First-person travel notes, city stories, photos, and videos from the Travel Map archive.
#Shanghai In Shanghai, there's at least some coverage from Google Maps, so I decided to trust the reviews from there. Not far from my hotel, on an unremarkable street, there's this noodle shop. There's no menu. Just noodles. Delicious and inexpensive. So…
#Shanghai We have to give credit to the Chinese - building a new business district on the opposite side of the river so that you can walk along the Waittan promenade and simultaneously enjoy both the old European architecture and the monumental skyscrapers…
#Shanghai The Golden Mile of Shanghai's architecture - the Waittan Embankment, or simply the Bund. Until the middle of the 20th century, it was the epicenter of world and Chinese trade. Historically, this place was an international port settlement, where…
#Shanghai As we head further towards the waterfront, the streets start to play with distinctly American motifs. Wow, I didn't expect to see so much diverse architecture in Shanghai!
#Shanghai After dropping my things off at the hotel, I went out to explore the city. Right next to me is Nanjing Road - the main pedestrian street of Shanghai. In the 19th century, the central district of Shanghai came under the control of the British…
#Shanghai Finding apartments in China is always a hassle, so I'll share the place where I stayed, maybe it'll be useful to someone. I rented a basic room for $72/day at Green Court Apartments (https://maps.app.goo.gl/7QfoRYnpJQk7mB2CA). For the very center…
#Shanghai After taking the metro, I got off in the very center of the city, not far from People's Square. And, based on my first impressions, Shanghai is just a lot better than Beijing. As I like to say, you can really feel the money here. In Beijing…
I was traveling from #Beijing to #Shanghai on a high-speed train. There are no problems with this in China - just buy tickets in advance on trip.com, and don't forget to bring your passport with you. Train stations in China are essentially airports, so…
In conclusion of the trip, I want to say that I finally got to enjoy Bangkok after all these years. I think if you come here as a tourist for a week, fill your days with activities and meetings, and turn a blind eye to some things... then the trip turns out…
#Бангкок Small things
#Bangkok A dystopian picture in the best traditions of cyberpunk. In the photo - Sathorn Unique Tower, a 49-story skyscraper, the construction of which began back in 1990. The Asian financial crisis of 1997 bankrupted the banks financing the project, and…
A hidden gem of Chinatown in #Bangkok - Qilin Tea House (https://maps.app.goo.gl/beo21Ra9XAWR3TxH7) It's not located on the most notable street, away from the shopping stalls, but it's hard to miss - the monumental entrance to the house is guarded by statues…
#Bangkok The funniest thing is that even popular brands make their way to such places. For example, I just happened to stumble upon a Louis Vuitton pop-up while walking down the street 😄 This is the power of tourism!
#Bangkok The less picturesque landscapes of Chinatown, but that's just the city.
#Bangkok As they say... Once you grow up, you fall in love? China Town in Bangkok is a special place, at the intersection of two cultures. The streets here somehow remind of Vietnam, and you won't often find Thai language on the signs. However, if you look…
The Bangkok Metro was built quite recently, so all the stations here are standard and modern (you're definitely familiar with that unbroken concrete-metal design). But, when you approach the Royal Palace, you immediately realize you've chosen the right…
#Bangkok And here's the royal palace itself. Well, the building isn't exactly huge, but overall it looks impressive. You can't enter it, as it remains the king's active residence. But you can watch the changing of the guard at the entrance!)
Finally, another completed quest in #Bangkok - the Temple of the Emerald Buddha at the Royal Palace of Thailand! Is it touristy? Yes, definitely. Is it hot? Yes, at +35 degrees, you just want to lie down. Do they rob you at the entrance? Yes, you'll have to…
#Bangkok Mystery of the day - what's happening in this video?😁 Answer: The hotel staff are celebrating the Chinese New Year :)
#Bangkok industrial
#Bangkok I didn't really speak highly of BKK Social Club in my last post, so I want to offer an alternative: Every time I come to Bangkok, I go to Lennon's Bar (https://maps.app.goo.gl/5b59s8UAUckP2WqQA) at the Rosewood Hotel. It's a beautifully designed…
#Bangkok I finally took a ferry ride on the river! Watching the skyscrapers drowning in smog, houses on stilts, cargo ports, gently bobbing on the waves under the scorching sun - well, there's a certain vibe to it, as if you were really at the edge of the…
#Bangkok I went to the BKK Social Club (https://maps.app.goo.gl/MnvjcHZwsnPpDDYU6) with friends. The area here is beautiful - the bar is located at the Four Seasons hotel on the river, with a paved promenade and views of the still-growing western bank of…
#Bangkok While walking around the city, I came across this small Chinese temple. As always, I was struck by how different the attitude towards religious places is in different cultures. In such Taoist temples in the neighborhood, people often gather just to…
#Bangkok When it comes to replenishing water balance in the heat, it's much more important for me to find a Chinese teahouse where I can get a liter of boiling water and leisurely enjoy a drink without sugar and calories. @ Peace Oriental Teahouse…
#Bangkok I generally dislike Starbucks, but I'm willing to show respect when the chain coffee shop creates something beyond their corporate slop. @ Starbucks Lang Suan (https://maps.app.goo.gl/khBUfANrKHRkRayR7)
#Bangkok This is what third-world countries look like in the 21st century!
