As with Las Vegas, it is difficult to arrive in San Francisco without some preconceptions. Certainly, the first impression of the city, when driving over Oakland Bay Bridge, is striking as your eye is drawn to the distinctive skyline of the financial district and, in particular, the Transamerica Pyramid. While the iconic Golden Gate Bridge […]
Travel
Las Vegas
What is there left to say about Vegas? The gambling mecca certainly earns its Sin City moniker thanks to its extravagant casinos and the seedy aspects of its nightlife. In spite of the opulent excess of this desert metropolis, the sense that Vegas lacks substance is unavoidable. Although Vegas is considered a hedonist’s paradise, the […]
San Diego
It’s hard not to like San Diego. The city’s southern coastal location ensures the weather is good almost all year round. On one of the days I was there, the weather was overcast and, after I asked a local if she thought the sun would return the next day, she confidently asserted that it would. […]
Los Angeles
After my plane landed in LAX, I shared the experience of millions of other international travellers who arrive in the US to be met by an aggressive border officer whose monosyllabic tone failed to mask the contempt he held for me. America is known for its great national contradictions, but it is a real shame […]
Seoul
The first thing that hits you when you arrive in the city is the sheer size of the place. Seoul is a city of over 25 million people – and you can tell. In many city centres tourists don’t need public transport to get around. Here, walking between stations often feels like a trek. Although […]
Kuala Lumpur
In my mind, Kuala Lumpur has always conjured up images of a distant and exotic land. Perhaps it’s because of the name’s similarity with koala bears. Or maybe it’s my childhood memories of watching athletes perform at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in the city, a faraway land I couldn’t place on the map. Consequently, it’s […]