Tag: experiences

12 Favourite Destinations

Exactly ten years ago today, I embarked on my first independent trip. By “independent,” I mean a journey not organised or sponsored by parents, school, or any other organisation. It was the first time I travelled on my own dime, in my own time. I was 19 when a friend and I booked a ticket […]

Why I travel solo even when I’m in a relationship

When I travel solo while being in a relationship, I often get questions like: “Oh… you have a boyfriend? Where is he?”“He lets you travel all by yourself? WTF?” And then come the looks of disbelief and suspicion. There seems to be this odd misconception that only single women travel solo—or that if you do […]

10 Ways Hong Kong Surprised Me

Even after spending hours browsing stunning pictures and reading up on all things Hong Kong, the city still managed to catch me off guard in the best (and weirdest) ways. Here are ten things that surprised me: 1. Dim sum heaven For someone who didn’t even like dim sum, I was shocked to hear myself […]

Birthdays Abroad

29 Trips Around the Sun: Birthday Moments from Around the World For the past seven years, I’ve been lucky enough to celebrate my birthday abroad—either doing something wild or lazing in the shade of a coconut tree. Since this year was a little different (read: no palm trees or plane tickets), I decided to take […]

5 Quirky Things to do in Bali

There’s a widespread misconception that Bali is just another tourist mecca full of beautiful clichés. Granted, there is a fair amount of mass tourism, but the island has so much more to offer. Finding authenticity is a walk in the park, and going off the beaten track is just as easy. Quirks are plentiful, and […]

Torajan Death Rituals

“Would you like to go to a funeral, m’am?” Not exactly the question you’d expect when stepping out of a long distance bus… And yet, what this man was proposing, is quite normal in Tana Toraja. In fact, funerals are the “main attraction” in the region. Visitors mostly come to learn about the Torajan culture […]

Thingyan, Water festival in Myanmar

Who doesn’t love a smashing New Year’s party? Now imagine that bash lasting for days, taking place outdoors under a blazing sun, and involving obscene amounts of water. Welcome to Thingyan — Myanmar’s water festival, held around mid-April to ring in the Burmese New Year. It’s the country’s biggest and most important holiday, and it’s […]

2013 Travel Summary, Part II

Resuming the travel summary of 2013, the nomadic year… Read part I here. JULY – Timor-Leste / The Gili Islands If you need to leave Bali for a visa run… why not go completely off-script and head to Timor-Leste? Practical info about the place is scarce, so I went in blind — which may be […]