TRAVEL | Bhutan

While reading my daily feed of aircraft porn, I came across Bhutan, a small nation in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalaya Mountains, between Tibet and India. Bhutan, or the Land of the Thunder Dragon, used to be one of the most isolated nations in the world, but it is increasingly modernised with the introduction of international flights and mobile networks in the country. It is here where the world's most dangerous airport runway is located, and there are only 8 pilots in the world who are qualified to make this landing (Apparently).

Besides the stunning natural scenery, Bhutan has a very strong sense of culture and tradition that differentiates it from its bigger neighbours. It is the only Vajrayana Buddhist nation in the world, and the profound teachings of this tradition remain well preserved and exert a strong influence in all aspects of life.

Due to its pristine environment and harmonious society, the tiny Kingdom of Bhutan has been called "The Last Shangri la."

Taktsang Monastery (Tiger's Nest)

Located in Paro, this is one of the most important Buddhist sites in the world.

Bhutan, surrounded by the mighty Himalayas

Bhutan is a popular place for trekking, though the walks are generally quite tough.

Another place I would love to visit while I'm still fit!

TRAVEL | Cambodia, Kingdom of Wonder

The phrase ‘‘Kingdom of Wonder’’ gives the impression of exploration and discovery, perfect for tourists seeking new experiences. ‘‘Wonder’’ is a reference to Angkor being nominated as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. You can watch one version of the TV commercial here.

TRAVEL | Weather forecast for Sydney

In less than 12 hours we'll be in Sydney and I hope the weather will be nice despite the forecast.

TRAVEL | The Powerhouse Science and Design Museum in Sydney

The Powerhouse Museum located at 500 Harris St, Ultimo and is close to Darling Harbour, Chinatown, Central Station (Sydney Terminal), Broadway bus station (Railway Square), and Paddy's Markets Monorail Station. For $10 adult entry fee we can explore the many current exhibitions and permanent exhibitions. Some are shown below.

TRAVEL | Frost* office in Sydney

This may not be a conventional tourist activity but I am going to do it anyway. Vince Frost is one of my favourite graphic designers, originally from England but have setup office in Sydney. The studio produces amazing works and this is my chance to be outside the studio and take a picture while I am holidaying in Sydney this weekend. The studio is located on 15 Foster Street, Surry Hill.

ECONOMIC | Top 10 countries with the biggest gaps between rich and poor

No. 1 Hong Kong
No. 2 Singapore
No. 3 US
No. 4 Israel
No. 5 Portugal
No. 6 New Zealand
No. 7= Italy
No. 7= Britain
No. 9 Australia
No. 10= Ireland
No. 10= Greece


A United Nations global study was recently conducted on the topic of 'income inequality' worldwide.

TRAVEL | See Sydney & Beyond Smartvisit Card

It is not too far away now, 3 days until our long-weekend getaway oversea trip! I was considering whether it would be worthwhile to purchase a See Sydney & Beyond Smartvisit Card, A$75 for one day or A$135 for two days. What do you think Ricky?

READ THIS Ricky

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/news/article.cfm?c_id=7&objectid=10603602

TRAVEL | Hiking from Jinshanling to Simatai

If you are looking for breathtaking views in relative isolation combined with some exercise on the Great Wall, then the hike between Jinshanling(金山嶺) and Simatai(司馬台) is perfect for you, giving you a truly "authentic" wall experience. This section of the wall is further away from Beijing than other more popular parts such as Badaling(八達嶺) and Juyongguan(居庸關) , making it considerably less crowded with tourists.

Located about 125 km northeast of Beijing, the JinShanling section of the Great Wall wonders through fantastic natural scenery and connects to the Simatai Great Wall to the east.

The hike from the east Jinshanling Great Wall to the west Simatai Great Wall takes about 4 hours with a total length of 12 km. The route will span over 30 towers (15 towers in East Jinshanling and 15 on west Simatai). It's a perfect day trip outside of Beijing with some of the best scenery of the Great Wall.

Jinshanling Section

Jinshanling Section

Jinshanling Section

Some of the terrain we will need to be covering

TRAVEL | The Goldfish club in Sydney

Is it a coincidence for a bar in Sydney to be named Goldfish? This is one of the many new bars in King Cross. Ideally I would like to visit three of these bars, however given the short time we will be in Sydney I am not sure if that's possible. It appears that Sydney scene is a mile ahead of what we have here in Auckland.

TRAVEL | Sydney Opera House Open Day

8 days and counting down. There is a build up of excitement in me especially looking forward to participate in the Sydney Opera House Open Day next Sunday where we'll get a free tour inside the House and get a glimpse of some of the behind-the-scenes. Also what I look forward to is the 'Please step quietly everyone can hear you' exhibition features photographs by a Magnum photographer Trent Parke.  I think Sunday 25 October 2009 will be a great experience.

TRAVEL | Interesting game from TripAdvisor

TRAVEL | Z Trains in China

'Z' category trains (Z stands for Zhida, or 直达特快列车, meaning direct) are the fastest and most modern long distance trains in China, running on routes such as Beijing-Shanghai and Beijing Xian. They are composed of the very latest air-conditioned sleeper carriages, as well as bar and restaurant carriages.

Most Z-series train routes do not have any intermediary stops, and are generally overnight, all-sleeper trains that have travel time of around 10–14 hours.

