Place Names in Asia named after famous people

Korean flag.

What connection do you and I have with Asia? Many of my clothes are made in China. Today I have eaten sushi from Japan and soy sauce from China. My Samsung phone is named after a Korean as I search for facts for my blog. Advertisements in the UK and USA newspapers are for martial arts from Asia.

Singapore Placenames

 I lived in Singapore for many years and in Singapore many landmarks, streets and squares and hotels are named after Raffles. Raffles Hotel. Also several areas and railway stations and streets are named after British people from earlier eras.  Raffles was buried in a church in Hendon, London.

You can buy a book on the origin of Singapore street names.

When Visiting Malaysia, from adjoining Singapore, I was told about the origins of names.

In the Philippines I was told that the country was named after Philip.

Indian Placenames

In India I noticed the Sassoon Docks in Bombay, which was renamed Mumbai. The docks were named after Sassoon who funded them. The Docks were his idea. The Sassoons were a famous family, who founded the Hong Kong an Shanghai Bank, HSBC. I remember reading Sassoon's poems about WWI and visiting the house and zoo associated with Sassoon in southern England.

That was just a tiny corner of India. Associated with the UK and worldwide through the Sassoon name.

Today, September 8th 2026, I used Ask Gemini for some more memorable place names in Asia. I find it is easier to remember names of cities or train stations if you associate them with the people they are named after. 

Many major cities, regions, and geographic landmarks across Asia are named after historical figures, monarchs, military leaders, explorers, and national heroes:

Up popped useful results from the Philippines, Vietnam, Pakistan, India, Malaysia and UAE.

Major Cities & Capitals

• Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam): Formerly named Saigon, the country's largest city was renamed in 1976 in honor of Hồ Chí Minh, the revolutionary leader and prime minister/president of North Vietnam.

• Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia): Renamed in 1924, the name translates to "Red Hero," chosen in honor of Damdin Sükhbaatar, the founding leader of the Mongolian Revolution and national hero.

• Faisalabad (Pakistan): Formerly Lyallpur (named after Sir James Lyall), the city was renamed in 1979 in honor of King Faisal of Saudi Arabia, who had close ties to Pakistan.

• Islamabad (Pakistan): While meaning "City of Islam," several districts within the capital are named after famous historical leaders, such as the Faisal Mosque.

• Davao City (Philippines) / General Santos City (Philippines): General Santos City was named after General Paulino Santos, a former Commanding General of the Philippine Army who spearheaded settlement in the region.

• George Town (Penang, Malaysia): Capital of the state of Penang, named after King George III of Great Britain.

• Port Blair (Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India): Named in honor of Captain Archibald Blair of the British East India Company, who established a colony there in 1789.

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Provinces, States & Regions

• Rizal Province (Philippines): Named directly after José Rizal, the national hero, writer, and polymath of the Philippines.

• Quezon / Quezon City (Philippines): Named after Manuel L. Quezon, the second President of the Philippines, who established the city to replace Manila as the capital.

• Jharkand / Telangana (India): While many Indian states take indigenous or linguistic names, Victoria Terminus / Victoria in Mumbai and various historic districts honor historic figures like Chhatrapati Shivaji (e.g., Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, formerly Aurangabad, named after Aurangzeb and later Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj).

• Cox's Bazar (Bangladesh): A famous coastal town and long beach named after Captain Hiram Cox, an officer of the British East India Company who served as a diplomatic superintendent.

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Geographic Features & Islands

• Mount Everest (Nepal/China border): Named after Sir George Everest, a Welsh surveyor and Surveyor General of India who oversaw the initial mapping of the Indian subcontinent.

• K2 / Mount Godwin-Austen (Pakistan/China border): Also known historically as Mount Godwin-Austen, named in honor of Henry Haversham Godwin-Austen, an early surveyor and explorer of the region.

• Sir Bani Yas (United Arab Emirates): An island named after Sheikh Yas, the founder and progenitor of the Bani Yas tribal confederation.

