Getting to Sandakan
I am in Kota Kinabalu in the Sabah province of Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. The easiest way to get to Sandakan is to simple take a plane, but the most adventurous and cheapest way is to find your way by bus. Taxis are cheap in Borneo. If you’ve…
Crossing borders
Flying with Airasia is cheap, but as a backpacker I wanted the very cheapest I could find. So I figured out that flying from the Johor Bahru airport in Malaysia is cheaper than flying from Singapore airport. Airasia even provided free bus travel from Singapore. Making my way to Johor…
Digging into the criminal world
My very first job in Australia was an odd one. When I went to the interview I was told I could start immediately and so I spent the rest of the day in an office. I responded to an ad looking for people who could speak Dutch and English. I…
Manly: walking along North Head
On a sunny Saturday I made my way on the ferry to Manly beach. The ferry ride is highly recommended as you get a spectacular view of the Sydney CBD. After about half an hour we docked in Manly, a suburb north of Sydney. Besides surfing, sunbathing and shopping you…
The Gibb, you’re never alone
The Gibb River road, heart of the Kimberley in Australia, used to be a route to get cattle to the ports of Wyndham and Derby. Now it is an adventurous road that leads tourists into the wilderness. You can attempt to do it in your own car, 4×4 required, or…
Where inmates still dwell
The average tourist doesn’t even know there is an old jail in Adelaide. However, if you’re in Adelaide for a longer time, it is a place worth visiting. The Adelaide Gaol was in use until 1988. Since 1841, around the time Adelaide was founded, round about 300.000 inmates have lived…
Susannah Place; surrounded by history
The Rocks, Sydney NSW. Here were the pubs the convicts visited. It was home to the workmen. When the government wanted to destroy the little old houses in the Rocks to place some more offices and hotels, some people came in action. Now the Rocks is still an area with…
Dolphin domain
If you’re lucky you’ll see them from one of Adelaide’s beaches; dolphins. Another good spot to look out for the playful animals is Port Adelaide. Take a trip down here and have a good look in the surrounding waters. But if you want an experience that is bigger than that,…
Adelaide: city of churches
When people hear I’ve been in Adelaide for quite a while they frown and ask: “So, what do you do in Adelaide?” It is true; Adelaide is a relatively small city without much backpacker-appeal. In winter you might as well skip it, or minimize your stay to a day or…