Author: Eric (Page 8 of 12)

Tet is the most important holiday on the Vietnamese calendar and a very festive time of the year. The city of Hanoi, which can otherwise be somewhat drab, comes alive with color. Multiple parks are outfitted with freshly planted flowers. Brightly colored banners are hung. Displays are set up to celebrate the next animal on the Lunar New Year calendar. Locals dress in fancy attire and take family pictures by the lakes. And like every other new year celebration across the globe, there are booming firework shows.

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Thailand is the king of the night market and Chiang Mai has perfected the art. There are night markets that happen everyday in different parts of the city, but the crown jewels are the Saturday and Sunday Walking Street markets. These popular night markets are filled with tons of food, clothing, jewelry, household goods, trinkets, art, and so much more. They are a fun (and delicious) way to spend an evening. I’ve put together a list of tips to maximize your experience if you visit or to just give you a taste of the experience from afar.

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We left Malacca and arrived in Kuala Lumpur on November 19th. This timing meant that we’ve been able to watch the Christmas decorations go up around the city. Most office buildings and apartment buildings offer festive decorations for the season. They are nothing compared with the displays at the malls though. Even halfway around the world, the Christmas season is synonymous with shopping. Kuala Lumpur is quite a wealthy city, so there are plenty of malls around to decorate. Each one seems to be competing with the others for the best display. I’ve narrowed it down to three finalists.

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Situated in the middle of Kuala Lumpur’s vast botanical garden is the KL Bird Park. It’s a gigantic free-flight aviary that is home to thousands of different birds. While there are a few cages in the park, the vast majority of the residents at the KL Bird Park are living in an open environment under giant netting. The most noticeable of these are the giant birds like storks, peacocks, and pelicans, but there were plenty of smaller flyers as well. We were in awe of the sheer number of birds flying and walking around. 

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Historic downtown Malacca is filled with dozens of museums. Maybe it’s due to the fact that there are so many, but most of them seem to leave something to be desired. A lot of them are pretty small, which means the interesting parts (to me) were even smaller. Some of them are poorly laid out and hard to follow. It also seems like they all use creepy mannequins in one form or another. Or maybe they just suffer in comparison to the House of Museums. Despite the generic name and unassuming storefront, this private museum is the best Malacca has to offer.

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Rolling through the heart of Malacca is the Malacca River. This waterway is one of the main features that has made Malacca, Malaysia a significant trading port throughout history. It narrows near downtown providing a strategic defensive position and there are remnants of antique walls and forts in multiple spots in the area. While no longer needed for defense, the river is still important to the current economy. It’s become a main tourist draw as the city transformed the banks into a renowned riverwalk. Most of the street art in Malacca can be found hugging the river as well. The combination of a traffic-free path and colorful artistry makes this riverwalk a wonderful spot to stroll.

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