The Places to See Before You Die

March 15, 2015, 2:30 am

≫ Next: Royal Botanic Gardens

≪ Previous: Taj Mahal, India

Executive summary by darmansjah

Taj Mahal, India

Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado

Pompei, Italy

Tikal

Petra, Yordania

Great Pyramid of Giza

Easter Land

Great Wall, China

Northern Light, Iceland

Serengeti National Park, Kenya

Falling Water, Pennsylvania

Yangtze River, China

Antartica, USA

Mount Kilimanjaro, Kenya

Grand Canyon, Arizona

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Royal Botanic Gardens

March 16, 2015, 9:22 pm

≫ Next: Darwin Beer Can Regatta

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The Royal Botanic Gardens

By darmansjah

It is the largest botanical garden opened to the public in Sydney. Beautifully manicured park offers spectacular views of one of the Mrs Macquarie's Chair, a chair-shaped sandstone carved for Governor Macquarie's wife, Elizabeth.

The Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney, New South Wales, is the most central of the three major botanical gardens open to the public in Sydney (the others being the Mount Annan Botanic Garden and the Mount Tomah Botanic Garden). The gardens were opened in 1816, and are managed by the same trust that manages the adjoining The Domain. The gardens are open every day of the year, and access is free.

Situated east of the Sydney Opera House, and overlooking Farm Cove, the gardens occupy 30 hectares in area, and are bordered by: the Cahill Expressway to the south and west, Art Gallery road to the east, and Sydney Harbour to the north.

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Darwin Beer Can Regatta

March 17, 2015, 11:57 pm

≫ Next: Alice Desert Festival

≪ Previous: Royal Botanic Gardens

By darmansjah

Never seen a ship made out of tin cans? Imagine racing boats are racing on a beach. Well, the view can be seen in the show titled Darwin Beer Can Regatta held at Mindil Beach, Darwin.

The Darwin Beer Can Regatta is an event which has been held annually since 1974 in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia at Mindil Beach. Participants create boats using empty beer cans, soft drink (soda) cans, soft drink bottle and milk cartons. The vessels are not tested for seaworthiness, prior to water events, and those that fall apart are part of the day's entertainment. A great many sundry events go along with the regatta, including concerts, a thong-throwing contest and the "Henley-on-Mindil" competition (named after the Henley-on-Todd Regatta), where participants run their "boats" around like Flintstones cars.

Typical more or less floating construction used in the regatta, now a piece of the collection at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney.

The first Beer Can Regatta was held on 16 June 1974, at Vestey's Beach. This is contrary to popular belief that the regatta started in the aftermath of Cyclone Tracy. Cycclone Tracy actually hit Darwin on Christmas Eve 1974, about 6 months after the regatta.

The 1st Beer Can Regatta was the brainchild of Lutz Frankenfeld and Paul Rice-Chapman, both of whom were members of the Darwin Regional Tourism Promotion Association. At the time, Paul (working at local newspaper "The NT News") had a deal with Swan Breweries to stage a water festival of some sort, and was developing the idea of building rafts out of empty beer cans. Lutz took this idea a step further and added an outboard motor to the vessel, and things grew from there.

The Beer Can Regatta is now managed by the Darwin Lions Beer Can Regatta Association Inc, which is essentially a partnership of the three Lions Clubs of the Darwin region, to 1/ promote tourism in the Northern Territory, 2/ raise funds for charitable purposes, and 3/ promote Lionism.

The Darwin Beer Can Regatta is now known as the Darwin Lions Beer Can Regatta.

The Darwin Lions Beer Can Regatta has been held at Vestey's Beach and Mindil Beach since 1974, on the following dates.

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Alice Desert Festival

March 18, 2015, 12:04 am

≫ Next: Australian National Maritime Museum

≪ Previous: Darwin Beer Can Regatta

Executive summary By darmansjah

Located in between the red sand and clear blue skies, Alice desert festival is cool. In a festival held in the Northern Territory, you can join the locals to share their stories and songs.

Alice Springs claims to be 'the biggest little town in Australia'. And it's true. Ask most locals and they'll tell you it's just a Northern Territory country town; but, given its outsized reputation and complex community dynamic, there's lots more than meets the eye. That too sums up the kaleidoscopic Alice Desert Festival (alicedesertfestival.com.au), attracting more than 50,000 people to experience its local and national music, dance and culture.

Why go?

Now in its 12th year, the Alice Desert Festival is already Central Australia's premier celebration of arts and culture, inspired by the desert and its rich cultural landscape. Not long ago, the Alice Desert Festival was an add-on experience for visitors. In transit between Darwin, Katherine and Kakadu National Park in the north and Uluru, Kata Tjuta and Kings Canyon to Alice Springs' southwest, lucky travellers were treated to a desert hoedown extravaganza. But nowadays, many people come to Alice specifically for the festival. The intimate and inspiring setting is a far cry from concert venues in Australia's major city centres, and plenty of travellers go on to visit the classic Red Centre or Top End attractions too.

