Places of Interest
Through my slightly parted hotel room curtains, I saw the gabled roofs of the Kumamoto Castle at the crack of dawn. The early morning sun reflected off its walls gently bathing it with warm golden hues. It stood there in majestic glory, proud of an ancient past. And as I gazed at the castle, time stood still. It appeared to me that the castle was beckoning to me to...
The multi award winning Regent Singapore is located on Cuscaden Road – central to the business district, the tranquil Botanical Gardens and a minutes’ walk away from Orchard Road, the city’s most exclusive shopping and entertainment hub. After a comprehensive facelift, Regent Singapore is unveiling its 440 newly refurbished guestrooms. Here is an account of my...
Cooing pigeons flew over my head. The sound of temple bells inviting the Gods to accept the prayers of the devoted reverberated around me. The temple guardians (dvarapala) stand vigil protecting the sacred precincts from malevolent forces. Resident macaques scale the limestone walls and the colossal 140 feet tall golden statue of Murugan, the primary Hindu deity...
This trip back home to Malaysia has been about food and only food. I have been on a mission to eat as many dishes as I can and document it. Malaysia, my home country is a melting pot of different cultures and ethnic backgrounds making it an amazing destination to satisfy a curious palate. Cuisines vary from Chinese to Indian, Malay to Nyonya, Eurasian to East...
Representing Travel and Beyond, Todd Beltz writes about his experience staying at Big Hotel, Singapore. Anytime someone thinks or mentions the word “big” the first thoughts that come to mind is well, something that is big in size. My first stay in the year old property, BIG Hotel, may not exactly be big in size, but it sure is big in comfort and experience. First...
Next up was Kumamoto, home to a historic castle and the majestic Mt. Aso beyond peaceful emerald plains and sparkling clear waters of its springs and lakes. My return to Japan through Oita had already vetted my appetite to see more of its glorious beauty and so, I began my journey to Kumamoto with eager excitement. The symphonious sounds of Beppu Bay just behind our...
Every July, the Australian Mushroom Growers run a foodservice campaign called Mushroom Mania encouraging the community to eat out during this month and enjoy healthy meals. We had blogged about it in the beginning of the month discussing our tasty mushroom find and the benefits of mushrooms too. Last night we explored the flavours of mushrooms cooked the Indian way...
It was 8.40 am when I set foot in Fukuoka, one of five prefectures in Northern Kyushu and I was excited to have returned to Japan after 25 years. I embarked on this journey aboard Jetstar Asia from Australia via Gold Coast and Narita. This was a 3 day trip around the island of Kyushu and my journey which commenced from the Fukuoka Airport began with a scenic bus ride...
On my solo journey to the land of the rising sun, I had made my way from Canberra to Sydney by bus to catch an early morning flight out to Narita, Japan via Gold Coast on Jetstar. With a 5am check-in and an airport that doesn’t stay open 24 hours; I just had to put up in a hotel. I have travelled alone many times but it had always been for shorter distances...
It’s been a couple of hours into the flight and it’s been great so far inside Jetstar’s Business Class. The hostesses were polite and generous. The menu was gratifying and my co-passenger was a delightful elderly lady from Melbourne whose company was proving to be highly engaging. And so under the sunny skies of wintery Melbourne, the flight readied to take me off to...