I loaded my pannier bags onto my bicycle and headed towards Port Klang for a ferry ride across the Strait of Malacca. My aim was to cycle from the jetty of Tanjung Balai, one of Sumatra’s ports, to Lake Toba, and then up the Tele Mountains.

The whole journey would be four days and 320km of non-stop excitement and adventure.

The ferry ride took about five hours. The boat was packed mostly with Indonesians taking leave from their work in Malaysia. As I had left my bike in the cargo hold, there was nothing to do except to have a simple lunch of rice and hard-boiled egg curry, watch a long-winded Hindi movie (on-board entertainment) and snooze.

After we arrived, I realised one of my bicycle headlamps and the hand-pump were missing. I was cursing (not the most auspicious thing to do during Chinese New Year!) while leaving the jetty of Tanjung Balai.

It was already 7pm, and suddenly I felt a cold chill up my spine. I sensed danger ahead as if I was a white lamb venturing into wild territory. I noticed there were unfriendly stares as I exited the building. Would I be devoured as I struggled to find my way out of this town which has a rather seedy reputation?

The cycling route from the port of Tanjung Balai up to Lake Toba and to the Tele mountains.

The cycling route from the port of Tanjung Balai up to Lake Toba and to the Tele mountains.

Lucky me, I spotted an immigration officer who was about to hop onto his motorcycle after a long day’s work and I quickly approached him for help: “Pak, could you direct me out of the city. I am heading for Kisaran (40km inland from Tanjung Balai).”

The good Samaritan replied in Indonesian: “Of course, son. But I live halfway to your destination, I can only guide you as far as Air Batu. After that, you have to travel on your own.

“But don’t worry, I shall reduce my motorcycle speed for you to follow.”

As we cruised through the back alleys of Tanjung Balai, my adrenaline was flowing at full throttle. It was amazing that I pedalled along at 25kph to keep up with the motorcycle ahead.

After half an hour of speeding, we finally arrived on the outskirts of the city. The evening breeze that blew through the coconut leaves welcomed me as, for the first time, I felt inner peace.

I reached Kisaran at almost 9pm, and managed to find a decent guest house (Hotel Central) for 130,000 rupiah a night (RM39).

Cow dung roads

The next day was a long ride of 108km going uphill straight into central Sumatra. I started at Kisaran and headed towards Prapajanji, passing Mandoge along the way, and finishing at Simpang Kawat.

The scenery was spectacular, with paddy fields, striking painted villages and beautiful landscapes. I thought of veteran riders who would always remind us: “It’s the journey that matters, not the destination”.

The locals I encountered were warm and friendly. I was filled with joy when greeted with great hospitality whenever I came to a small settlement.

Children gathered around me with great curiosity while the women offered me drinks, fruits and laughter. I got lots of comments like, “Wow! You are so brave cycling all the way from the coast!”

It was a smooth, nicely-paved road for the first 80% of the journey – and then all hell broke loose on the remaining 20%.

I ran into an unpaved, dirt road with various sizes of potholes, cow dung at the least expected corners plus stony debris scattered along the shoulders.

This was a taxing and tiring stretch. Luckily, I had anticipated such terrain and I was doing all right with my 26″ Giant XTC hardtail mountain bike with 10-speed Shimano Deore gears.

Tyre-width selection played a critical role here. I would recommend anything between 1.8 inches and 2.1 inches for such mixed terrain for greater stability and improved traction, especially when cornering. These areas are far from the usual tourist spots and don’t even show on mobile maps – you have to depend purely on riding skills in this remote part of Sumatra.

After reaching Simpang Kawat, I found a room at the Hotel Batu Gajah for 110,000 Rupiah (RM33) a night – I crashed straight away from tiredness.

On the third day, there was a steep climb of 30km from Simpang Kawat to Parapat. The ride was smooth but it was a very exhausting climb.

Fortunately, cool mountain breezes kept me refreshed and amazing pine forests welcomed me with mind-blowing scenery along the way. Though the traffic was a bit heavy, by 1pm I reached Parapat’s jetty and hopped onto a ferry to Lake Toba’s Samosir island.

