Asia Travel Stories

World Peace Pagoda, Pokhara, Nepal

2011-01-18T21:48:00.001+08:00

Lake Phewa: Pokhara's pride. My purpose in crossing the lake was to visit the World Peace Pagoda on the opposite side of Pokhara. It took me about 2 hours to walk up the mountain. Panoramic views of Pokhara unfolded as I walked higher up the mountain. A pit stop halfway up. A Chinese and Mongolian visitors.

Kathmandu to Pokhara, Nepal

2011-01-13T23:15:00.000+08:00

Flying to Pokara from Kathmandu is both cheap and fast but I'd have missed out on the scenery. But the 9- hour bus journey was hard on my backside. The tourist bus leaves from the terminus outside the US embassy, a good 20-minute stroll from the backpacker area. TIP: always opt for the tourist bus which is clearner and with more comfortable seats over the local buses. To be honest, it was scary

Kumari Devi, Living Goddess of Nepal

2010-11-07T21:38:00.000+08:00

One of the things I looked forward to in Nepal was to visit the house of Kumari Devi, the Living Goddess of Nepal. Choosing a pre-pubescent young girl as a living goddess is an old tradition in Nepal. When she reaches her first menstruation her divinity and reign ends, and the search for her successor begins. It says it all: This is the House of the Living Goddess, Kumari.

Durbar Square, Kathmandu

2010-11-07T11:48:00.001+08:00

The most popular UNESCO World Heritage site in Nepal is Durbar Square. It's only a half hour stroll from the backpacker area of Thamel. Some of the temples date back to the 12th century. For a bit of modernity there is the Royal Palace (the white building).

Crazy Thamel (Shopping & Eating), Kathmandu Part 3 of 3

2010-11-04T16:23:00.000+08:00

Thamel can overwhelm you. From trekking gear, handicrafts, bookstores to souvenirs, Thamel won't disappoint. After a hard day of exploring the city, its numerous bars and restaurants are welcoming. A kukri, the fearsome weapon of the Gurkhas, is the perfect souvenir. Have a cup of tea with the locals.Two hard boiled eggs easily fortified me for half a day. .

Crazy Thamel (Street Life), Kathmandu Part 2 of 3

2010-10-31T16:31:00.000+08:00

With its traffic-choked narrow street, Thamel is not pedestrian-friendly. What grates on my nerve is the constant honking by the vehicles that vie for space. However, the street life is both unexpected, colourful and interesting. I was both surprised and delighted to see bananas being sold everywhere in Nepal. Life saviour if you don't fancy Nepali food. They are locally grown. I joined

Crazy Thamel, Kathmandu (Nepal) Part 1 of 3

2010-10-28T23:25:00.000+08:00

There is probably no place in the world like Thamel, a backpacker area wall to wall with cafes, restaurants, travel agents and budget hotels. I heard so much about the famous Kathmandu Guest House that I had to have a look. It looks posh with high room rates. A guest house only in name. I will never forget Thamel. Narrow dusty streets choked with trishaws, taxis, motorbikes and humanity. Tiger

Boudhanath Stupa, Nepal Part 2 of 2

2010-10-26T10:35:00.000+08:00

Surrounding the Boudhanath Stupa are Tibetan gompa and souvenir shops selling stuff like Tibetan prayer wheels and bowls and mandala. I felt as if I was in Tibet itself.

Boudhanath Stupa, Nepal Part 1 of 2

2010-10-24T21:09:00.000+08:00

The Boudhanath (Boudha) Stupa (a UNESCO Heritage Site) is one of the largest in the world. I was struck by its huge sperical dome. It's a must-see, only 20 mins away on a micro-bus from Kathmandu. I saw many Tibetans here. A number of them have their own buinesses in the stupa complex. A prayer wheel found in all Tibetan stupas. I noticed a woman devoteee going round and round spinning the

Kopan Monastery, Kathmandu, Part 3 of 3

2010-10-23T20:20:00.001+08:00

Perched on a hilltop, Kopan Monastery commands a panoramic view of the town of Boudha below and the spectacular Himalayan mountain range. In Kathmandu the mountains to me were disappointingly very distant but here they loomed large. The long, long trudge up was worth it just for this.

Kopan Monastery, Kathmandu, Part 2 of 3

2010-10-22T12:41:00.001+08:00

Started by a few Tibetan lamas in the early 70s, the Kopan Monastery today is a world-renowned instituttion for the study of Buddhist philosophy and meditation. It offers residential courses, and students come from all over the world. I took about an hour to tour the complex. I met some visitors from Singapore, In fact, a monk told me Singapore is one of their most committed financial

Kopan Monastery, Kathmandu, Part 1 of 3

2010-10-21T21:30:00.000+08:00

With its steady stream of visitors, it's easy to see why the Kopan Monastery in the Kathmandu valley is popular, Perched on a hilltop with the spectacular Himlayan mountain range as a backdrop, its location is ideal for quiet contemplation and study. Unless you have your own transport arrangement, it's a steady one and the half uphill trek from the town of Boudhanath. Frankly, I nearly gave up

Children Peace Monument, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park

