What Bliss A Hidden Bookstore Brings
5 min read
“BOOKSTORES ARE LONELY FORTS, spilling light onto the sidewalk. They civilise their neighbourhoods,” said John Updike. The truth is, they are even lonelier thes...
Why Indies Who Pursue Love Matter in the Big Money World of Travel
6 min read
Each time I return to Penang, I discover a new and interesting business set up by yet another entrepreneur out to make a difference on the island. Thi...
As travellers get smart, hoteliers have to get smarter
4 min read
“How did you book your hotel?” I asked a Penang friend visiting me in Singapore.“Oh, I checked Agoda, but you know what? Their rates aren&...
A heritage trail of nostalgia (and food)
4 min read
Growing up in one place and walking past the same things every day, you tend not to notice the beauty and uniqueness that are there right in front of you. And s...
The Ten Best Quotes from Intrepid Women Travellers
2 min read
Timing is everything, and timing was on my side when I happened to be home in Penang when the “Zafigo Talk: Intimate Conversations with Women on Travel...
The Travel Industry Awaits Smart Local Apps
4 min read
Technology has enabled the discovery of previously hidden places, as Lionel Yeo of Trip Advisor pointed out during his talk at Echelon Malaysia’s Travel T...
Inspirational Lessons From Tony Fernandes
5 min read
It was fitting that I was flying high on a United Airlines flight to San Francisco when I read the new book by Tony Fernandes, group CEO of AirAsia, as he tol...
A Crash Course in Hosting Your Own Podcast
6 min read
I’D LIKE TO begin this article by saying I’m no expert on podcasts. I trained as a journalist and decided over the last three years to venture into podcasting –...
When Pets Also Go on Vacation
6 min read
WHENEVER I AM asked why I gave up a well-paying, full-time corporate job to start my own business, my reply is always this: because I want to work at home with...