Southeast Asia

Mt. Kinabalu Climb: Budget Breakdown

Posted on May 20, 2010

South Peak is the most recognizable ‘postcard’ vista of Mt. Kinabalu Last April’s climb up one of Southeast Asia’s highest peaks was a life-changing experience, after eleven hours worth of uphill trekking through cloud forests, alpine meadows and granite massif, battling occasional downpour, icy winds and altitude sickness. Mt. Kinabalu – my first mountain climbing experience – is an accessible peak that can be scaled by the inexperienced but persevering adventure-seeker. Re-posting the climbing expenses from a travel forum forRead More→

Good Night, Bangkok

Posted on January 5, 2009

At the height of Bangkok’s anti-government protests that shut down the airports late November, I was given no choice but to spend the remainder of my second visit to this vibrant city gleefully basking in its wonderful fluorescent glow. Very eager to test the slow shutter speeds of my Horizon Perfekt, I wandered the ‘City of Angels’ camera-armed to discover a glimmering labyrinth as amazing at night as it is under the midday sun. As news of the local pandemoniumRead More→

Suvarnabhumi Airport (Bangkok, Thailand)

Posted on January 5, 2009

Gazing out my window as the plane rounded the tarmac, the first thing that caught my eye at this modern airport were the patterned interlace of steel that roofed the terminals. Upon entering, the extensive, bright and airy interior embraces everyone with distinct local hospitality: “Sawasdee, Welcome to Thailand!” Located in Racha Thewa in Bang Phli district, Samut Prakan Province, about 25 km east of downtown Bangkok, Suvarnabhumi is one of the busiest airports in Asia, and Bangkok’s primary airportRead More→

BTS Skytrain (Bangkok, Thailand)

Posted on September 23, 2008

Not all too trustful of the tuk-tuks? In Thailand’s congested capital, the efficient transport backbone is the Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTS) Skytrain, which was opened to the public in 1999 and currently undergoing expansion. Modeled after Vancouver’s, this elevated rail system runs through 23 stations along two lines– Silom and Sukhumvit–that tangentially interchange at Siam Station. While traveling, one can observe cosmopolitan Bangkokians–students, white-collared workers, hipsters–nonchalantly shuffle in and out of the cars, as LCD screens blaring silly commercials try toRead More→

Khao San Road (Bangkok, Thailand):

Posted on August 29, 2008

At the busy neighborhood of Banglamphu north of the Grand Palace is the famous backpacker’s Mecca: Khao San Road. Chaos is constant in Khao San, a pulsating plethora of multicultural, gastronomical and commercial life… true to the images swirling in my head as I read Alex Garland’s cult-classic-turned-blockbuster about a secret paradise called “The Beach”:  “The first I heard of the beach was in Bangkok on Ko Sanh Road. The Ko Sanh Road was backpacker land. Almost all the buildingsRead More→

Wat Phra Kaew (Bangkok, Thailand)

Posted on August 29, 2008

Upon entering the most sacred temple in Thailand, you will be overwhelmed by its ornate grandiosity and magnificent religious art, leaving you gawking at the entire orchestration in a state of pseudo-nirvana: “Wat a sight!”  Located within the Grand Palace grounds, the Wat Phra Kaew or  Temple of the Emerald Buddha houses a 66-centimeter tall image of Buddha made of nephrite (a type of jade). “Emerald” refers to the green color of the relic. Although the true origin of theRead More→