On the island, I cycled from Tumok Jetty to Tuktuk in search of accommodation. The hotel rates here were more expensive, starting at 400,000 rupiah (RM122) a night – almost triple what I had paid earlier.

As I cycled around the island, the characteristic Batak architecture with sharp pointed roofs could be seen everywhere. The local delicacies were delicious and picturesque padi field terraces could be seen near the foothills.

I visited the tomb of King Sidabutar which was surrounded by stores selling all type of souvenirs.

The final day offered the most challenging ride as I peddled from the southern part of the island to the northern village of Pangurunan.

Hard slog

From there, I continued pushing inland and uphill to Tele (altitude 1,590m). The altitude increased 590m within a 20km ride distance from Pangurunan – this was a real test of endurance and determination.

The journey to Tele on winding roads featured thick pine forests on one side and steep cliffs on the other. But halfway up to Tele, I couldn’t appreciate the scenery much as I was running low on drinking water and without replenishment, I could not possibly continue.

I had no choice but to wave down passing vehicles to ask for water. After three attempts, I finally managed to obtain two bottles of mineral water.

I reached Tele at about 3pm. It had been a painstaking ride and my legs were trembling and shaking. But I was rewarded with magnificent scenery at the top of the Tele watch tower. After having a drink at the coffee house, I headed back to Tuktuk. It was time to pack my bike, hop onto the bus to Medan airport and fly back to Malaysia.

I didn’t have any flat tyres throughout my journey, the three spare tubes I brought with me were left unused in my pannier bags.

If you are keen on cycling long distances, I would say Sumatra would be an ideal place to tackle as there is no language barrier (if you speak Malay) and it’s very economical to travel there.

For me, it had been a sensational ride with lots of interaction with the locals. A very memorable Chinese New Year indeed.

The number of visitors dropped for a while in December 2015 before jumping to this level this month.

“There were 300 to 400 visitors a day in December. The lake is busiest in February. The number should dwindle in April as usual,” said Soe Win, the chairperson of the association.

French, German, American, Chinese and Korean tourists make up the majority of the bridge’s visitors.

“The view of the sunset over the Taungthaman Lake is memorable. I think that’s the major tourist attraction. Visitors to Mandalay gather at the lake in the evening; it’s like an assembly point for them,” said a local tour guide.

Some tour guides advised that July was the best month to visit the bridge. It is one of Myanmar’s most-photographed sites, the 160-year-old bridge runs 1.2 kilometres, across Taungthaman Lake. With the lake rising to its highest level in the monsoon season, especially this and next month, the bridge basks in the reflected glory of the reservoir’s crystal-clear rainwater.

The association has 45 boats and 16 ancillary boats for visitors to rent. Each boat can carry two to four passengers.

“There are barely enough boats this time of year. We need to take care of the customers’ safety, too,” said Soe Win.

Tourists also end to visit the monks at the local Maha Gandayone Monastery on the west side of the lake.

Local people believe the vine has been in existence for almost 200 years and its fame has spread due to its unusual size. People pick the leaves to use in bamboo soup and other dishes.

Head of Office at the Information, Culture and Tourism Department in Xaysettha district, Khamkhien Boudsomsy, told Vientiane Times on Wednesday that the vine had been known about for many years but had only become a tourist attraction since 2005.

Now many Lao people and foreign visitors are curious about the vine with no fewer than five people a day turning up to look at it. Sometimes tour buses stop by as well.

It is the biggest ya nang (Tiliacora Triandra) vine in Xaysettha district and is entwined in a 20 metre high tamarind tree. Its woody stem is the thickness of an adult’s arm.

Locals cut the bark of the vine to boil in water for children to wash in as it is thought to cure some skin diseases.

Khamkhien said that normally this particular vine is small, but the specimen in Phonxay village is unusually large. Some people believe the vine is almost 200 years old and it is considered to be truly amazing.

Now the authorities are taking steps to preserve the vine and encourage more people to come and see it.

They have plans to entice the crowds by building a restaurant, hotel and other tourist facilities nearby.