• Barents Sea / Bering Strait (North Asia/Russia): Sea and strait bordering northern and eastern Asia, named after explorers Willem Barentsz and Vitus Bering.

Why You Should Tell The Hotel it's your anniversary - for four-posters and freebies

 Sometimes they offer you Champagne or a bottle of sparkling wine fizz, in your bedroom, or when you book dinner at their best restaurant. Other times they have a package you have to pay for. You might still want to book it.

In Vietnam my son and daughter in law were celebrating their anniversary..

The hotel had strewn pink rose petals across the white bedspread. Two towels were foled into the shapes of kissing swans with beaks together forming a heart shape.

A bottle of white wine ws in an ice bucket. The management had included for them a Happy Anniveray card.

Photo by Angel Lansbury.

The Lunar New Year - the Year of the rabbit and cat, and wealth

 

Rabbit motifs for the year of the rabbit at the Tanglin club. Photo by Angela Lansbury. 

This picture shows the rabbit for the year of the rabbit. Other symbols on the table are oranges, which are presented to employees or suppliers, not eaten but passed on to somebody else. Notice the pineapple. The gold covered coins. 

The red packets in which you are supposed to place gifts of money for children and  young, single, unmarried children. Inside you put the gift of money. You get crisp, clean new bank notes from a bank. The money should be in lucky numbers such as multiples of eights, such as eight, or eighty-eight. Avoid four and multiples of four because the sound for four sounds similar to the word for death in Chinese (Mandarin).

The red packets you see contain the money. The gold foil covers chocolate coins.  The rabbit toy is in two sizes for babies, or bigger children.

The lunar New Year is also known as the Spring Festival and as Chinese New Year, in China and countries with large Chinese populations, such as Singapore. 

In Vietnam instead of the rabbit, the animal of the year is the cat. This is because their important crop is rice, and the numbers of rats which eat the rice are reduced by the cats.

The solstice is about the sun, in December, and the equinox is when the days and nights are of equal lengths. 

The lunar new year is not about the sun but about the moon.

Rabbits

I had a soft toy rabbit which I kept on my desk in case I had an opportunity to speak about it during Chinese New Year.

On Saturday 28th January I was in a zoom meeting of a Toastmasters Group for training speakers, Braddell Heights 2. I had been invited to be the Language Evaluator. The table topics (impromptu speeches of 1-2 minutes)  were on the theme of Chinese New Year. The table topics master had pictures of the CNY themes.

I started, "I love Chinese New Year!" 

I held up my puppet.

I thought that I might have inspired everybody else to jump up from their desks, unmute and turn off their picture, whilst they rushed to grab another item connected with CNY. Such as an ang pow (red packet with a gift of money, ideally a multiple of eight, such as 8 or 80 dollars. 9Never the number four which sounds like death.).

No. I was the only one with a CNY prop.

Angela with soft toy white rabbit, used as a prop for speeches. 

. 

Czech White (albino) rabbit.

Well, what do you know! A real rabbit really does have pink ears. (And pink edged eyes.) You learn something every day.

Summary of Symbols

Rabbit - for the Chinese zodiac sign for year of the rabbit

Gold paper covered coins and bars

Mandarin oranges (a pair)

The God of wealth (a person dressed up)

A lion (and a lion dance performed with noise to scare away evil)

Red packets containing money in new notes, adding up to eight which is a lucky number, not four symbolising death

Spring flower blossoms, red, orange, pink and white

Glossary

CNY  - Chinese New Year (abbreviated to the initials)

Solstice - summer

Solstice - winter

lunar New Year

Spring Festival

If you missed the CNY/lunar celebrations, the Tibetan New Year takes place one month later.

Useful Websites

Please share links to your favourite posts.

Winter Solstice in Asia

 Asia

I was surprised to receive in WhatsApp greetings for the winter solstice from a Toastmasters International club., in Singapore.

Red is the lucky or auspicious colour in China.

