Ultrarunning around Kuala Lumpur

We take a direct flight from Banda Aceh in Sumatra to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. The timing is right. We have a few days to explore the city before Semenyih 100 Ultratrail Marathon series. The local trail running competition has two races of 25km and 50km to choose from. Kuala Lumpur, actually just like most…

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Palau Weh, a hidden gem

Here we are, after a few weeks of exploring rough corners of Sumatra, staying in dirty places or sleeping in a tent, finally comes final part to indulge ourselves in little paradise, island called Palau Weh – just off the northern tip of Sumatra. Well… It actually has not started that easy. Firstly, we arrived…

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Hiking with Orangutans

Our driver makes a stop to look at the rear wheel axle of the minibus. He moves it lightly and kicks a couple of times. It helps, but only for a few hundred meters. Something is making strange noise during the ride, yet the sound fades during acceleration. The vibrations are getting more intense. It…

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Island inside the island and volcanoes

We are about to take a sixteen hour ride on a “new bus“. It is worth adding a several extra thousands of rupees (equivalent of a few dollars) because the “old bus” is said to be breaking down more often. The route is bumpy, wild and unforgettable, most of which we cover at nighttime with…

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Surfing with bulls on Sumatra

We are landing in Padang in western Sumatra. The kamikaze driver provides a quick transfer from the airport to Bukittinggi. Three hundred thousand rupees and less than two hours later we’re (safely!) in place. We stop in the slightly forgotten Rajawali Homestay. There is no bedding or running water, but there is ‘still water’ in…

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Pure Singapore

Singapore is a tightly packed metropolis in the south east region of Asia. The location on the island means that any further expansion is not possible. The only thing that remains is to compact and raise the existing structures. This general notion becomes clear to me upon arriving at Central 65 hotel. The real estate…

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A hot day in Abu Dhabi

It is the capital and the second  largest city of the United Arab Emirates (Dubai is the first). Our plane has landed in Abu Dhabi early in the morning, just at the crack of dawn. Intuition tells me that, being located somewhere in the desert on the Arabian peninsula, this must be an unusual city.…

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Mandalay by the Ayerarwady river

Mandalay is a flat city. During the day it is hot as a frying pan. Vertical-horizontal arrangement of the city’s streets makes it easy to find your way, so it is quite unlikely to get lost here. This morning I’m meeting Vera. A few days ago we agreed that our roads would join here. As…

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Morning train to Hsipaw

I have accidentally arrived to Mandalay at 3 am. What can you do at this hour? Probably just try to get away. I grab my backpack and hop on a motorcycle taxi. We rush through the big city’s darkness towards railway station. To my surprise, even at this early hour there is a lot of…

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Where the garlic grows (Kalaw to Inle Lake)

We are going to take a double-decker pickup towards Kalaw. In fact, it is an ordinary pickup, with the difference being that people sit on a roof. Interestingly, local women are not allowed to sit on vehicle’s roof, because it is “not appropriate”. The car keeps overheating, but the situation is under control as long…

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Limestone caves around Hpa-an (Myanmar)

It’s another extremely hot morning. You are sweating terribly just from the process of eating breakfast at 7.30. We plan to spend the day on exploring the area around Hpa-an using wrecked but still running relatively strong scooters. These are remote areas characterized by limestone mountains and caves. It’s easy to get lost in the…

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Mawlamyine and the Ogre Island

We arrive to Mawlamyine at six in the morning and to our surprise it is not too early for a very early check-in. Courtesy of  Breeze Guest House. Without wasting time, we set off on scooters to explore the area around. The everyday life of the town’s inhabitants concentrates around the market, bustling with retailers…

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Land crossing into Myanmar

The overland travel to Myanmar, former Burma, had crossed my mind long time ago when visited Southeast Asia for the first time. Even though some of the Burmese land borders began to open already few years ago, the south of the country remained largely isolated from the world until August 2013. Today one can “easily”…

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A break on Ko Samet island

A new day comes to Ko Samet Tired of Bangkok I decide to take a short break on the island of Ko Samet. It is the last chance to grasp a bit of summer before returning to Europe. Soon I realize that I am at a certain front line. This is the island on which…

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Hunting unexploded ordnance in Laos

UXO Lao team in field work Empty streets of Phonsavan resemble an abandoned arid town somewhere in the Middle East. Burning sun penetrates mysterious alleys. The vivid blue sky with occasional little clouds sets an interesting contrast with sandstone architecture. The silence is disturbed by 4×4 off-road cars, rickshaws and motorcyclists. I rent a motorbike…