What to expect

The 2015 Alice Desert Festival program of events – many free, all priced to sell – boasts nearly 40 performances and over 60 events involving more than 1000 artists. Find the 2015 program in full here. During the peak season, the two primary venues are the HUB, which takes over Anzac Oval (off Wills Terrace) just north of the small downtown area, and the Festival Club Big Top, located in Olive Pink Botanic Garden, on Tuncks Road just southeast of the centre. The HUB, focal point of the peak period's opening weekend, is the main stage for the biggest events, including the Bush Bands Bash, one of the Australia's largest indigenous music events and an all-too-rare coming-together of people of all cultures for a good time; and two evenings of local and national artists, including some of star standing, like Bart Willoughby, a top Australian Aboriginal performer, Shane Howard, a highly acclaimed songwriter, and Catherine Satour, a leading indigenous artist. The Festival Club offers an eclectic mix of major and up-and-coming artists across many genres, like comedy (the hilarious Frank Woodley headlines) and music styles from ambient soul and folk to cabaret and dance. Throughout the festival, there's dancing in the streets and the Alice On The Menu spotlight on restaurants using local produce and native bush foods.

When to go

The festival is already underway (the official start was 10 August 2015), but the ten-day peak season doesn't begin until 7 September. On peak-season opening weekend, the HUB hosts a free-of-charge Common Ground, as well as a kids' day, while the Desert Mob Exhibition, a survey of Australia’s premier Indigenous art, joins other installations around town.

Make it happen

For tickets, book online ahead of time, as many events are expected to sell out. To get more involved, the festival eagerly welcomes volunteers, even travellers in town for just a few days. Ethan Gelber is a writer/editor of long standing with a passion for responsible, sustainable and local travel. Follow along @thetravelword.

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Australian National Maritime Museum

March 19, 2015, 12:14 am

≫ Next: Flinders Street Station

≪ Previous: Alice Desert Festival

The Australian National Maritime Museum

By darmansjah

Studying the history of a nation is interesting. Moreover, if learning can be done in a beautiful museum. Well, The Australian National MaritimeMuseum offers it. The museum also provides guide services for free of charge at the gallery 'extermination vampires' and maritime cultural center.

The Australian National Maritime Museum (ANMM) is a federally-operated maritime museum located in Darling Harbour, Sydney. After consideration of the idea to establish a maritime museum, the Federal government announced that a national maritime museum would be constructed at Darling Harbour, tied into the New South Wales State government's redevelopment of the area for the Australian bicentenary. The museum building was designed by Philip Cox, and although an opening date of 1988 was initially set, construction delays, cost overruns, and disagreements between the State and Federal governments over funding responsibility pushed the opening back to 1991.

One of six museums directly operated by the Federal government, the ANMM is the only one located outside of the Australian Capital Territory. The museum is structured around seven main galleries, focusing on the discovery of Australia, the relationships between the Australian Aborigines and the water, travel to Australia by sea, the ocean as a resource, water-based relaxation and entertainment, the naval defence of the nation, and the relationship between the United States of America and Australia. The last gallery was funded by the United States government, and is the only national museum gallery in the world funded by a foreign nation. Four additional gallery spaces are used for temporary exhibits. Three museum ships - the HM Bark Endeavour Replica, the destroyer HMAS Vampire, and the submarine HMAS Onslow - are open to the public, while smaller historical vessels berthed outside can be viewed but not boarded.

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Flinders Street Station

March 20, 2015, 12:23 am

≫ Next: Sydney Harbour Bridge

≪ Previous: Australian National Maritime Museum

By darmansjah

If you stop in Melbourne, Victoria, you should not miss a visit to Flinders Street Station. Here you will find the railway station with the Victorian style of architecture. This place is touted as a suburban railway station busiest in Australia.

Flinders Street Station—colloquially shortened to simply Flinders Street or sometimes FSS—is a central commuter railway station at the corner of Flinders and Swanston streets in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It serves the entire metropolitan rail network. Backing onto the city reach of the Yarra River in the heart of the city, the complex covers two whole city blocks and extends from Swanston Street to Queen Street.

Each weekday, over 110,000 commuters and 1,500 trains pass through the station. It is the most used metropolitan railway station in Melbourne, in 2009 there was an average of 85,100 passenger boardings per day. Flinders Street is serviced by Metro's suburban services, and V/Line regional services to Gippsland.

It was the first railway station in an Australian city, the terminus for the first use of steam rail in Australia and the world's busiest passenger station in the late 1920s.

The main station building, completed in 1909, is a cultural icon to Melbourne, with its prominent dome, arched entrance, tower and clocks it is one of the city's most recognisable landmarks. As such it is frequently used to symbolise the city and is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.The Melburnian idiom "I'll meet you under the clocks", refers to the row of clocks above the main entrance, which indicate the time-tabled time of departure for trains on each line; another idiom "I'll meet you on the steps", refers to the wide staircase underneath these clocks. Flinders Street Station is responsible for two of Melbourne's busiest pedestrian crossings, both across Flinders Street, including one of Melbourne's few pedestrian scrambles.

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Sydney Harbour Bridge

March 21, 2015, 12:46 am

≫ Next: City Circle

≪ Previous: Flinders Street Station

By darmansjah

This place is a bridge connecting the Sydney CBD and North Shore. The bridge was nicknamed 'The coat hanger' special features views of the harbor and the SydneyOpera House.

The Sydney Harbour Bridgeis a steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district (CBD) and the North Shore. The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic image of Sydney, New South Wales, and Australia. The bridge is nicknamed "The Coathanger" because of its arch-based design.

Under the directions of Dr J.J.C. Bradfield of the NSW Department of Public Works, the bridge was designed and built by British firm Dorman Long and Co Ltd of Middlesbrough and opened in 1932.The bridge's design was influenced by the Hell Gate Bridge in New York. It is also the sixth longest spanning-arch bridge in the world, and it is the tallest steel arch bridge, measuring 134 metres (440 ft) from top to water level.It was also the world's widest long-span bridge, at 48.8 meters (160 feet) wide, until construction of the new Port Mann Bridge in Vancouver.

