SeoulThis is part of a series of posts where I look back at some of my favourite pictures from different cities that I have visited. You can read the rest of the series here.
It's another article and another positive review, I'm a big fan of Seoul. It's a nice middle ground between crazy busy old East Asian cities and more laidback modern cities. It's not the cheapest place in the world, but it's a large city and there's always something to do. If you want to check out my full review of Seoul, you can do here, and here are the 5 things I loved about Seoul (if you want a shorter read). Kuala LumpurThis is part of a series of posts where I look back at some of my favourite pictures from different cities that I have visited. You can read the rest of the series here.
Kuala Lumpur ranks highly when I think back to all the cities that I've visited. It has all the positives that I love about cities in south-east Asia like good food, culture, it's relatively cheap and the people are friendly. It manages to do all that despite not having the history that cities in places like Thailand and Vietnam have. You can read my full review of Kuala Lumpur here, and the 5 things I loved about Kuala Lumpur here. It's the end of another year, and just as I have done before, it's time for another end of year review looking back at all the trips I've taken over the past 12 months.
You can read my end of year review for 2018 here. You can read my end of year review for 2017 here. You can read my end of year review for 2016 here. I took the least amount of time outside the country since starting this blog in 2015. I began the year with a short trip to Lisbon for a friends' stag do. My next trip was a return to Paris after 2 years (and I ended up going twice this year). My longest trip of the year took me to Seoul, and then a personal highlight when I finally managed to go to Hong Kong, a city I've wanted to see for years. I had another stag do in a random place as I crossed the Irish Sea to Belfast, before a short trip to Brussels (and that second visit to Paris) ended my year. As always, you can click any of the blue links to read in depth reviews of each location. The Thai IslandsDid you know there are 1430 islands in Thailand? These are split between the Andaman Sea (on the west), and the Gulf of Thailand (on the eastern side). I visited a handful of these during my time in Thailand, each of them with their own unique character, different in their own ways. I spent most of my time in the southern islands in the Gulf of Thailand.
I previously shared pictures from my trip to northern Thailand, and although probably not the best photos I've ever taken (on a phone that was basically a potato), I decided to share some photos from my trip to the south for completeness. You can read about my adventures in Thailand here. The Amalfi CoastThis is part of a series of posts where I look back at some of my favourite pictures from different cities that I have visited. You can read the rest of the series here.
I'm not sure I've been to too many places more photogenic than the Italian Amalfi Coast. From houses perched on the sides of hills, to beautiful churches and cathedrals, all framed by an incredibly blue sea, the Amalfi Coast is picture perfect. It's probably not somewhere to go on your own like I did, and it isn't the cheapest place in the world either - but I can promise, you won't find much better scenery anywhere else. You can read about my full trip to the Amalfi Coat here, and my visits to Pompeii and Herculaneum here. SingaporeFor a rich person, Singapore must feel like a bit of playground. The whole city seems to be geared toward wealth and money. However, I found, that even a little money can go a long way here if you spend it wisely.
I've made two trips to Singapore now, and got to know the city a little better. Sure, it can be a little pretentious, a little in your face - and yep - it can seem a little fake (although not to the extent of Dubai). However, scratch the surface, and you have a beautifully complex city that has something for everyone. Neighbourhoods, with their own vibes and energy, and landmarks that leave you breathless. You can read about my first trip to Singapore here, my second trip here, and 5 things I loved about Singapore here. But this article will cover my journey through the city state in a series of pictures. LuxembourgLuxembourg isn't really a name thrown around when thinking about trips to Europe. Nestled between France, Germany and Belgium it's one of the lesser known and lesser visited states in continental Europe. However, the lure of cheap flights and a couple of nights in a cheap hostel were all the reason I needed to visit this small country.
For a nation this size, it has quite a colourful history, and although very small, there's a few excellent sites to visit - particularly in the capital - helpfully called Luxembourg City. It manages to mix history, culture and modernity quite well, and in terms of per capita income, it's one of the more wealthier countries in the world. You can read detailed notes from my trip to Luxembourg City here, and the northern town of Vianden here. In this article, I want to share some of my favourite pictures taken on my trusty, rusty 8mp camera. 2018This is the third time I'm writing an end of year review, and it's always nice to have a look back on the places I've been lucky enough to visit.
You can read my end of year review for 2017 here. You can read my end of year review for 2016 here. For the first time, I didn't do an extended trip, but instead took a large number of smaller trips to cities in Europe, Asia and North America. I kicked off the year in Italy, visiting Rome (including a quick stop in the Vatican), Naples, Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast. I then went to Asia where I returned to Singapore after 5 years. I then experienced a personal highlight exploring Kuala Lumpur and the nearby Batu Caves. It was back to Europe as I visited Vienna, Frankfurt and Zurich in quick succession. I then had a change of pace as I climbed the 'Rock' during my time in Gibraltar. I finally got to visit a city I've wanted to see for a long time when I made the trip to Berlin. As summer turned to autumn I returned to Amsterdam before ending the year with short trips to New York and Edinburgh. As with the posts the last two years, you can click any of the blue links to read in depth reviews of each location. 2017Last year, when I wrote my end of year review (which you can read here), the world seemed to be going through a lot of changes, and I had a busy year too.
2017 was a lot more settled as I spent most of my year living and working in New York and the rest of the year in London. My first impressions of New York laid the foundation for an amazing time in the city that never sleeps from visiting all the famous pizzerias, to discovering all the best museums NYC has to offer. You can't visit New York without seeing all the famous skyscrapers which I made sure to do. I managed to really experience American culture by attending at least one game of every major American sport and even got to see their 4th of July celebrations. A trip out to Long Island gave me a different taste of Americana, something a lot more laid back. While I was out in the United States, I visited Washington DC on a couple of occasions, managing to see a fair amount of America's capital city. I took a trip out to the midwest and spent some time in Chicago visiting some of the famous landmarks and tasting the famous Chicago style deep dish pizza. I also caught up with friends I had met in Cambodia as they showed me around Florida with a trip to Miami during Spring Break. Perhaps my favourite city that I visited in the US was San Francisco, I spent almost a week seeing different areas, including a trip across the famous Golden Gate Bridge. My second half of the year was significantly quieter as I transitioned back to life in England. That being said I made a very short trip to Luxembourg, visiting Luxembourg City, the beautiful town of Vianden, and a train ride across the border into Germany to visit the oldest continuously habited city in the country, Trier. As with the post last year, just click the blue links to read about any of the locations in depth. VietnamIt's one of only a handful of one party communist states in the world and is best known in the west for two very violent wars that were fought in the territory in 20th century.
There is no doubt the Vietnamese people have had a rough couple of hundred years. After first being colonised by the French, they were then overrun by the Japanese during the Second World War. Two bloody wars of freedom followed, first defeating the French, and then defeating the Americans. The country was, for decades, an international pariah. However, a shift to a more markets based economy has seen the country post impressive growth figures and is now one of the fastest growing economies in the world. In addition, a tourism sector that was destroyed by war is also thriving. I paid a visit to two of the major cities in Vietnam; Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), capturing the life of these two distinct areas of the country; two areas that were once bitter enemies, now reunited as one Vietnam. |
AuthorBritish Sikh, born in the Midlands, based in London, travelling the world seeing new cultures. Categories
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