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Two Laotian tribes

Hot springs to bathe and do the laundry, Muang Vieng Thong I still cherish a hope that an already delayed bus would take me to the east. Luckily it arrives. The journey starts in the early afternoon and lasts until darkness. I carefully observe changing scenery. Mountains, plateaus and valleys of this vast land are…

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A village in the north of Laos

A sticky rice basket is made of dried bamboo, or katip Two days in Luang Prabang is exactly two days more than enough. The main problem is the city is often perceived as the only point on a tourist map of Laos and honestly it is simply overrated. I appreciate the unique night market and…

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Absolute freedom in Vang Vieng

In the Tubing, Vang Vieng, Laos The New Zealand Herald wrote, "If teenagers ruled the world, it might resemble Vang Vieng". I cannot think of a more accurate phrase to put it short. Vang Vieng used to be a calm, picturesque Lao village situated on the Nam Song river. Some distant limestone peaks fade away…

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Lao motorcycle diaries

While the four guys came up to the fence, the fifth one hid behind a tree Bolaven Plateau is an area located at an altitude of 1000-1350 meters in southern Laos. The region is famous for its picturesque waterfalls. Making your way to the waterfalls you will pass little scattered villages inhabited by ethnic minority…

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Four thousand islands on Mekong

Islanders set off for fishing early in the morning, Si Phan Don The wild south of Laos is mainly empty gravel roads, sparsely populated villages and  fields of rice filling the floodplains of mighty river Mekong up to the horizon. Si Phan Don means in Lao 4000 islands. This is one of the main attractions…

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Landmines in Cambodia

In the morning we head towards O’smach, a rarely frequented Thai-Cambodian. Going by foot for an hour and a half we reach the main road. We flag down a tourist bus. There are no seats available, but the driver finds us a sitting area on the floor for a couple of bucks. After an hour…

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Guesthouse #10

Hectic Cambodian streets calm down before the sunset I arrange a BMX and anticipating the following morning visit to the Halo Trust headquarters I decide to check up on another place of interest. Nearby a friend of mine runs a hostel called ‘Guesthouse no. 10’. Upon arrival I find myself in the middle of Cambodian…

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People of the Mekong

Cambodian temple complex in Kampong Cham Blacksmith works alone, his wife takes care of their child and a family’s friend sits comfortably in an unchanged position with a thoughtless, unconcerned expression as he rolls another strong cigarette and smokes it, occasionally sipping his tea. Leaving the city behind we get to know Mr. Peck, who…

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Southern Cambodia

A curious but still timid girl, southern Cambodia Cambodian four hours equals roughly seven regular hours and it is the amount of time to reach Kampot by bus. We discover another pleasant city, whose once slow life bustles on when you visit a marketplace. The local market is divided into sections making some sort of…

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The last fisherman in Phnom Penh

A break at work Phnom Penh is probably the only capital in the world with no official public transport. It has some further consequences. Nearly every second guy chooses to be a tuk-tuk rickshaw driver. Indeed walking down the street, it is hard to ignore enthusiastic shouts coming from all over “tuk-tuk cheap cheap for…

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Tarantula for dinner

Cambodian women selling fried tarantulas Someone enters through the window and the three of us in the backseat are now five people. Along the way, another ten new passengers join the ride and the driver constantly encourages more passersby, even when there is definitely no room available. I do not exactly know what it is…

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Ankor Wat and the Khmer Empire

Prah Khan temple, Angkor Wat The history of Cambodia dates back to 2000 years ago. The former Kingdom of Funan grew in power over the years to become the Khmer Empire in the ninth century. Many problems plagued the empire, but still it had been consistently gaining the importance in the region. It is also…

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Bangkok and the escape from Bangkok

Busy avenue in central Bangkok It has been a hide-and-seek game, but eventually I won, a giant cockroach in my hotel room is killed. Now I can go out on the street. It is sultry, stuffy and hot. The humid air sticks to my lungs. In the course of my travels this is the most…

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Thai notes

Colorful Thai fashion Khanom is a medium sized town. This is our first destination, also a place to visit Thai family of a Swedish friend. We wait for a bit and two young guys arrive on their scooters to give us a ride. After a few minutes we find ourselves in a modern hut on…

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The unfair world

The unfair world A hole of a place in New Delhi The question "What is India like?" is the hardest one you can ask a person visiting this country. India is beautiful but the beauty has to be discovered. How would you describe a country so incredibly diverse in terms of climate and landscape. Also…

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