These pages contain travelogues, pictures, unsolicited musings and my wanderlust daydreams. Enjoy your stay here, feel free to rummage about the archives, and I hope you find what you are looking for.
Breakfast was a simple affair eggs, toast, yogurt and locally harvested honey. Oh the glorious, buttery, mildly oaky honey. Later in the trip we ended up wiping jars of these stuff off shelves, each hauling a carton home. Post honey-guzzling we went to see the largest sitting Buddha in the world. At 170 feet tall and […]
A flurry of commotion roused me from my nap. Window shades were hastily pulled up and passengers passed their cameras to perfect strangers across the aisle to capture the view. The pilot has just made an announcement that Mount Everest was now visible from the left side of the plane. I looked out of […]
How serious are the Greeks when it comes to coffee? Apparently there is a law in Greece that requires all food & beverage establishment that serves coffee to include Greek coffee. In Greece, coffee is usually offered as a gesture of welcome, followed by conversation and friendship. Alcohol has a lower place than coffee in […]
It was truly difficult to try and leave Oia and explore the rest of Santorini, as we were convinced that we were already at the most beautiful part of the whole island. We did, however, ventured out on a chilly evening to visit Kamari. One afternoon, as the hoards of day-trippers thronged Oia to catch […]
This was one of the stops on our roadtrip in September 2013. To read the other stops on this journey, please go here. It was peaceful when we arrived, with just a smattering of visitors, most of whom were in quiet contemplation. We stood stunned by the breathtaking landscape of rolling mountains against the cloudless sky. The […]
It was an easy, albeit uneventful, 40 minutes drive from Mycenae. Once the dusty expressways gave way to dramatic cliffs and charming Venetian houses, we knew we have arrived in the acclaimed prettiest town in all of Greece. Fronting a picturesque seaport and lined with sleepy little stores, one could drive from one end of […]
We have always enjoyed the freedom and flexibility that self-drive holidays gave us. Greece goes by right-hand drive, which was the wrong way for us, but that did little to deter. We simply intensified our research so we can dedicate more efforts to being careful instead of worrying about navigation. We completed the 400 km […]
Looming imposingly over the city, the Acropolis is a quinessential destination in Athens. The Acropolis has been listed as the preeminent monument on the European Cultural Heritage list of monuments. Evidence suggests that the hill was inhabited as early as the fourth millenium BC. Holy loukoumi, that has to be the oldest historical site we […]
During our time in Athens, our meals were usually of the casual and common man persuasion (read: simple and cheap). Here were some places we enjoyed: Ariston (voulis 10) is an institution that has been serving up freshly baked pies since 1906. For more than a century, locals have popped in here for a fortifying piece […]
Airy, bright and modern. That would aptly describe our “home” in Athens. The entire booking process was a breeze. Andreas was very accommodating and concise in his explanations of the charges, the location, and little things we should take note of. Payment of the deposit was through PayPal and the rest was payable upon arrival. […]
We traveled during the shoulder-season since it was already the tail-end of summer. Accommodation was slightly cheaper and attractions were not as crowded as it was in July / August. Weather was glorious almost daily, with cloudless skies and ferocious sun. We might have been able to cover more grounds if the weather was cooler, though. In retrospect […]
The villa is just impossible not to fall in love with. We find thoughtful little touches every where and the attention to detail is amazing. The pictures on their website are exactly what you get, and then some. This was our second visit. The last time we visited, our parade was completely rained on, pun […]
Hong Kong – Much Ado About Eating (I):: Read about my fooding at Four Seasons Claypot Rice, Hui Lau Shan desserts, Yee Shun Milk Company, Luk Yu Tea House, and Xi Yan Sweets here. 富聲魚翅海鮮酒家 Fu Sing Shark Fin Seafood Restaurant We were hankering after dimsum, so we returned to our favorite yum cha place […]
We had a little under 72 hours in Hong Kong during this short trip, and our agenda was straight-forward. Eat. Four Seasons Claypot Rice 四季煲仔飯 I prefer the smokey and heavily seasoned claypot rice in Singapore with its robust flavours, and so have never quite taken to the simplicity of Hong Kong’s renditions. However I […]
We loved having breakfast here. The menu was simple but appealing. Coffee was good too. It was a little hard to locate Toast on our first visit, but I am glad we persisted. Just go toward the river. Too much of a good thing can’t be bad…. … especially when we are talking about bacon. […]
It was not a good time to visit Margaret River when we did. Locals told us they have not had such a major thunderstorm for over a decade. Vineyards and farms closed early or did not open at all, some of the roads were blocked by fallen trees, and the town experienced about 5 […]
Arrived at the crack of dawn, collected our Avis rental, and drove 30 minutes to Fremantle. Our apartment at Pier 21 was very nice, and they kindly allowed us to check in even though we arrived hours before check-in time. I think we got there before 8am? Our spacious room had a great pier view, […]
A brief getawayto escape the crazy heat in Singapore. 9 to 10 June 2012: Fremantle 11 to 13 June 2012: Margaret River 14 to 15 June 2012: Perth Car Rental: Hertz (All inclusive rental and taxes for entire duration of trip, plus GPS: AUD$463) accommodation: Pier 21 Apartment Hotel, Fremantle Prideaus’ of Margaret River Fraser […]
I have heard a lot about the Similan National Park from diver friends who reckon it is one of the best dive spots in South East Asia. Comprising of 9 protected islands in the middle of the Andaman Sea, the islands are all made of granite, giving them a rare natural beauty with unique formations. […]
The Location Phang Nga is about an hour and a half from Phuket Town, well away from the touristy traps and the hustle-bustle. An Aleenta holiday is one where you switch off your brains, bury your feet in the warm sand, and pamper yourself silly. The Resort The sun, sand, sea not enough to entertain? The […]
Coffee Anywhere 