I looked it up in Wikipedia. It is not the mooncake festival. Wikipedia says>

The Dongzhi Festival or Winter Solstice Festival (Chinese: 冬至; pinyin: Dōngzhì; lit. 'winter's extreme') is one of the most important Chinese festivals celebrated by the Mainland Chinese, Hong Kong Chinese, Taiwan, Japanese, Vietnamese, Koreans and other East Asian-related people during the Dongzhi solar term (winter solstice), some day between December 21 to December 23.

The origins of this festival can be traced back to the yin and yang philosophy of balance and harmony in the cosmos. After this celebration, it is believed that days will have longer daylight hours and therefore create an increase in positive energy flowing in. The philosophical significance of this is symbolized by the I Ching hexagram fu (Chinese: 复, "Returning").

Contents

• 1Traditional activities
  • 1.1In Taiwan
• 2See also
• 3References
• 4External links

Traditional activities

Traditionally, the Dongzhi Festival is a time for families to get together. One activity that occurs during these get-togethers (especially in the southern parts of China and in Chinese communities overseas) is the making and eating of tangyuan (汤圆) or balls of glutinous rice, which symbolize reunion. Tangyuan are made of glutinous rice flour and are sometimes coloured pink or green. Each family member receives at least one large tangyuan in addition to several small ones. The flour balls are cooked in a sweet soup or savory broth with both the ball and the soup/broth served in one bowl. It is also often served with jiuniang, a mildly alcoholic, unfiltered rice wine containing whole grains of glutinous rice (and often also sweet osmanthus flowers).

The Osmanthus flower is a tiny white flower also known as tea olive or sweet olive. It can be used in rice cakes as well as the drink. It looks like privet and has a fragrant perfume.

In northern China, people typically eat dumplings on Dongzhi. This custom is said to have been started by Zhang Zhongjing in the Han Dynasty. One cold winter day, he saw the poor suffering from chilblains on their ears. Feeling sympathetic, he ordered his apprentices to make dumplings with lamb and other ingredients, and distribute them among the poor to keep them warm and prevent their ears from getting chilblains. Since the dumplings were shaped like ears, Zhang named the dish "qùhán jiāoěr tāng" (祛寒娇耳汤) or dumpling soup that expels the cold. From that time on, it has been a tradition to eat dumplings on the day of Dongzhi.

In southern China, people eat rice cake (Chinese: 冬至团; pinyin: dōngzhìtuán), which means reunion. It is not only eaten by the family, but also shared with friends and relatives as a blessing. Mutton soup, rice cake and red bean sticky rice are also popular in southern China.

Old traditions also require people with the same surname or from the same clan to gather at their ancestral temples to worship on this day. There is always a grand reunion dinner following the sacrificial ceremony.

Another tradition is eating hot pot.

The festive food is also a reminder that celebrators are now a year older and should behave better in the coming year. Even today, many Chinese around the world, especially the elderly, still insist that one is "a year older" right after the Dongzhi celebration instead of waiting for the lunar new year.

In Taiwan

The Dongzhi Festival is also very important to Taiwanese people. It is also a tradition for Taiwanese to eat tangyuan on this day. They also use the festive food as an offering dish to worship the ancestors.

In accordance with Taiwanese history, many people take some of the tangyuan that have been used as offerings and stick them on the back of the door or on windows and tables and chairs. These "empowered" tangyuan supposedly serve as protective talismans to keep evil spirits away from children.

As well as following some of the customs practiced on mainland China, the people of Taiwan have a unique custom of offering nine-layer cakes as a ceremonial sacrifice to worship their ancestors. These cakes are made using glutinous rice flour in the shape of a chicken, duck, tortoise, pig, cow, or sheep, and then steamed in different layers of a pot. These animals all signify auspiciousness in Chinese tradition.

Many people take invigorating tonic foods during this particular winter festival. To the Taiwanese, winter is a time when most physical activities should be limited and you should eat well to nourish your body. This practice follows the habits shown by many animals which follow the law of nature and hibernate throughout winter months to rejuvenate and to preserve life. In order to fight cold temperatures, it is necessary to eat more fatty and meaty foods during winter when your body can better absorb the rich and nutritional foods at this time due to a slower metabolic rate.

