trial and error. Luckily for you, you can now read this post…
The Story of a Photo – Three Monks (Laos)
Tham Pha, also known as Buddha Cave, is one of the few attractions around the town of Thakhek on the Mekong River in Laos. It was said to have been discovered just 15 years ago by a farmer, which is hard to believe because its access isn’t really obstructed by anything; in fact, it is…
About Travel Watches
People who know me closely also know that I am a bit of a watch guy. That’s right, I do have a great fondness for timepieces, especially mechanical ones. To me, they represent one of the few kinds of jewelry that are actually functional and serve an important purpose other than decoration. And if decoration…