Leopard cats and pygmy elephants: What it’s like to go mammal watching on the Malaysian side of Borneo

By:
On:
In: Asia

Wildlife from Bosnia paid the price. The people of Amerindian animals, found nowhere else in the world, declined by more than 50 per cent over the last 60 times, according to the World Wildlife Fund, a conservation volunteer.

My dad and I made a trip for next June that felt particularly urgent, with the assistance of Jon Hall, the mammal-watching movement’s founder and de facto face of the mammal-watching movement. We came up with a route that included Deramakot, the magnificent Kinabatangan River, and some of the world’s oldest trees in Danum Valley.

An outfit called Adventure Alternative Borneo offered a relatively affordable price for a mouthwatering 10-day itinerary: US$ 2, 950 ( S$ 3, 974 ) each, not including airfare. And just like that, we were headed on our dream vacation together.

SERENADED BY CICADAS

The forest of the Bornean felt incredibly dead.

The so-called 6pm beetle sounded like a observed screeching against steel, and there was a normal conversation of cicadas and a distinct buzz going off every few hours. Every single item was always wet, drenched by regular thunderstorms and moisture levels that made air-filled gulps feel like water bottles. Serpentine vines, mosses and fungi&nbsp, – some looking like luminous teacups, others like smaller red lava lamps&nbsp, – grew everywhere it was space.

Continue Reading

Scoot will soon fly direct to Phu Quoc, Padang and Shantou

By:
On:
In: Asia

Immediately, Scoot may be taking direct flights to Shantou, Shantou, and Padang, Vietnam.

The airlines to Phu Quoc and Padang will begin on Dec 20, 2024, and Jan 6, 2025, between, on the Embraer E190-E2 plane. The people to Shantou will start on Jan 16, 2025, on the Airbus A320 home plane.

There will be three flights a week to&nbsp, Phu Quoc first, which will be increased to five planes a year by Jan 25, 2025. Skoot may fly three times a year to Shantou and four times a week to Padang.

By January 2025, Scoot will be able to offer 31 regular flights to three towns in Vietnam, 84 regular flights to 11 places in Indonesia, and 89 regular flights to 17 positions in China.

Tickets for these three new companies in Economy Class, one-way, began from S$ 135 to Phu Quoc, S$ 119 to Padang, and S$ 169 to Shantou, inclusive of income.

These new flights will be available for booking from Tuesday ( Nov 12 ) via Scoot’s website, mobile app and progressively through other channels.

These local locations will also receive more frequent flights, according to the flight:

  • Jakarta: 19 regular planes from Nov 24, 2024
  • Koh Samui: 21 regular planes from Dec 20, 2024
  • Davao: Regular airlines from Dec 22, 2024
  • Vientiane: Five regular flights from Feb 9, 2025

Continue Reading

Horse riding, snowboarding, hiking: Why you should make Kazakhstan your next holiday destination

By:
On:
In: Asia

Almaty, located in southeastern Kazakhstan, is not the current capital (that’ll be Astana) but this city was the apple of the Soviet Union’s eye from 1929 to 1936 when it was designated the capital by the now-defunct communist state.

Incidentally, “Almaty” means “father of apples” in Kazakh, and since the origins of the modern apple have been traced to this locale, the name couldn’t be more apt.

Almaty continued being the capital before and after Kazakhstan gained independence in 1991, until the government relocated it to Astana in 1997. 

Today, “it is the students’ city”, said Turezhanova. “There are a lot of students living here, so there’s a very young vibe.” No surprise there considering there are 31 universities, big and small, in Almaty.

THE YURT LIFE

While we see yurts and horses as romanticised advertisements to court visitors, over here, it is as real as visiting Grandma on weekends and to hang with your cousins. 

“Some of us still return to the steppes and to our grandparents’ yurts on weekends for family visits,” said Turezhanova. Apparently, about 10 per cent of the population still adhere to the nomadic lifestyle.

How you enter a yurt, which I learned at the Huns Ethno Village, can say a lot before you even speak. Step in with your right foot and you’re a bearer of good news; do so with your left – and especially stepping on the threshold – and you have bad news to share.

