TANKS Travel Tales - a travelogue.......

And so I just returned home yesterday from a trip to Siem Reap. This trip was my first flight in 30 months and second overseas trip in just as many months. The 30-month travel hiatus was because of international border restrictions that began in March 2020 because of the COVID pandemic. During the trip, I visited Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom. This being my second visit to Siem Reap, I limited my archeological sites' visits to just these 2 places, spending more time to study and appreciate the splendour of both sites. In-between, I also had time during the trip to walk around the city of Siem Reap to explore the many back lanes during which I discovered many beautiful and quaint cafes where delicious food and aromatic coffees were served by friendly staff. Indulging in my serendipitous walking tours without maps and fixed plans allowed me to enjoy whatever that came by way. Photo collage of my trip, Siem Reap, Cambodia (2022) Photo collage of one of my cafe stops, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Israel, Capernaum, Historical Synagogue This article was originally published in this blog in November 2018. I love visiting historical places during my travels. For many of these places, what usually remain today are a fraction of the original buildings, structures and artefacts during their heydays. However  the remnants of these once-awesome sites remain hugely attractive to the inquisitive minds of visitors. They tell stories of bygone eras which collectively form the history of all of us. For me, each visit to a historical site is itself a study of history, culture and geography; not in the scholarly sense but one embedded in curiosity and personal interests. My visit to Capernaum and its historical synagogue is one such trip. Author's note (18 June 2022): It had come to my attention that I had previously re-posted this article for my Bucket List series. Nevertheless, I still believe this is a trip that is worth a second re-publish in the same series. 😀 ****************** Tra

Korea, Busan, Train Journey from Seoul Inspired by the first full-length Korean movie I ever watched; Train to Busan, I was excited to take the real train journey from the South Korean capital city of Seoul to Busan. While my short train ride of just under 3 hours was rather mundane compared to the adventures of the characters in the title movie, this was nevertheless still an exciting experience for me because that was the first time I ever took a train in South Korea. The trip was in November 2019. ****************** The Korean movie, Train to Busan , largely served as the inspiration for my decision to fly to Seoul instead of Busan even though the main destination of my vacation trip was Busan. I chose to experience a train journey from Seoul to Busan and to enjoy the scenery of South Korea as part of my rail trip because the rail line passes through other major South Korean cities such as Suwon, Daejon, Daegu and Ulsan. High Speed Train at the Station, Busan Station (KTX), Dong-gu,

Estonia, Tallinn, Praying at the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral This article was originally published in this blog in June 2018. Visiting the Baltic region for the first time in 2017, I was both amazed and impressed by what I experienced. As I travelled around the region, the ticks in my personal Travel Bucket List keep growing. This is a region deep in history and culture. It will take many trips over the coming years to fully appreciate what the region has to offer to travellers like myself. I will surely return for subsequent visits. ****************** Tallinn is both the capital city as well as cultural heart of Estonia. Located on the shores of the Baltic Sea, the city of Tallinn is both a reflection of new and old. The recent economic growth of Estonia has transformed the country greatly. Evident of this is everywhere including in Tallinn itself, mostly represented by gleaming, neat and artfully designed office towers. Yet, with its UNESCO World Heritage Site-inscribed Old Town, the

Japan, Shiga Prefecture, Otsu, Home of Historical Sites, Temples and Shrines This article was originally published in this blog in January 2020. It captured the memories of my first visit to Otsu, capital of Japan's Shiga Prefecture. My visit to Otsu was unplanned. I had arrived from Takashima, another area of Shiga Prefecture and was enroute to my hotel stay in Moriyama. What was supposed to be a transit stop in my trip became a memorable visit that made it into my travel Bucket List. I will always fondly remember my walking tour of the city, dining on the tasty Omi Beef which was absolutely oishii (delicious in Japanese), visiting the many temples and shrines I came across during my city walk and the beautiful views of Lake Biwa as seen from Otsu. ****************** It was my first time visiting Shiga Prefecture. I had arrived at Otsu from Takashima. It was spring and cherry blossoms (a.k.a.  sakura ) season and I was in Takashima specifically for the purpose of viewing cherry bl

Many of my most memorable travel experiences were not borne out of planned itineraries or recommendations from travel guides. Instead, these experiences were from unplanned side trips. An example of this was when inclement weather forced me to cancel a planned trip to Rottnest Island.  After speaking to some locals at Sorento Quay, I decided to drive slightly more than 120km from Perth to New Norcia. On arrival, I was enchanted by the old monastery town. Prior to arriving at New Norcia, I had no idea this place even existed. But there I was, at New Norcia, totally unplanned but yet enjoying the experience no less. Souvenirs  that I bought at the gift shop stayed with me, several years after that visit. These included a rosary which I had placed at the dashboard of my car and some beautiful postcards which I still kept. Mementos from a memorable side trip. And of course, there were lots of digital memories from the photographs of this enchanting and serene monastery town, taken with my

Malaysia, Perak, Gopeng, Exploring Peninsula Malaysia's Longest Cave System This article was originally published in this blog in January 2017. I have always been fascinated with caves and this was actually my first visit to a natural cave system. While I would not say my first visit to Gua Tenpurung was an adventure of a lifetime, it was nevertheless a good introduction to caves for me as a novice and definitely worthy of a tick off my Travel Bucket List. ****************** Located in Gopeng in the Malaysian state of Perak, Gua Tempurung is one of the longest cave system in Peninsula Malaysia (a.k.a. West Malaysia). New to caves and caving? Gua Tempurung is a cave where beginners could breeze through with zero prior caving experience. A natural opening allows some sunlight into the cave near its entrance, Gua Tempurung, Gopeng, Perak, Malaysia (2016) History and Geography Estimated at around 10,000 years old, Gua Tempurung is a cave system that runs under the limestone hills of Gu

As the world slowly realises that we simply cannot lock ourselves from each other forever and cautiously begins to open up, I look forward to be able to partake in leisure travel again. Hopefully, I can soon be back to my favourite beach resorts to enjoy a slow night of beach combing and simply enjoying the beauty of nature! I do not catch any wildlife, I only took photographs without coming into physical contacts with those animals I encountered. Wildlife deserves to be where they belong, in the wild. 😊 Take Nothing but Photographs, Leave Nothing but Footprints. Crab, Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia (2018)

Singapore, Marina Bay, Marina Bay Sands, ArtScience Museum What counts as a bucket list item? For me, a bucket list item don't have to be something extraordinary. It can be something simple, something close to my heart. I do not have to climb the highest peak in the world or travel to the ends of the world to qualify a bucket list item; although those epic adventures would certainly have counted as not just bucket list items but special bucket list items! Bucket list items can be achieved closer to home, in one's own backyard or anywhere as long as it fulfils a special place in one's heart. ****************** Being a huge fan of the Star Wars franchise, I was naturally very excited when the "Star Wars Identities"  exhibition was staged in Singapore in the first half of this year. Needless to say, I made time to visit. Although I wish that there were more range and depth in the exhibits, I am still grateful that I was able to visit in person. Walking through the ex