Drive just 50 km west of Sydney and you’re in the foothills of the Blue Mountains. Rising to more than 1,100 m above sea level at its highest point, it is the fourth area in New South Whales to be declared a World Heritage Area by UNESCO in 2000. Tithiya Sharma writes.
Need more space? Hop on a space shuttle! Flipper’s been here longer. Tithiya Sharma is on a year-long journey across the globe to find 100 everyday heroes — and hopefully herself — along the way.
The backpacker district of Kuta in Bali, Indonesia, is a far cry from the island paradise of tourism brochures. It's narrow alleys and milling crowds — typical of quarters in tourism hot spots that evolves to cater to the shoestring budget traveller, writes Tithiya Sharma.
In every other place I've been to, all the travellers looked like me — scruffy and in need of a shower. But, in Singapore — with its spotless pavements and cosmopolitan vibe — I felt apologetic for being 'different'. Tithiya Sharma writes.
A gentle voice greeted me on the phone. He was concerned about how I’d make my way to Kuala Lumpur’s suburbs. I jotted down his precise instructions on a boarding pass and stepped out to find Anthony Arokia. Tithiya Sharma writes.
Around the world in 54 weeks destination 5: laos
I’ve been travelling for a couple of weeks in South East Asia now. I’ve had quite the adventure navigating through the hands-on tourism here. I’ve been tugged into shops, duped by sweet old ladies and even roughed up by a Tuk-Tuk driver, writes Tithiya Sharma.
I walked into the Tiny Toones Youth Drop-in Centre and there was crazy street style graffiti on the walls and loud hip-hop music blaring. There were five year olds to teenagers with pants precariously hanging off their bottoms eyeing me distantly. They were all very cool and aloof but I knew I could break in! Tithiya Sharma writes.
As you read this, I’m probably touching down in my first port of call. From the Backpackers Mecca of Bangkok, I begin my epic gap year. Tithiya Sharma writes.
If I look out of the window in my room, I see lush green mountains, thatched roof huts, a mud brick making shed with a clumsy playground in the foreground. This update is coming to you from the Community Learning Center in the little village of Ban Nai Soi in Mae Hong Son district in Thailand, writes Tithiya Sharma.