One hundred and one flights in 2025, bringing me to 1782 lifetime flights. Flew to or from twenty-seven countries. Five continents. From the midnight sun grazing Helsinki’s summer sky to the crisp air of Hobart’s harbour, 2025 took me 213,054 kilometres (132,386 miles) around our planet. Roughly five times over. My lifetime total? 102 full circumnavigations of the earth. The only continent I missed in 2025? Antarctica. Next time, penguins. Next time! This year earned a 93% of flights I was happy with. This is my highest score since 2001. Not because I’ve gone soft…
Kuala Lumpur
Tag Archives for Kuala Lumpur.
8 Fantastic Train Trips That Made My 2025 Unforgettable
Trains, for me, are one of the most interesting, practical and romantic ways to get around the planet, and I love them more than I love planes (and I love planes a lot). I have ridden railways now on every inhabited continent, and in 202,5 I added these eight beauties: #1. Flåm Railway, Norway “the best train ride in the world” (Lonely Planet) I captured 161 photos on one of the most beautiful train journeys I have ever taken. The line climbs 864 metres from the Fjord to the mountain, twisting through 20 tunnels, including…
After 300 Airports, Here Are the Best and Worst
After many decades of flying, I’ve now passed through 300 airports. It’s a slightly ridiculous milestone, but it does give me a bit of authority when I say what makes a great airport and what makes a terrible one. There are seven things that win me over with airports: 1. Effortless passenger movement I have a visceral reaction to moving through Terminal 3 at Heathrow. Hell, for me, would be walking its long, narrow corridors, passing under its yellow signs and climbing the same stairs to security again and again. The whole terminal makes me…
Revisiting the Market Shooting: Memories, Fear and Hope
Today’s post contains images and descriptions about extreme violence. Reader caution is advised. I wrote previously about how I was unwittingly caught up in a mass shooting at Bangkok’s premier market: Or Tor Kor. Its been six weeks since Monday 28 July, a day I will never forget. On that day, a gunman killed five people before turning the gun on himself. I left Thailand a few days after that event and now I was back on my current RTW trip. Back in the city, I retraced my steps at the market, Steps that I…
Mind-blowing Experience on Thailand’s most Perilous Rail Route
I have always had a passion for trains and train travel. Over the years, I’ve ridden trains in 76 of the 90 countries I’ve visited, from Finland to Morocco to the USA, Chile, and New Zealand. A few years ago, I made it my mission to ride every rail line in Thailand, leading to incredible adventures—from bustling Bangkok to cities like Chiang Mai, and serene rural stations. However, the southernmost railway line had eluded me for a long time. This line connects the border town of Sungai Kolok to one of the most isolated cities…
Maximising Qantas Double Status Credit deal to my Benefit
Being an Aussie based flyer, almost one-third of my 1585 flights have been with the Australian carrier, Qantas. In addition I have flown every current and past One World carrier! This volume of flights means that I have achieved Qantas Gold for Life status (equivalent to One World Sapphire) in the Qantas Frequent Flyer program. I have also been Qantas Platinum (One World Emerald) for nine of the last ten years (I slipped one year). This status earns me a level of One World Priority benefits, which includes priority check-in, airport lounge access, priority boarding,…
Snug & Comfy Thai Sleeper train Surat Thani to HuaHin
Last month, I travelled by train, the 1,500 km (900 miles) km from Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia to Bangkok, the Capital of Thailand. Stopping off along the way, the six train trips took 25 hours 35 minutes and it cost me $US72. The longest section (by time) was from Surat Thani, the jumping off place for beautiful Koh Samui up to the lovely resort town of Hua Hin. I chose to ride this section in a brand new Chinese-built First Class sleeping car. Scheduled Departure: 23:57 Arrival: 06:26 – 6 hour 29 min ride Total distance: 300 miles / 1,671…
Challenges on the Malaysia/Thai Border- A Rail Journey through Asia Part #2
Padang Besar to Hat Yai, State Railway Thailand (SRT) Third Class Scheduled Departure: 18:00 Scheduled Arrival: 18:10 1 hour 10 min (time change at border) Total distance: 35 miles / 60 km There is now just one State Railways of Thailand train that crosses the Thai/Malay border. All previous trains no longer operate. This may change again, of course. In an ideal world, the Malaysian Railways electrified line that goes to Padang Besar should be extended all the way to Hat Yai, allowing the Express Train Service to run between Kuala Lumpur and Hat Yai. Immigration and border procedures should be conducted on…
Asia Rail Experience: Journey #1 – Kuala Lumpur to the Malay/Thai Border
KUL: Kuala Lumpur to Padang Besar (border of Thailand) KTMB ETS Class 93 Platinum Scheduled Departure: 10:42 Scheduled Arrival: 15:57 5 hour 15 min Total distance: 260 miles / 417 km The first part of my 1,500km 900 mile journey from Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok was on Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (Malaysian Railway system) ETS “Electric Train Service“. The journey took me from the heart of the Malaysian capital to Padang Besar, on the border with Thailand. There are now only two rail services that originate in Malaysia that cross the Thai border. One is the ultra-luxury Eastern and Oriental Service and the other starts at…
Bucket List Check: 900mi By Train from Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok
Bucket list… check! A journey I have been wanting to do for over a decade! Over the last week, I travelled by rail from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) in Malaysia to Bangkok (BKK) in Thailand. I have previously ridden a sleeper train from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur (before Singapore closed its main train station). Six trains took me over 1,500 km (900 miles). Travel time was 25 hours 35 minutes (including delays and wait times). It cost me $US72 for a mix of travel in First, Second and Third class. If you went for the cheapest option (which…
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