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

In many trips to Bangkok, I have always enjoyed going to the malls. Not just because of the great shopping and food that can be found in the malls of the city, but also to enjoy the creativity that were on display everywhere I looked. These include the windows displays, the many artsy gifts and stationery items that were designed and made in Thailand, the advertisements and also the large display items that front the malls. In a recent trip to bustling Bangkok, I saw these outdoor huge display pieces at the MBK Center (a.k.a Ma Boon Khrong Center). They were downright creative, cute and a joy to behold. Outdoor display, MBK Center, Bangkok, Thailand (2017) Outdoor display, MBK Center, Bangkok, Thailand (2017) Outdoor display, MBK Center, Bangkok, Thailand (2017)

Beach combing at night is a favourite activity of mine whenever I was on vacation near beaches. And I did just that for every night I spent in Phuket when I was on vacation there in the summer of 2017. Listening to the waves pounding the shores, feeling the rush of seawater towards my feet, smelling the salty sea air and enjoying the pleasures of solitude as I walked bare feet along the shore, clad in nothing but my swim shorts, provided a calming sense of liberty, a feeling that can seldom be felt anywhere else. Patong Beach at dusk, Phuket, Thailand (2017) Along the shores at night, Ghost Crabs scurried away as I walked, some clambering over my feet in their hurry to avoid the approaching "giant". There were also the live barnacles, clung tightly to dead logs washed ashore, the occasional carcasses of fishes and other sea creatures strewn randomly across the sand by the waves and the dazzling array of stars up in the dark night sky above. Barnacles on a de...

The murals painted in the conserved buildings in Ipoh's Old Town always evoked a sense of nostalgia in me. Growing up in Singapore where the culture between Singapore and Malaysia were really similar, these murals depicting childhood games, fast disappearing or already disappeared lifestyles of the 70s and 80s and other facets of life during those years reminded me of my growing up years.  Mural depicting a local coffee shop scene which had long disappeared from the modern day life of Singapore and Singaporeans but scatters of which can still be found in Ipoh today, Old Town, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia (2017) And nope, I am not someone who is experiencing middle age crisis so much so that I am beginning to dwell on the past. :-) But nostalgia with good memories can be a good thing as it helped to bring us back to the past, allow us to understand the present and assist us to prepare for the future. I have previously posted 2 blog posts here on the murals in Old Town. But i...

A ryokan is a traditional Japanese guesthouse or inn. Ryokans have been in existence in Japan for hundreds of years and its history can be traced back as far as the 8th century. Traditionally family-owned and run, ryokans in Japan offer a unique experience to the traveler unlike a standard hotel. Most ryokans found in Japan include at least a hot bath or onsen . There are etiquettes to follow when using these baths which are communal and meant to be shared by all guests at the ryokan . Most of the etiquettes associated with the use of an onsen are linked to politeness and hygiene. I will be sharing my personal onsen experiences in other articles in this blog, so check back soon to my blog to read these upcoming posts. A typical room layout of a Japanese ryokan , Ito, Izu Peninsula, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan (2017) The area under the painting is not to put luggage or to be sat on, Ito, Izu Peninsula, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan (2017) Besides the onsen experie...

Packing light for a short budget trip with a Low Cost Carrier....... Low Cost Carriers or LCC (a.k.a. Budget Airlines) offer a cost effective way to travel. While my personal preference is always to travel with a full-service airline due to a myriad of reasons, there were times when flying with a LCC became a necessity due to the travel location. This can be because only LCCs provide flights to the destination due to its low travelers' turnover or that the price differential for a ticket to fly to that location between a full-service airline and a LCC was just too great, such that opting to fly budget was the only sensible choice. However, flying budget has its cons. The key ones being the really no-frills part. If one is to start adding the small frills such as check-in baggage, more hand-carry luggages, seat choices and some simple onboard food and drinks, then the cost for the so-called budget air ticket begins to escalate quickly. At times, the final price one has to pay...

The A82 is a major road that runs between the cities of Glasgow and Inverness in Scotland, UK. Famous landmarks that are located within close proximity to the A82 include Loch Lomond, Glencoe (a.k.a. Glen Coe) and Loch Ness.  Considered one of the most beautiful places in Scotland, Glencoe is surrounded by mountains in the east from the A82. The village of Glencoe is located at the foot of the valley. In Scotland, Glen usually refers to a long and deep valley with a watercourse running through it. Glencore is named after the River Coe which runs through it. Passing by Glencoe on the A82 while travelling to Loch Ness from Glasgow, I listened attentively as my friendly Scottish guide shared the history of this part of the Highlands of Scotland, including the dark episode known as the  Massacre of Glencoe . View of some of the peaks in this part of the Scottish Highlands along the A82, Glencoe, Scotland, UK (2011) We stopped along the highway to stretch our legs ...

EL AL is the flag carrier of Israel. The airline began its inaugural flight from Geneva to Tel Aviv in 1948 and today flies to more than  50 destinations worldwide. Its main hub is at Ben Gurion Airport  (IATA: TLV, ICAO: LLBG) in Tel Aviv. The airline operates an all Boeing fleet including the 737-800, 747-400, 767-300ER and 777-200ER. Newer planes such as the 787-9 Dreamliner model have started to enter service with the airline since the second half of calendar year 2017.  I have personally not flown with EL AL before although I frequently saw EL AL planes at the Z ü rich Airport (IATA: ZRH, ICAO: LSZH), Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport (IATA: BKK, ICAO: VTBS) and Hong Kong's Chek Lap Kok Airport (a.k.a. Hong Kong International Airport) during my business and leisure travels. Here are a few photographs of an EL AL Boeing 777-200ER plane I spotted at the Hong Kong International Airport (IATA: HKG, ICAO: VHHH) taken in Dec 2015 while I was on transit returning ...