Distance between Beijing and Xian is 1,200 km (750 miles), taking around 11 hours on this overnight train. Trip cost is around RMB420 (82NZD) per person. Save on a night's accommodation. A lot of Big 2 time!

The label of the sleepers. Each sleeper is numbered with a unique number. This is a picture of the sleeper train with 4 beds in each room.

Each train has about 10 "rooms"

ARCHITECTURE | Auckland Architecture Awards 2009

Ironbank by RTA Studio. Recognised in the urban design , sustainable architecture, commercial architecture and Resene colour categories.

Hillcrest Road Bridge by Jasmax Limited. Recognised in the Resene colour and urban design categories.

AUT Lecture Theatre & Conference Centre by RTA Studio. Recognised in the public architecture category.

NZI Centre by Jasmax Limited. Recognised in the commercial architecture category.

TRAVEL | Sydney Opera House

In just a little more than two weeks I will be in Sydney and I was thinking how exciting it will be to visit the Sydney Opera House on its Open Day on Sunday the 25th October. It is a free event running from 10am to 4pm, raining or not. Just a little bit about the House, it was designed by a Denmark architect Jorn Utzon. In June 2007 it was inscribed in the World Heritage List.

TRAVEL | Eureka Tower

Eureka Tower is a 300-metre skyscraper located in Southbank, Melbourne, the world's tallest residential tower when measured to its highest floor. However, Q1 located on the Gold Coast is officially the world's tallest residential building because of its spire adding to its total height.

I really like the design of this tower. Apparently, the building was named after Eureka Stockade, a rebellion during the Victorian gold rush in 1854. The building's gold crown represents the gold rush and a red stripe on the side of the tower represents the blood spilt during the revolt. The blue glass cladding that covers most of the building represents the blue background of the stockade's flag and the white lines also represent the eureka stockade flag.

The observation deck, known as the Eureka Skydeck 88, occupies the entire 88th floor of the Eureka Tower and is the highest public vantage point in a building in the Southern Hemisphere at 285 m.

Do you see the blood?

TRAVEL | Phnom Bakheng

Another Hindu temple at the site of Angkor, Phnom Bakheng was one of the first temple mountains to be built in Angkor, two centuries before its neighbour the Angkor Wat. Situated atop a hill, it is nowadays a popular tourist spot for sunset views of the Angkor region, offering a view of the Tonle Sap Lake and a distant Angkor Wat in the jungle.

The temple is usually overcrowded at sunset, sometimes even completely overrun by tourists, making Phnom Bakheng one of the most threatened monuments of Angkor

Angkor Wat from Phnom Bakheng hill at sunset.

TRAVEL | Robot Building

Another building we must check out while we're in Bangkok is the Robot Building, which was originally built for the Bank of Asia but now owned by the United Overseas Bank. This building is best viewed on the platform at the Surasak Sky Train platform.

Built by the Thai architect Sumet Jumsai during the 80's, the building is one of the last examples of modern architecture in Bangkok.

TRAVEL | Australia

My last post explains the difference between states and territories in Australia. This post will show you the various climates in different parts of Australia. The lower part of Australia where New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania are, have similar climate to New Zealand, they are temperate. In case you don't know the difference between a temperate climate and a tropical climate, I will explain briefly here. To put it in terms of season, a temperate climate has four seasons (Summer, Autumn, Spring, Winter), where the temperature doesn't vary greatly. A tropical climate is the opposite, there is a dry season and a wet season. In dry season, there is a period of cool dry weather, and a period of hot dry weather.

TRAVEL | Chatuchak Weekend Market

The Chatuchak market is the larget market in Thailand and possibly the largest in the world! It is probably no joke to say that this market sells practically everything under the sun, from the smallest nails, to foods, trendy fashions, antiques intricate wooden carvings, masks from far-off lands, adorable fluffy dogs, colorful fish of every hue and singing birds.

With about 200,000 to 300,000 visitors to the market each day, visitors must be prepared to be crowded in the narrow passageways lined with merchandise with no air-conditioning. Beware of extreme claustrophobia while inside, so I suggest we go really early in the morning!

Cute puppies, gold fish! You can find almost anything at the world's biggest flea market







Near the Chatuchak market is the Elephant Building, one of the most famous buildings in Bangkok.

TRAVEL | Australia

22 days until my trip to Sydney! As I said before that I will get to know Australia beyond pretty pictures in travel brochures, I read more on the geographical divisions of the country. Australia, as you can see below, is divided into six states and two territories. So what is the difference between a state and a territory? Read on.

Australia's six states represent the six British colonies that joined together to create the Commonwealth of Australia.*

Any land within Australia's national border that is not claimed by one of the states is called a territory.*

Okay. so what is the difference!

Well territories do not have the right to convene their own government or pass laws as the states do. Under the Constitution, the Commonwealth makes the laws for the territories.*

But, the line is blur because the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory are often treated like states, because the Commonwealth passed a law allowing each territory to convene a parliament and make their own laws in a similar manner to the states.*

Right, you would think what is the difference again?

Well, the difference here is that six states' powers are defined through the Constitution, but the powers of the territories are defined in the Commonwealth law which grants them the right of self-government. This also means that the Commonwealth can alter or revoke these powers at will.*

Now you see? Do you feel more like a smarter traveller now? I bet so.

*Australian Government: www.australia.gov.au