Businesses You Can Run On the Go

The Old City (Kota Lama), Surabaya Chinatown, and Jalan Tunjungan (one of the coolest streets in Indonesia). Surabaya is a port city in the northeastern corner of Java island. The city is the capital of East Java province and the second-largest city in Indonesia. I visited Surabaya in May 2024 as part of my rail trip across Java. This was my second trip to Surabaya, and I happened to be there while the city was undergoing a renovation of its old city streets. This old town renaissance might finally put Surabaya of the map of great city getaways in Southeast Asia. On this trip I visited the Old City (Kota Lama), Surabaya Chinatown, and Jalan Tunjungan (one of the coole…

The best areas to stay in Chiang Mai for visitors. This guides also includes where to stay for longer stays if you are a digital nomad. Chiang Mai is a surprisingly international city for an inland provincial capital. Part of its charm is the Old City, which is surrounded by a moat and fortress wall. Chiang Mai is considered as the cultural capital of Thailand, and the city is filled with beautiful Buddhist temples (wats). This Where To Stay guide lists where to stay in Chiang Mai for first-timers, and where to stay if you plan to stay longer as a digital nomad. Where to stay in Chiang Mai guide Map of Chiang Mai hotels Best areas to stay in Chiang Mai Old City (Hist…

There is no direct train service from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, so this guide shows how to make the journey by three different trains. Getting the train from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur used to be a straightforward affair. The train would leave Tanjong Pagar railway station (near downtown Singapore), clear immigration for both countries at Woodlands, and then continue on the same train to Kuala Lumpur. I did this journey in 2009 and it was a great way to travel overland. In 2011 the service from Tanjong Pagar was discontinued and the train service then began at Woodlands, near the Singapore-Malaysia border. The railway corridor from Tanjong Pagar to Woodlands has since b…

This guide on where to stay in Langkawi lists the best beach areas on the island. This includes all accommodation types, from hostels and guesthouse to luxury five-star hotels and resorts. Langkawi is an island group comprised of 99 islands, with the main island forming the bulk of the landmass. Langkawi is the third-largest island in Malaysia (not counting Borneo), and it has been designated as a UNESCO Global Geopark. The main attractions of Langkawi are the beaches, boat excursions to the islands, and the natural interior. Hotels in Langkawi are on the main island, though the island is too big to explore without transport. Choosing where to stay will depend on what …

Bao Loc is a city in Lam Dong Province in the Central Highlands region of Vietnam. Bao Loc is the closest highland city to Ho Chi Minh City, and the construction of a new expressway has made it more accessible. I was reading about some recent tourism developments in Bao Loc, which are being built to cash in on weekenders from Ho Chi Minh City. There are frequent local buses from the popular tourist city of Da Lat, so I got the bus to Bao Loc to see what is happening. [Local bus from Da Lat to Bao Loc.] I thought it would be a short ride as Bao Loc is in the same province as Da Lat. It ended up taking 3 hours, not including the time it took driving around Da Lat to p…

Where to stay in Macau – a guide to the best areas to stay in, and the best-rated hotels and casinos. Macau (or Macao in English) is a former colonial trading port of Portugal on the Pearl River estuary in Southern China. Macau was returned back to China in 1999, and it’s governed as a Special Administrative Region of China (like Hong Kong). While it’s much smaller than its counterpart across the river, Macau has made a name for itself as the casino capital of China. The appeal of Macau is that it still has a well-preserved old city that is distinctly Portuguese. Macau is a popular day trip from Hong Kong, with regular ferries making the trip in one hour. There is also …

Getting the train from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore involves three separate train journeys. Here are the trains to book and how to buy the tickets. There used to be a direct train service from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore, but that service was discontinued in 2011. The rail corridor in Singapore has been turned into a walking path and nature reserve, so this service is not returning. It’s still possible to get the train from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore, but it requires booking three separate train tickets. This is because the rail line is being upgraded to a double-tracked electric service between Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru. Half of the project is completed, so the journey …

How to get the public bus from Da Nang to Hoi An. Da Nang and Hoi An are about 27 km apart, but getting the public bus isn’t as straightforward as you would expect. There used to be a public bus between Da Nang and Hoi An (Bus 1) but that was cancelled during the pandemic. [The old Bus Number 1 (Da Nang to Hoi An).] After a few years with no service, there is now a proper direct bus service operated by FUTA . This bus is a useful way to travel between Da Nang and Hoi An without resorting to getting a Grab taxi, though the service could use some slight improvements. Bus LK-02: Da Nang to Hoi An Bus details Bus LK-02 operates from BX Trung Tam (the bus station in …