Head of the province’s Information, Culture and Tourism Department, Ms Bounnan Bounnaseng, said they have other plans to attract tourists as Attapeu is also home to the King Saysetthathirat stupa, the Sakhae temple, the Ongseng Buddha, and other places of cultural interest.

Ms Bounnan said that in 2015 over 50,000 tourists visited Attapeu, with most being Lao nationals. This year the province is expecting more tourists due to improved infrastructure and better advertising of local attractions.

Once filthy and smelly, the river is now a very convenient place. For centuries prior to its restoration in 2002, Cheonggyecheon was like most of the dirty rivers in Jakarta; rows of wooden houses lined the riverbank and it was oft used as a public latrine and garbage dump. Cheonggyecheon was a symbol of urban poverty in Seoul and, at night, the area was notorious for its crime.

According to Korea’s Tourism Ministry, Cheonggyecheon’s nickname during the Japanese occupation period was “city’s cancer” and the levee road was dubbed “killer road”. The construction to cover it began in 1958 and was completed in 1977. Cheonggyecheon became Cheonggye Road and markets and factories were built next to it to lead Korea’s industrialization.

Finally, in 2001, Seoul’s then mayor Lee Myung-bak — who later became President of South Korea (2008-2013) — initiated a river restoration project. The restoration idea came about due to a threat to safety posed by the deteriorating road.

“After 30 years, the road had become a public safety hazard. Its concrete structures were corroded and curved. Sooner or later it would collapse,” said Choi Sung-jin, manager of Cheonggyecheon Museum in Seoul.

The Seoul city government decided to tear down the road in 2002 and at the same time, launched the restoration of Cheonggyecheon, added Choi.

“At first the restoration project wasn’t all that smooth. Protests from settlement dwellers, traders and non-government organizations emerged, often based on a fear of being evicted and losing livelihood,” he noted.

But the project kept going. The city authorities relocated local residents and provided them with housing and free kiosks for their businesses. The restoration was completed in September 2005 at a cost of 386 billion won. Since then, the once-muddy river turned concrete road has virtually been reborn.

Despite its more modern appearance, Seoul continues to maintain the river’s ecology. Cheonggyecheon has been reverted to function as the original habitat of a variety of the city’s birds. The river’s transparent water is teeming with fish and flowers can be found along its banks.

The river sees annual Lantern Festivals in both November and on Lunar New Year holidays and during December the festive atmosphere of Cheonggyecheon is emphasized with hundreds of ornamental lamps and accessories adorning the river.

While cafes and shopping centers are scattered in the vicinity, the riverbanks of Cheonggyecheon have become the place for residents to relax at the end of a busy day.

“I often come here to rest, sitting on the riverbank and immersing my feet in the water. Once in a while I drink coffee and watch live music at a café,” said Christine Wong, 46, a resident of Seoul.

Along the stream the city government has built 22 bridges, seven of which are pedestrian bridges. From atop these structures tourists can stop and observe the true charm of the river.

Cheonggyecheon’s long history covers the Joseon dynasty, the Japanese occupation, the Korean War and the era of industrialization in Seoul. Its flow is estimated to have passed the Joseon capital of Hanyang (old name of Seoul) 600 years ago and is thus reputed to have contributed to the growth of local civilization.

For this reason, Seoul authorities also established the Cheonggyecheon Museum.

Across the road, detached from the museum, is an area known as the “experience zone” exhibit, featuring a life size reproduction of a village with homes and shops that would have been found on the banks of the Cheonggyecheon in the years after the Korean War. “The houses serve to show that, prior to restoration, the river’s surroundings weren’t as they are now. Not just the houses, everything about the river is kept at the museum,” said Choi.

The museum preserves the past of Cheonggyecheon in a diorama and photographs documenting its long history, from its known beginnings through to an in-depth look into the entire restoration process, including the protests against the project and the opening of Cheonggyecheon after project completion.

“It’s not easy to build an environment-friendly zone in the hub of a busy city. Cheonggyecheon, as an icon of Seoul, demonstrates that a project isn’t likely to be beneficial unless it is environmentally sound. That’s the point,” he explained.

