Arrivals & Departures Weekly Travel News & Views 22 October 2024

QUITE A DAY

So here I am, writing this late at night, on a “snooze lounger” in Singapore’s Changi Airport, waiting for a Scoot flight to South Korea. I’m tucked in behind ferns in a bit of private rainforest, having just strolled round T1’s Cacti Garden.

It’s been quite a day.

VICTORY OF LIGHT

I left Perth yesterday on Scoot’s overnight flight, checked in to a Singapore hotel, had breakfast and a couple of hours rest, and then set off to wander Little India. It’s all jazzed up for the Deepavali festival, which is from October 29 to November 3. The Hindu celebration of the triumph of light over darkness is a great time to be here. Little India has a festive atmosphere, with bazaars, street light-ups, parades and cultural performances. The Deepavali Festival Village is already set up in Campbell Lane.

You can read more about my walk around Little India here.

CAR & DRIVER

I’m rather intrigued by the Singaporean taxi driver. A small, neat man, he is wearing a precisely laundered and ironed blue shirt, but with a white paper towel neatly folded around the collar, held in place by three white paperclips.

I’m rather intrigued by the taxi, too. Its display shows that this Toyota Prius hybrid averages around 10,000km a month and uses 6.1 litres of fuel per 100km.

KAMALA CLUB

With the name “Kamala” on the world’s lips as we watch Kamala Harris’ bid for the US presidency, I’m interested to track the history and work of The Kamala Club in Singapore. The Kamala Club was formed in 1950 when two women’s groups (The Ladies Union and the Lotus Club) merged after India’s independence, when Indian prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru visited and suggested they should get together and form one club named for his late wife, Kamala. The club provides social, charitable, humanitarian and culturally enriching activities or services for its members and to underprivileged groups in Singapore. The club is particularly active in festivals like Deepavali. thekamalaclub.org.sg

REAPING REWARDS

Siem Reap is the home of Cambodia’s Angkor Wat temples — and also a developing cafe and fine-dining scene. Friends there have been giving me some insider tips:

+ On top of The Aviary Hotel, Glide Bar has ramped up the cocktails that can be enjoyed with sunsets. It also serves Asian-inspired dishes.

+ Asana Old Wooden House is one of the last surviving examples of traditional Cambodian architecture from the 1960s. This historic home is now a bar, and the team serves Khmer herbal cocktails like Khmer Old Fashion or Kampot Martini.

+ Common Grounds Cafe provides vocational training for Cambodians, helping them gain job skills. The locals suggest an iced Khmer coffee.

+ The 1961 is a coffee shop which also has a lunch and dinner menu. Top of the list are noodle soups and fried rice.

+ Back in The Aviary Hotel, The Flock Cafe serves locally sourced, organic coffee and teas, and has an Asian-inspired menu.

INDIGENOUS BOOST

The World Travel & Tourism Council reports that Indigenous tourism will inject $US67 billion ($99.5b) into the global economy by 2034 (the WTTC is referring to all Indigenous peoples around the world).

In Canada alone, the Indigenous tourism sector supports nearly 2000 businesses and more than 39,000 jobs.

TINY HEROES

October 21 is National Moss Day in the UK. Bryophytes (including mosses) are some of the planet’s most incredible plants. The National Botanic Garden of Wales has a moss trail designed to introduce visitors to bryophytes. It takes walkers through a wide range of liverworts and mosses. The National Botanic Garden of Wales is midway between Cross Hands and Carmarthen in Carmarthenshire — 10 minutes from the M4 and two minutes from the A48. botanicgarden.wales

The British Bryological Society was inaugurated in 1923 as the successor to the Moss Exchange Club, which was formed in 1896.

I’m reminded of Dartmoor poet Elizabeth-Jane Burnett’s book Twelve Words For Moss, which champions these tiny heroes of the plant world. Published by Penguin, it is also available as an ebook for Kindle.

SWEET RAIN

While I was walking in Little India today, the heavens opened. It poured with rain, and we all ducked under cover and stood together as it hammered down, cascading off gutters and dripping through holes in canvas stall roofs. Some popped up their umbrellas and made a run for it, soon ankle deep in water. The rest of us just stood and waited, watching the wonder of the rain.

CELTIC RAINFORESTS

The Celtic Rainforests of Wales are mostly in steep river valleys in Gwynedd, Ceredigion and Powys. They are full of delicate plants. Among them is Coed Llechwedd Einion, in Bwlch Corog, south of Glaspwll, Powys. This ancient woodland is owned by Coed Cadw (the Woodland Trust in Wales) and managed by Coetir Anian (Cambrian Wildwood), a local conservation charity. They are keen to attract visitors and encourage walking and “leave no trace” camping. Or stay at Llechwedd and Einion cottages, Cefn Coch Farm. cefncochfarm.co.uk

TIPS FROM PETER

Reader Peter Lonergan has been out and about, and staying in touch. He’s got a lot of good advice for fellow travellers, including this:

New York “Pre-booked a pod in Manhattan which was everything you understand by a pod but had a clean bathroom. Some pods had no bathroom as evidenced by the many semi-clad people we encountered on the corridors. However, location was great (opposite the Rockefeller Gardens) and room clean.”

Family “Cognisant of the term regarding ‘fish going off after three days’, we were determined not to outdo our welcomes. A worthwhile tip where family is involved is prior to arriving ask for a list of jobs that may need to be done. Could be chopping up wood, building walls, but all makes for a much more pleasant three-day stay.”

Ireland “Arrived in Dingle, went to pub and, on inquiry, barman mentioned that I was lucky and could have last room for the night. On being told the tariff, I politely told the Kerryman what I thought of his €150 price. I ventured on and headed for Annascaul, home of Tom Crean of Antarctic fame. Not a bed to be had. Unperturbed, and being blessed with a long summer’s evening, I continued my travels and a sign caught my eye: “Caravan to let”. Yes, a traditional horse-drawn caravan with the tarred cover. What can I say? It was a delight. Codail samh (“sleep well”).