I’m not so convinced but perhaps Rudyard Kipling had some influence why Mandalay is famous all over the world. In 1890 when he was 24 years old, he wrote the poem Mandalay. The poem colourfully illustrates the nostalgia and longing of a British Empire soldier for the exotic Asia.

Mandalay is the second largest city and the last royal capital of Myanmar. Located around 700 km north of Rangoon on the East bank of the Irrawaddy River, the city has a population of over a million. It is considered the centre of Burmese culture.

Personally, the most attractive feature of Mandalay is not the numerous religious sites to visit or the Mandalay Hill for a spectacular spot to watch the sunset but the friendliness of the city. While walking on the road, people will take the time to stop and ask if they could be of help, if direction is needed for a certain place. I haven’t seen so friendly and helpful hotel staff such as in Mandalay that it was so spontaneous and contagious. Hotel guests coming from different parts of the world were so much friendlier than usual that it was quite hard to not engage in conversations. So it’s not really the place if you would rather have some peace and quiet.

(Photo taken at the Mandalay Central Train Station)

Located in Amarapura on the outskirts of Mandalay, the 1.2 kilometre U Bein bridge built around 1850 is believed to be the longest and oldest teak bridge in the world. The bridge itself is made almost completely of teak planks mounted on pilings from an ancient palace. It’s rather rickety and uneven with no railings. One boy almost fell when I was there. Hand on my heart, I was scared for him.

The area is a very popular place to view sunset. Many boat operators offer their service to take people to the middle of the lake to see the sun setting. It is highly recommended as the view from the boat is just the most magnificent.

It’s the most beautiful feeling to be in the beach at dawn to feel the cool breeze touching my face and the sand between my toes. Facing the sea and waiting for the sun to rise, I could only hope that this is my daily scenery.

Located some 200 kilometres from Bangkok, Ko Samet is one of the eastern islands of Thailand. It says that the island consists of lush hills covered with evergreen and that 80% of its total area is covered by forest. But I didn’t really get that far in exploring the island.

There is a coffee house in the resort where I stayed. The coffee was good but the barista was quite distracted by the TV. He gets a bit annoyed every time someone places an order. Looking all surprise with a heavy frown on his face, he could have easily forgotten that he works there.

I did consider buying a genuine Venetian mask. But it’s very costly and after all, I’m not going to any Venetian carnival. Masks have always been the main feature of the Venetian carnival. They can be made of leather, porcelain or with the original glass technique. The original masks were simple in design with symbolic functions. Nowadays, most of Venetian masks are made with the application of gesso and gold leaf and are hand-painted using gems and natural feathers. The use of masks in Venice can be traced back as far as the 13th century. But in the past, these masks were also associated with rebellion. They can be a cover and a disguise when committing forbidden acts. There was a time when the wearing of masks in normal daily life was severely restricted. The mask I was trying here cost 150 Euros. 

Known for its bright, pastel- coloured houses and lace industry, Burano is an island 40 minutes away from Venice by vaporetto. It’s a very pretty and idyllic place that it felt very unreal. The bright, cheerful colours of the houses that lined the canals and streets are very charming and attractive.

One thing I learnt from this trip was another way to tie a scarf. I was charmed by a red lace scarf displayed at a tiny shop by the corner but I was a bit anxious for not knowing how to wear it. The shop keeper was so keen to show me the proper way to put it on. He was quick to tie the scarf around my shoulders that there was no other way but to purchase it!

There is also the leaning campanile of the Church of San Martino which if people didn’t know that it was leaning will find my photos slanted. 

I could have chosen a different destination for this romantic summer holiday. But I chose Venice. I wanted to see its beauty, to experience traveling by vaporetto, to hear the beautiful Italian language, to see fascinating people, to taste good food, enjoy the gelato, the coffee, the music and all nice things.

I did all that and more. I love Venice. I enjoyed walking its narrow road, passing by its colourful and magnificent architectures, watching beautiful people, looking at the expressive Italians waving their hands while they speak, the friendliness, the beautiful live music … They said it will be jammed pack full of people. They said it would be too hot. They said it would be too expensive. But none of this bothered me. I enjoyed every minute of it.

Coming back to the hotel after a wonderful day exploring the city, I found a candle, a bottle of champagne and some chocolates in the room courtesy of the hotel. This was to celebrate this lovely time in this romantic city.

I was circling the Stonehenge and was really, really cold. Was it not supposed to be summer? The thing was, I had no plans of circling the Stonehenge. I did not plan to go there. But the coach needed to stop on the way to London from Bath so that tourists can have a look and enjoy. But it was cold!

Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in Wiltshire, England. It’s an ancient stone circle which evolved between 3,000 BC and 1,600 BC. Its exact purpose remains a mystery. 

Although it was freezing cold that afternoon, I was happy to be asked by excited tourists to take their photos. I don’t know why because my hands were mid frozen. Did I mention it was June? 

It was an unexpected trip. I didn’t plan for it. But a friend once told me that Bath is beautiful and a must place to go if ever I’m in UK. Well, I’m in UK again. And somehow, I found myself in Baker street, waiting for the coach to take me to Bath, a two hours ride from London.

I didn’t know what I have to see in Bath but there are really beautiful architectures along the way to the main square. In the main square, I basically followed what others did, visiting the Roman Bath which was established between the first and the fifth centuries AD and Bath Abbey which was built in 1499. Walking around the city centre was quite fascinating even though the weather was cold and the skies were grey.

At the square, I saw a stall selling handmade leather products. There was a question posted on the wall that says, “Tired of paying too much for pointless brand names?” Well, I did thought it was a great question and ended up chatting with the seller.