We have now made our way to Bali (Indonesia). While many things are similar (for example, Malaysia and Indonesia share what is basically the same national language) many things are different. For example, hawkers and touts trying to sell you stuff on the streets or beach are annoying as all hell. At literally every corner [...]

If you live in any European city and you think air quality is bad, you have got no idea. I’ve seen some smoggy places before but Kuala Lumpur easily ranks among the most smoggy and pedestrian-unfriendly places in the world. You can hardly see the city’s many skyscrapers (like the famous Petronas towers) because the [...]

All of Brunei is a pretty surreal place: a country of just 374.000 people, about the size of Cyprus, divided into two parts by a slice of Malaysia where alcohol is illegal and the economy is supported almost entirely by oil. There are many weird countries in this world, though. Jerudong Park Playground, however, must [...]

Malaysian Borneo’s coast is quite civilized — good roads, lots of good airports, reliable electricity. Leave the coast, though, and things change. Except for the banks of some big rivers (for example the Batang Rejang) access becomes almost impossible. We spent the last few days in the Kelabit Highlands, beautifully situated in the mountainous hinterland. [...]

Staying in hostels as we are, you are bound to meet other people while brushing your teeth in the communal bathroom. Usually, however, they do not hold their teeth in their hands while they do so. Incredibly, however, we keep meeting an English couple who, at around 70 years of age, is still backpacking around [...]