The Travel 'B-Sides' - Side Three

Singapore

It is efficient; It’s modern; It has all the mod cons you could desire. However, we found it tediously boring after a couple of days.

It reminded me of a Southeast Asian version of London. All modern young executive types rushing about with the heads cocked high, and laptops firmly grasped under their oxters shouting into mobile phones.

I liked the mix of religions in the city and the history of the city-state.

Highlights: Chinatown, Universal Studios, 1-Altitude.

Slovakia

The half-day trip to Bratislava was well worth it; Bratislava was a cool little city. Our tour guide filled us in on the city’s past and how it emerged from communist rule.

Even though we were only there for a few hours, Slovakia provided a well-needed shot in the arm after the blandness of Austria. We’d love to go back one day and tour the country properly.

Highlights: Bratislava Castle, Man at Work – Čumil, the Roland Fountain area.

Sri Lanka

We absolutely loved Sri Lanka from start to finish. The culture, the history, the sights, the people, the food, the tea—it was tourist manna from heaven.

Outside of a terribly awkward oil massage and our guide’s tiresome efforts to cajole/force us into every tourist shop/money vacuum he could find, Sri Lanka was one of our best and most relaxing of trips.

Sri Lanka should be a must-see destination on any travellers bucket list.

Highlights: Horton Plains National Park, Golden Temple of Dambulla, Nuwara Eliya.

Saudi Arabia

Thankfully, we have had the chance to see a few areas in the Kingdom. As we’re living and working here, we don’t exactly view Saudi through the ‘travel lens".

What we’ve visited here has been extremely interesting, and the reoccurring theme is the friendliness of the locals. They don’t seem to tire of looking at the odd ‘hawadgas’ and us ‘tourists’ love interacting with them.

Highlights: Mada'in Saleh, Al Wahbah crater, Ta'if.

United Kingdom/Great Britain

Having also lived and worked in the U.K., and being Irish, I have never truly viewed the U.K. as a traditional ‘travel destination’.

Having said that, the U.K. is really unsurpassed in terms of history and things to see. The cultural heft that the island of Britain welds cannot be underestimated.

I have a distinctly love/hate relationship with London—I’m not its biggest fan, but I can definitely see its appeal. Regarding cities in the U.K., give me Edinburgh, Cardiff or Belfast any day over London.

Once outside of the overcrowded cities and towns, for me, is where Britain really comes ‘alive.’ The Cotswolds, Devon, Cornwall, rural Scotland and Wales, etc.

Highlights: Cornwall, Edinburgh, the Cotswolds.

United States

I have no problem saying it I’m an American fanboy. I grew up dreaming of visiting the big cities of the States. I lived and worked in Boston for a summer during my college days, so Boston will always be close to my heart. The city feels more like a really big town. My favourite spots were the strip down by Fenway Park, Boston Common and Faneuil Hall. During that summer, I also managed to see a bit of Connecticut and the Hamptons, New York.

In 2014, my wife and I visited Virginia, West Virginia and Washington D.C.

America, for me, has—and continues—to feel ‘different’—it has hints of Europe but at the same time doesn’t really feel European. And again, outside of the big cities and towns, the American countryside (that we saw) was beautiful.

Highlights: Boston, Washington D.C., Harpers Ferry.

Vietnam

Vietnam is right up there as one of our favourite destinations. It ticks all the right boxes: great food, great culture, welcoming locals, amazing history, fantastic sites and sights. We were lucky enough to see a good whack of the country on a hectic 8-day/7-night tour.

We saw Hanoi, overnighted on a boat in Halong Bay, Hoian, My Son holy land, Danang, Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta. It’s a toss-up as to which part was our favourite but Hanoi, Halong Bay and Hoian were definitely the stars of the show. I couldn’t recommend Vietnam enough. Like Sri Lanka, Vietnam should be on any must-see/do/visit traveller list.

Highlights: Hanoi/Hoian, My Son holy land, Halong Bay.