Category: AsiaPac

Remembering Nepal – Photos from 1995

I did a trek (part of the Annapurna circuit) in Nepal in Nov. 1995 and also visited Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Chitwan. It was breathtaking in beauty and also due to my lack of fitness. And it was also quite an adventure, which included an overturned bus. I do hope they rebuild much of what was devastated and that tourism, which is such a large part of their economy, recovers. Donations are likely to remain needed for years to come.

I wish I had better photo skills and equipment back then. The colour in my negatives have started to fade so I’ve converted most of the photos into black & white except for a couple where you can sort of tell that the original colours would have been stunning.

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Pic of the Day – Still Gazing in Bridport, Tasmania

This is my sister-in-law’s hometown – well, the beach part. There was a pier that burnt down. I took this photo in Nov. 2010 when we did a short road trip through Tasmania. This was taken with my first digital SLR, a Nikon D200, which I used from 2005-2013. I used an 80-200mm set at 120mm and f8, 1/250, ISO100. The lens weighed a ton. Incidentally, I think Tasmania is a good place to visit, especially if you want a place you can drive at your own pace and have your kids with you.

Bridport Pier, Tasmania
I’m still gazing!
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Kyoto’s Kitcho Arashiyama – Go for the Experience Not Just the Food

Kitcho's kaiseki cuisine

Michelin 3-starred Kitcho Arashiyama is known as a temple of Kyoto Kaiseki cuisine that comes with a high price. Reviews thus, are often mixed. Having now been there in winter and summer, I say that it’s worth trying at least once because of the complete experience it offers. However, if you’re just going for the food, you can get as fulfilling a Kaiseki experience elsewhere for a lot less financial pain.

I’m a sucker for Japanese ceramics, so to see the antiques that Kitcho...

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India – Manali to Leh Roadtrip Photos 2003

Back in July 2003, I took a road trip in northern India from Manali to Leh (Ladakh). I undertook this trip through Country Holidays in Singapore who still offers this tour. It’s worth doing – scenery is amazing and the food was surprisingly good (I love Indian food anyway). These are probably the better photos from the trip. I hadn’t gone digital yet so these were either taken with negative film (Fujifilm Reala), positives (Velvia or Provia) or black & white film (Neopan) using Carl Zeiss lens on either a Yashica or Contax body. One of my cameras malfunctioned so I lost more than a third of the shots I took.  Nowadays with digital, at least you’ll know immediately if there’s something wrong!

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Kyoto’s Kokedera – A Moss Visit

Kokedera, Kyoto's Moss Temple

No rolling stones here. One of the most enchanting gardens in Kyoto is that belonging to Kokedera (also known as Saiho-ji) or the Moss Temple. As its name suggests, it’s known for its moss. In my view, it’s well worth the trip to Kyoto’s western district to visit this garden.

I came here in June 2014 on a very hot day. We had a 10 am visit slot and since we didn't want to be late, we took a taxi from our hotel to Kokedera. It was only a 20 minute ride, although our hotel told us...

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