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”

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”

Pimp My Bus
Beyond the Dot, Pimp My Bus, Thailand

Pimp My Bus

Very commonly seen in Bangkok are the pimped up coaches which often ferry workers to the factories outside Bangkok. These buses are usually artistically air brushed with Japanese manga characters, cartoon or comic characters from Disney, Marvel Comics and the movies. The owners also add in additional headlights, reflectors and speakers until it looks like a disco on wheels. Continue reading “Pimp My Bus”

The Great Flood of Thailand 2011
Beyond the Dot, Thailand, The Great Flood Thailand 2011

The Great Flood of Thailand 2011

Not every trip has to be leisure, and not every business trip has to be boring. In 2011, Thailand experienced its worse flooding in history. Starting from July, the flooding reached its highest level in September before receding. However, some flooding still persisted until January 2012. We were asked by several factories in Thailand to assess the damage to their equipment for the purpose of salvage and insurance claims, but we could only go in December 2011 when the flood waters had subsided to a safe level. Continue reading “The Great Flood of Thailand 2011”