Since Dongzhi is the "extreme of winter", Taiwanese regard it as the best time of the year to take tonic foods. Some of the most widely popular winter tonic foods enjoyed by Taiwanese to fight cold and strengthen the body's resistance are mutton hot pot and ginger duck hot pot. Other foods like chicken, pork, and abalone are also common ingredients used in making tonic foods with nurturing herbs such as ginseng, deer horn, and the fungus cordyceps.

Useful Websites

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/hanukkah-and-the-winter-solstice/

https://mitzvahday.org.uk/hanukkah-winter-solstice-festivals-of-light/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dongzhi_Festival

Osmanthus flower to flavour food and drinks

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Osmanthus_fragrans

HoReCa Welcome sign for FoodHotelAsia

 

Angela Lansbury at HoReCa at the Expo in Singapore for the hotel, restaurant and catering exhibition. 

The stands were displaying ovens, ice cream makers, moulds, cutlery, crockery, packaging, and ingredients such as milk, vegan products, chocolates. Countries with big displays included Asians such as Singapore, Vietnam, China, Korea as well as Europeans such as France, Spain and Italy.

This welcome sign was a favourite place for group photos and individuals to show that they were at the show. A souvenir. A reminder of dates.

My pose was with arms out, which is more welcoming.

The World's Amazing Mountains: Phang Ng Bay, Thailand, Vietnam, the USA, Northern Ireland, New Zealand, The Lake District, England

 

Halong Bay, Vietnam

For a memorable honeymoon or anniversary or weekend getaway, the world has the most amazing mountains and cliffs. On a good day, reflected in the water below. My favourite is Halong Bay. Also spelled Ha Long Bay.  

Here are my top picks:

Vietnam

Flag of Vietnam

Halong Bay

Halong Bay is in the north of Vietnam, where the coastline arches over the sea on your map. 

An easy overnight trip from Siem Reap where we stayed. We booked through our hotel reception. They advised us to wait until the end of the week for sunny weather. They were right. We got sunny weather and great photos. Our friends went there, on honeymoon (second marriage), on overcast days, and were disappointed with the weather, the views, and their own photos. 

The black and white monotone pictures are what you get in dull weather. The colourful pictures are what you get in sunny weather.

Thailand

Phang Ng Bay

Phan Nga Bay leading to James Bond Island. Looks like Halong Bay in Vietnam. Photo by Tony Ng in Wiki.

How do I remember the name to search. Phang like Fang, ends with NG. Ng repeated in the second name. Ng or Nga.

The USA

Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon, USA, photo by Tiraspolsky in Wikimedia Commons.

You can stay in a grand hotel, bus or walk to a clifftop for a sunset panorama.  This is what I did. You take umpteen photo of the scenery, yourself, each other. Then go home to your lodge for supper.

In summer, for a longer daytime trip you can go on group horse-riding through the scenery. In winter you can take a group hike wearing snowshoes.

Northern Ireland

People climbing over basalt rocks of Giant's Causeway, County Antrim, in Northern Ireland. Photo by Adam Bishop in Wikimedia.

This is still on my wish list. When Covid-19 restrictions are relieved and allow access.

New Zealand

The Lake District, England

Travel Tips

1 Check Sunny Seasons and Rain Forecasts

Pick the dry season and good forecast for sunshine views and stunning photos of peaks reflected in the water. The sunny days may book faster.

Pick the rainy season for mist and waterfalls, if you have time to wait for delays of cancelled and postponed water transport and trips. 

 The rainy days may be cheaper.

Useful Websites

https://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com/2019/04/selina-govan-family-in-ha.html

More text, fewer photos

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%E1%BA%A1_Long_Bay

Less text, more photos

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/V%E1%BB%8Bnh_H%E1%BA%A1_Long

Malta arch, (plus Dubrovnik and other places)

For New Zealand mountains and scenery

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tolkien_tourism 

About the Author of this blog, Author Angela Lansbury

BIOGRAPHY

Angela Lansbury B A Hons ACG ALB PM5 EH5 DL5 VC5 
The Author of several books, including  Etiquette For Every Occasion. Wedding Speeches & Toasts. How to be the Best Man. Quick Quotations. Who Said What When.

