Out of Norm Travels

Sapa , is a frontier town and capital of Sa Pa District in Lào Cai Province in northwest Vietnam . I had the privilege to spend 3 days 2 nights at this location which can be reached via Hanoi , the capital of Vietnam (where international flights connect into the country). I heard that there is a new highway that was recently built that links Hanoi to Sapa which takes a mere 5 hours (and at less expense). But for my trip, I took the longer route (and to me, more authentic way of travelling within Southeast Asia i.e. by train) which required 8 hours train travel from Hanoi to Lao Cai. For the way down to Sapa, I took the Livitrain Express Train that departed from Hanoi at around 9p.m. before reaching Lao Cai at 5.30a.m. For the train ride back from Lao Cai to Hanoi, I took a different train service which is the Sapaly Express Train that departed at 8p.m. and reached Hanoi around 4a.m. I will highly recommend the Sapaly Express Train as it wins hands down even though it’s sl...

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 ...

  Talad Rot Fai:   A lovely quaint market only open on Saturdays and Sundays ooze VW-loads of vintage wares. You can find ‘oldies but goodies’ inspired toys, clothes, memorabilia, furniture in this market that occupies around 2 football fields in an area which is fenced by train tracks and train coaches.  As in all markets, there are many food stalls that allow you to rest your tired legs or if you wish, eat skewered meats or slurping that ice-cream off coconut husks whilst walking along the make-shift stalls. Whether you are only interested in browsing or people-watching, this is definitely a good place to spend some time on a cool weekend evening.  

What can an urban city like Kuala Lumpur offer for jaded travellers?  How about some enlightening (Batu caves) and architecture (Moorish no less) before ending on a high note (KLCC Twin Towers) ? Group enlightening @  Bat u caves Moorish architecture  @ KTM Headquarters KLCC Twin Towers @ Sunset  Till the next time, onto the world & beyond!!

Like most travelers, a trip out of home country means taking an air plane out of the country. In the not so distant past, many travel out of their country using the only means of affordable transport i.e. train. I am not old enough to say that I did that but I was glad I managed to catch one of the last few trains that departed from our grand ol dame, Tanjong Pagar Railway Station back in June 2011. The feeling of nostalgia was what spurred on me taking the journey up north from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was surreal that I was still in my country yet the land the station stood on was actually Malaysian land. In a typical Singaporean way, I facebooked my location & wondered if I should state Singapore or Malaysia as place of origin? Anyway, this dilemma soon ended on 30 June 2011 when the land on which the train station stood was closed to the public with the land returned to Singapore. It was thus unfortunate that my kids will not be able to experience such ...