In Surakarta, Pepe River, passing through Boyolali in Central Java, is known as the dirtiest stream despite its high historical value. Cheonggyecheon’s past is much like the Ciliwung River in Jakarta or Semarang River separating Pecinan, Kampung Melayu and Kota Lama in Semarang, Central Java.

The Kayon Resort and Viceroy Bali, both in Ubud, are listed at sixth and ninth spots, respectively, alongside other resorts across the continent including in the Maldives, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.

Available at an average rate of Rp 3.3 million (US$244) per night, The Kayon Resort features a spa and wellness center as well as a yoga pavilion perched in the middle of a tropical rainforest and rice fields.

“If you are looking for a place to unwind and relax in a peaceful setting, The Kayon Resort is a great option in Ubud,” said a reviewer.

Meanwhile, Viceroy Bali, available at average rate of Rp 8 million per night, offers private villas and fun activities such as sunrise trekking and Balinese dance lessons.

“Some just promise a five-star experience, but the Viceroy delivers in abundance,” a guest said.

The list of romantic hotels is based on millions of reviews and opinions from TripAdvisor travelers around the world.

Top 10 hotels for romance in Asia:

1. Komandoo Maldives Island Resort, Komandoo, Maldives

2. Baros Maldives, Baros Island, Maldives

3. The Place Luxury Boutique Villas, Koh Tao, Thailand

4. Layana Resort and Spa, Koh Lanta, Thailand

5. Ceylon Tea Trails, Colombo, Sri Lanka

6. The Kayon Resort, Ubud, Indonesia

7. Oriental Central Hotel, Hanoi, Vietnam

8. Kandolhu Island, North Ari Atoll, Maldives

9. Viceroy Bali, Ubud, Indonesia

Habitually, I take photos instantly with my iPhone. That means, no matter how magnificent the landscape, the picture quality is limited to my untrained capabilities. If only I had a little more skill in photography!

The last day of 2015, and Hanoi is deep in its winter chill. Not knowing how to make the last day of the year more memorable, I accidentally found the Facebook page of Vietnam in Focus – an emerging tourism package in Hanoi that enables tourists to take the best photos of streets and scenery throughout the whole tour. This was my chance to complete my mission of improving my photographic skills, right on the last day of 2015.

Founders of the Vietnam in Focus Tourism Company, photographers Colm Pierce and Nguyen Duc Linh, were my tour guides. As for the itinerary, I would spend four hours exploring the area around Long Bien Bridge and the Long Bien Market, from 4-8am. Yes, things started getting interesting. I had never taken street photography. I had never hung out around this area this early. Not to mention that we were talking about a time in winter on the last day of 2015. This was quite special and I was so excited!

My first surprise, also a challenge, was the weather. The low temperature made me shiver and I did not know what to do with the Canon G12 I had borrowed from my friend. Fortunately, two handsome tour guides of mine with their smiles calmed me down. I reminded myself that I was here to complete the mission I had set out on.

“I will show you how to adjust the aperture and shutter speed for the camera. You will see how different these photos are from the ones you normally take with your iPhone,” Linh said.

“Oh, look, the long shot photo I just took is quite interesting with both moving and non-moving objects. I did not know how to do this earlier,” Jennifer Noah, 30, a tourist excitedly shared.

This was when we were standing on Long Bien Bridge, testing the first angles.

“Normally on every tour, we help our tourists to create an album with at least four to five photos of ‘contact’, ‘relationship’, and ‘detail’ themes, which mean longs shot photos or showing the whole scenery in relation to the surrounding; medium shot, which means focussing on the relationship among objects in the photo; and close-up, which details the object,” Colm explained.

We had four stops: Long Bien Bridge, at the gate of Long Bien Market, inside the market, and Long Bien Bridge again as dawn broke.

Colm and Linh enthusiastically instructed each tourist on how to operate their personal cameras, both consumer kind and DSLR, no matter how complex they were. This was the first time in my life I had seen Long Bien Bridge looking so beautiful through a camera lens.

Without editing apps and filters on smartphones, people have to actively think and envision the photo they want to take in order to adjust the camera settings accordingly.