The Road

From the Sydney CBD side, motor vehicle access to the bridge is normally via Grosvenor Street, Clarence Street, Kent Street, the Cahill Expressway, or the Western Distributor. Drivers on the northern side will find themselves on the Warringah Freeway, though it is easy to turn off the freeway to drive westwards into North Sydney or eastwards to Neutral Bay and beyond upon arrival on the northern side.

The bridge originally only had four wider traffic lanes occupying the central space which now has six, as photos taken soon after the opening clearly show. In 1958 tram services across the bridge were withdrawn and the tracks replaced by two extra road lanes; these lanes are now the leftmost southbound lanes on the bridge and are still clearly distinguishable from the other six road lanes. Lanes 7 and 8 now connect the bridge to the elevated Cahill Expressway that carries traffic to the Eastern Distributor.

In 1988, work began to build a tunnel to complement the bridge. It was determined that the bridge could no longer support the increased traffic flow of the 1980s. The Sydney Harbour Tunnel was completed in August 1992. It is intended for use only by motor vehicles.

The Bradfield Highway is designated as a Travelling Stock Route which means that it is permissible to herd livestock across the bridge, but only between midnight and dawn, and after giving notice of intention to do so. In practice, owing to the high-density urban nature of modern Sydney, and the relocation of abattoirs and markets, this has not taken place for approximately half a century.

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City Circle

March 22, 2015, 2:49 am

≫ Next: The Entrance and Daisy Hill Koala Centre

≪ Previous: Sydney Harbour Bridge

The City Circle

Executive summary By darmansjah

Want to feel a true Melbournian? Please you ride tem The City Circle. Unlike regular tram, the city circle provides guidance voice services in some specific routes.

The City Circle tram service operates within Melbourne's central business district. The service operates in a circular route passing major tourist attractions, as well as linking with other tram, train and bus routes in and around Melbourne. Trams run in both directions approximately every twelve minutes between 10am and 6pm Sunday to Wednesday and extended hours, 10am - 9pm Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Clockwise service: Flinders Street > Harbour Esplanade > Docklands Drive > La Trobe Street > Victoria Street > Nicholson Street > Spring Street > Flinders Street.

The City Circle tram service operates within Melbourne's central business district. The service operates in a circular route passing major tourist attractions, as well as linking with other tram, train and bus routes in and around Melbourne. Trams run in both directions approximately every twelve minutes between 10am and 6pm Sunday to Wednesday and extended hours, 10am - 9pm Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Anti-clockwise service: Flinders Street > Spring Street > Nicholson Street > Victoria Parade > La Trobe Street > Docklands Drive > Harbour Esplanade > Flinders Street.

Tickets

Getting around

Projects

About PTV

Customer service

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The Entrance and Daisy Hill Koala Centre

March 23, 2015, 3:05 am

≫ Next: Find Zoo Without Fences

≪ Previous: City Circle

Daisy Hill Koala Centre entrance.

By darmansjah

For those who like animals, do not forget to stop at The Entrance, New South Wales. Here you can see how cute the pelican birds when fed. If you want to see koalas, you can also come to the Daisy Hill Koala Centre

Built by the Queensland Government as a dedicated koala education facility, the Daisy Hill Koala Centre was opened to the public in 1995. Extensively refurbished in 2009, it now features a large outdoor koala enclosure and many new interactive displays.

Admission is free.

Open daily from 10am to 4pm (except Christmas Day, New Year's Day and Good Friday).

Walkways are suitable for wheelchairs.

Located 25km south of Brisbane in the Daisy Hill Conservation Park.

The Daisy Hill Conservation Park comprises 435 hectares of open eucalypt forest. It has long been a popular bushland retreat for people, and is home to many native animals including koalas.

Resident koalas can be seen from two different level viewing boardwalks at the Daisy Hill Koala Centre.

Visitors are not able to handle or pat the koalas.

Celeste

Celeste was born on New Year’s Day, 2005. She arrived at Daisy Hill Koala Centre from The Big Pineapple’s former wildlife sanctuary on the Sunshine Coast in April 2011, along with her niece, Mangiri. Celeste and Mangiri are very close and can sometimes be seen snuggling together on the tree forks.

Celeste has a scar on her left eye which is possibly due to a scuffle she had with another koala while in captivity. She can also be distinguished from the other resident koalas by her very white bottom.

Celeste can usually be seen sitting high up in the tree forks. On most rainy days she will sit in a tree fork that is sheltered from the rain because she does not like to get wet.

Mangiri

Mangiri was born at The Big Pineapple’s former wildlife sanctuary on the Sunshine Coast on 13 June 2009.

In April 2011 Mangiri came to live at Daisy Hill Koala Centre, along with her aunt, Celeste. Mangiri loves her aunty and can sometimes be seen snuggling up to her in the fork of a tree.

Mangiri is the youngest koala at Daisy Hill Koala Centre. She has the softest and fluffiest fur, a rounder belly and a more youthful face than the other koalas. Her parents are relatively large koalas so it is very likely she will be too.

Faith

Faith was admitted to the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital on 1 November 2011 as a suspected car strike victim. A physical examination revealed she had no signs of injury, however reproductive cysts were detected. As a result she had her ovaries removed.

