Turkey Tour (Istanbul, Ankara, Bursa, Cappadocia, Pumakkale, Kusadasi) 2009
Beyond the Dot, Turkey

Turkey Tour (Istanbul, Ankara, Bursa, Cappadocia, Pumakkale, Kusadasi) 2009

Lying at the crossroads of Asia and Europe, Turkey is  a curious mix of East and West, Islam and Christianity. We decided to visit Turkey in 2009 after hearing a lot about it, and after some consideration, decided to join a tour from Chan Brothers (www.chanbrothers.com). This was actually our first time touring with them and our experience with them was quite good, such that if we needed to join any tours next time, we would look at their itineraries first.  Continue reading “Turkey Tour (Istanbul, Ankara, Bursa, Cappadocia, Pumakkale, Kusadasi) 2009”

Egypt Tour (Luxor, Cairo, Aswan, Edfu, Alexandria) 2011
Beyond the Dot, Egypt

Egypt Tour (Luxor, Cairo, Aswan, Edfu, Alexandria) 2011

Egypt, the mysterious land of the Pharoahs. Egypt has been portrayed in all stories since the beginning of civilization from the Bible to movies and novels. Recently, the country is also undergoing a tremendous transformation as old political systems in the Middle East collapse amid the rising Arab Spring. We booked a tour with Chan Brothers (www.chanbrothers.com) in 2011 to visit Egypt for 10 days. This was before all the political troubles started and little did we know that shortly after the tour ended, the country would descend into chaos. Continue reading “Egypt Tour (Luxor, Cairo, Aswan, Edfu, Alexandria) 2011”

Siem Reap and Phnom Penh 2009
Beyond the Dot, Cambodia, Siem Reap and Phnom Penh 2009

Siem Reap and Phnom Penh 2009

I guess there is a little of Indiana Jones in all of us. The allure of exploring ancient ruins and discovering lost treasure always makes for a great adventure story. Luckily, it’s not necessary to go on an adventure to explore ancient ruins nowadays. With cheap airfares and hotels it’s possible to travel to Cambodia to marvel at the ancient temple of Angkor Wat easily without the help of Indiana Jones. Continue reading “Siem Reap and Phnom Penh 2009”

Hanoi, Ha Long Bay and Perfume Pagoda 2011
Beyond the Dot, Hanoi, Ha Long Bay and Perfume Pagoda 2011, Vietnam

Hanoi, Ha Long Bay and Perfume Pagoda 2011

It is not often that we can go on a family vacation. Trying to fit everyone’s conflicting schedules and preferences together and agreeing on a place to visit can be a major headache. My extended family finally went on a holiday to Hanoi in 2011 during the December school holidays. Due to everyone’s tight schedules, we managed to squeeze in 5 days of vacation time between Christmas and New Year. But this meant that we could only go somewhere nearby and doesn’t take up too much time. Since we all had not been to Hanoi, this was an ideal place to visit given our short time requirements.
Continue reading “Hanoi, Ha Long Bay and Perfume Pagoda 2011”

Golfing in Japan – First Impressions
Beyond the Dot, Golfing in Japan - First Impressions, Japan

Golfing in Japan – First Impressions

I guess if playing golf in Japan is a dream for Singaporean golfers  (because it is expensive) then getting the chance to go on a fully paid golf trip in Japan is an epic fantasy.  This happened by chance in 2007 when our principal in Japan wanted to host a strategy meeting with all their agents. After the meeting there was to be a friendly golf competition and all attendees were invited to play. Since this was our first time dealing with a Japanese company and we didn’t want to offend them, we decided to accept the invitation although none of us were really good at golf. In fact, I was the only one who had ever played golf amongst my colleagues. Continue reading “Golfing in Japan – First Impressions”

Chengdu and Leshan 2013
Chengdu and Leshan 2013, China

Chengdu and Leshan 2013

This was a long business trip in November of 2013 and I had a weekend in Chengdu in which to kill time. This was also my first time going to Sichuan province. So it was that I took a domestic flight from Shenzhen to Chengdu on a Friday evening. As usual for most Chinese domestic flights, it was delayed, and I only arrived in Chengdu at almost midnight. The hotel reception told me that they thought I wasn’t going to show up and almost gave up my room to another guest. Luckily they didn’t and I still got my room otherwise they had to kick me out on the streets since the hotel was running full.  Continue reading “Chengdu and Leshan 2013”

Watch the Birdie
On the Dot, Watch the Birdie

Watch the Birdie

We often think of Singapore as just a concrete jungle with shopping malls and housing estates. However, we also have flora and fauna, if you know where to look. There are nearly 150 species of resident birds in Singapore, and hosts many more species of migratory birds. Singapore is one of 22 countries including Russia, China and Australia that lie along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, an annual migration path for 50 million birds from more than 200 species that spans 10,000km. Continue reading “Watch the Birdie”

Ayutthaya 2012
Ayutthaya 2012, Beyond the Dot, Thailand

Ayutthaya 2012

About 90km north of Bangkok is the city of Ayutthaya. Very often this city is left out of most Singaporeans’ itineraries since all their time is spent shopping and eating in Bangkok. It’s a pity as Ayutthaya has much to offer in terms of history and rustic charm. Easily covered in a day trip from Bangkok, there are several travel options to get there; by road or by train. Continue reading “Ayutthaya 2012”