2010-07-26T23:39:00.000+08:00

Within the spacious grounds of the Hiroshima Memorial Peace Park is the Children Peace Monument dedicated to all those innocent kids who died in the A-bomb blast.Perched atop a statue resembling an A-bomb, a little girl holds aloft a crane. A Japanese girl suffering from radiation believed that if she folded 1000 paper cranes she would be cured but alas she died before she could complete her

Hiroshima: the horror of the atomic bomb

2010-07-23T20:53:00.001+08:00

Photo shows the complete destruction of Hiroshima by an atomic bomb. Only the town hall was left standing. The iconic symbol of the atomic bomb destruction. A shrine to those who died in the atomic bomb blast. I think everybody should visit Hiroshima especially politicians and world leaders. Perhaps then they would realise the full horror of a nuclear war, and work towards getting rid of nuclear

2010-06-28T22:49:00.000+08:00

Cycling is popular in Tokyo. Both pedestrians and cyclists share the broad sidewalks. However, I felt that the cyclists go quite fast, and any collision with them will result in a nasty accident. There are bicycle parks all over Tokyo. Those who park indiscriminataely risk having their bikes impounded, and a fine will have to be paid to have your bike released.

Elvis in Kobe, Japan?

2010-06-23T19:56:00.000+08:00

I was pleasantly surprised to see Elvis in Kobe. Did he perform here? Why does Kobe honour him? The port city of Kobe, Japan.

Travels in Japan: How good is Japanese English?

2010-06-22T21:17:00.000+08:00

Ask for panties if you're a man! This is called an American Dog! Japanese English can be a bit funny as illustrated by the examples above. English in China wins the top prize for weirder English however. On the whole, most Japanese I came across could understand English although they cannot speak it fluently. It seems their understanding of written English is much better than their spoken

Riding the bullet train in Japan.

2010-06-20T12:21:00.001+08:00

An experience not to be missed in Japan is riding the Shinkansen or the bullet train. The train goes like a bullet really. The Japan Rail Pass is worth it only if you make a return trip to Osaka from Tokyo. Sleek and super fast. TLR: his second time on the bullet train. Ticket inspector Aircraft-like interior. And, finally, I was pleasantly surprised to see attendants wheeling food trolleys

Japan Rail Pass

2010-06-20T01:09:00.000+08:00

My Japan Rail Pass for 7 days. It shows the start and end date. Before I left for Japan I bought the Japan Rail Pass in Singapore for SGD $456 which entitled me to 7 days of unlimited travel on both ordinary and the Shinkansen (bullet train). The bullet train is fantastic. The interior is spacious,and looks like an aircraft. In fact, it sounds like one too. And those of you who have a bladder

People-watching in Tokyo, Japan

2010-06-05T21:44:00.000+08:00

I found it interesting to watch ordinary Japanese people going about their daily lives in Tokyo. They are very polite people, and have a very high level of civic-consciousness. Tokyo, and elswhere, is very clean and well-organised. Everything works, and public toilets are remarkably clean .

Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo

2010-06-04T22:09:00.000+08:00

A must-see in Tokyo is the famous Tsujiki fish market but I had to get up at 4AM to make it to the fish auction. This is a normal fish market and not just for show for the benefit of tourists. After the visit most visitors will have an early breakfast of seafood at the many restaurants in the area but the prices are cut-throat really.

Tokyo is a food paradise

2010-06-01T19:49:00.001+08:00

Sorry to say this but while you suffer from the heat and humidity in Singapore/Malaysia and elsewhere, the weather in Tokyo is perfect for travelling with day time temperature of about 19 celcius! Even though I undertake marathon treks in this urban jungle, I never feel tired. Tokyo is a food paradise for those who live to eat. There are cute little eateries in abundance. The only downside is

Tokyo, Japan: backpacking in the land of the rising sun

2010-05-30T22:12:00.000+08:00

Today, I begin a tour of Japan. Here I'm waiting for the train at the airport to go to Tokyo. This bazaar in Ueno is full of cute eateries. There are hardly any tourists in this bazaar. I joined a group of locals at their table for dinner and sake. A bottle of sake. The locals helped me to order the food as the menu was in Japanese. A packed train station. Believe it or not, the weather is very

Lundu in Sarawak: Gunung Gading National Park

2010-05-29T17:29:00.002+08:00

To see the Rafflesia, I went to the small town of Lundu, 3 hours from Kuching. Astro (satellite) TV is a boon to the remote town of Lundu. Lundu's sluggish river. Motor workshop by the river. Lundu's best hotel for 58 ringgit. The owner, Mr Ang, gave me a lift to the National Park.Mountain stream in park. Swinging in Gunung Gading National Park Temple's

Stories from Sarawak

2010-05-28T01:06:00.002+08:00

The cat is Kuching's mascot I had a chat with a Kuching lady in a private van to Pasar which is the transport hub, Our conversation turned to the visit of PM Najib in Sibu where he was trying to drum up support for his ruling party, BN, in a bye-election. She said, "People here are angry with BN. They take our resources and develop Semenanjong (West Malaysia). Public service in Sarawak is so