A few things (amongst many) to do in Christchurch, New Zealand
It is quite sad that many people only think of Christchurch as the earthquake city, and are somewhat reluctant to visit because of news that it's still recovering from the events which forever changed it, coupled with the fear of experiencing a strong quake while there. It's a pity, because, not only is Christchurch now the safest tremor city in New Zealand (all structurally unsound buildings have been demolished or sealed off, and new buildings have to adhere to strict guidelines), but it's also very much ready to welcome visitors and is full of fun, quirky, adrenaline-pumping and memorable things to ...
Christchurch, New Zealand: Not for the disaster, but for the rebirth
When disaster strikes somewhere, we all struggle to find a reason to return. In recent years it has happened with Bali and its terrorist attacks, and Japan with its nuclear crisis. And then there is Christchurch. On the 4th of September 2012, a 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck the city, and although no one was killed, the city's buildings were heavily damaged, so that when the 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit on the 22nd of February 2011, buildings weakened by the previous shake came tumbling down, and 185 people died. An area which was from then on referred to as the red zone, was ...
How I changed my life for the better, not by turning to perpetual travel, not overnight
When it comes to taking steps to change my life when I am unhappy, it has always been a no-brainer to me. Life is too short to do what other people expect you to, or to settle for a comfortable and familiar routine when that same routine is killing you slowly inside. So at the beginning of this year, I went from freezing my ass off in Switzerland... ...to quiting my three jobs and catapulting myself in the beautiful and wonderful countries which are Vietnam and Singapore... ...to relocating my whole life and starting from square one in Melbourne, Australia. And I have never ...
More than just a place to sleep: What accommodation means to me while travelling
Though I was never ever comfortable doing the stay-in-a-dorm-full-of-strangers business, there was a time when I thought that the less money I spent on accommodation while travelling the better, because, after all, what am I going to do in that room but sleep? But as the years passed, and I became a frequent, seasoned traveller who was ofter on the road for longer than just a week or so, and I realised that in fact, I was doing much more than just sleeping in my accommodation, and the accommodation I chose was going much more than just giving me a ...
Down in the Mekong Delta: Part 2
There are times during our travels when, if we are open-minded enough, we get to see things which truly change our lives and our way of thinking. I am not speaking of a pretty temple, or an ancient palace, nor a memorable meal in a local restaurant. I am speaking about something which is so different from our own lives that we cannot but be hit by it like a slap in the face. This happens when we travel to see the dynamics of different people, living very different lives in corners of the world which seem a million lights years ...
Before I visited Singapore, a friend on mine told me that he thought the country to be too sanitized. I asked him what he meant, and he said that, for him, there were too many rules to follow and too many things to be careful about. Incidentally, this friend is Swiss! As soon as I [...]
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This is a guest post Despite global financial woes, visitor numbers to South East Asia continue to grow by a rate of 10% a year. In 2011 alone visitor numbers from Australia to Vietnam and Laos grew to 280,000 and 31,000 respectively, and the total number of foreign tourists heading on an independent or guided [...]
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At the beginning of every year, in some random moment of inspiration, I always reach for the nearest piece of paper – a receipt, a Mcdonalds napkin, an empty page of the travel guidebook I’m devouring – and scribble a list of things I want to achieve that year on it. In past years, my [...]
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Life is very sweet indeed in that little corner of Vietnam which is called Nha Trang, though of course I keep arguing that life is sweet in all the places I’ve been to in this amazing country. In the Southern part of Vietnam, Nha Trang can be easily accessed via cheap local flights (Jetstar or [...]
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Those of you who know me a bit will know that I don’t care much for Christmas, but the New Year is a big deal for me. The coming of a New Year is always a chance to think back on the last 12 months of my life and see how far I have come [...]
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This is a guest post by Emily Buchanan about a topic very close to my heart. On Trip Advisor, Phuket Zoo has received 199 “terrible” reviews. Visitors have branded it a “horrible experience” “dirty and neglectful” “miserable” and “cruel.” Many have called for it to be closed down whilst others have simply despaired at the [...]
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