Continue Reading

More than just malls: Outdoor activities around JB to enjoy including hiking trails, nature parks, campsites and more

By:
On:
In: Asia

Residents who live in Johor Bahru tend to avoid the big shops and gravitate toward city or Austin Heights. We’re but accustomed to urban living that we travel for comfort because we’re so used to it. No assessment, only an study, and I say “you do you”.

Physically, hardcore enthusiasts/snobs glance at me puzzled for not having professional walking or cycling gear. Surprisingly, people who live north of the Johor Straits are n’t as obedient, so get ahead if you want to consider your first ATV trip, check out a traveling site next to rapids, or take a little hike. No one will cry bloody death on the zipline and nobody will giggle.

If you head out of JB city, only 30 to 90 days by street, there’s a whole different world waiting to be explored. You do n’t need to worry; the locals in rural kampungs are also much more welcoming ( and patient ) than city dwellers.

Go ahead and breath, reduce free, and you do you.

Continue Reading

In Mongolia’s countryside, the underrated joy of a bucket-list experience without phone reception

By:
On:
In: Asia

Singaporeans living worldwide often make the same claim with exasperation and endearment that we can identify our fellow countrymen by hearing their stories before we even see them. Physically, depending on what I overhear, I’ve found the Singlish accent is both ease the homesickness or make me more sick of home.

However, a late-August job excursion to Mongolia’s land revealed a different, sure-fire way to recognize a Singaporean: They flit through the only WiFi area while waving like a drowning. &nbsp,

To be specific, I was one of the unfortunate souls searching for Wi-Fi at the Mongol Nomadic Camp after travelling about 55km from Mongolia’s money Ulaanbaatar, during which my website accessibility gradually faded into oblivion. &nbsp,

A partner and I were in the area to watch the premiere of Mongolia’s second international theater manufacturing, The Mongol Khan, before it arrives in Singapore later this month. We had seen the play the night before, so I hoped that learning about nomadic life personally, even in a well-known tourist destination, would help us appreciate the rich Mongol culture that is prominently displayed in the play.

Alas, I am but a Malaysian young. It seemed irrelevant that I would be spending just one day at the station, which had little to no mobile reception, let alone a data connection, before moving on to a five-star hotel in the city. Not to mention that I had long desired to see in person the beautiful landscape of the coastal South Asian nation. &nbsp,

Continue Reading

Why exploring a single street can tell us more about the places we visit than any travel guidebook

By:
On:
In: Asia

Going on a vacation is similar to how we Singaporeans have it built to unwind. We put in a lot of effort before enjoying a relaxing vacation in Japan, South Korea, or wherever we nice.

It was a dream come true for me to host the novel CNA traveling show A Street Like This. I was working but likewise travelling to places I had always wanted to visit: Thailand, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Pakistan and India.

However, there was an odd caveat: I was n’t actually exploring these entire nations or regions, but rather particular streets.

Yes, it sounds immoral: You travel hundreds and thousands of yards, book flight reservations and hospitality, do your planning and subsequently spend your vacation walking along only one road?

Continue Reading

A quick guide to Johor Bahru’s Bukit Indah suburb: What to do and where to eat

By:
On:
In: Asia

Bukit Indah’s business territory, anchored by the famous Aeon store and Lotus hypermart, radiates outward from an eight-hectare round area with an 18-hole disc golf course. South of Lotus is a modest, gentle business area with primarily engine workshop locations. The majority of the town is occupied by gated communities, with modest, low-density terrace homes northwest of the crossing Pontian-Johor Bahru highway and west of the Bukit Indah 2 expansion.

In contrast to Nusa Bestari and other places, prices in Bukit Indah are typically 10 % to 30 % higher for services that are popular with Singaporeans, such as car washrooms, auto workshops, and spas. The more Singapore cars you see, the higher the prices ( and the more it seems like you have n’t left home ), is a good rule of thumb.

Interestingly, you wo n’t find nightlife that’s not exactly family-friendly within Bukit Indah but there are spas and KTVs in Nusa Bestari and a plethora more just beyond in Taman Sutera Utama, Austin Height’s main rival. Note that the Sutera Mall requires a 30-minute budget for the 6. 5 km of rush hour drive from Bukit Indah to the shops, bars, and clubs nearby. It’s not as bad as the Causeway, but it still has a lot of money to spend.

