Teh Chin Liang
Teh Chin Liang is a long-time travel journal contributor to Dave’s Travel Corner and Global Travel Insider and a Senior Writer for GoNomad. Having traveled to more than 30 countries and counting, he especially enjoys venturing off the beaten path and experiencing unique local customs and cultures. He mostly travels solo and loves to capture what he sees on the road through words and photographs. Becoming a travel writer has made him more sensitive to each place he visits and encourages him to live more fully in the present.
Articles by Teh Chin Liang
In my broken Thai, I pointed toward the water and looked at the boatman. “Bua?” I asked. "Bua" means lotus in Thai. I tried to mimic the local accent and used a hand gesture, hoping he would understand and take me to see the flowers. He nodded and smiled, mumbled a string of words that I could not understand, and steered the boat into the open water, still shrouded in morning fog. The boat slowly pierced through the dissipating mist, eerily silent, like something out of a sci-fi movie. Before us, a sea of pink lotuses started to unfold, bit by bit, like a watercolor painting coming to life with each brushstroke. It was surreal, almost like a dream, yet it was real. My jaw dropped in awe when the scene finally unfolded in its entirety.
I ran my tongue around my lips and tasted the lingering flavor of curry and the remnants of spices from masala tea. The morning air was thick with the woody scent of incense sticks. A breeze rustled by. I stopped and took in the grassy scent of banana leaves and a faint whiff of freshly plucked flowers as I began my experience at Thaipusam in Penang.
A long table runs parallel to the exquisite dining hall, flanked by two rows of diners sitting across from each other. A scattered murmur of conversation halts the moment Nina Backman takes her seat. What looks like a regular banquet is a gathering where dining takes a backseat. This two-hour performative dining experience revolves around senses and silence.
People tend to skip over Sumatra when they travel to Indonesia. Bali is always their top pick. In North Sumatra lies Lake Toba, a hidden gem that intertwines historical and cultural allure.
What is the first thing coming to your mind when you hear the name Christmas Island? The island may sound festive by name, but it is a tropical paradise, fringed by palm trees and edged by sandy beaches that indent the rugged coastline. Captain William Mynors of the British East India Company discovered Christmas Island on December 25, 1643. The date probably gives away why the island is called Christmas.