There were photos in which there was not enough light, the composition was not perfect, but Colm and Linh always analysed these cases thoroughly to help everyone improve their work quickly.

“Remember the Rule of Thirds that I mentioned. It will give your photo a balanced composition and a richer depth,” Linh said.

After each trial and error, I felt I was getting closer to what I wanted.

Honestly, at first I did not expect a photoshoot around the Long Bien Bridge area to make my legs so tired. Only half the time had passed, but I wanted to sit right away.

Every time while sitting down and reviewing the photos I had just taken, there was more inspiration, and it urged me to shoot more photos. Thanks to the detailed instructions from my two tour guides, my photos now looked a whole lot better.

The fruit stalls, sellers and buyers busy selling and bargaining, huge tanks full of live seafood, etc. all made up the hustle and bustle of the old market.

I mingled with the scenery tirelessly for more beautiful photos. Standing for long behind the camera, I saw so much beauty in this wonderful life. This photo tour was really beyond my expectations.

“The instructions given by Vietnam in Focus is really beyond the technical aspect. I was shown the way to find out the right angle to see the beauty in everything now. Truly an unforgettable experience,” Meg Gibson, 18, said.

“You have other tours besides Long Bien, don’t you?” I asked.

“Of course, don’t you see the beauty of the Old Quarter, and the resilient life along the railway? Other provinces in Vietnam have their own beauty. Different places give you different inspirations, and the photos will surely look different,” Linh explained.

My last day of 2015 turned out to be quite exciting for a person who adores new experiences. The camera lens gave me a brand new perspective on the old city I have lived in for 30 years and the age-old market I passed by every day.

A quote by the famous photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson summed up my thoughts: “In photography, the smallest thing can be a great subject. The little, human detail can become a Leitmotiv.”

One such town is Pekalongan in Central Java, known as the Batik City and home to some of Indonesia’s most sought-after batik.

Situated midway between Semarang and Surabaya, Pekalongan is a outstation of old Javanese charm mixed with cultures brought by traders in the 17th century — Arabs, Peranakan Chinese and the Dutch.

Every street seems to support a community of becak (three-wheeled pedicabs) drivers and street-food sellers, while tourists are still a rarity in this ethnically diverse city.

Not only had I never been to Pekalongan in my 20 years in Java, but going there was also an excuse to take the train — something I hadn’t attempted for a decade.

I have to say I was impressed; not only is it effortless to book tickets online and collect them at the station, but the long-distance executive trains run on time, are clean and comfortable and come complete with transportation police who keep a beady eye on travellers.

Pekalongan is first mentioned in chronicles dating back to the 12th century, when Chinese merchants of the Song dynasty first made contact and knew the city as Pukalong.

They describe the “King of Java” as living there and the local people wrapping their bodies in colorful woven cloth. This seems to confirm that the people of Pukalong were already making batik fabrics back in the 12th century.

Apparently, Pukalong was also reputed for its coconut wine. It’s a shame they have lost that tradition today; modern Pekalongan is a dry city, where the sale of alcohol is forbidden.

The Dutch East India Company, the VOC, arrived in the early 17th century and started to exploit Pekalongan for its agricultural products, focusing on sugar production, which later expanded into a major industry in the 19th century.

To subdue the natives the VOC built a large fort in the city in 1753, which still stands today. Being a fan of Dutch forts, I was keen to have a look, but when I located the building it turned out to be a fully functioning penitentiary.

A representative of the festival organiser Sungroup said visitors would get to see live demonstrations of all phases of rice cultivation, from the sowing to the harvesting processes, adding that the festival would show technical innovations in cultivation in Viet Nam, which is now the world’s second-largest rice exporter.

Visitors will also enjoy several cultural activities and art programmes from many Asian countries, such as Japanese drum performances, walking on stilts, street music and shadow puppetry, as well as violin performances, flash mob dance and Asian street cuisine from February 8 to 14 (Lunar New Year). Vietnamese folk games will also be showcased.

Indian artists will perform the Manipuri folk dance from February 11 to 13, while local models and artists will participate in a fashion show on February 20.

According to the organiser, Asia Park will be one of the best holiday destinations, with its sparkling and colourful decorations.