Blogs travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com

translateforfun.blogspot.com

Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters Speakers Club Vice President Public Relations (VPPR), Previous President

Join BHA 1st Wednesday 7pm and 3rd Saturday 2 pm Singapore time 

Vice President Public Relations (VP PR) of Tampines Changkat Advanced;

Secretary of weekly online Singapore International Dynamic Toastmasters Speakers’ Club;

Member and past president of Harrovians toastmasters club, UK; Past member of HOD Toastmasters, London. Past member in Singapore of: Toastmasters Club of Singapore (TCS); Tiarel; and Senja Cashew.

More details from Toastmasters International find a club.

Regular attendee at annual Swanwick Writers’ School, England.

Regular attendee at annual Writers’ Holiday, Wales.

Contributor to poetry readings, and after tea courses on: Speaking On Radio To Promote Books; and Plots And Character.

Winner of many club and area speaking contests in the UK and Singapore.

Language advisor to Empire Toastmasters club in Indonesia.

Language and speech workshops in Singapore.

Speaker on radio and TV in England, Scotland, the USA, and Australia.

Compiler of a school course on public speaking for teachers to prepare pupils for school open days with attending ceremonies before government ministers, Singapore.

Former member of Harrow Writers’ Circle, London, and two writing groups in Singapore.

Angela is on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter. She would be delighted to link up with new friends.

I  also have a blog on comic poems.

 Please share links to your favourite posts.

See These Cities Before They Sink! London's Thames Barrier, Sinking cities. Jakarta.

 

Thames Barrier seen from a tourist boat. Photo by Arpingstone in Wikipedia.

Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, is sinking and has already been moved. What about the rest of the world?  Global warming is causing temperatures to rise, overall. In the short term, this is good news. England is growing grapes for wine making. We have grapes in our garden in London. 

On the other hand, speaking of London, the long-term view means flooding, and sinking.  Many cities on are on rivers. Capitals are built on rivers. Other major cities are seasides and harbours and ports. That's is where capitals grow and were planted long ago, before plane travel when people travelled by boat, inland on rivers, and trading and emigrating to ports or seeking shelter and replenishment in ports. 

In our lifetimes, in the twentieth and twenty first century, we have seen the growth of travel, trade and hospitality, museums, attractions, restaurants, tourism.

So, as holiday-making travellers, which cities and capitals and countries are under threat? Which should we visit now, before they disappear? Which should we document on photos. 

As travellers interested in trade, in being citizens of the world, in importing ideas and helping other countries, what is new? What needs changing. Which places should we be campaigning to protect! 

Here are a few (listed alphabetically):

AUSTRALIA

Sydney (The capital, Canberra is inland).

BRAZIL

Rio de Janeiro (seaside famous for its beaches, the second largest city by population - the capital being Brasilia).

CHINA

Shanghai.

INDIA

Mumbai (Formerly Bombay), on the sea (Delhi being inland).

INDONESIA

Jakarta, largest city and capital, on the island of Java. Construction of new city announced 2019, started 2020.

THE NETHERLANDS

Amsterdam, Holland.

UK

London, England. See The Thames Barrier.

USA

Los Angeles, California; Miami, Florida; New Orleans; New York City.

VIETNAM

The capital. Ho Chi Minh city.

Here's is the relevant section which I have pulled from Simple Wiki:

Effects of global warming on sea levels[change | change source]

Global warming means that Antarctica and Greenland ice sheets are melting and the oceans are expanding. Recent climate change would still cause a 6 meters (20 ft) sea-level rise even if greenhouse gas emissions were reduced in 2015 per a scientific paper in Science.^[19][20]

Low-lying areas such as Bangladesh, Florida, the Netherlands and other areas face massive flooding.^[21][22]

Cities affected by current sea level rise[change | change source]

Places that would be flooded by a 6 meters (20 ft) sea level rise

Many cities are sea ports and under threat of flooding if the present sea level rises.

