Category: favourites
A Rome-ing Eye: My Photo Diary from the Eternal City, Rome
30 May - 4 June 2019
There are some places that I would revisit time and again. One such destination is the appropriately-nicknamed ‘Eternal City’ - Rome. You’d only have to ask, and for this recent trip Luxy asked me to buddy up with her. Curiously enough, the last time we were both in Rome was 5 years ago at around the same time. Having already been there, seen it, and ran the appropriately well-informed commentary; we were unburdened by the savant’s guilt of having to experience all the city’s cultural and historical offerings. The nature of this trip would be less intellectual and more indulgent - purely devoted to enjoying the Eternal City at its best, soaked in sunshine and sorbet. Well, when in Rome...
Photos of me taken by LUXLIFEBLOG, naturally.
July 12, 2019
4½ Things to Do with 24 Hours in Marrakech
THE MOROCCO DIARIES, PART 8 of 10: MARRAKECH, MOROCCO
At last, I had arrived in Marrakech. The iconic city that I had mistaken to be the capital of Morocco. A colourful, cacophonic, chaotic cauldron of sights, sounds, scents; and of course, souks. Rabat may be regal, Casablanca may be cosmopolitan; but Marrakech is the city that endures in the imagination of those yet to visit Morocco mine included. Alas, I had only a day to soak up the best of what this famous city had to offer. Although I daresay my attempt proved to be fruitful - from shopping in the souk to languishing in one of the most luxurious hotels in Marrakech. Should you, too, find yourself in Marrakech for the first time with just a day to spare, this guide is for you. These are my 4½ Things to Do with 24 Hours in Marrakech.
November 02, 2018
...I’ve got a case of the Majorelle blues...
THE MOROCCO DIARIES, PART 7 of 10: JARDIN MAJORELLE, MARRAKECH
If roses say “I love you”, does cacti snarl “Stay far away!"...? Forget everything you think you know about the language of flowers. Jardin Majorelle, Yves Saint Laurent’s love letter to Marrakech, subverts the trope with his evergreen tribute to the Moroccan city that adopted him.
JARDIN MAJORELLE
MUCH MOROCCO
THE MOROCCO DIARIES, PART 7 of 10: JARDIN MAJORELLE, MARRAKECH
If roses say “I love you”, does cacti snarl “Stay far away!"...? Forget everything you think you know about the language of flowers. Jardin Majorelle, Yves Saint Laurent’s love letter to Marrakech, subverts the trope with his evergreen tribute to the Moroccan city that adopted him.
JARDIN MAJORELLE
MUCH MOROCCO
October 25, 2018
TOP 10 THINGS TO SEE & DO IN KYOTO, JAPAN
I can think of few cities more evocative than Kyoto. It is, in fact, my favourite city in Japan. The Japanese way of life, philosophies, and customs speak to me of ritual, mystery, and spirituality. No other city in Japan is as steeped in these as the city of Emperors. Kyoto is old Japan in modern times - where the traditional arts and crafts are kept alive by generations of artisans, and where the last remaining geisha in Japan live and work in historic districts that remain practically unchanged for centuries.
More than just the cultural capital of the country, Kyoto is also the spiritual heart of Japan - this is a city of temples and shrines, of torii gates and incense, of gods and spirits. Kyoto is the city to immerse yourself in the intricacies of Japanese culture - be it elaborate tea ceremonies, joyous hanami (cherry blossom viewing parties), or making offerings to fox statues at Shinto shrines. If you’re thinking of visiting Japan for the first time, I highly recommend you begin with Kyoto that you may understand the unique Japanese way of life. Either way, if Kyoto is new to you, I daresay I have you covered with my list of the Top 10 Things to See & Do in Kyoto, Japan.
September 06, 2018
BLUE-BLOODED: MY FAMILY HISTORY & CONNECTION TO THE FOUNDERS OF TAIWAN, THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA
The saying goes: History is written by the victors. If you ask The People’s Republic of China (PRC, commonly known as China) they'd tell you that the Republic of China (ROC, commonly known as Taiwan) is not its own country but rather a rogue state that, if the PRC has its way, would be unified with the Mainland despite the ROC’s audacity to break away from the glorious path of Communism. As for me, I have sympathy for the devil - I have much empathy for the struggles of Taiwan, the founders of which were on the losing side of history. This comes as no surprise given my family connection to the Kuomintang (often translated as the Nationalist Party of China), the Blue Party who have almost exclusively ruled modern-day Taiwan ever since the country's inception in 1945. My desire to delve deeper into Taiwan literally runs in my veins, and so, I recently travelled to Taipei to learn more about my illustrious ancestors, and explore the country born of their blood, sweat, and tears.
