Out of Norm Travels

Just a short 1.5 hour ride out of Bangkok, you will get into Pattaya which is frequented by Thais and foreigners alike.  We made a trip down there back in 2011 and dropped by the Silverlake Winery, the only vineyard located in Pattaya. If you are too lazy for that stroll, they offer train rides around the vast estate and you can end your visit at their lovely restaurant and enjoy your wine/ nourishment overlooking the vineyard. Pattaya also has a quaint little floating market that has the usual wares and food delights. Be sure to take some time to gallivant around the Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden aka Rose Garden as well. A nice wooden structure called Sanctuary of the Truth (Prasat Sut Ja-Tum) that is built according to ancient Thai traditions will be a nice ending point of your journey.  This little excursion is well worth the time and you can easily be transported to another world away from the citylife of nearby Bangkok.  till ...

Flying out from Beijing to Luoyang ( simplified Chinese :  洛阳 ;  traditional Chinese :  洛陽 ;  pinyin :  Luòyáng)  is certainly not high on the travel itineraries of many - quite a few not having even heard or visited this place, not even those hailing from China.  It is thus with much anticipation that I took an internal flight to this city  located in the Henan p rovince  which was once 1 out of the 4 Great Ancient Capitals of China (other 3 are Beijing, Nanjing and Changan (Xian)) to spend the night. My main aim was the visit to Luoyang Grottoes, which was listed by UNESCO in 2000 as a World Heritage Site.  Luoyang Grottoes simplified Chinese 龙门石窟 traditional Chinese 龍門石窟 pinyin Dragon's Gate Grottoes - I can only say " MAGNIFICENT".....I have never seen so many thousands of Buddhist statues carved into limestone caves.   One advice to  travelers  is to start early in the morning and spend more time at th...

Ko Kret or Koh Kred aka Pak Kret is essentially an Island in the middle of Bangkok City, Thailand along the Chao Praya River. Interesting to see the Mon tribe residing at this  island which was created back in 18th century when a canal was constructed  and eventually due to widening, created an island. The tribe retained a distinct identity in their version of Buddhism and, particularly at Ko Kret, their pottery. Did a round boat trip with a drop-off at the pottery, local temple and the biggest Buddha by the river.  Although it is within Bangkok Koh Kret is  another world compared to Bangkok as much of the island is what you would imagine rustic Bangkok with wooden planks at your feet and a certain village air where everyone knows everyone stays in the same area come out to greet each other for the day before going about their business. Much of your day there can be spent just walking around - during the weekends, there is a bustling market but during...

I have been wanting to take this trip to witness the for the past 3 years so I was elated when I found a travel companion 1.5 weeks before the annual Rocket Festival started at Yasothorn, Thailand over the weekend of May 10-12 that I booked my air ticket and made the overnight bus ride down to this unusual and truly unique experience. As in many Thai festivals, the festival varies from year to year due to Thai lunar calendar calculations but understand that essentially it's held during the weekend of the 2nd week of May.  Thailand Rocket  Festival, also known as Bun Bang Fai is one of the most explosive and unusual festivals in the Thai calendar. A must-visit event if you happen to be up in the  Isaan  (northeastern) region of Thailand.   According to www.wherethailand.com, this festival is based on an old folk belief, every May local farmers look to try and coax the gods into the romantic mood needed to produce rainfall by sending huge phallic-shaped rocket...

I am going to break my usual blog narration approach by letting the wonderful art in Penang speak for itself....throughly enjoyed the walk even though it was pretty hot as it felt like I was hitting jackpot every time I see an art mural or steel rod sculpture! Will definitely return when I get my chance to find many other interesting pieces.... Special thanks to Timothy Tye aka Tim the Traveler ( http://www.penang-traveltips.com/george-town-street-art.htm ) ultra- informative blog about Penang art -without which I will never be able to find out the names and artists of the many photos that I have taken! For those who prefer slide show,   Till the next time, onto the world and beyond!

What does these 3 museums have in common? Well, from what I have read so far, the collections are all privately owned, privately managed by people who simply love what they have collected and want to showcase their collection to the world. For me, the 3 Museums also showcases one of the most special things about Thailand i.e. the quirkiness of its people. I wish to clarify that Thai quirkiness to me means their special sense of individuality and uniqueness. Added to that mix is their ability to express that in the most expressive way known i.e. have a museum dedicated to what they love. Now onto some bits of info for each museum..... At Jesada Tecknik Museum , you have to prepare yourself as you will be visiting a museum that is in the middle of nowhere. But once you are there, you will find your reward because this place is simply filled to the helms with vintage cars, motorcycle, trains & buses. There is even an aeroplane on its grounds! Entrance to the museum is free ...

Just a mere 2 hours drive from Bangkok is another gem called " Suan Phueng " aka New Zealand of Thailand .  Suan Phueng is at  the bordering district of Ratchaburi and p opular amongst the Thais. It boasts a  healthy  dose of fresh air and vast green fields. As we had some big and small children  (including some "young at hearts") , this was just about the best place to be. We spent up to the most part of a day at "NewLand", an amusement park area. For an inexpensive 400baht/S$16, the kids had a wild time trying out Archery and Cross Bow; took out the ATV for a spin and did some sheep feeding after a cute choo-choo Train ride round the little area.    The entire Suan Pheung is peppered with Mediterranean-themed resorts which are destinations in themselves, some complete with horse ranches, sheep farms, trickling streams and European gardens. We had a quaint stay at one of the local stays & woke up to beautiful sunrise & basked in the glor...

A long standing travel wish was fulfilled in November 2012 when I attended Thailand's International Balloon Festival at Chiang Mai , in northern Thailand. I was fortunate enough to be there for the morning flights and evening programmes for 2 out of the 3 days of the Festival as the 3rd day of the festival forced to be cancelled due to a huge thunderstorm. It was a festival like no other that I have attended elsewhere - it was filled with lovely big balloons and a marvelous carnival-like atmosphere in the evenings complete with music and delicious food for picnic on the grounds of one of the oldest golf courses in Thailand. One cannot feel but happiness and joy when seeing the hot air balloons take off into the big blue skies. Truly a beautiful sight!  I managed to get up close with the balloon when it was being filled and it was HOT, HOT, HOT!  I have made a pledge to come down for the 2013 festival as for me, this is the Life that is worth livin...

" Charity Through Photography " is started by 2 gentlemen who came up with the brilliant idea to  added a dose of charity  with my 2 loves, photography & travel. The idea is simple - arrange for trips for those who love to take photographs and travelling so that they can do  a little good by taking trips that bring happiness to the people in the  villages they visit and at the same time, take photographs to document the life of villages itself. I started my 2013 trip list with a 2D1N trip to Bintan, Indonesia which is some 45mins away from Singapore.  We dropped in at a Charcoal village and did a quick photowalk around. Part of this involved the distribution of goodies like stationery, biscuits and clothing to the children who stayed at the village.  It was lovely to spend some time with the villagers & I captured many shots of their simple village life where a simple game of catching crabs can occupy a child's afternoon and fresh seafood can b...