These and the other cities have either started trying to deal with rising sea level and related storm surge, or are discussing this, according to reliable sources.

• London ^[23]
• New York City^{[24][25][26][27]}
• Norfolk, Virginia, in Hampton Roads area of United States ^[28][29]
• Southampton ^[30]
• Crisfield, Maryland, United States ^[31]
• Charleston, South Carolina ^[32]
• Miami, Florida, has been listed as "the number-one most vulnerable city worldwide" in terms of potential damage to property from storm-related flooding and sea-level rise.^[33][34]
• Saint Petersburg ^[35]
• Sydney, Australia ^[36]
• Jakarta ^[37]
• Thatta and Badin, in Sindh, Pakistan ^[38]
• Malé, Maldives
• Mumbai, Buenos Aires, Los Angeles, Rio de Janeiro ^[27]

Also, all other coastal cities are in danger.

Further reading[change | change source]

• What is climate change National Geographic Kids

• What is climate change? A really simple guide BBC

Related pages[change | change source]

• Climate change

Useful Travel Websites

London

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10196689/Oxford-Street-leads-festive-light-switch-London-gets-Yuletide-spirit.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ico=taboola_feed_article&ns_mchannel=rss&ico=taboola_feed

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Oxford_Street_Christmas_lights_celebrities

https://www.london.gov.uk/about-us/our-building-and-squares/christmas-trafalgar-square

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-thames-barrier

Jakarta

https://wikitravel.org/en/Jakarta

Rio

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_de_Janeiro

About the Author of this blog, Author Angela Lansbury

BIOGRAPHY

Angela Lansbury B A Hons ACG ALB PM5 EH5 DL5 VC5 
The Author of several books, including  Etiquette For Every Occasion. Wedding Speeches & Toasts. How to be the Best Man. Quick Quotations. Who Said What When.

Blogs travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com

translateforfun.blogspot.com

Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters Speakers Club Vice President Public Relations (VPPR), Previous President

Join BHA 1st Wednesday 7pm and 3rd Saturday 2 pm Singapore time 

Vice President Public Relations (VP PR) of Tampines Changkat Advanced;

Secretary of weekly online Singapore International Dynamic Toastmasters Speakers’ Club;

Member and past president of Harrovians toastmasters club, UK; Past member of HOD Toastmasters, London. Past member in Singapore of: Toastmasters Club of Singapore (TCS); Tiarel; and Senja Cashew.

More details from Toastmasters International find a club.

Regular attendee at annual Swanwick Writers’ School, England.

Regular attendee at annual Writers’ Holiday, Wales.

Contributor to poetry readings, and after tea courses on: Speaking On Radio To Promote Books; and Plots And Character.

Winner of many club and area speaking contests in the UK and Singapore.

Language advisor to Empire Toastmasters club in Indonesia.

Language and speech workshops in Singapore.

Speaker on radio and TV in England, Scotland, the USA, and Australia.

Compiler of a school course on public speaking for teachers to prepare pupils for school open days with attending ceremonies before government ministers, Singapore.

Former member of Harrow Writers’ Circle, London, and two writing groups in Singapore.

Angela is on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter. She would be delighted to link up with new friends.

I  also have a blog on comic poems.

 Please share links to your favourite posts.

Lovely places for lovers: lovely views, love lockets, love spoons

My mother of the room hanger. Picture by Angela Lansbury.

Singapore's Sheraton Towers Hotel. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Every continent has something special for romance. For honeymoons, if money and travel restrictions were not an issue I would pick, in Asia, the Americas, and Europe:

Asia

Halong Bay, Vietnam, picture from Wikipedia. 