Today’s story, my take on one of the topics of this month’s #TRAVELLINKUP: PEOPLE THAT HAVE MADE AN IMPACT ON YOUR TRAVEL, is a brief introduction to Taiwan, the places to visit in Taipei to get a feel for the history of the country; and the remarkable story of a man whose passion, struggle, and sacrifice led me to visit the Republic of China.
July 01, 2018
24 HOURS IN LISBON, PORTUGAL
WHAT & WHERE TO EAT, STAY, SEE, AND DO
Summer is nearly upon us in the Northern Hemisphere which, for the adventurous but time-pressed, means sun-soaked city breaks. No continent is better suited for a “little in-out” than Europe. But first; an anecdote that may go some way to explaining my “too much” gene. A few weeks ago mummy dearest travelled all the way from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to London...just for the Chelsea Flower Show. Upon realising that crossing 8 time zones over a 13 hour flight just to look at some plants seemed like much ado about nothing, she decided to make the most of being on my side of the world by visiting a country she’d never been to before - Portugal.
And so, we spent a week in Lisbon, Sintra, Fatima, and Porto; which I can assure you was far more fulfilling than perusing peonies or contemplating chrysanthemums (oh, and did I mention that I suffer from severe hayfever? Kill me). I digress. Whether or not you have EXTRA AF family & friends visiting or just fancy nipping over for a change of scenery, here is my guide on WHAT & WHERE TO EAT, STAY, SEE, AND DO WITH 24 HOURS IN LISBON, PORTUGAL.
June 05, 2018
Going Ape: Desperately Seeking a 'Man of the Forest' at SEPILOK ORANGUTAN REHABILITATION CENTRE IN SABAH, NORTH BORNEO
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How often does one get the opportunity to help a dear friend tick an experience off their bucket list in your home country, in a foreign (to them) language that you not only happen to be fluent in but one they’ve never heard you properly speak? Baby, this is my time to shine. I may have Dreamed of Africa but Luxy has always dreamt of Borneo since she was little: from her childhood dream of having an orangutan sanctuary in her back garden to having her own ape friend who’d follow her to school (I’m just cracking up at the visual of 12-year old her, dressed in a chantily lace frock, hosting a tea party in the English countryside for orangutans wearing frilly bonnets. More tea, vicar? Ooh ooh aah aah!). Wish no more, baby, because YipAdvisor is about to make it her monkey business to make your dream a reality. It’s time to go bananas in Borneo...
🍌🍌🍌
ALL PHOTOS OF ME BY LUX LIFE BLOG. EEE BB!
March 19, 2018
24 Hours in Jaipur, India: What & Where to See, Stay, Eat, and Do
Strictly speaking, I had 4 days in Jaipur - but one was written off for recovering from Bombay, two were chock full of festivities and shenanigans (you know how traditional Indian weddings are like, it’s like Bollywood but bigger and better), which left all of a day to see as many of the Pink City’s highlights as I could. Yet, despite a thousand setbacks thrown at me in the form of mind-boggling inefficiency (Bombay International Airport, I’m looking at you), culture shock (Me, to my taxi driver: “Shouldn’t you unfold your side mirrors before you drive?” Taxi driver: “Side mirror use by bad driver only. I good driver. No need use mirror” Me: *screams in British accent*), and sheer bad luck - you know by now how my travel companion couldn’t enter the country, leaving me to travel solo in India? That story is now immortalised in my “Travel BTS (Behind The Scenes) ” Highlights reel on my Instagram @poshbrokebored - I survived my trip to the capital city of Rajasthan and made it back, relatively unscathed, with this guide to 24 Hours in Jaipur.
