Places of Interest
Grand prayer halls, minarets, balustrades and elaborate domes are common in mosques all over the world. What makes one mosque different from another is the story of their beginnings and the uniqueness of their architecture. With golden onion domes, slim minarets and a white outer structure with orange pipping, The Sultan Mosque in Singapore has a long history that...
Apart from its rich marine life and nature reserves, Indonesia is known for its variety in textiles and traditional batiks. Home to all sorts of fabrics in its capital Jakarta is Pasar Baru. Founded by the Dutch and initially named ‘Passer Baroe’ when Jakarta was referred to as Batavia, this souk like trading ground is situated in the heart of the city. In between a...
The most talked about dish on the Island of the Gods revolves around that of a suckling pig. Referred to as ‘Babi Guling‘ by locals, a whole pig is marinated in ground chilli, turmeric and oil and stuffed with more chilli, onions, ginger, galangal, candle nuts, coriander, lemon grass, pepper, dried shrimp paste, coconut, bay leaves and traditional spices...
Made from andesite, here stands a Balinese temple guardian or better known as Dvarapala in Sanskrit. These stone guardians are usually found in front of temple entrances and holy sites as a protector from evil. Dvarapala’s in Indonesia normally depict very fierce looking creatures with a rather bulky physique. Some guardians are often found holding a club in a...
Feature Article on Singapore
As a Travel Mentor on Robert Felton’s Adventure Travel Mentor website, read Travel and Beyond’s feature article on the Top 4 Things to See and Do in Singapore published in August 2011.
Known for its beautiful sunsets with kite flyers or surfers in the background, here are the some shots of what it is like at Kuta Beach just before nightfall. As many of you may already know, Kuta covers covers sub-districts of Kuta Village, Legian, Seminyak, Kedonganan, and Tuban. Most of the hotels along Kuta are situated in Tuban where most sunset aficionados find...
A bird’s eye view of Sydney city with the Queen Victoria Building at the center captured from 820 feet above the city streets. With its stunning architecture and domed roof, the Queen Victoria Building was build in 1898 as a monument for the reigning monarch. Now, its home to jewellers, cafes, antique stores and international boutiques. The QVB is located at...
Spiritual calmness and a sense of serenity among the hustle and bustle of Singapore’s city life is what the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple is all about. Located as the nucleus of Chinatown, the temple houses many relics, one of which is a tooth that belonged to Buddha that was originally housed in a golden stupa at the Bandula Monastery in Myanmar back in 1980. The...
Dance and drama are an inseparable part of Balinese temple devotion and celebrations. Learning the art of dance from their mothers, Balinese dancers emphasize a dance’s delicate intricacies with hand gestures while incorporating eye and facial expressions. The main and essential ornaments usually used are the elaborate headpiece and armlets.
The Gidda is a very vigorous folk dance. The quick dance movements performed at the twink of an eye leaves the spell bound spectator asking for more. The colorfully embroidered dupattas (shawl) and heavy jewelery add to the grandeur of the spectacle that unfolds in front of your eyes. The dance steps translate into gestures and verses (bolis) of poetry that satirize...