Koalas that are sterile are not released back to the wild so Faith has come to live at Daisy Hill Koala Centre as an education display koala. Faith was likely to have been born in the wild in 2007. She is a very friendly and calm-natured koala who loves to sit in the rain. You can easily identify her by the pink pigmentation on the heels of her hind paws.

Elsa

Elsa was admitted to the Moggill Koala Hospital on 27 July 2011. She was found on the roadside and was thought to have been hit by a car. After further examination, 28 ticks were found on her tiny body, explaining her severe anaemia and poor condition.

She was believed to be eight months old when she was found. At this age she should still have been with her mother who, despite an extensive search, was unfortunately never found.

After her rehabilitation, Elsa did not show signs that she had the necessary skills to survive in the wild. Permission was granted for to her to remain in captivity for education purposes at the Daisy Hill Koala Centre.

What to see in the centre

Learn more about koalas by exploring the fun and informative displays in the centre. Take time to:

watch a film in the Midnight Woodland Theatre about the plight of koalas

play the Koala Quest and Koala Quiz games on the interactive kiosks

find out why koalas are listed as vulnerable in South East Queensland

climb the observation tower to get a koala’s eye view of the world—koalas might even be spotted from here

discover all about the koala’s life cycle and unique biology

learn the signs and symptoms of a sick or injured koala

get hands-on with radio tracking and finding out about koala research and monitoring

learn how to keep koalas safe in the backyard

become informed about the Queensland Government’s koala programs.

Programs and activities

Daisy Hill Koala Centre staff run koala-focused education programs for schools and groups within the centre. If you'd like to know more or are interested in making a booking, contact the centre between 8am and 4pm weekdays, and talk to a ranger.

The Connect with Nature school program features environmental education activities offered in Queensland’s parks and forests. It gives students the opportunity to experience Queensland’s natural environment and cultural heritage through ranger-guided activities. Some activities are designed to meet the State curriculum, and some may attract a small user-pays fee.

Family fun day—Sunday 29 September 10am to 2pm

How to get there

If travelling south from Brisbane on the Pacific Motorway:

turn off at exit 24

turn left into Daisy Hill Road, and continue to the Daisy Hill Conservation Park.

If travelling north from the Gold Coast on the Pacific Motorway:

turn off at exit 24 (Daisy Hill–Loganlea exit)

turn right onto the overpass

turn right into Winnetts Road

turn left into Daisy Hill Road and continue to the Daisy Hill Conservation Park.

Useful links

Daisy Hill Koala Centre brochure

Daisy Hill Koala Centre activity sheets for children

Daisy Hill Koala Centre

Daisy Hill Road

Daisy Hill QLD 4127

Ph (07) 3299 1032 Fax (07) 3299 1217

International +61 7 3299 1032 Fax +61 7 3299 1217

Email the koala.koala.centre@ehp.qld.gov.au more information

Related information

· Koalas(general information including species outline)

· Koala ambulance

· Moggill Koala Hospital

· Daisy Hill Conservation Park

· David Fleay Wildlife Park

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Find Zoo Without Fences

March 24, 2015, 8:54 am

≫ Next: PHAT KAPHRAO, Thailand

≪ Previous: The Entrance and Daisy Hill Koala Centre

By darmansjah

See the beauty Australia with Singapore Airlines

Fly round-trip to Adelaide, Brisbane. Melbourne, Perth, Sydney ranging from USD700

Enjoy the change of dollars voucher; Inside dollar voucher for $ 40 when you are in transit in Singapore on Singapore Airlines

Stay in Tangaloma Wild Dolphin Resort. Brisbane; 50% discount on a whale watch cruise (Jun-Oct) or, Dugong / Marine Discovery Cruise (adult A $ 65-A $ 45 children)

Enjoy stunning views of Australia in Adelaide; purchase tour packages for adult day and get 50% discount for the second package (adult or child) for the tour options, including Kangaroo Island and the Flinders Ranges. Book 3 day stay package at the Flinders Ranges Outback Tour Mountain Safari once and get 50% discount for the second package.

Perth experienced extraordinary; Buy any package to Perth and get Extraordinary Deals Booklet with many pieces up to AUD $ 5000!

Australia’s unique wildlife is one of the main attractions for visitors. Here are some of the top places you can get close to them in their natural habitat.

New South Wales

Whale watching from land or sea, dolphin cruises, swimming with seals, sea bird watching and other aquatic creature encounters are plentiful along the New South Wales coast from Eden in the south to Cape Byronin the north. Prime whale-watching sites include Byron Bay, Port Stephens, Jervis Bay, Merimbula and Eden and even close to Sydney from the beachside headlands. On Montague Island you can view colonies of little penguins and Australian fur seals. Port Stephens, Byron Bay and Jervis Bay are popular places for dolphin-watching.

Northern Territory

The Northern Territory teems with wildlife and a great way to see the wildlife of the rivers and wetlands of the Northern Territory is on a guided cruise. Yellow Water is a billabong in Kakadu National Park where you will see submerged crocodiles, wild horses and buffalo. During the wet season it attracts millions of migratory birds. Crocodiles are the most famous of the Territory's creatures, and can be seen in most rivers and billabongs in the Top End.