February 26, 2018
Bollywood, but Bigger and Better:
An Epic Wedding Party at an 18th Century Fort in Jaipur, India
“Everything is bigger in Texas”? Darling, no. Everything is bigger in India...at least as far as weddings are concerned. My non-Indian friends, have you ever had the immense pleasure of being a guest at a traditional Indian wedding? Amazingly, despite enjoying a rather eclectic friendship circle across several international cities including my hometown, the mulitcultural Kuala Lumpur (incidentally, there are 2 million Malaysian Indians - that’s 7% of our population), at the ripe old age of 30 I had yet to partake in the festivities of an Indian wedding. So when the invitation came from one of my long-time friends - the first friend I ever made in London, actually! - to celebrate her nuptials in Jaipur the proper way ie. several hundred guests on at least a three-day bender of feasting, drinking, and dancing; the RSVP was a resounding YES. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity in more ways than one (I mean, most people would be so lucky to get married only once) and you can be sure I‘ll be there with bells on!
What follows are photos I don’t remember taking (even if I faintly recollect the scenes) of one of the most the most exciting evenings I’ve ever had: a night of colour, celebration, chaos all set in an 18th century fort in the hills of Jaipur, India. Oh, and there were elephants, too. I told you, everything is bigger in India!
February 18, 2018
Can I get an Angkor? So Nice, I Went There Twice: Angkor Wat in the Morning vs in the Evening (and why sunrise at Angkor Wat is Overrated)
With peak season in Cambodia (November to January) coming to a close and savvy travellers such as yourself (you clever thing, you) looking into visiting Siem Reap in the less crowded, less expensive off-peak season that is May to October, it seemed timely that my first Asia travel story of the year should be of arguably the most famous of Cambodian monuments - the instantly recognisable and incomparable Angkor Wat. You know by now, of course, my 2018 mission to see all the South East Asian countries I've yet to visit. With Vietnam, Singapore, my native Malaysia, Thailand, and now Cambodia under my belt, that leaves just six countries to go. I can't think of a better destination to kick off this year's travel stories with, so here are the first of my photo diaries from Siem Reap, Cambodia, and my observations on why sunset trumps sunrise at Angkor Wat.
January 17, 2018
Desperately Seeking Shinto - A Confused Atheist Finds Some Comfort in One of Japan's Most Famous Shrines
My trip to Japan couldn't have been more timely, even if it was brief. I was in dire need of a few 'mental health days', if only as a short break from the conflict that has inadvertently been made a part of my daily life for the unforeseeable future. Any solace to be found in spirituality and religion would be a bonus, albeit a bit of a reach as I oscillate between derisive atheism and fluctuating agnosticism. If I had to choose a faith that somewhat made sense to me, the closest candidate would be the Japanese ethnic religion - Shinto.
Shinto, or kami-no-michi (Way of The Gods) is the belief in divine entities, kami - the sacred, spiritual essence that manifests in multiple forms. The closest English definition for kami is "gods", but kami is more nuanced than that - kami refers particularly to the power of phenomena that inspires a sense of wonder and awe in the beholder, a mystery so fearful and fascinating as to make it divine. Kami reside in all things - both animate and inanimate - and certain natural places such as mountains, trees, rivers, etc. are considered to have an unusually sacred spirit about them and are objects of worship.
November 20, 2017
A city a day keeps the wanderlust at bay...
20 DAYS. 20 CITIES. 6 COUNTRIES.
AUSTRIA • SLOVENIA • BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA • CROATIA • MONTENEGRO • ITALY
PART 10, DAYS 13, 15, & 16: MODERN AND MEDIEVAL MAGIC IN DUBROVNIK, CROATIA
It had been a very sombre couple of days chasing the ghosts of war in Mostar and Sarajevo. So it was with some relief that I left Bosnia-Herzegovina and drove down toward the Adriatic Coast to Croatia. At that point in my whistle-stop tour of the Balkans I had already visited the Croatian cities of Zagreb, Plitvice, Trogir, and Split; and my final stop before moving on to Italy was Dubrovnik. Unlike my previous destinations on this 20 Days in 20 Cities and 6 Countries road trip, I enjoyed the luxury of having more time in Dubrovnik. With 4 days and 4 nights to indulge (excluding a day trip to Kotor, Montenegro) in the offerings of this ancient walled city, my time Dubrovnik was a welcome change of pace: languid yet vibrant, laid back yet luxurious - in other words, my fantasy of what life in Dalmatia should be.
October 20, 2017
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