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

Another month, another weekend trip.....  Just last week, I returned from another weekend trip to Hong Kong . This was my 4th weekend trip to Hong Kong this year and my 5th trip to this southern Chinese city in 2025. The last weekend of November will see me making another weekend trip to Hong Kong again.  Why so many weekend trips? Did I recently strike the lottery? Of course not! I travelled to Hong Kong so frequently recently to visit my partner who is a Hong Kong resident. During each trip, we spent time together. Being a local resident, my partner brought me to places in the city that I had known but never visited. And of course, this place being a foodie's paradise , I have started trying out lots of local food that I had never tried before despite numerous trips over the past years. This colourful building with clear blue sky in the background presents itself as a unique photographic subject, Sha Tin , Hong Kong, China (2025) Visiting and discovering new places and food ...

I booked this cruise way ahead of the scheduled sailing and thus got quote a good deal because of the early booking. After almost two years of waiting, I finally boarded the ship on Monday morning of 24th February 2025. This will be an 8-night cruise on a return trip sailing from Singapore to Indonesia's Bali and Lombok before retuning to port in Singapore on 3rd March 2025. Previously, I had sailed four times onboard Spectrum of the Seas . This was my first sailing onboard Anthem of the Seas . Different ship, different vibes. Anthem of the Seas anchored on the sea during the port visit to Clean Bawang, Bali, Indonesia (2025) The ship left port and departed Singapore's Marina Cruise Centre in the late afternoon, around 4.30pm. Sailing southwards past Indonesia's Riau Island and across the Java Sea to the island of Bali. I am a frequent visitor to Bali for vacations. But this was my first time sailing to Bali instead of traveling there by flight! After two sunny sea da...

Autumn season is here.....  Just to clarify, I live in a tropical city . Thus, there is no such thing as autumn. But I do travel. And when I travel, I love the mild cool weather of autumn. Personally, I dislike summer, anywhere in the world. The heat and humidity that characterise summer is something I do not enjoy. Maybe this is because I experience "summer" all year round where I live! Besides the uncomfortable heat and humidity of summer, the peak travel season that is summer also drives up prices of everything, from air tickets to accommodation. Even if prices do not factor into the budget of the well-off travelers, there is the issue of being able to book train seats and getting that restaurant reservation. But autumn is a different season altogether. The peak summer crowd is usually absent. The weather is mild and cool. The natural scenery usually spectacular in temperate countries as the leaves on the trees started to turn yellow, orange and bright crimson in colours...

I am always fascinated by fishing boats and often wondered about how life is for those who work on fishing boats.  While in Benoa , I chanced upon a fishing port . Rows and rows of fishing boats were in port, some with friendly fishermen onboard who waved and shouted warm greetings as I walked along the pier . Returning the kind gestures, I waved back and said "hello" in return. Of course, these fishing boats are rather photogenic. Here's one of the many photographs I took of the fishing boats I saw that day. 🐟 Fishing Boats, Benoa Fishing Port , Bali , Indonesia (2025)

Last calendar quarter of 2025 beckons.....  As the last calendar quarter of 2025 beckons, many of us will be looking forward to our long planned year-end overseas vacations or at least planning or thinking of embarking on an overseas trip. In the month of September, my work schedule as expected, has dropped significantly for me to actually start dreaming of a longer vacation. Of course, I will always be required to do some work while away. But at least it will not be on every single day or require the need to check and reply my office emails every 30 minutes or so and in the process, irk my partner no end.  I had actually just returned from a weekend trip to Hong Kong on the second weekend of September and this coming weekend, the last weekend of September, I will be travelling to Kuala Lumpur to attend the Malaysia International Pen Show. Short trips, but nevertheless still good short breaks from my usual routine of work and continuous work. And in the coming months, I am pla...

Basket boats are rather unique. Typically made from bamboo strips , these lightweight vessels are also known as Thuyen Thung or Thung Chai in Vietnamese . Basket Boats, Da Nang , Vietnam (2025) While I have often seen photographs of these unique fishing vessels from Travel Guide Books or Travel Magazines, my very first time encountering these in-person was when I was in Da Nang (Đà Nẵng) in April 2025. Right before my eyes, the Basket Boats! With my DSLR in-hand, I could not resist snapping away, photograph after photograph. 📷 And, nope, I did not get the chance to ride in one of these! Basket Boats close-ups, Da Nang, Vietnam (2025) Basket Boats close-ups, Da Nang, Vietnam (2025) Fishermen and their Basket Boat, Da Nang, Vietnam (2025)

Malaysia, Perak , Taiping This article was first published on this blog in January 2025. A travel bucket list or any bucket list should not be just about the relatively unattainable that only a select few get to experience. For me, my bucket list items are made up of experiences that I personally cherish and want to try out. And food is one of these. No, not Michelin-starred restaurants  because while these would be great to experience but there are certainly out of my price range.  Street food is what I am after. Why do I love street food? They are affordable, reflects the local culture and are more often than not, extremely delicious! And so, when I was in Taiping on an overnight trip as part of my train journey from Thailand to Singapore , through Malaysia, I finally got to taste the delicious hawker food of this small town! ****************** For me, food is always a highlight of any trips. Local food, especially street food or hawker food is always a delight....