Queensland

The Queensland coastline is a convoy of cruising humpback whales between July and November. Hervey Bay is known as the ‘Whale Watching Capital of Australia’. Many operators will take you on a whale-watching cruise to see their spectacular acrobatic antics. On the Great Barrier Reef you can snorkel close to a kaleidoscope of colourful fish, sea turtles and manta rays in warm tropical waters. Swim with inquisitive minke whales on an expedition from Cairns or Port Douglas. Watch nesting sea turtles and emerging hatchlings head to the ocean at Mon Repos Conservation Park, Heron Island or Lady Elliott Island; or feed wild dolphins on Moreton Island. Queensland is also home to more than 600 bird species and is one of the best places in the world to go birdwatching. Eungella National Park near Mackay is platypus country. Nowhere else in the world are you as likely to see as many of these extraordinary creatures as here.

South Australia

Kangaroo Island is a true zoo without fences. Watch Little Penguins waddling home after a day out at sea, or take a cruise and swim with the island’s resident pods of dolphins. Bird-lovers will find some 270 species including the rare Glossy Black Cockatoo, which is only found here. The Seal Park Conservation Park is one of the only places in the world where you can wander within metres of hundreds of rare Australian Sea-lions as they lazily doze on the beach. On the Eyre Peninsula you can swim with sea lions and dolphins. Watch little penguins make their way to the burrows at dusk at the Granite Island Recreation or Nature Park at Victor Harbour. In winter the Great Australian Bight is the best place to spot southern right whales nursing their young.

Tasmania

Tasmania's isolation from mainland Australia has meant the survival of many plants and animals that are rare or extinct elsewhere in the world. You may be lucky to encounter a wombat or shy platypus or hear the chilling screams of a Tasmanian devil as you walk a forest path or sit quietly by a stream in the World Heritage-listed wilderness. Narawntapu National Parkis one of the best places to see a variety of animals. See fairy penguins waddle up the beach at dusk at Bicheno on Tasmania’s east coast. Birdwatchers should not miss visiting Bruny Island.

Victoria

Victoria’s Phillip Island Nature Park is home to one of Australia's most popular wildlife attractions, the nightly Penguin Parade. Rangers guide small groups of people to view the penguins as they come up the beach each evening. You can join an expedition to swim alongside playful dolphins or seals in Port Phillip Bay. Victoria has more than 100 national parks where you can see kangaroos, emus, wombats, lyrebirds, glow worms, platypus and Tasmanian devils in their natural habitat. Watch for whales at Warrnambool between June and September.

Western Australia

The Ningaloo Marine Park offers a wonderful opportunity to see three of the world's seven species of marine turtles, Green, Loggerhead, and Hawksbill as they nest on mainland beaches from November to March. Western Australia is also home to the famous dolphins of Monkey Mia where each morning for more than 40 years wild bottlenose

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PHAT KAPHRAO, Thailand

March 25, 2015, 8:38 pm

≫ Next: Pinanncles Desert

≪ Previous: Find Zoo Without Fences

Executive summary by darmansjah

The Thai word kaphrao means ‘holy basil’, which is the essential ingredient in this stir-fried dish. In pha kaphrao, the plant is combined with some protein-typically minced pork or chicken, but it can also be seafood-along with coarsely chopped garlic, chillies and, sometimes, chopped yardlong bean. The dish is seasoned with fish sauce and a pinch of sugar, served over rice and usually crowned with a fried egg.

ORIGIN Phat kaphrao is a relatively recent introduction to Thai cuisine and didn’t become commonplace until about 50 years ago, although Thai holy basil has been a well-used local ingredient for a long time. In ancient India, the herb was used in ayurvedic medicine and is considered a sacred plant among Hindus. Like much Thai street food-and particularly because phat kaphrao is work-fried-the dish most likely has at least partial Chinese origins.

TASTING Unlike other Thai street dishes, there generally aren’t vendors who specialize only in phat kaphrao. Typically, the dish is found at ‘made-to-order’ carts, stalls and restaurants. These establishments do a huge variety of dishes, and can be recognized by a tray of raw ingredients. A diner will generally have a look at what ingredients are available and place their order directly with the cook. The steaming dish will emerge from the work a few minutes later. Although phat kaphrao is predominately salty and spicy, it is always served with a small bowl of finely sliced chillies in fish sauce, and sometimes a squeeze of lime-the Thai equivalent of the salt shaker.

Finding It any raan ahaan taam sang, or ‘made-to-order’, restaurant or stall in Thailand will serve phat kaphrao (US$1-US$1.60).

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Pinanncles Desert

March 26, 2015, 8:39 am

≫ Next: CHURROS, SPAIN

≪ Previous: PHAT KAPHRAO, Thailand

The Pinanncles Desert

By darmansjah

If you want to see the natural wonders of limestone, compaction to please you pinnancles desert. Here there are hundreds of natural limestone as high as five meters 25,000-30,000 years old. The place is very beautiful views, especially when the sun sets.

Formation

The raw material for the limestone of the Pinnacles came from seashells in an earlier epoch rich in marine life. These shells were broken down into lime rich sands which were blown inland to form high mobile dunes.

The mechanisms through which the Pinnacles were formed from this raw material are the subject of some controversy, with three mechanisms having been proposed:

They were formed from lime leaching from the aeolian sand (wind-blown sand) and by rain cementing the lower levels of the dune into a soft limestone. Vegetation forms an acidic layer of soil and humus. A hard cap of calcrete develops above the softer limestone. Cracks in the calcrete are exploited by plant roots. The softer limestone continues to dissolve and quartz sand fills the channels that form. Vegetation dies and winds blow away the sand covering the eroded limestone, thus revealing the Pinnacles.

They were formed through the preservation of cast of trees buried in coastal aeolianites where roots became groundwater conduits, resulting in precipitation of indurated (hard) calcrete. Subsequent wind erosion of the aeolianite would then expose the calcrete pillars.

