Letter from Dublin: From misery to silicon
Walked out this morning towards the Liffey River with a spring in my step. It’s late spring in Dublin but frankly, it feels like winter to me. The hood I am in – Grand Canal Dock, nickname Silicon Docks – represents the new face of Dublin, the home for innovation and start-ups and the new Mast [...]
Letter from beautiful and vulnerable Bali, just like Nepal: United in travel
Last night, I slept to the sound of the ocean. It was the most blissful night’s sleep I’ve had in a while. Nothing like the sound of waves crashing to the shore to soothe the restless mind.
This morning, I woke to the same sound. Only this time there was laughter floating in the sea breeze.
[...]
Letter from Kuching: The time has come for Sarawak to be discovered, enjoyed and loved
I first visited Kuching when I was a young, bug-eyed reporter and was somehow lucky enough to land a writing assignment for a photography book on Sarawak.
I don’t know why I thought myself qualified to do the job but I’ve never been one to let ignorance stand in the way of endeavours.
Robe [...]
10 lessons from Singapore, the Start-Up: Learning from Lee Kuan Yew
Like everyone living in Singapore, I spent most of last week reading, listening and learning about the life of Lee Kuan Yew and how he built a nation from scratch. And it made me realise that in many ways, Singapore is like a start-up and the late Mr Lee its founder.
Here are the 10 lessons I fee [...]
Remembering LKY by his words, and deeds
As much as any of us has been expecting it, we’re never prepared for that moment of finality.
I remember the doctors preparing us, days ahead, for my father’s death. Yet when it came, it was still like a thunderbolt that left a big gap that’s yet to be filled.
Noise, then silence. Transi [...]
Virtual reality, smartwatches and Apple Pay – their implications for travel
The first time I started wearing glasses was when I noticed how many people were wearing them too. It made me less self-conscious to be called “Specky”.So when I put on my first pair of Occulus Rift virtual reality glasses, it made me wonder if in a few years’ time, when this technology become [...]
You got to milk the cow to survive in the OTA farm
So there I was – I had just written my post about how hard it is to build an OTA of any consequence and during the first session I attended at ITB Berlin, Darren Huston, President & CEO of Priceline Group, was talking about “milking the cow”.“Our employees are workhorses, not show ponies [...]
Letter from Berlin: The hard, hard world of online travel
First stop, KaDaWe, the store that once was the beacon of capitalism when the Berlin Wall was still a Wall. It’s been upgraded and refreshed but essentially the layout’s still the same.The sixth floor is where, during ITB week, you will run into the world’s travel industry professionals who co [...]
Letter from Penang: Meet the new digital hippies out to create the island’s future
In my interview with the Straits Times of Singapore last month, I told the reporter that it was the hippies who first inspired me to get into travel. I would see them wandering round the streets with a certain smile on their face, and I wanted to be like them.I thought the smile was from happiness, [...]
Singapore debates pros and cons of short-term rentals as sharing models lobby to stave off ban
Like everywhere else, Singapore is trying to figure out what to do with the sharing economy or, more specifically, short-term rentals.This week, Airbnb and travelmob sent out emails to their members, encouraging them to take part in a survey being conducted by the URA (Urban Redevelopment Authority) [...]
