Stories behind the stories. By Travel Writer, Amy McPherson
It has been a good weekend. Since Friday, there has been ships invading Sydney Harbour. It is the 100th anniversary of the Royal Australian Navy and warships from all over the world are here to celebrate with us with an International Fleet Review week. The warships arrived on Friday after a week of joint military …
I have previously written about my love of street food, and my experience at creating culinary delights at cooking schools, there is no doubt that food is a great motivator (on top of culture, tradition, history and people) for me. It isn’t always just about the food, but the tradition and practices that come with …
Photos & Words by Bell Chan Tai O is a heritage fishing village located in Lantau island of Hong Kong. Tai O is also referred to as “Oriental Venice”, as there are lots of stilt houses along the coastline as the villagers live with fluctuating tides. Today, fishing activity is diminished in Hong Kong, and Tai O has gradually changed …
It’s a funny thing. We are drawn to randomly placed large objects and when giant colourful snails invaded Sydney last week as part of the Art & About Sydney 2013 festival, I noticed that we all can’t help but stop and pose with them. It’s an urge even I can’t resist. The annual Art & …
Oh dear. I just cried in public again. It’s the fourth time this week (and considering there are only five working days a week it’s not a good record) and I just couldn’t help myself. I’ve been reading this really sad book called The Story Teller’s Daughter, an emotional (and funny) story about a daughter …
The smell is never as imminent as they say, and lunch at the Sydney Fish Market is always a treat for me. “Fresh fish doesn’t smell”, is the tip I got from the man behind the counter at Peter’s, one of the larger fish mongers here at the market. I select a few prawns, freshly …
Pinch and punch for the first day of month! It is also the first day of spring and Sydney is glowing. I love this time of the year, for it marks the start of a period where I can really enjoy Sydney’s great outdoors and the many festivals that are about to start. Last week …
I’ve spent the past three days in bed, lethargic from lack of eating, suffering from a stomach virus I picked up I don’t know where. There is nothing like a stomach virus that reminds me of being on a great holiday. Seriously. All of the fantastic trips I’ve had in the past, all those days …
Photos by Fiona Yuen Fiona and husband visited Beijing and fell in love with its depth of history and traditional charm. From popular tourist spots such as the Forbidden City, the Great Wall and the Panda Sanctuary, to the streets by the lake, the markets and the growing number of chic cafes and restaurants, it …
Are you a bush (or forest for those who use different terminologies!) or beach person? I admit, while I do love the ocean, enjoy a good scuba dive and have a fascination about the marine life, I am more of a bush person. To me, while the beaches make great backdrop to a holiday photo, …
Photos by William McPherson I was born in Taiwan but having moved to Australia at the age of 10, never really had the opportunity to really understand the country. Back in 2006 when my husband and I visited and backpacked around the island, we found a land that was fertile with lust vegetation, immersed in …
I am not much of a sea-farer. So far, most of my water based travel have been on passenger ferries and scuba boats. I believe my very first experience with water travel was on a family holiday in Hawaii, where we boarded a small submarine to view the fish and corals. I think I was …
Photos by Fiona Yuen Shanghai glows. The skyscrapers that illuminate the night scene are symbols of its economic growth as China’s financial hub yet across the river on the Bund and the ‘Old Shanghai’ are heritage and traditions from a long history of Chinese culture. From temples to art galleries to succulent xiao long bao dumplings, …
I have a collection of photos where I have found Australia everywhere – or rather, what everyone else thinks is Australian. Fosters for example, is now owned by the poms, and even before the company was sold, no one ever, EVER drank Fosters. This is however, all stereotyping isn’t it? Have you also found references …
It’s the weekend! How has your week been? Are you ready to rest up to tak on another week of adventures? adventure [ad·ven·ture]: an unusual and exciting or daring experience; excitement associated with danger or taking of risks; engage in daring or risky activity. The Mighty Everest was thought to be the ultimate adventure, no one …
I have spent the past three days in Australia’s western frontier – Perth. We arrived on Saturday, after an early four hours something flight that was both extremely uncomfortable and long for a domestic flight. Being caged in a giant metal tin 32,000 feet in the air for hours and hours is my least favourite …
To me, there is no experience so enriching, so challenging and so exciting as to travel. My travel experiences are what continue to make me who I am. Of course, not everyone share the same curiosity for other people’s cultures and traditions, and not everyone has the same reasons to travel. I will however, share …
Throughout my travels I find the conversations I’ve had with cab drivers the most interesting of all. All throughout the world, taxi drivers come from all walks of life, and they are often the people to speak to when you want to know the city’s darkest secrets. While I have enjoyed many interesting and thought …
Do you realise we talk more about things going wrong than about the parts of our holidays where everything was going according to plan? I do. Every time we have a conversation about our trips, every time we reminisce on the details of our journeys, we always end up talking about the time when the bus …
These are my own visions of Taipei during my last visit. I was born in Taipei, and have recollections of rice paddies and grey dusty buildings during my first ten years as a child. When I returned as an adult a few years ago, I found the city to be nothing like the city I …
While Kuala Lumpur is on my mind, I want to share this video of the New Year fireworks I filmed. It was for the 09/10 New Year, and with the intention of getting the best seat in the house, we had booked a Twin Tower view room at the Traders Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, and …
“Are you from Malaysia?” is generally the question Malaysians would ask me whenever I start talking about Kuala Lumpur (KL). I know the city like the back of my hand; I know how to work its public transport system, the locations of the best shopping malls, the best streets to hit up for a good …
I love reading, always have, and ever since I got the travel bug, travel books have started to overtake the fiction in numbers on my bookshelves. I enjoy reading other people’s tales and stories, their discoveries and adventures as well as the horrors of things going wrong that often accompany any good trip. Out of …
Photos by Paula Hanasz Mongolia, a land of nomads and expert horsemen, is a country full of beauty and contrasts. While the pristine natural landscape still accommodate some traditional nomadic lifestyle, the city of Ulaanbataar is fast growing into a modern metropolis. Visit during one of the country’s festival and join the crowds cheering on horse and …
