100 Travel Stories

The Queen of the Pacific: Hikawa Maru

I have just read your post, with great pleasure and interest! In 1953, my family and I boarded the Hikawa Maru in Seattle for the voyage to Yokohama as one of a group of other families, each of which had a Fulbright Scholar in attendance. In our case, it was my dad. My mother chronicled the experience, day by day in her diary, and again in letters sent to my grandparents in the states. My father did the same via camera.

In 2014 I returned to Japan and visited the ship in what was an emotional but fantastic experience. To my delight, my father’s Kodachrome slides of the ship’s interior could have been taken in 2014, so little had changed.

Thank you for your excellent post detailing the ship and its history. I’ve enjoyed it immensely.”

Ann Kennedy – “Haddock and Dill” – Images, recipes, observations and keepsakes from a life well-lived.

Adventures in West Africa! First encounter with Gambia: Christmas in Banjul, Serekunda Market tricks, the Zoo. The story and the photos.
Adventures in West Africa: Banjul, the Gambia
On the small Thai island of Koh Mak you may be just yourself on the beaches wandering for hours. But there is a strong reminder that we live on planet Earth: our human pollution, reaching even the most remote parts of our world.
Message in a Bottle
A photographic journey through the white sandy beaches and turquoise blue waters of Koh Lipe island.
The Island Paradise of Koh Lipe

Fun Places to Go in Singapore

Excitement and Entertainment in Lion City

Check out 7 places to have fun in Singapore: Sentosa Island, Clarke Quay, the Raffles Hotel, Orchard Road, Club Street, Singapore Flyer and Geylang Red Light District.

Posted: June 12, 2022 by Ovi

10 Weird Laws in Singapore You Should Know Before You Go

“The Fine City”

The nickname for Singapore, “The Fine City”, has double meaning. In order to maintain the “public order” and to protect the “fine state” of Singapore, the Government has imposed a multitude of strict laws and hefty fines.

Don’t risk being fined or worst, caned and jailed in Singapore. Besides the usual “No Smoking” or “No Littering” signs, and besides the unusual “No Jumping”, “No Riding”, “No Running”, “No Heel Shoes” and “No Umbrellas” signs – there are also weird laws in Singapore that you should be aware of.

Posted: June 5, 2022 by Ovi

Cultures of Singapore

The Arab Quarter, Chinatown and Little India

Singapore is a diverse melting pot of cultures and races, with four official languages: English, Malay, Tamil and Mandarin.

Find Singapore’s traditional roots and enjoy the exotic sights and sounds of this amazing place.

The Arab Quarter

Also known as Kampong Glam, the Arab Quarter is one of the most atmospheric places of old Singapore. The main attraction is the Sultan Mosque, with its golden dome. Interesting, the mosque was designed by an Irish architect and the dome base is a ring of black bottles!

Posted: May 29, 2022 by Ovi

Singapore’s Spectacular Architecture

Marina Bay

Amazing architecture in Singapore! The place to be is Marina Bay. I spent a full day in the area, shooting like crazy under extreme heat. The heat worked towards my advantage. Besides losing some weight, most of the shooting areas were deserted of people, who took cover from sun inside the enormous shopping mall.

Posted: May 23, 2022 by Ovi

A Touch of the Past: Geylang Singapore

Geylang is part two from the “Let’s Go to Singapore!” series, after a short introduction to the Lion City.

The Red Light District

From Changi airport I took the MRT train to the “Aljunied” station where I was welcomed by 14 CCTV cameras!

My two stars “Fragrance Hotel Ruby” is located in the middle of the Geylang red light district. After checking-in, I went out to explore the neighbourhood.

Posted: May 17, 2022 by Ovi

Let’s Go to Singapore!

Landing page to a series of posts exploring the island city-state of Singapore.

It was a quick decision to travel to one of Asia’s top destinations. Booked the flight in Bangkok through AirAsia.com and the “Fragrance Hotel Ruby” in the middle of the Singapore red light district, Geylang.

Quick planning of the trip using the Frommer’s online guide, letting the details out for the fate (or whim) to decide.

For the five days trip I renounced to the checked baggage (that would cost extra) and I took only my backpack as a carry-on luggage.

And, of course I left my chewing gum at home. Singapore banned the chewing gum since 1992!

Posted: May 10, 2022 by Ovi

1 2 3 … 24 »