Three former British colonies

Stella and I have been on the road in southern Asia for four months and we’re still having fun. This report covers our September adventures.

From Bali, we flew northwest to Singapore, Malaysia and India. What do these three countries have in common?

• Cultural links that date back more than 1,500 years
• Multiracial populations of Indians, Chinese, Malays, Siamese and Eurasians
• History of British colonial rule
• English widely spoken (although the accent takes getting used to)
• Excellent tourist infrastructure, cheap air fares and great food
• Immigration policies that welcome Ugandans — yay!

Our first stop was Singapore. It was Stella’s dream to do a photoshoot with Singapore’s iconic landmarks in the background. So, we bought an eye-catching outfit in Chinatown for $66 US and went for a walk around the harbor. (I wasn’t the only person taking photos of Stella.) Later we met up with our friends Sebastian and Jessica whom we met on our dive cruise in July aboard the Jelajahi Laut.

Singapore reminds me of Disneyland. It’s wonderfully clean, there’s food everywhere, and there’re lots of fun things to do.

Stella’s other dream was to see snow. Watch this video to see how a girl from Uganda reacts when she sees snow for the very first time.

Our last night in Singapore, we took the elevator to the 57th floor of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel for drinks at the Cé La Vi SkyBar where a beer, a glass of wine and a side-order of French fries costs $55 US. The drink prices were sky-high, but it was worth it. With its unobstructed open-air view, this might be the world’s most spectacular bar/lounge. Click the video above to see why I say this. Since its opening in 2010, I’ve wanted to see the infinity pool on the roof of this hotel. I wasn’t disappointed. After our drinks, we strolled around Singapore’s harbor, stopping for photo ops, and ending our romantic evening with dinner at Clarke Quay.

Leaving Singapore via Terminal 2, there’s a digital waterfall that gets my vote for the world’s most amazing example of hi-tech art. It’s called the Wonderfall. It is a modern wonder. The video and audio quality is so realistic I had to touch the video screens to see if I’d get wet.

We took a short flight to Kuala Lumpur, which is a bit like Singapore, but less expensive. With the Petronas Towers in the background, Stella did another photo shoot in her traffic-stopping costume. (Again, I wasn’t the only one taking photos of her.) From Kuala Lumpur, a 40-minute train ride took us to the Batu Caves which are full of colorful Hindu temples, evocative story sculptures and large snakes! These huge caves are a cool place to go on a hot day in the tropics.

One evening at a food court in Kuala Lumpur, Stella was invited to join local street musicians to help them fill their donation box. This was typical of the social atmosphere we encountered throughout Malaysia.

Trains and boats are my favorite means of travel. From Kuala Lumpur, we hopped aboard a train-ferry combination to get to the island of Penang 400 km away. There, we met up with more friends we made in Indonesia aboard the Jelajahi Laut. Franz and Nina were a big help in suggesting what to see and do in their lively city.

This was my first visit to the island city of Penang, and it won’t be my last. I was impressed by what a liveable city this is. Although it’s not a huge city, there’s a lot going on here in terms of history, culture, entertainment and scenery. It’s pedestrian friendly, the traffic is light and the air is clean. Penang now rates as one of my favorite cities in southeast Asia. The views from the top of Penang Hill and the Komtar Tower are fantastic.

From Penang, our next stop was Havelock Island in the Andaman Islands. Getting there from Penang took two days. Using Rome2Rio, I found a route involving one ferry, two trains, two airplanes, a tuk-tuk and a catamaran.

Havelock is an island paradise owned by India, home to a few rustic resorts. It isn’t a well-known destination … yet. We found lodging at the Eco Villa Palm Beach Resort where Sujan (sujan.ecovilla@gmail.com) manages a few bungalows which he built about 20 years ago. With a background in marine biology, Sujan has taken on the task of preserving his house reef, where he cultivates coral and giant clams. He and I found lots to talk about. It was a delight to snorkel among a healthy population of giant clams on the reef just offshore. If you’re ever at Eco Villa Resort, please drop by and say hello to Sujan for me.

Stella and I were the only foreigners we saw on Havelock. On our departure, we attracted the attention of Bishnu Pada Ray, a member of parliament who represents the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. He was pleased to welcome a visitor from Uganda. I was happy to tell him that his reefs are healthy, and I encouraged him to keep them that way.

In the Andamans as in most of India, a good way to get around town is by tuk-tuk. Tuk-tuks are fast and exciting. They’re a great way to experience the city and get some fresh air.

From the Andamans, we flew non-stop to New Delhi. In the past, I’ve avoided New Delhi, figuring it was just a crowded, noisy, dirty city. We lucked into a peaceful AirBnB in a neighborhood called Hauz Khas in the middle of New Dehli. Our north balcony overlooks a 13th century madrassa and a man-made pond (aka the Royal Tank). From our south balcony, we view a forest full of squirrels, peacocks, boars and maybe wild elephants — or so I’m told.

We’re still in Delhi as I write this, feasting on wonderful food, meeting interesting people, getting invited into our neighbors’ homes, and touring major tourist attractions. Stella has been mistaken more than once for an actress in the most recent Black Panther movie. Everyone wants to have their photo taken with her.

A visit to Delhi isn’t complete without a trip to Agra to see the Taj Mahal, one of the world’s most visited tourist sites. The Archaeological Survey of India restricts the number of visitors to 40,000 per day. Whew! To avoid the crowds, we went on a rainy Wednesday. Not only was it cooler and more comfortable, there were no queues into the Taj or into any of its associated buildings. It was nice to be photographed with only a few people in the background.

We haven’t decided where we’ll go after India. We’re waiting to see whether Stella can get approved for a visa to Pakistan, Thailand or Nepal. If you happen to be in any of these countries, please drop us a note and maybe we can meet up somewhere.

By the way, in case you didn’t see the news, Americans can now renew their passports online!