#Bangkok While I wasn't there yet, a viewing platform called Dusit Arun Park opened up next to Lumpini Park. To get there, you need to go up to the sixth floor of the mall and exit onto the roof - there's a multi-story garden connected by wooden walkways…
#Bangkok I met a friend in the morning. He, not knowing where I currently live, invited me to... Canadian pancakes?! 😆
#Bangkok Of course, I couldn't help but take photos of the sacred animals of all of Thailand and, at the same time, the channel's mascots - VARANS. This time, I learned that they can also climb trees! Apparently, people below have really gotten fed up with…
#Bangkok I took a walk along the lake in the local Central Park, Lumpini. There are certainly more skyscrapers than last time! And it seems there will be even more soon, when the new CBD One Bangkok Complex (https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/complex/3149) is…
#Bangkok A cliché that's become annoying.
I noticed that e-bike rentals have appeared in #Bangkok. For me, it's a mystery who would ride them here, because the city's streets are still on the level of third-world countries. What would you choose - to ride on roads with crazy traffic with cars and…
#Bangkok This time, I splurged and stayed in a hotel with such amazing views! It's actually right in the center, near Phloen Chit Station. I wouldn't say it's the ideal long-term location, but for being able to reach 80% of things on foot, it's a good…
In February, I flew to #Bangkok again for a week. A symbolic place for me, where I started nomadic living back in 2022. Now, of course, I can hardly imagine living in this noisy, dusty, and hot metropolis for months. But returning here for a short while,…
#Review Singapore Summaries 4 days of travel, and I've filmed a month's worth of posts! Not bad, of course, but it's time to wrap up and write a post-trip recap. The main question - is it worth going to #Singapore? On the one hand, I'd like to say yes,…
About food in Singapore Despite its overall high cost, #Singapore is surprisingly a cheap and good place to eat deliciously! Short on money? Head to Chinese food courts and fill up on cheap eats. Want specific cuisine? Head to an ethnic district and choose…
#Singapore There was a time when I went to a park with huge mushroom-shaped trees. The place was built from scratch on reclaimed land, and it could be said to serve as a "backyard" for the Marina Bay Sands hotel (visible in the background). But in my…
#Singapore At the bar @ ATLAS
On my last day in #Singapore, I managed to visit the ATLAS bar. And I can confidently say that it's the most beautiful bar I've ever been to! You might think it's a hotel lobby in the photo, but it's not! It's actually a regular office building, built…
"Cloud Forest" - another hyped up place in #Singapore, which is nevertheless worth visiting. A good example of how to create an attraction from scratch - essentially, they crammed a 35-meter-high artificial mountain under a dome, channeled water to the top…
Unfortunately, I only got to see the highlights of #Singapore in the city center, so there aren't many photos of the housing. But even here, you can find examples of buildings from different eras! Fun fact - 80% of Singaporean citizens live in public…
#Singapore On a Sunday stroll through the city center, it's not uncommon to come across crowds of South Asian women (mostly women) having picnics right along the streets. These are domestic workers, essentially a separate caste of migrants living in…
Colonial architecture in different parts of the city. I've already written that #Singapore preserves its historical heritage well. Here's an example for you!
On the last evening before my departure, I managed to visit another ethnic district of #Singapore - the Arab Quarter. The district is not as popular as Chinatown, but it has more cozy and affordable Middle Eastern restaurants, as well as cafes and bars.…
I'll also say a few words about the progressive side of #Singapore: The city has introduced very strict standards for the quality of new commercial buildings, requiring eco-friendly construction and offsetting emissions through greening initiatives. And I…
The financial district of #Singapore In my opinion, it's a rather boring area, where there are literally only offices (well, just like in the "city"). In the evening, there's hardly anyone on the streets. The roads are still so wide - you wait for two…
#Singapore Not everyone in this city is a millionaire, but probably everyone wants to grab a bite to eat somewhere! In Singapore, there are equivalents of food courts called "hawker centers". Essentially, it's the same as street food, but a bit more…
I think everyone has seen the "ship-hotel" Marina Bay Sands, it's shoved into literally every video about #Singapore, so I'll just limit myself to a couple of life hacks: - To get inside, you don't have to stay in the hotel for $1000/day, you can just go…
#Singapore The Marina Bay shopping center from a few unconventional perspectives.