Penang, Malaysia The Kek Lok Si Temple is the most visited attraction on the island of Penang. It’s an amazing, huge complex, one of the most important Buddhist temples in southeast Asia and a pilgrimage center for surrounding countries, including the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore and Hong Kong. The temple is more than a hundred years… Read More Penang, Malaysia
Malacca is a city with a storied past. Once a major trading center, it lost influence as first the Portuguese, then Dutch and later British took control and choked off other traders. Today the old city retains the flavor of these influences, as well as the Chinese and Arab settlers. It was listed as a… Read More Malacca, Malaysia
This tourist oriented island is known for its natural beauty, diving, beaches, nightlife and duty free shopping. We had a brief stay here and took a ride up the Langkawi Cable Car. The gondola ride took us about a mile and a half up by to the peak of Gunung Machinchang. We also got to… Read More Langkawi, Malaysia
Phuket, Thailand Our two days on the lovely island of Phuket gave us time to see temples and towns, beaches and viewpoints, a rubber plantation and a world class stage show. Perhaps most unique was the Phuket Big Buddha, a magnificent 148-foot tall marble tiled covered statue of a seated Buddha, on the top of… Read More Phuket, Thailand
Hambantota, Sri Lanka Our port in Hambantota gave us a look at the more rural, southern portion of Sri Lanka. We drove past rice paddies, little villages and networks of irrigation canals. Our destination was the Udawalawe National Park for an elephant safari jeep tour. We learned a lot about elephants on our tour. For example,… Read More Hambantota, Sri Lanka
Columbo, Sri Lanka This tiny country has been buffeted by lots of crises. In just this century, it finally ended a brutal 30-year civil war, dealt with terrorism and unrest and, due to government corruption, was driven into bankruptcy in 2022. The ex-president who caused the default is deposed and despite many dire shortages, the… Read More Columbo, Sri Lanka
The Maldives are all about tourism, as evidenced by the many fancy yachts anchored at their shore. It’s a country made up of hundreds of islands and more of them are occupied by resorts (about 250) than their own citizens (about 186). We didn’t get to partake of the resort activities. We had diving and… Read More Male, Maldives
Kochi’s prime location on the Malabar coast has long made it a crossroads of culture, diversity and trade. It’s a central point for the subcontinent’s spice trade, and it has attracted traders from all over the world. The region even had a vibrant Jewish community that dated back to the days of King Solomon and destruction of the First Temple.… Read More Kochi, India
Goa Our visit to Goa was mainly churches and temples. And since we couldn’t take pictures in the churches or the temple, our photo journal is limited. Our favorite part of the day was a visit to a local spice farm. The spice plantations in Goa grow and export chilis, cardamom, cinnamon, turmeric, allspice, peppers… Read More Goa, India
The Gokarnath Temple is a spiritual center revered throughout southern India. It’s an immense and ornate complex dedicated to Shiva. The guru who founded the temple was Narayana Guru and it was built by a local businessman in 1912. It was meant to be a temple for everyone–all castes, all religions. It even has the… Read More Mangalore
J and J Travel 