I’d recommend visiting, exploring, seeing dance performances in Ubud, and checking out Uluwatu and Tanah Lot temples. A week should be plenty of time. If you want to travel for longer, I’d recommend exploring other areas in Indonesia.
Year: 2022
Yogya is one of Indonesia’s cultural hubs, and it blends past, present, and future; a mix of tradition and aspiration. It’s one of the most unique places I’ve ever been for this combination. One can feel Yogyakarta’s cultural roots everywhere; yet each site feels as though it is still alive and being created, redefined, and reinterpreted.
The genuine warmth and kindness that was shared with me was extraordinary. There’s no doubt in my mind that if more people received that much love, the world would be a better place. I only saw a very small slice of the Philippines, on this one island. Yet I would place the Philippines very high on my list of recommendations for other travelers, because what I experienced here was nothing short of magical.
Cambodia and its people remind me that happiness is a choice, that being with other people is better than being against them, and that (forgive the cliche) opportunity and joy can always be found in the little acts that make up our daily lives — no matter our past.
As I sit here now at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, *shockingly* still alive, the Thailand chapter is coming to a close. Here are some of my thoughts and insights from the past eight months that I’ll take with me as the journey continues.
KL exists in the context of Malaysia’s big, traditional, rugged, chaotic, and complicated melting pot. Against this backdrop, the city stands out as a singular, epic unifying pillar of modernization. It’s the kind of city that all metropolises in SEA could aspire to become more like. It’s clean, comfortable, well-connected, modern, and futuristic, yet it still retains chaotic, fast-paced, and multicultural flavors. A truly fascinating place.
Penang’s buildings are colorful and stately, and the city has an incredibly European feel to it. Among the arches and walkways, however, one finds uniquely Asian, Malay, and Penangite flairs. All the text is in Bahasa Malay or occasionally Chinese, tiny shops sell knock-off goods at tiny prices, restaurants sling noodles, strong coffee, and fish, and here and there you pass an ornate mosque rather than a church.
With all the rotating exhibitions and continuous construction of increasingly tall skyscrapers, it’s not an exaggeration to say that Singapore is in a constant state of flux and development — an endless one-upmanship with ever nicer, more beautiful experiences repeatedly being built and discovered anew.
Something about these empty, pristine beaches drops me headfirst into a trance, and I remain in a state of awe, completely mesmerized by their beauty. I sat in the sand a little longer and calmly watched the gentle waves roll in before moving on to the next beach, slowly making my way back towards town.
“Burning season” comes to Chiang Mai around February, March, and April every year. This year has been a freak anomaly with a relatively clear sky. Some days, you can even see Doi Suthep mountain from downtown — while this is perfectly normal in January, it is practically unheard of during March and April.