Bangkok Would Be a Fun Trip

Recently I was reading an account on the internet of a person who had taken a 20 day trip on a bicycle. The trip started in Bangkok, went down (south) the Thailand peninsula through Malaysia and Kuala Lumpur the capital city and then on to the country of Singapore which is one of the largest ship container ports in the world. He took pictures of this fabulous trip and made a journal telling about his time spent in the various places he had visited. It got me thinking about some of the places I have been.

What an adventure. What a great way to really see the country. It is a lot different than flying over the countries and not seeing anything but the airplane you are traveling on and the hotel you are staying in.

A few years ago I taught business seminars in this part of the world. Singapore is one of the places I went to. It was one of the cleanest cities I have ever seen. Singapore is also the most economically successful country in Southeast Asia and is the 17th wealthiest country in the world in terms of GDP per capital. It is an island located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula and about 85 miles north of the Equator. You will find one of the few remaining city-states in the world and the smallest country in Southeast Asia.

Bangkok, Thailand has a city population of 5,714,737. The Baiyoke Tower II is the tallest building in Bangkok and in Thailand. Be sure to see the floating markets, the fruit carvings and robed monks while you are there. See the Grand Palace and the grounds. What a marvel! It is very close to the Equator and one of the first things you will notice is the heat, pollution and the congestion. A very safe city for you to travel in and there are many wonderful sites to see.

Kuala Lumpur or KL, Malaysia which is one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the region with a population of 7.2 million has a lot of very tall buildings. Also known as Klang Valley, it is the vocal point of Malaysia. This is the youngest Southeast Asian capital city and also is very much economically successful. Go to the historical Sultan, Abdul Samad Building at Independence Square which is located at the City Center. The Golden Triangle is where you will find most of the city's shopping malls and the five-star hotels, party spots and the Petronas Twin Towers, one of the world's tallest skyscrapers at 1483 feet tall with 32,000 windows.

Jakarta, Indonesia, the capital and the largest city in Indonesia with a population of 8.3 million which makes it the eleventh largest city in the world. It has a beautiful airport that welcomes you to this beautiful country. The Soekarno Hatta International Airport is beautiful and about 12 miles outside of the city. It is a difficult city to get around in and the city layout makes it even harder. The traffic is said to be the worst of anywhere in Southeast Asia. Everyone in a car seems to be on a cell phone and when I asked about them I was told that it is the only way they were able to get things done in this chaotic, congested city.

Traveling is so fun. Our perspective is expanded when we go to a new country. You get to appreciate what a beautiful world we live in and how many wonderful people and cultures there are.

Plan a fun trip today, see new people, see new countries and expand your horizons.


Author: Jim Ada