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

Located in the state of Western Australia near to Perth, New Norcia is a monastery town of the Benedictine Order. St Gertrude's, New Norcia, Western Australia, Australia (2018) Central Administration Building, New Norcia, Western Australia, Australia (2018) History and Geography The town of New Norcia is 132km north-east of the Western Australian state capital of Perth and is part of the Avon Valley region. Established in the year 1847, New Norcia is named after the Italian town of Norcia, birthplace of St Benedict. The former boarding schools of St Ildephonsus and St Gertrude have been converted into accommodations in today's New Norcia. St Gertude's College was opened in 1908 while St Ildephonsus' College was established in 1913. Other significant buildings in the town include the Abbey Church, an old and a new Flour Mill, Bishop Torres Beehouse and the Monastery. Entrance to St Gertrude's, New Norcia, Western Australia, Australia (2

Located in a valley in central Switzerland, Interlaken its well-known as a resort town famous for its proximity to Jungfrau.  I remembered Interlaken not for its more touristy attractions but for the valley where the town is located. During my stay in Interlaken, I did not visit the touristy hotspots. Neither did I partake in the usual touristy activities such as taking the train to Harderkulm. Instead, I took long walks and hikes in and around the town.  My daily hikes led me to sights not published in most travel guides. I got to meet the locals, sat in the plains of the valley as I took in the wonderful views, walked amongst the local livestock, bird-watch, followed parts of the L ü tschine River on foot along its banks and ate wild berries in the forested areas surrounding the town. My visit to Interlaken was an appreciation of the town, its surrounding and nature. I loved every aspect of my visit and was glad I did what I did when I was there.  The Gasthaus Steinboc

The year-end holidays coupled with the festive period typically see many people taking that long deserved vacation break after a year of working hard. During these overseas travels, there are always the obligatory and must-see tourist spots or iconic places to visit for that instagramable photo to share with family and friends on social media. Besides famous places and spots, there are always that familiar icon. And none more than the world famous Hello Kitty character. Produced and copyrighted by Japanese company Sanrio, Kitty is instantly recognisable around the world. In Kitty's home base of Japan (as well as many cities around the world), there are lots of merchandise and products featuring this famous character.  While in the city of Himeji to visit the famous Himeji Castle, I chanced upon a Hello Kitty Cafe while walking from the train station to the castle. Being a Kitty fan myself, I made a mental note to stop by for a coffee and some desserts after my castle visit

Travel Planning....... When it comes to travel, it is always good to do some advance planning. I am not suggesting that we have to plan to the last minute details of each trip including the waking up time for each day of the trip and so on and so forth. What I suggest is some form of broad planning that helps to make the trip more hassle-free and enjoyable. These are the tips I myself follow for each trip that I took. For shorter trips, I may skip some of the steps. But in general, following these trips has always help me to ease easily into my travel and help take away some of the stress of going to a new place each time I travel. Air travel has made airports the typical gateway for most overseas trips. Departure Hall, Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong SAR, China (2017) Research - I typically read a bit about the country or city before each visit. With smartphones and connectivity to the internet readily available, it is always easy to find some time durin

Officially a suburb of the Western Australia state capital of Perth, Guildford is only about 15 minutes drive from the city centre. Besides driving, Guildford is also accessible by train and bus from Perth's city centre. This is a suburban area with nice quaint shops and historical buildings. The Guildford Railway Station is particularly interesting as it is a relatively sparse infrastructure with a small building serving as the hub of the station. It reminds me of those old railway stations seen in movies set in the 1950s and 1960s. Beside the railway station, other interesting historical building include the Guildford Hotel. The present structure is a restored building. Originally built in the 19th century in 1886, it was only reopened in 2016 following lengthy restoration works after a fire in 2008. The hotel is just a short walk from the railway station along the main street.  The heritage building that is the Guildford Hotel, Guildford, Perth, Western Australia,

Traveling to places of historical significance has always been a favourite travel itinerary for me. These trips allow me to visit in person the locations of places I read about in the history books. Amongst the many historical places I had visited, one of my favourite has to be Capernaum. History and Geography  Frequently cited in the Gospels, Capernaum is located on the shores to the north of the Sea of Galilee in Israel. Reportedly inhabited since the 2nd century BCE, the town was abandoned in the 11th century. Capernaum was originally a small fishing village, probably because of its close geographical proximity to the Sea of Galilee. The Sea of Galilee, also known as Lake Tiberius, is the largest freshwater lake in Israel. It has an area that is approximately 167 square kilometres (about 65 square miles). Climate The weather in Capernaum is typical of the weather throughout Israel. The coldest months are between December to March when the daily average temperature us

Packing Travel Essentials....... What are travel essentials? Well, this typically differs from person to person. It also differs depending on the type of trips one is embarking on.  The travel essentials which I usually pack for my trips are light-weight items that add conveniences during my stays abroad. Whether its for a beach vacation, a short country-side or nature park trek, sight-seeing tours, shopping trips or a self-drive holiday, the list provides me with the bare necessities to enhance my travel experiences. While most of the items in the list can be easily purchased during my travels, it is usually more convenient and economical to pack and bring them along then to buy them on arrival at a new city. For example, they may not be sold in singular or small quantities or you may not be able to find the right size even if you can find the same items in the shops. Here is my top packing list: 1. Plastic Cutleries -  I usually pack a set of plastic cut