On the basis of the mechanism of formation of smaller “root casts” occurring in other parts of the world, it has been proposed that plants played an active role in the creation of the Pinnacles, rather than the rather passive role detailed above. The proposal is that as transpiration draws water through the soil to the roots, nutrients and other dissolved minerals flow toward the root. This process is termed "mass-flow" and can result in the accumulation of nutrients at the surface of the root, if the nutrients arrive in quantities greater than needed for plant growth. In coastal aeolian sands which have large amounts of calcium (derived from marine shells) the movement of water to the roots would drive the flow of calcium to the root surface. This calcium accumulates at high concentrations around the roots and over time is converted into a calcrete. When the roots die, the space occupied by the root is subsequently also filled with a carbonate material derived from the calcium in the former tissue of the roots and possibly also from water leaching through the structures. Although evidence has been provided for this mechanism in the formation of root casts in South Africa, evidence is still required for its role in the formation of the Pinnacles.

Tourism

The Pinnacles remained unknown to most Australians until the 1960s, when the area was dismissed to Nambung National Park. The area receives over 250,000 visitors a year. A visitor precinct and interpretive centre was completed in March 200.

The best season to see the Pinnacles is spring from August to October, as the days are mild and wildflowers start to bloom. The pinnacle formations are best viewed in the early morning or late afternoon as the play of light brings out the colours and the extended shadows of the formations delivers a contrast that brings out their features. Most animals in the park are nocturnal, but emus and kangaroos can be seen during the daytime, more commonly in the evening or early morning.

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CHURROS, SPAIN

March 27, 2015, 8:47 pm

≫ Next: PHO-VIETNAM

≪ Previous: Pinanncles Desert

Executive summary by darmansjah

The Spanish take on a doughnut, the churro is a long, delicately-ridged tube (the dough is piped through a star-shaped nozzle) that’s deep-fried until golden, dusted with sugar-or sometimes cinnamon-and then dunked into thick hot chocolate. Sold in churreriasand from stalls in the street, this is an Iberian breakfast to beat them all.

ORIGIN The churro sheep was a breed known for the quality of its wool. The shepherds who looked after them were only able to cary the basics, which in Spain was fried bread-simple and easy to cook on the go. Sugar was later sprinkled on top and the star shaped form became popular, allowing the outside to crisp up while the centre remains soft. In some parts of the country, these deep-fried treats are knowns as porras.

TASTING You have the hangover to end them all-the sort that renders normal conversation impossible. Even thinking hurts. However, you catch the scent of sweet, frying dough, stop and look around, and spot the stall. A great vat is filled with boiling oil and the fresh dough, pushed through that star shaped nozzle, is plopped in. there is a delectable sizzle; no more than a minute passes before the crisp, piping-hot tubes are sieved out, drained and sprinkled with sugar. The first bite is red-hot and deeply addivtive-a crunch followed by blissful softness. A few more bites and it’s gone. The second churro disappears in record time. By the time the hot chocolate arrive, you’re coming back to life, your grimace replaced by a sugary grin.

FINDING IT The chocolateria San Gines in Madrid serves some of the finest churros in the country (US$2.60-US$5.60; 00 34 91 365 65 46).

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PHO-VIETNAM

March 28, 2015, 8:53 pm

≫ Next: SABIH, ISRAEL

≪ Previous: CHURROS, SPAIN

Executive summary By darmansjah

YOU could call pho (feu) a noodle soup, but to put it so plainly would be a grave injustice. Commonly eaten at breakfast, it’s a combination of beef stock-with notes of onion, ginger, star anise and coriander-rice noodles, chillies and beanshoots, which is topped with slices of beef brisket, chicken or meatballs and a squeeze of lime.

ORIGIN Pho, which has its origins in the cuisines of France and China, was popularized around the end of the 19^th century. The Vietnamese took the rice noodles from their northern neighbor and a taste for red meat from the colonialists, and created something entirely new. Some say that pho is derived from the French dish pot-au-feu, while others argue that it is Chinese in origin, stemming from ‘fan’, a Cantonese word for noodles.

TASTING Pictures dawn breaking across Vietnam, with the background hum of scooter engines yet to reach its mid-morning crescendo. The pho sellers have set up stalls, some little more than a battered collection of metal pans, while others offer plastic tables; whichever you choose, it’s the broth that matters. The broth is the heart and soul of pho, and should be rich and deeply flavoured. The noodles should be freshly made-soft with a hint of firmness-while it is best to use chillies that are mild rather than fierce. Bean sprouts add a satisfyingly crunchy texture, and with a dash of fish sauce and a squeeze of lime, breakfast is ready.

Finding it : The Quan An Ngon restaurant in Hanoi has gorgeous garden and does exemplary pho (from US$2.30; 00 84 4 3942 8162).

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SABIH, ISRAEL

March 29, 2015, 8:57 pm

≫ Next: JERKED PORK, JAMAICA & CARIBBEAN ISLANDS

≪ Previous: PHO-VIETNAM

Executive summary By darmansjah

Falafel’s little brother combines fried aubergine and hard-boiled egg with tahini, amba (Iraqi-style mango chutney) and chopped vegetables to create a cheap, filling and healthy meal served in a pitta. Boiled potato, chopped parsley, and tomato and cucumber salad are also used for the pitta’s stuffing, which is salted, sprinkled with finely ground pepper and garnished with an extra dollop of tahini.

