Despite being built just over 10 years ago, the entrance to the Batu Caves with the large statue of the Hindu God, Murugan, has become one of the most famous images of Malaysia. Stories of the caves' history, and a desire to see the statue in person led me to taking the very short journey north from Kuala Lumpur to the site of the Batu Caves. This article covers my thoughts from the caves as well as sharing how to get from Kuala Lumpur to the Batu Caves.

My visit to Singapore gave me the opportunity to take a side trip to nearby Kuala Lumpur, giving me my first taste of Malaysia. The city is relatively new, established in its modern form some 30 years after Singapore, yet somehow it feels comparatively ancient. I managed to spend 4 days in the city, and although I'll write a separate article on the Batu Caves, this post covers my thoughts and observations on an often overlooked city.

I recently had the opportunity to head back to Singapore, my first trip to the city state in almost 5 years. If you read my previous article on Singapore, you'll note that I only stayed a couple of days and mentioned it was one of the places I'd like to visit again, only with more time to spare.

Well I finally had the chance to revisit it, and I spent almost a week exploring areas of Singapore that I didn't have a chance to see the first time around. Read on for more about my views and observations about one of the more divisive places in Asia.

It'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.

Northern Thailand refers to the mountainous north of the country, a whole world away from the golden beaches and blue seas of the south. The area roughly corresponds to the mountainous area bordering Myanmar and Laos, however in this article I have gone as far south as Sukhothai, which is about 4/5 hours north of Bangkok.

The north of Thailand is one of my favourite parts of the world. The amazing history of Sukhothai is complemented by the cosmopolitan twin cities of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, the former being one of the highlights of my visit. 

Sukhothai is famed for its historical park that has literally hundreds of statues of Buddha and ancient temples that are best explored by cycling. It was about an hour into the long journey north from Sukhothai that I began to feel a difference in the climate and landscape. The humidity and flat terrain of the south was slowly replaced by a crisp air and mountainous landscape. The road was bounded by greenery on all sides and the hectic pace of Bangkok tranformed into a slow crawl.

Up until the early 1900's the Lanna area of the north was relatively independent and the natives are still fiercely proud of their local traditions and customs. I was lucky enough to visit Lampang, a city the northerners refer to as the 'last true paradise' of Thailand. Staying in a village about an hour outside the city was one of my favourite experiences and I spent my time there visiting local cottage industries as well as a school.

Further north is Chiang Mai, a city becoming increasingly popular with tourists. The night market in Chiang Mai is incredible and the nightlife in general is very lively. The area has a significant Burmese influence, not just due to its proximity to the country but also having lived under Burmese rule. The city is the capital of the north, built in a valley, surrounded by mountains and is a great starting point for treks further north to the hill tribes. It's also a great place to spend a few days (or weeks) exploring the many temples, restaurants or getting lost in the streets.

Cambodia is a country with a history as tragic as any you will hear about. During the rule and subsequent guerrilla campaign of the Khmer Rouge between 1968 and the late 1990's, up to 2 million people were killed, representing a quarter of the total population. Most of these deaths happened over a 4 year period between 1975-1979 during the 'killing fields' era.

Despite a whole generation of Cambodians being wiped out, you can't help but see the positivity permeating in the country. The demographics are very youthful and there is an energy unmatched anywhere else. Sure there is still a lot of development that needs to happen as the difference between Cambodia and its two neighbouring countries, Vietnam and Thailand is extremely noticeable but changes are happening.

In this article I have included a selection of my favourite photo's that I took across the country, pictures that I think can give you a feel for Cambodia, its culture and its attractions.

I've been to Thailand a couple of times now, but before I first went out there, I had no idea how much cash to take with me or how much I would be spending out there.

​I found Thailand to be one of my better value for money experiences. Sure, its not cheap to get there, however if you book flights in advance, you can get a good deal, especially with Russian or Chinese airlines. While you are out there, you really do get bang for your buck. You can do a whole range of activities, for a fraction of the cost of doing them in European cities. 

I won't lie, I did have to save some money before I went, no matter how cheap a place is, spending a significant amount of time away from home will always eat into savings. Whats strange is, the longer you stay, the cost per day actually falls, this is because you begin to realise the cheapest places to eat and the most cost effective ways of travelling or finding shelter for the night.

How expensive is Thailand? Here's my take...

When it comes to Thailand, I can't limit myself to my usual 5 favourite experiences as this country has so much to offer.

I have been to Thailand twice in the past 3 years, covering the entire country from the ancient cities in the north to the beaches and islands of the south and everything in between and I loved absolutely everything about it.

From cycling in the beautiful countryside of Lampang to enjoying beach parties in Ko Phangan, here are the 10 things I loved about Thailand.

In terms of tragedy, not many countries have the recent history that Cambodia does. Up to three million people (about 25% of the population) were killed in the Cambodian genocide carried out by the ruling Khmer Rouge party in the late 70's and their continued resistance into the 90's. There is hardly a family in the country that wasn't in some way affected by this mass genocide.

However, the Cambodia that I saw was a young, confident nation that had come out of the worst of its adversity and lived to tell the tale. It was a nation that paid tribute to its past but also looked confidently to its future.

There's not much to dislike about Cambodia, but here are the 5 things I absolutely loved.

The 20th century saw large scale decolonisation throughout the world. Whilst some transfers happened relatively peacefully (Hong Kong, Macau) others happened more violently. One of the most violent struggles for freedom occurred in Vietnam. After fighting the Japanese, French and Americans, Vietnam entered the second half of the 20th century scarred by fighting and Saigon was a byword for destruction.

However, Vietnam is finally emerging from its tragic recent history by projecting an image of hope and beauty. Vietnam is no longer associated with just a war, its now associated with adventure and fun. From the communist feel of North Vietnam, to a more capitalist feel in South Vietnam, the country still has strong footprints of a tragic conflict, however it also adds to an already rich culture and history.

I didn't have time to visit the famous Ha Long Bay, and I'll be sure to make a return trip to visit the famous area, however, here are my top 5 favourite things about Vietnam.