Travel and General Wanderings
I had my first overseas trip a little over 40 years ago, and ever since, I have been totally hooked, having visited over 40 countries and even lived in a few over the decades.
So yes, this puts me in the seasoned traveller category, and if it really needs to be said, travelling is one of my favourite things to do.
These days, I call Sydney home and try to take a few trips per year, er well, as long as the universe and my finances align. Since the end of the whole COVID mess, I have been able to visit both Hong Kong and Singapore, my two favourite places. And as of earlier in 2024 added a day trip to Shenzen, and later this year I will be adding a very long overdue return to Malaysia to the list.
And yes, if I could arrange it, I would spend the, way too cold for me Sydney winter, in Hong Kong or Singapore. Never know; one day, it could happen, being a digital nomad, or as they say in the US, a snowbird, sounds like the ideal life for me.
Hong Kong. Back in the day, I called Hong Kong home, and I have many good friends and memories of my time there; hence, it's equal first with Singapore for my favourite places to visit, and if I could, I would spend the Sydney winter there as a digital nomad. [view].
Singapore. In equal first place with Hong Kong for my favourite destinations, and somewhere I have been visiting for decades. As for why I like it there, put simply, the environment, the laid-back atmosphere, and the climate. Yes, I like the tropical heat and humidity. [view].
Shenzen. Yes, I ventured into the mainland as part of my 2024 Hong Kong trip, er, well, only as far as the shopping mecca of Shenzen. Yes, it was only a day trip, but as my first visit in 30+ years, it was very enlightening and included some very positive interactions with some locals. [view].
Malaysia. Later this year, I am heading to Kuala Lumpur, and I will add what I see and do while there. At the moment, the plan is to visit the Butterfly Park, Botanical Gardens in addition to the iconic Petronas Towers and anything else that looks interesting. [view].
Hong Kong June 2024. For many years, I have been trying to arrange to visit HK during the June Dragon Boat Festival, and this year, everything aligned to make that happen. Other than that, the plan is to visit the mainland to see how Shenzen has changed since my last visit. [read]
Christmas in Singapore 2023. I have wanted to do this for many years: spend the Christmas holidays in various Asian countries, and experience how different it is compared to Sydney; in 2023, it finally happened, starting with Singapore. [read].
Hong Kong August 2023. After China finally opened up after the COVID nightmare, my finances allowed it, and various other things aligned, the time to go back to Hong Kong has finally arrived. Just think of all the changes over the past 30+ years since my first visit. [read]
Singapore April 2023. Yes, back for the second time in 2 years. Some people would call me nuts and claim that it would be too dull to visit too often, but no, not for me; it's one of my favourite places to visit, and with each visit, I always have more things to see and do. [read]
Singapore July 2022. This is my first trip since most of the planet came out of the COVID restrictions, and while this is not even close to my first visit to Singapore, it is going to be the first where I can actually play tourist, and do some shopping, serious shopping. [read]
Technology Shopping. Visiting Hong Kong in 2023 and 2024, I decided to release the inner geek and visit some of the many specialist shopping centres and check out the offerings, prices, and what's changed over the many years of visiting these places. [read].