ORIGIN Traditionaly eaten by Iraqi Jews on Saturday morning , sabih – known as bid babinjan (‘egg in aubergine’) in Baghdad-was brought to Israel by Iraqi immigrants in the early 1950s. for years appreciated mainly in Tel Aviv’s suburbs among large populations of Iraqi Jews, the dish has recently become popular with Israelis in the city’s more fashionable quarters.

TASTING Ask an Israeli of Iraqi origin where to find the best sabih and chances are they’ll tell you about long-ago Sabbath mornings in Baghdad. Traditionalists swear by old-style sabih, on offer from hole-in-the wall vendors with chest-high glass cases and a few bar stools, while modish feinshmekerim (connoisseurs, in Israeli slang and Yiddish) often champion sleek shops featuring audacious fusion dishes. What everyone is looking for is the perfect mixtures of complementary flavours and contrasting textures. As you bite through the pitta, the warm aubergine will meet crunchy, spring-green parsley, jicy tomato with soft morsels of egg, tangy amba mixed with crisp slivers of onion, and the heat of green chilli, mellowed by creamy tahini.

FINDING IT Hippo Falafel Organi in Tel Aviv serves up both traditional and innovates takes on the dish (from US$5.15; 00 972 3 609 3394).

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JERKED PORK, JAMAICA & CARIBBEAN ISLANDS

March 30, 2015, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: 10 Places Holidays in Australia

≪ Previous: SABIH, ISRAEL

Executive summary By darmansjah

PORK, which is marinated with Scotch bonnet chillies, allspice, sugar, cinnamon and a plethora of other ingredients, is slow-cooked over a smoky wood fire to create this dish, which is best eaten using your fingers.

ORIGIN Pork was the original jerk meat, a leftover fro mthe Sapnish conquests of the 15^th and 16^th centuries. A less happy reminder of Spanish rule were the Maroons-African slaves left to fend for themselves on the islands, and brutally hunted by the British. The Maroons needed meat that could be easily transported and kept, so they came up with a jerk seasoning made from readily available ingredients. It had the added bonus of adding flavor and, smoked over a fire of pimento wood and berries, the seasoning pierced deep into the meat.

TASTING In the Caribbean, you’ll have no problem spotting the jerk stalls, which are surrounded in billowing clouds of scented smoke. The cooking vehicle of choice is usually a split oil barrel, it s coals expertly tended. Pimento wood is less common now, and the smoking of the meat pretty much extinct. Still, jerk seasoning varies from stall to stall. The meat should be tender and bursting with jice: the heat comes first-a fruity blast of chilli-then a sweetness to temper the fire. Each bite should have a whisper of allspice, a hint of nutmeg or cinnamon, and that blackened, sticky crust – the quintessence of jerk.

FINDING IT Scotchile’s jerk centre has outlets in Jamaica’Montego Bay, Ocho Rios and Kingston. Dine in open thatched-roof shelters and enjoy authentic side dishes such as roast breadfruit and yam (dishes from US$2.40; 00 1 44 794 9457).

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10 Places Holidays in Australia

March 31, 2015, 8:56 am

≫ Next: Kungsleden, Sweden

≪ Previous: JERKED PORK, JAMAICA & CARIBBEAN ISLANDS

10 PlacesHolidaysinAustralia

By darmansjah

Tourist spots in Australiait is expensive? Waits, says who? If you're observant, there are plenty of cool free at this kangaroo country. Well, here are some of them:

The Royal Botanic Gardens

Darwin Beer Can Regatta

Never seen a ship made out of tin cans? Imagine racing boats are racing on a beach. Well, the view can be seen in the show titled Darwin Beer Can Regatta held at Mindil Beach, Darwin.

Alice Desert Festival

Located in between the red sand and clear blue skies, Alice desert festival is cool. In a festival held in the Northern Territory, you can join the locals to share their stories and songs.

The Australian National Maritime Museum

Flinders Street Station

Sydney Harbour Bridge

This place is a bridge connecting the Sydney CBD and North Shore. The bridge was nicknamed 'The coat hanger' special features views of the harbor and the SydneyOpera House.

The City Circle

Want to feel a true Melbournian? Please you ride tem The City Circle. Unlike regular tram, the city circle provides guidance voice services in some specific routes.

The Entrance and Daisy Hill Koala Centre

The Pinanncles Desert

Shark Bay World Heritage

Want to see the dolphins? Come, come into shark bay world heritage. Here you can see dolphins from monkey mia. Usually there are about seven bottle nose dolphins who come to this beach waiting to be fed.

Interestingly, all of the places and events suggested above is not charged. Singapore air linesare available to take you to Australiaany time. So, when are you going on holiday to Australia?

Find Zoo Without Fences

See the beauty Australia with Singapore Airlines

Fly round-trip to Adelaide, Brisbane. Melbourne, Perth, Sydney ranging from USD700
Enjoy the change of dollars voucher; Inside dollar voucher for $ 40 when you are in transit in Singapore on Singapore Airlines

Stay in Tangaloma Wild Dolphin Resort. Brisbane; 50% discount on a whale watch cruise (Jun-Oct) or, Dugong / Marine Discovery Cruise (adult A $ 65-A $ 45 children)

Perth experienced extraordinary; Buy any package to Perth and get Extraordinary Deals Booklet with many pieces up to AUD $ 5000!

