The Blue Mansion, 8 Wives and Buried Gold in Penang

  The Blue Mansion   We took the free shuttle, another nice touch from Le Dream Boutique Hotel, to the famed Blue Mansion.   The Blue Mansion was carefully planned and designed by the owner, Cheong Fatt Tze. Some of the original rickshaws and carriages were outside the building.  … Continue reading

Ghost Plants, Stink Bugs & A Magical Lake in the Borneo Rainforest

The Lake   It was the most mesmerizing lake we had ever seen. Set in the Borneo rain forest like a jewel of peace among wild thorns.  (Double-click on any photo to see it full size)   Reflections so perfect and so still, you’d swear there were two lakes.   … Continue reading

Borneo River Safari: Gigantic Butterflies and Tree-Climbing Crocodiles

  Gigantic Butterfly   Relaxing on the deck before our Borneo River Safari, something moved beside my chair. I looked, and made a small gasp. There was a huge creature fluttering on our patio window a foot away from me! I stood up, stepped back… and took a closer look…. Continue reading

S. E. Asia: “99% Of What We Worry About Never Happens”

  Malaria   As many of us have said before,   “99% of what we worry about never happens, and the other 1% we can handle.”   And so it was with our fears of Malaria, and fears of the side-effects of the drugs to prevent Malaria. It’s a well-known… Continue reading

Lombok Island, The New Bali

  Everyone dreams of going to Bali, the exotic island in Indonesia, but we were shocked to discover that dreamy Bali is not what it used to be. Now Bali is dirty and touristy with beaches full of garbage. Move over Bali – here comes Lombok.   Bali since 2017…… Continue reading

How To Make Roti in Borneo

  One of our stops on our way to a new jungle resort in Borneo was for Indian food. What a treat it was to watch this guy making each individual fresh roti, and with a bright smile that showed how much he really seemed to enjoy doing it. To… Continue reading

Bird’s Nest Soup: Most Expensive Soup in the World

Travelling through the mountains of Borneo, we made a stop at Gomantong Cave, known for its ancient Bird’s Nest harvesting. A delicacy in this part of the world is Bird’s Nest Soup.  [spacer height=”20px”] Inside the Cave [spacer height=”20px”] The first half-kilometre into the cave is a beautiful forest.  … Continue reading

6 Things To Know Before You Go To Penang & Best Value Hotel

  It was hard to leave raw natural Borneo, but we were on our way to Malaysia, and to another adventure. [mapsmarker marker=”75″]     At the airport in Kota Kinabalu, Borneo, we waited for Air Asia to open, and stopped for a bite to eat.   Wow. This simple… Continue reading