Although I’m very familiar with thrift shops, I’d never heard about bundle shops until I moved to Southeast Asia. My first encounter was at the Greenway Night Market in Hat Yai, Thailand. Stall after stall of piles of clothes spilling out from the shop entrances. Some items more bizarre than others, yet a potential gold […]
Gamat Sea Cucumber, Langkawi’s Ginseng of the Sea
It’s been over a decade since I was first introduced to Gamat; Langkawi’s Magical Sea Cucumber. At the time, I was appropriately impressed with this unusual local product turned successful cottage industry, and even wrote a short blog post about it. I’ve since learned more about the unusual sea creature, and surprised that its medicinal […]
First Time Visitor’s Guide to Alor Setar, Malaysia
I’ve passed through Alor Setar many times over the years, but I was usually en route to somewhere else. It took a pandemic (and travel limitations) for me to discover what a true gem this Malaysian city is. Beyond, of course, the ferry terminal, bus and train stations. With their home state of Kedah’s tagline […]
The Mystery of Langkawi’s Ancient Tomb
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 […]
Hitting Pay Dirt in Perak; Best Tin Mining Museums in Malaysia
Unless you are a geology buff, mining museums are probably not at the top of your sightseeing wish list. But if you’re heading through Perak, Malaysia now would be a good time to do just that. Perak has some of the best tin mining museums in Malaysia and mining is a huge part of Perak’s […]
The Ultimate Guide to the Langkawi Rainy Season
Ask locals, in Langkawi, Malaysia, what the islands’ weather is like, for a particular time of year, and you will get a variety of responses from the various self-proclaimed weather experts. That will be especially true during the Langkawi rainy season(s). According to scientific data the ‘official’ Langkawi rainy season is from September until about […]
Celine Tan Clinic: My Visit to an Alor Setar Top Skin Specialist
It was my quest for a Kedah-based dermatologist that initially brought me to the Celine Tan Clinic. As one who spends a lot of time in the sun, skin cancer is always a concern and an annual look-see by a skin specialist is the best way to keep that in check. During non-pandemic times my […]