Roaming Gene

18/12/2023

Tired of the tourist traps? Here are the top ten that are still worthy of your time!

Ten Tourist Traps Still Worth a Visit Posted on December 18, 2023 by roaminggene As the world is rapidly getting to the pre-Covid travel levels, more and more tourists flood famous and popular destinations, sometimes turning them into real tourist traps. But what is a tourist trap? Definitions vary,...

15/11/2023

A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT. Dear friends, if you are about to take a trip to Asia, please read on.

All too many times I see people coming on holidays and having no clue about how to spend their time wisely or with the right combination of leisure and adventure. They either attempt to do everything themselves, watching Youtube videos and reading multiple reviews to the point of having their heads spinning, or they book every possible tour, paying too much and spending their holiday with crowds of other tourists. But what’s the alternative?

Glad you asked! For a nominal fee, I will provide you with a tailor-made itinerary for your trip, whether it’s 2 days or a month-long. You may or may not follow it to the letter, but at least it’ll give you specific ideas of places and experiences that have been tried and tested by yours truly, as someone who have had an extensive travel experience in dozens of countries. Of course, it would have to be countries I know very well, which is why for now, I can help you out with the following destinations:

Thailand
Vietnam
India
Singapore
Malaysia
Philippines
Cambodia
Laos
Indonesia, especially Bali
Nepal
Sri Lanka

If you plan to visit any of these countries and are unsure how to plan your trip, all you have to do is PM me the deets and I’ll take it from there. In case you need a personal guide to any of these destinations, we could talk about that, too.

ALSO, I am currently enrolling students for my Street Photography Basics online course which can be held one-on-one or in a small group of no more than 4 people, again, for a very reasonable fee. As always, contact me directly for details.
Bon voyage!

22/10/2023

Ever thought of trying scuba diving and/or underwater photography? Read my new post about my personal diving journey.
Also, as a reminder, I am currently enrolling students for one-on-one online photography lessons. PM me for details!

Why You Should Scuba Dive Posted on October 22, 2023October 22, 2023 by roaminggene One of my favourite things to do while travelling, particularly in tropical destinations, is exploring the underwater world by scuba diving. If you are already a diver, you could probably skip this post, although my....

12/08/2023

Going to Bali and want to avoid tourist traps? Don't leave the house without reading this brief but comprehensive guide!

It’s quite possible that the small Indonesian island of Bali is the most famous Southeast Asian destination around the world. For this fame, the Balinese have to thank, first and foremost, the Australian surfers and backpackers, who started coming to Bali as early as in the1970s, and then the 2010...

21/03/2023

Some of you may know that I have recently started offering a course in Street and Travel photography via Zoom or Skype. If you have got a fancy camera but are struggling to get great pictures out of it, or are hesitant about taking photos of complete strangers in the street, this course is for you. The recommended duration is at least 5 hour-long sessions, once a week, with obligatory homework assignments and critique of pictures taken. Topics covered include the basics of composition, optimal camera settings for various situations, using light/shadows contrasts, street portraiture, black and white vs colour photography, advanced shooting techniques such as panning and building a photo story. Of course, technical aspects such as using your camera settings to the full potential and the basics of post-processing are covered as well. $250 for a block of 5 1-on-1 lessons; discounts for groups are available. Please PM for more details.

Below are some of the photos of my recent students taken during the course.

09/02/2023

A new post, finally - anyone who is planning a visit to India might find it useful!

Every traveler if his worth has either been to India or at least planned of considered going there. It’s a country that’s just too big, too important and too fascinating to avoid unless you are a real home body. Even if you are not an independently minded traveler, you’ve probably felt the lur...

23/10/2022

What is travel photography? Here's my take.

One of the most popular photography genre, travel photography is raison d’etre for travelling for many of us. After all, when we travel, we naturally want to share our experiences, and yes, perhaps even brag a little bit about them, through all those Instagram and Facebook posts depicting all the ...

08/08/2022

The Story of a Photo taken in Go Vap, Ho Chi Minh City.

