Tag: journey

Go Off The Beaten Track

In the boat ride to Angkor Wat complex, I was expecting to see the riverine communities with shanty houses on stilts and people fishing outside their homes. All of a sudden, this beautiful white mosque came into view, not long after we left Phnom Penh.

I think it a was at a Khmer Muslim village by the Cham people.

Further up river, I got to see the beautiful biodiversity of rare birds, fishes, amphibious animals and plants. To boot, I was traveling to the world’s greatest temple complex and the largest religious monument in the world, the Angkor Wat.

You will miss all these when you fly direct to Siem Reap as many weekend visitors do. Plan well. The unhealthy obsession with bucket lists is resulting in many people missing many significant and esoteric things, off the beaten path.

Find one of many good hotels in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh at MyCen Hotels http://www.mycen.my/

#mosque #cham #village #khmer #muslim #river #phnomppenh #tonlelesp #siemraap #rtiver #nature #travel #adventure

Journey To The Centre Of Tonlé Sap

Slow boat on Tonle Sap was one very amazing journey, Never would I know that one day I’ll be sailing on the Tone Sap, a lake described as the largest lake in South East Asia in our schools’ geography books. I used to look at the giant lake in Collins, Oxford or was it Macmillan World Atlas with much fascination, Bucket lists weren’t invented then but I hoped one day I’ll get to see it from the shore, To be able to sail on it, was beyond my wildest dreams.

Also shocked to find out later that villagers along the riverbank used to take pot shots at the tourist boat going upriver. It is safe now as many Cambodians surrendered their rifles for money in a gun exchange campaign. Many gave up their hobby to become freelance snipers.

Glad I found out the horrible history later or it would have been a very nervous ride. I did asked the skipper about what looked like old bullet holes in the wooden cabin of his boat, Communication was tough.as there was a French female backpacker sunbathing topless on the front deck.

I cannot remember the name of the hotel I stayed in Siem Reap to go to Angkor Wat. In an amazing development, I spoke to a Malaysian friend and expatriate in Phnom Penh a few day ago.

He was the one who introduced me to his friend and mysterious travel agent in a dark backstreet where I purchased the boat ticket and hotel voucher. I told him the hotel had a helpful Malaysian Indian manager I called Macha.

My friend told me every Malaysian Indian, in Cambodia, especially club DJs is named Macha. I remember there are like million of them there as they were disc jockeys in every club, lounge or disco I visited there. Malaysia’s top export to Cambodia was machas.

Amazingly. my usually inebriated friend recalled meeting the Siem Reap manager at Raffles Hotel Le Royal in Phnm Penh city. What a small world and I doubt my friend can locate him again as hoteliers dont stay long, The hunt for macha goes on.

Find one of many good hotels in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh at MyCen Hotels http://www.mycen.my/

Journey To The Centre Of Tonlé Sap

Because it is so vast, at 250 km in length and 100 km in width, we obviously weren’t able to see any shore in any direction, for quite a while. Is was easy to forget we weren’t out at sea but on a shallow lake. That was what makes it so awesome.

Couldn’t really achieve or tell if it was dead centre as the lake changes shape and size, depending on the state of flow or reversal of the Tonlé Sap.River. We were still some 60 km (about 2 hours) from the touristy water areas of Siem Reap.

With the engines switched off, it was eerily silent, peaceful and the boat was rocking wildly. The odd bunch of water hyacinth plant drifted by like tumbleweed in a cowboy ghost town.

Olympus E-3, ISO 100, f10, 1/640 sec.

#travelphotography #travelogue #travel #landscape #asean #cambodia #tonlesap #adventure

Going Home For Raya

I started on this journey on Federal Route 1 on March 29. I have since covered Rawang, Serendah, Ulu Yam, Rasa, Kuala Kubu, Kerling, Kalumpang, Hulu Bernam, Tanjung Malim, Behrang, Slim River and many tiny places in between.

To tell the story, I visited quaint little towns, rustic villages and wandered through dusty roads and jungle trails. Camped in tents, stayed at dodgy ‘rumah tumpangan’ (lodging houses) but also at comfy hotels, chalets and motels. Met friendly and warm people from all walks of life.

In between, I have also traveled back to my home base in KL several times to replenish and to attend to paying work. Where possible, I try to continue again the next day. Quite tiring but it kept the sense of adventure and exploration fresh in my mind.

I’m going to take a short break to visit the Ramadan bazaars in KL that I love, break fast with friends and make way for the many cars in the upcoming exodus. Will continue with the road trip where I left off after the Hari Raya holidays.

Another reason I need the break is that I must make my new website catch up with the daily pics. Before I can finish adding some of the missing older ones, I ended up acquiring even more new pics and stories to manage.

Nevertheless, the website gives it the much needed interface of systematic sorting, categorization and tagging of subjects befitting an epic travelogue. And unlike Instagram, Twitter or Facebook, topics are easily searchable and there are related links in every article or post.

Look out for more unique images and stories of awesome people, nature, animals, food and places on the route after the break. We’ve only just begun.

Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 100, f4, 1/320 sec.

Map – Federal Route 1, North of KL

What was supposed to be a 100 km journey for this stretch took more than 1000 km as recorded by my GPS and odometer. Every town or place on this route is like a treasure chest waiting to be discovered and opened.

The extended mileage was because of the multiple up-down trips back home and to various accommodation locations. There were also numerous detours and excursions to branch roads and such.

Sub-trips sometimes yield little for the camera but were still worthwhile for the additional info I gather from locals about the geography and history.

Here’s a gentle reminder again to not make armchair suggestions. I wrote about the methodology, or lack of, in an earlier post.

As well meaning or well intended and appreciated as they may be, I view them as spoilers. That’s because I work entirely at random. No script, except for what I already know from previous trips.

In fact, as I explained before, I will not even view any other pictures in advance so as to have a clean slate or state of mind with no-preconceived notions.

Every stranger you see featured, I met by chance and it is them, the locals, who drove the direction of the journey by suggesting the next place.

It is not a tourism promo or a paid junket packaged as a travel story for a newspaper or magazine. It is one man’s journey and his honest perspective; simple as that.

This first leg of Selangor (north of KL) has about 70 pictures. The stories were all written on the go, on the fly, on the road and usually, minutes before I post. Please view the series from the start to fully understand how each town connects.

Big thank you to the wonderful people I met so far. Big thanks too to you followers and friends for joining me on this ongoing journey.

You can also follow the series on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, all under @tvsmithmy

End Of Act 1 – Intermission.

I am now leaving the state of Selangor and entering the state of Perak for which the capital is Ipoh. The city is still a long way ahead in the scheme of things. After a short break, I’ll first explore the border town of Tanjung Malim.

I am sure many of you didn’t know the significance of the digit 1 painted on the old road nor cared. Now that you know, why not hit the road yourself and find the many gems in your own country.

In the next post, I’ll include a route map generated from my GPS tracks and logs. It’ll give you an idea of each location and the relative distance between the towns visited in the Selangor leg of the journey.

Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 100, f5.6, 1/400 sec.