I recently had this video shared to me from friends in England, who happened to have friends involved in this car rally through Myanmar (Burma). My friends know Myanmar is high on my bucket-list of must see places and knew this would interest me. Bagan in particular, with its many temple spires, looks simply awe-inspiring.
Fancy an adventure? Then enjoy this 6 mins trip through some stunning scenery of Mandalay. Travel through jungles, pretty countryside, villages where people are going about their every-day lives, bustling markets, waterways, temples and if you’re car enthusiastic, you might even enjoy seeing many of the vintage and collectors cars which participated.
Travel Photos of the Week: Cultural Village on Efate, Vanuatu
One of the significant places we visited during our Vanuatu getaway, was the Cultural Village located on the eastern coast of Efate. We shared a small taxi/bus with a middle-aged couple who happened to be from Queensland, Australia (this was their first overseas trip) and their enthusiasm was contagious. The bus pulled off the main road which circles Efate and we drove for some 15 minutes along an extremely weathered dirt road. We soon pulled into a clearing, beside thick jungle and in the middle of nowhere, with the driver telling us to all hop out, adding ‘You can leave your bags in the bus!’. I suddenly felt dubious what was happening and was not going to leave bags behind. However, it turned out to be completely innocent.
The six of us headed into the jungle along the path we were instructed to take. It was quiet and beautiful but we were not sure where we were heading. Breaking the silence came the sound of the conch shell and then quite unexpectedly came tribal warriors out of the jungle towards us. Spears in hand, wide-eyed and yelling at us in a foreign aggressive manner, they charged. I got such a fright I swore!
Once they warriors realised we came in peace, we were escorted into the village and welcomed! We were shown how the traditional tribes lived and witnessed food preparation and preservation, fire walking and a tribal dance. The children were wide-eyed throughout. It was a wonderful experience.
The Perhentian Islands are scattered beyond the northeastern coast of Malaysia. They infact, lie not that far from the Thai border. The term Perhentian means “a place to stop” in Malay. This came about by the early traders using it as a stopping point enroute from Malaysia to Bangkok. There are two main islands, Perhentian Besar (Big Perhentian) and Perhentian Kecil (Small Perhentian).
A water ferry is available to the mainland but the only way of getting around the islands, other than walking, are by the water taxis. Many of the smaller uninhabited islands belong to a protected marine park and fishing, collecting coral and littering are strictly prohibited.
Activities on the Perhentian Islands are limited to scuba diving, snorkeling, sea-kayaking, sunbathing and general relaxation. Those with more sense of adventure and energy may attempt the jungle walking trails on both of the two main islands.
One great reason to visit the Perhentian Islands is for the white sandy beaches and crystal blue waters, surrounded by jungle covered hills that make the views from the beach utterly spectacular.
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