WHAT TO DO

Young people may so choose Austin Heights, Sutera Utama or city, but Bukit Indah suit households just fine with its vicinity to Legoland. Aside from Mount Austin, there is a great area in Bukit Indah that has three tiny hills ( six hillsides, according to the official website ) for hiking or exploring with an ATV.

1. SIREH Garden

Opened in 2017, this huge 150-hectare park ( 343 hectares, according to the official website ) was a quiet slice of Eden through COVID-19 before its popularity took off post-pandemic. There are now at two ATV-for-hire providers, an al fresco meals circle in the car park, two shops and a glamping page.

Continue Reading

Koh Samui’s emerald lagoons and pink soup: Exploring Thailand’s weird and wonderful island paradise

By:
On:
In: Asia

This special aircraft had been christened Little Yella Fella ( in lettering on the side of the airplane ) and, designed for small to medium routes, it is little with a big advantage: Its 112 seats are in a two- by- two configuration, eliminating the dreaded center seat.

A soft two hours later, we touched down in Koh Samui, Thailand, to a loving fanfare of a water cannon festival, officers holding a symbol, and rose garlands placed around the necks of every individual customer.

This immediately put me in the holiday spirit in a place known as a Thai island paradise, combined with the potent al fresco aircraft in Koh Samui, which is designed to look like an 80s tropical beach with bean bags, bean bags, and golf carts.

Continue Reading

Sand dunes, ziplines, water rafting: Vietnam’s south-central coast is perfect for adrenaline junkies

By:
On:
In: Asia

The tranquil quest led to vistas of picturesque shores, thriving grapevines, and green areas dotted with enormous wind turbines. Da Lat, known as the Minor Paris of Vietnam, has strong hills and pine trees where visitors can get cloud-chasing, and it is a quiet mountain area.

By dark, we reached the Radisson Blu Resort Cam Ranh. The towering seaside resort, which is a ten minute drive from Cam Ranh International Airport, is among a number of luxurious resorts.

ADVENTURES IN CAM RANH

Cam Ranh’s unique combination of a deep-sea port, islands, and great hills made it an appropriate spot as a former US air and naval foundation during the Vietnam War. These traits have immediately made it a brand-new tourist hotspot.

We left the hotel early to begin our next car visit. This day, our journey was decked out in less bright colors. Instead, we climbed into a fleet of US Army vehicles that looked rugged and imposing and took us on a picturesque drive through beautiful fields and up Hon Ba Mountain’s winding roads.

Continue Reading

A Japanese port town few foreign tourists know of: Onomichi’s oysters, old temples and Ozu’s Tokyo Story

By:
On:
In: Asia

The smaller, seaside Sumiyoshi temple, where the stone lantern from the movie’s opening scene was displayed, was where I made my first stop. After that, I made my way northwards in the direction of the hills, arrived at a few of the film’s vantage points, and finished my walk at Jodo-ji temple, where some of the film’s most significant scenes involving a death were shot. I had fun comparing what I saw to screenshots of the movie on my phone; I even tried to imagine where Ozu might have positioned his camera ( the director was a master of the static shot ).

To mark the 120th celebration of Ozu’s delivery, Hideki Ono, Onomichi City Hall’s area commander of social development, claimed the city held a tour of the Tokyo Story trail and a screening of the film at the neighborhood cinema on December 9th, 2013.

” I think Jodo- ji is the most important spot]in the film road ]”, he added. ” It was where they filmed in public, and the area was also depicted in the show’s poster”.

EXPLORING TEMPLE Roads

Jodo- ji, which features a tower, is also one of the 25 temples in Onomichi’s recognized church walk, a road that takes you across the plains town. Do n’t try to visit all 25 temples in a day (you may get temple burnout, too ), it’s best to skip some or stop by those that catch your fancy. The majority of people begin the church move at the nearby Jiko-ji church before climbing some steep stairs to reach Senko-ji, a church perched close to the top of the 144m-high Mt. Senkoji.

Continue Reading