Stories behind the stories. By Travel Writer, Amy McPherson
Photos by Amy McPherson Siem Reap, gateway to the ancient Angkor Wat, is a destination in itself. The lives of those who live there are touched by tourism in an otherwise poor town. Tourism has brought jobs that they wouldn’t normally have jobs and the city’s Build Bright University have educated many in languages and …
So it’s true. Thrones of tourists (yours truly included) descend upon this ancient Khmer Hindu temple each day. Arriving on a tuk tuk, I was immediately herded along to the entrance, past the children chorusing “buy a postcard from me” and the ladies at the street stalls shouting “cold water ‘mam?” into Cambodia’s most recognisable …
Photos by Bell Chan When in Macau, you can be forgiven for being confused. On one hand, it is like a small Portugese town, with a quaint town square and its beautiful European styled buildings and a skyline dominated by the Ruin of St Paul’s at the top of the hill; turn your back and you …
Photos by Bell Chan Singapore is a kaleidoscope of cultures past, present and the future. It is where major world religions live side by side in harmony, where the old charming colonial buildings complement the skyscrapers of the modern world. This selection of photographs by Bell is the perfect over view of such combined vibrancy of Singapore’s society. …
I can’t find my family. They are only a few steps in front of me, yet all I see is the dense white fog. I keep walking and find myself pushed against metal railing that separates me and the cliff yonder. I am at Echo Point and I can’t even find my fingers, let alone …
On my way to work this morning I was thinking about what else I can do with Footprints and Memories other than post news and stories about travel. I thought about the quote I’ve based the website on – “take only memories, leave nothing but footprints” – and really considered what it means to travellers. …
(continued from Chasing festivals around the world in 2013 January to June) JULY Gion Matsuri Old Japanese tradition turn tourist attraction, Gion Matsuri represents the occasion when dignitaries paraded through Kyoto to request the god of plague leave the city back in AD869. The main even happens on the 17 July each year, however you can watch …
There may be different ideas about how to have a party but who doesn’t like a good party? One way to explore and travel the world is to chase the festivals of different countries, cultures and religion. Some of the best times on my trips have been around festivals, which often bring out the spirit …
According to Traveltalk, men misses more flights than women, blaming bad traffic, late connecting flights, and getting too carried away in bars, restaurants and duty free shops. The same article also reports that while this is the case, men often ‘charm’ their way into the next flight, while the same attempts by women are less …
I uphold the belief that travel is the best education a person can get. I am not dismissing the importance of our formal educations at schools, colleges and universities, I am not saying that we don’t learn just as much from our elders and our peers. What I am saying is that there are things …
Summer is when Sydney really shines. As the weather gets warmer, organisers are busy doing their last minute preparations to the many festivals to come. Now is the time to really enjoy this harbour city. October Starting with Crave Sydney International Food Festival, which began earlier this month and will run until 31 October 2012. …
A high pitched trill shoots out of nowhere and I jump with excitement. “I think I just heard a tui” I whisper, looking toward the direction of the sound. “No actually, you heard him” Alice points at John, her guide partner whose lips are pouted getting ready for another call. Disappointed that I hadn’t been …
Did you know, that the word souvenir is French, and it means ‘to remember’? We all bring souvenirs home, and these are the items that provide most of the tourism dollars to many of this world’s locals who rely on our need to bring something home. Souvenirs now come in all different forms, shapes, ideas and …
I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o’er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. Extract from ” I wandered lonely as a cloud” by William Wordsworth, 1888. The mist opens …
It was time for that over-due weekend away from the busy life of Sydney, and instead of an exotic location we chose to go camping in the HunterValley. Two and a half hour’s drive north of Sydney, Hunter Valley is New South Wales’ premier wine region. Many major brands such as De Bortoli, Jacobs Creek, …
Ricky Martin, Enrique Ingles… we know the type, the type that can dance, shake their bum bum and look lusciously Latin. Now, keep that thought in your mind, and welcome to streets full of that vibe: Buenos Aires. Besides being the capital of Argentina and home to the story of hit Broadway musical Evita, it …
There are people who are quite happy working, living life and staying put, never set foot on another city, let alone a country. They are loyal to their friends, their family and most importantly, their comfortable lifestyle of never changing routines. And then, there are people who are constantly on the go, never happy with …
The historic Hahndorf is the oldest surviving German settlement in Australia. A mere twenty-minutes drive south east from Adelaide in South Australia, Hahndorf is among one of the favourite destinations for locals to escape the hustle bustle of the city, to enjoy a weekend afternoon browsing through the many boutique and craft shops, or to …
Bavarians have an attitude. They are so much better than the other Germans. They have some of the world’s bests, including cars and beer, and well known for the world-wide celebrated Oktoberfest. Yes, indeed, Oktoberfest is just around the corner, with celebrations to start on the 22nd September. Beer tents will be erected large enough …
The European summer is slowly drifting away, but the waters off the coasts of Cinque Terre remain warm, sparkling and inviting. What does Cinque Terre mean? In Italian words meaning ‘five lands’, Cinque Terre lies dotted along the Ligurian Sea north west of Italy. Although relatively inaccessible from major cities, Cinque Terre remains a popular …
There is a saying that you haven’t properly experienced Taiwan if you haven’t visited its night market culture. Night markets are the essence of Taiwanese culture and if you are travelling around Taiwan you’d be silly not to experience one! So we took on the challenge and visited as many night markets in Taiwan as …
I am not weird. I just like to step out of the usual tourist attractions and seek for that special something about a place. So I found a hobby – I visit the dead. It’s not just me. A lot of people are doing it as part of their search into someone else’s life. Some …
There are fantastic destinations for cat lovers. I want to shout about it! People are inspired to travel by many things. Some want to see the biggest and tallest things of the world, some want to see the oldest things of the world. Some just want to sit down and relax on a beach and …
One hours train ride away is one of the wonderful wine regions from Wellington. The Wairarapa Valley may not be as famous as the Marlborough region for NZ wines, it does have some really charming towns and beautiful scenery. The day I visited happened to be wet, and Helen from Destination Wairarapa laughed when she …