From The Story of a Photo series The district of Go Vap in Ho Chi Minh City is adjacent to the Tan Son Nhat International airport, and I have seen mind-blowing photos of landing airplanes nearly touching the roofs claimed to be taken there. Some of them looked almost unreal – I actually thought th...

13/07/2022

Finally a new post, but it's a big one, especially if you are in Thailand or plan to go there.

I have written about Phuket a number of times, but there is one main reason people from all over the world flock to this island on Thailand’s Andaman coast. It’s the beaches. As someone who has travelled and explored a big chunk of Thai seaboard, I can attest that the beaches in Phuket are secon...

26/05/2022

https://roaminggene.com/the-story-of-a-photo-mosquito-bay/

To the east of Puerto Rico lays the small island of Vieques, and in the south of Vieques there is a brackish lagoon called Mosquito Bay, which is the site of the world’s brightest bioluminescence. I visited Puerto Rico as a transit point between Dominican Republic and the US, and I prepared very l...

04/05/2022

Visiting Thailand? Don't miss Phang Nga, a little gem of a town just outside Phuket.

For many tourists in Thailand, the name Phang Nga is usually synonymous with Ao Phang Nga – the world-renowned bay with the towering limestone rocks, cliffs and caves, including the infamous “James Bond” island. It is one of South East Asia’s three famed karst waterscapes, along with Ha Long...

10/03/2022

Anyone heard of Hash House Harriers? Me neither, until recently. Read to find out more.
https://roaminggene.com/hash-house-harriers/

A few days ago, I have allowed myself to be talked into my first “hash”. No, I’m not talking about a drug, still illicit in many countries, that I may or may not know how to consume. “Hash” is a regular event by the so-called Hash House Harriers, a kind of a social club that...

07/11/2021

How many countries have you visited? The answer might be trickier than you think. Read the latest post on the subject of the country count:
https://roaminggene.com/how-to-do-your-country-count/

How many countries have you visited? A while ago, I have cautioned my readers not to get too bogged down in the so-called “country count”, in other words, not to travel for quantity but rather for quality. I still stand by that recommendation. However, after a certain point, you do accumulate a ...

14/10/2021

The story of a photo. This time, it's about one of the recent ones taken in Saigon.
https://roaminggene.com/the-story-of-a-photo-old-rickshaws-dream/

I must have passed this man by a dozen times. There was a road bridge over Vo Van Kiet street in Saigon a couple of blocks from where I used to live, and I’d walk along the street often to get coffee or a beer or simply to do some shooting in the centre of...

07/10/2021

Still using AirBnB? Here's why you should reconsider.
https://roaminggene.com/why-you-should-think-twice-before-using-airbnb/

As the world is slowly getting back into the travel groove, so do tens of thousands of people around the world who rent out their properties on platforms such as AirBnB and the millions who use these properties for their travel accommodations. AirBnB has grown from an apartment-based San Francisco s...

15/09/2021

What are your worst travel mishaps? Here are some of mine.
https://roaminggene.com/my-worst-travel-adventures-part-1/

13/08/2021

Another post - my review of California's national parks. Enjoy!
https://roaminggene.com/california-national-parks-primer/

My beloved state of California has a total of 9 national parks – more than any other state, including Utah, which I personally consider the most beautiful state for landscape photography. The sheer size of Golden State – slightly larger than Japan and slightly smaller than Sweden – allows for ...

21/06/2021

Finally, a new post. I know, it's been a while :)
https://roaminggene.com/where-have-i-been-lately/

Every time I take a long break from this blog, I feel like starting over again, with introductions and reasons why I am writing it. It’s all my fault, really – I shouldn’t be slacking like this. But remember, this blog is not a commercial enterprise (yet), and therefore, I can afford to take s...

22/02/2021

What sights have you always wanted to visit and now they are gone? Here's my list.
https://roaminggene.com/the-lost-treasures-top-10-list/

Many of us with a travel bug have a dream destination that for whatever reason we have not yet visited and keep in the bucket list for the future. Sometimes it’s the sheer lack of time, or money, or just complicated logistics of getting there. Well, sometimes if you wait too long, these sights may...