Sri Racha is a city on the Bay of Bangkok in Chonburi province. The city is in between Bang Saen (the closest beach to Bangkok) and Pattaya, and it is part of the Pattaya-Chonburi Metropolitan Area. Most people would be familiar with Sriracha for the sauce, though the most famous Sriracha sauce brand is made by a Vietnamese immigrant in America and not from Thailand. This name is so famous that it messes with search results when looking for anything to do with the city of Sri Racha. I was interested to visit Sri Racha as it’s known as the Little Osaka of Thailand. Sri Racha got this title as it’s an industrial hub that includes Japanese car manufacturers. Japanese work…

This guide on where to stay in Hat Yai lists interesting and best-rated hotels in the best area to stay for visitors. Hat Yai is the largest city in southern Thailand, near the Malaysian border. This inland city is overlooked by foreign visitors who visit the south for the islands, but it’s worth a stop if you are passing through. Most international visitors are from Malaysia who descend on the city en masse on the weekend and holiday periods, so you will have more competition for hotel rooms if you are visiting then. What I like about Hat Yai is that the train station is in the city centre, so you can walk from the station to your hotel. The station is known as Hat Y…

On the railway to China, the hidden ancient citadel, and visiting the Koreatown and Chinatown in this booming manufacturing hub of Northern Vietnam. Bac Ninh is the capital city of Bac Ninh province, neighbouring Hanoi. Bac Ninh province is part of the Hanoi Metropolitan Area, and on the drive to Bac Ninh it’s hard to tell where Hanoi ends and Bac Ninh begins. At least there is still some farmland in between that stops Hanoi fully merging into Bac Ninh. Bac Ninh is an industrial powerhouse of Vietnam, so it’s not exactly high on the list of places to visit for leisure travellers. Apart from the fact that I am making my way through the list of provincial capitals in Viet…

This guide on where to stay in Phan Thiet lists the best beach areas on the Mui Ne/Phan Thiet resort coast. Phan Thiet is a coastal city in the South Central Coast region of Vietnam. It’s a popular beach area due to its proximity to Ho Chi Minh City. Phan Thiet is also referred to as Mui Ne, and the two names are used interchangeably. Phan Thiet isn’t the best beach resort area in Vietnam, but its a good option for an easy beach getaway from Saigon if you don’t want to fly. There is a train from Saigon to Phan Thiet that takes 4 hours, and it’s timed perfectly for short trips. The main tourist beach faces south, and the coastal breeze that blows from east to west has m…

The best areas to stay in Quy Nhon, including the city beach, Phuong Mai Peninsula, and beaches to the south of the city centre. Quy Nhon is a city in the South Central Coast region of Vietnam. The city has similarities to Da Nang and Nha Trang in that it has a municipal beach in the city centre. Unlike Da Nang and Nha Trang, it has yet to be discovered by international mass tourism. There are some occasional international news articles that proclaim that Quy Nhon is Vietnam’s next big beach destination, but you still have time to get here before it goes mainstream. Quy Nhon is an unusual city in that it has covers a large area with distinct geographical features. […

Dong Ha is a city in Quang Tri Province in the North Central Coast region of Vietnam. It was the capital of Quang Tri until Quang Tri was merged with Quang Binh Province in July 2025. Quang Binh lost its name in the merger, but Dong Hoi (the capital of Quang Binh) became the capital of the newly-merged province. Dong Ha is not a touristy town, though you might pass through here if you are doing a DMZ tour. It was the northernmost city in South Vietnam, and the city was in ruins by the time the war ended. There is not much to see in the city. My main reason to visit was to see an old train station as part of my Rail Vietnam project. I was also in the process of visiting…

The Phnom Penh Airport Express Bus connects the city centre to Techo International Airport. Here are the bus details, including the route and ticketing information. Airport Express Bus route and stops The Airport Express Bus has limited stops between the airport and city centre. [Map of Phnom Penh Airport Express Bus.] The route map of the Airport Express Bus. [Airport Express Bus route map.] The Airport Express Bus on the city map gives a better idea of how far the airport is. If you are staying in the riverside area, the Canadia Park bus stop is the most useful stop. [Canadia Park Bus Stop.] If you are staying in the BKK1 area, the Royal University Of La…