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Kungsleden, Sweden

April 1, 2015, 5:41 pm

≫ Next: The Perfect Brunei Getaway

≪ Previous: 10 Places Holidays in Australia

By Peter Potterfield ; Executive summary by darmansjah

Abisko Mountain Station to the Saami Village of Nikkaluokta

Round-Trip: 65 miles, 3 to 5 days

When to Go: The Europeans do it in August, when they get holiday time, so be bold and go in early September for authentic solitude and no bugs.

A hundred miles inside the Arctic Circle, Sweden’s legendary 275-mile Kungsleden (the “The King's Trail”) begins its traverse of the last great wilderness in western Europe. This mind-blowing northernmost section penetrates the vast Arctic landscape of Sweden through birch forests, open tundra, and big glaciers before crossing the shoulder of Sweden’s highest peak, 6,926-foot Mount Kebnekaise. Using the comfortable huts placed about a day apart assures you have refuge in bad weather. Sturdy suspension bridges take the danger out of the big rivers. The vibe here is “far north,” with palpable emptiness and low-angled light that stirs the soul.

Insider Tip: The route can be done in either direction, but do it north to south, as that keeps the sun on your face—no small consideration in the Arctic.

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The Perfect Brunei Getaway

April 2, 2015, 9:38 pm

≫ Next: Easter Land

≪ Previous: Kungsleden, Sweden

Executive summary by darmansjah

It is after all just a hop and a skip away but Brunei remarkably brings visitors to another world, words by Albino Christopher chua.

A skyline dotted with golden domes and opulent palaces. Ancient villages on stilts dubbed by colonial explores as the ‘Venice of the East’. Jungles so lush and thick playing host to a symphony of natural sounds and colors. As a small and prosperous nation in southeast Asia, Brunei might share more than a few similarities with Singapore, where I am from.

I recently had the pleasure of being invited to a fascinating weekend trip to Brunei. The timing could not have been more conducive for weekenders. Royal Brunei Airlines has a Friday evening flight from Singapore as well as a Sunday evening flight back. The amenities that came with the full-service airline were advantageous for those on a short getaway, as one is never lacking of creature comforts during the relatively quick flight.

After being greeted by our guide and spending the first night in Brunei, our Saturday was dedicated to adventure and exploration. We went for an early morning ride on a water taxi to take us to Ulu Temburong National Park. It was an exhilarating experience. The water taxi passed through an extensive network of mangrove forests and rivers in and around Brunei Bay at an incredible speed, and at one point our small speedboat was out in the open sea. It took us almost an hour to arrive in Temburong District. The highlight of the park is the 60 metre tall Canopy Walkway, a series of slender towers linked by a narrow metal bridge. After completing the thrilling climb, the view from the top – that of the verdant rainforest enveloping Brunei across all side- is nothing short of fantastic.

We made our way back to Bandar Seri Begawan after recharging in the river camp. Following a sumptuous steamboat dinner by the riverside, we moved to the glitzy Empire Hotel and Country Club for the night, Brunei’s 7-star hotel and undoubtedly one of the grandest resorts in the region. Its marbled floors, palatial dimensions and spectacular architecture certainly could not be any more unlike the jungle canopies where we were earlier, and this served as a fitting reminder how it’s possible to enjoy the best of both worlds in Brunei.

With the excitement of the previous day’s escapade still fresh in our minds, our Sunday was set to be more relaxing. We went around the main sights, including the awe-inspiring Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien and Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah mosques as well as the Royal Regalia Museum. The latter gave us a glimpse into the history of the royal family as well as a deeper look into the life of Brunei’s most famous resident, His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei.

With the water never too far away in this contry, we ventured to Kampong Ayer which means ‘water village’. The community is actually made up of thousands of houses built on stilts, segregated by wooden planks and reachable only by boat. We went up to one of the house, and were amazed upon witnessing the impressive interiors which the humble wooden façade failed to indicate. “Welcome to our home! Please help yourselves to the food,” said our host while a copious spread of Malay dishes was laid out in their dining room. It was an authentic taste of the local life and truly a perfect ending to a memorable trip.

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Easter Land

April 3, 2015, 10:42 pm

≫ Next: Shirakawa-go and Takayama

≪ Previous: The Perfect Brunei Getaway

Executive summary by darmansjah

Easter Island is a Polynesian island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian Triangle. Easter Island is famous for its 887 extant monumental statues, called moai, created by the early Rapa Nui people. In 1995, UNESCO named Easter Island a World Heritage Site, with much of the island protected within Rapa Nui National Park.

Polynesian people settled on Easter Island in the first millennium CE, and created a thriving culture, as evidenced by the moai and other artifacts. However, human activity, the introduction of the Polynesian rat and overpopulation led to gradual deforestation and extinction of natural resources, which caused the demise of the Rapa Nui civilization. By the time of European arrival in 1722, the island's population had dropped to 2,000–3,000 from a high of approximately 15,000 just a century earlier. In recent times the island has served as a warning of the cultural and environmental dangers of exploitation. Diseases carried by European sailors and Peruvian slave raiding of the 1860s further reduced the Rapa Nui population, down to 111 in 1877.

Easter Island is one of the most remote inhabited islands in the world The nearest inhabited land (50 residents) is Pitcairn Island at 2,075 kilometres (1,289 mi), and the nearest continental point lies in central Chile, at 3,512 kilometres (2,182 mi).

Easter Island is a special territory of Chile that was annexed in 1888. Administratively, it belongs to the Valparaíso Region and more specifically, is the only commune of the Province Isla de Pascua. According to the 2012 census, it has about 5,800 residents, of which some 60% are descendants of the aboriginal Rapa Nui.

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