1 Halong Bay, a beautiful reflection in Vietnam.

Halong Bay is like America's Monument Valley on sea, with ships and little boats ready for romance. As we boarded our ship the staff stood at the stop of the spiralling staircase throwing down rose petals. This joy was for the benefit of a honeymoon couple. But all of us couples benefitted and loved it. Big boats bring you to your overnight stop. Take optional trips to caves on little boats.

You can sit on your small cruise ship and watch the scenery pass. Our room on board had a balcony.

Angkor Wat, Cambodia.

2 Cambodia's  temples, starting at Ankor Wat. 

Giant faces with eyes watch you from the wats, or temples. The faces watch you calmly and tree roots are entwined up the old walls. Carvings galore. Temples galore. 

Your base is a rickshaw ride from the city of Siem Reap. You buy a three day ticket and see not one but half a dozen temples over three days. Stunning. 

Plus gold buddhas under four-poster canopies.  

Ankor Wat is not just a temple but a complete walled city with a temple in the centre. 

A motorbike rickshaw, decorated with colourful paintings over the outside and inside, collected us from the airport and bounced and blew along between the trees. Tie on your hat. 

We stayed at a tiny hotel with a swimming pool. We had breakfast beside the pool. Perfection.

3 Singapore's Views Of And From Marina Bay Sands

My son and his fiancee (now his wife) went to the Marina bay Sands hotel for a drink with a view from the top. They loved the view so much they checked in for a night and enjoyed hours in and beside the Infinity pool overlooking Singapore. You can admire Marina Bay Sands, like a giant set of three cricket stumps, from the downtown area of the city. 

Or buy a ticket to the top where your voucher buys you most of a cocktail or a pizza per person. We did that one New Year's Day.

The airport itself has a giant waterfall in the centre of a mall linked to the terminal buildings by a walkway. When Covid-19 restrictions end, the shops and restaurants and mall and waterfall will be back, re-opened for you to enjoy. 

For gardens which are seasonally decorated and a giant waterfall with zigzagging walkways, go to Gardens By The Bay. 

For free you can take the waterside walk passing plants with plaques.

Another free place is the Botanical Gardens.

Now the opportunity is to go jogging along trails around the countryside, the beaches, the jungles. Bicycle trails are opening. My husband hired a hybrid bike for on road and off road, and hired a camera.

Americas

1 Bryce Canyon in the USA

Fabulous for pink sunsets.

2 Monument Valley in the USA

Make your own movie of yourself in Monument Valley.

3 Niagara Falls in Canada

Just sit and watch it. 

In February 2021 it was iced over. Another view. Another kind of photo.

EUROPE

UK

England

The Lake District. Where the hills and fir trees are reflected in the water of the lakes. Wordsworth said it all. 

'I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills

When all at once I saw a crowd

Of dancing daffodils.'

Welsh love spoons tea towel. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

I love Wales. I usually go there once a year, either spring or summer. 2021 was the first year I have not visited the Writers' Holiday in Fishguard because it was cancelled because of Covid-19.

I have had this tea-towel for ages. To my surprise, the label says Made in Pakistan. Never mind. It shows Welsh love spoons and tells you about them.

Wales

Welsh love spoons as souvenirs. 

Waterfalls and castles. 

Welsh cakes.

Welsh love spoons.

Similar linked spoons from Norway. (Wikipedia.)

Czech Republic

Love lockets bridge in the capital, Prague. But the the locks are cut off.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seMUW6pakbo

New Zealand

New Zealand has its own lake district. I used to go every year to New Zealand for skiing in the British summer. Their seasons are upside down. Now they have added the movie tours.

Useful Websites

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Angkor_Archaeological_Park

Angela Lansbury teacher of English (advanced and English as a Second Language or English as a Foreign Language, French and other languages, aspiring polyglot.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Member of many toastmasters  speaker training clubs and speaking contest judge.

Angela Lansbury, the author of 20 books including Wedding Speeches & Toasts, and Quick Quotations, has lived in the USA, Spain and Singapore. 

She  has several blogs and writes daily on at least two of the following:

travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com

translateforfun.blogspot.com

 Please share links to your favourite posts.

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