Makam Purba (ancient tomb) the roadside sign reads. The sign has been there for years. Since I already knew the word ‘makam’ meant tomb, I’d always assumed it was ‘just’ a graveyard. Out of respect for the dead I don’t typically sightsee in graveyards, but on a quiet errand-running day, in the middle of a […]
Should You Visit Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary?
Should you visit the Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary? Yes. And for a few reasons. Not only are elephants just plain awesome, the Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary cum National Elephant Conservation Centre in Pahang, Malaysia is the first (and main) elephant sanctuary in Malaysia. The conservation efforts by the center and the Malaysian Government to improve […]
World War 2 Asia, Forgiven Not Forgotten
Unless a diehard history fan, the average visitor to Asia may not realize the impact that World War 2 and the Japanese Military Forces had on the region. Memories from that not-so-long-ago war are present nearly everywhere. The resilient people of Asia survived horrors which are often not repeated to younger generations of family members, […]
Spas: the Good, the Bad & the Just Plain Rediculous
My own personal experiences with spas are limited to massage ‘parlors’. That’s probably an archaic word, but somewhere along the line many establishments have decided to slap the name ‘spa’ on their signs and crank up the prices and those lines have become a bit blurred. Since coming to Southeast Asia, I have a greater […]