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

I seldom specifically set out to take photographs of wildlife nowadays. This is primarily due to the lack of a telephoto lens in my photographic equipment inventory. However, there are occasions when wildlife simply dropped by at my doorsteps or I just happened to chance upon that photo opportunity to take that wildlife picture; with or without that telephoto lens. While vacationing in Bali in May 2016, I came upon such an opportunity when I was walking to photograph a cliff at Nusa Dua and was thus aptly equipped with my Canon EOS 70D DSLR complete with a 28mm-135mm lens.  I first saw the squirrel scurrying across the path in front of me before climbing onto the sculpture on my right. Then as the squirrel made its way to the mid-way point of the sculpture, I noticed that there was a Yellow-vented Bulbul which sat not far from the bushy little rodent. Both creatures, while aware of each other's presence, made no attempts to flee from each other. They had apparently assessed th...

Are short trips worth all the hassle? I am usually one who do not fancy the idea of short trips involving durations of 2 days/1 night or 3 days/2 nights unless these are overland trips to another city located within 100km of my home. However, at the urging of a friend and on the need to run a short errand, I just returned from a 3 days/2 nights trip to Bangkok this week. Bangkok is a 2-hour journey by flight from my home base of Singapore. Arriving at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport (a.k.a Bangkok International Airport, IATA: BKK, ICAO: VTBS) around 2.15pm local time, it took less than an hour for me to clear the necessary Immigration and Customs procedures before I'm on the subway from the Airport to the city.  Despite the short duration of this trip, I was not only able to complete my errand but also managed to take time out to shuttle around the city, enjoy the local food and even had time to sit myself in cafes to observe the mannerisms and dispositions of the...

Taipei is full of pleasant surprises. One of these has to be the Weekend Flower Market known locally as the Jianguo Holiday Flower Market (directly translated from mandarin).  Orchids, Jianguo Holiday Flower Market, Taipei, Taiwan (2016) Opening Hours This market is only open on Saturdays and Sundays and is located beneath the Jian Guo flyover at Xinyi Road. Also located at opposite ends of the Flower Market are the Weekend Jade Market and Weekend Artists Market. Operating hours for the Flower Market are usually between 9am to 5pm although the closing hours can sometimes extend by about an hour due to the stall owners having to pack up their stuffs after a busy business day. Apart from its opening hours over the weekends, this area usually serves as parking lots as evident by the parking gantries and the road markings on the ground. Jianguo Holiday Flower Market, Taipei, Taiwan (2016) Local family shopping for flowers and plants, Jianguo Holiday Flowe...

Every now and then, each of us will visit a place where we feel a certain connection. Never mind that we have never visited the place before but that sense of attachment seems to magically link ourselves to the place despite the first visit. In only my second visit to Taiwan, I decided to visit the small town of Jiufen. The town is located deep within the mountains in the north of the island where the industry of gold mining has long since seen its heydays and what remained today is a town thriving on tourism. My favourite anime film of all time, Spirited Away (by Studio Ghibli) is said to be loosely based on the old teahouse, alleyways and old lanes of Jiufen. From photos by other travelers prior to my visit, I certainly do concur that some of the scenes from the anime film bore uncanny resemblances to places in Jiufen. At night when the famous red lanterns lining the alleyways of Jiufen are all lit up, that fairy tale feel where magic and myth gravitate toward each ...

Singapore's Changi International Airport has consistently been ranked as being among one of the best airports in the world. And this amazing airport never fails to pleasantly surprise all who arrive, depart or transit through it. On my return to Singapore from a recent vacation to Taipei, I chanced upon this beautiful Peacock at Changi Airport's Terminal 3 Arrival Hall. It was located just before the escalators to the Immigration Clearance Counters. This beautiful peacock display was made up mostly of flowers, primarily orchids. This is another reason to ensure that I have my camera or smartphone ready whenever I am at this airport so that I will not miss those rare photo moments. Floral Peacock, Terminal 3 Arrival, Changi International Airport, Singapore (2016)

Optimising the costs of travelling....... Travelling can be an expensive experience. For most of us, the main bulk of the cost of travelling is usually transport, accommodation and dining. Transport expense includes air tickets, train tickets and also money needed for those trips around a city. Out of these transport expenses, air tickets are more often than not the main big ticket item in our travel transport expense. I usually save on air tickets by subscribing to email newsletters from the major airlines I travel with. This way, I keep myself updated on any promotions these airlines may run from time to time. Keeping my eyes peeled for promotions and purchasing air tickets at the discounted rates have help me save much cash for my trips. And in this age and day, there are a whole lot of promotions with air ticket prices going at prices for as low as half of their standard prices. The best part is, these promotions usually include all classes of air tickers; from Economy and Pre...

The perks of traveling include not just the opportunity to visit new lands, experience something new, taste cuisines from a different culture and make new friends. Traveling also provide opportunities for us to observe and interact with other travellers; including both foreign tourists in the land or place of visit as well as the local travellers. And what better way to do that then to capture that photo moment of our fellow travellers capturing that photo moment of their own! The following photograph was taken at the famous Kinkaku-ji Temple (a.k.a. Temple of the Golden Pavilion) in Kyoto. Photo moment of that photo moment, Kyoto, Japan (2010)