Public Transportation in Malaysia: Trials and Errors

With this article I will take you on a trip to the confusing world of public transport in Peninsular Malaysia.

It’s an overview of the different ways to travel from one place to another and how we managed to (eventually) always get where we wanted to be.

There are plenty of different public transportation options from which to choose, and each of them has its own challenges, which sometimes have to be learned the hard way.

Skybus

On a sunny Sunday afternoon, after more than 30 hours of spending time in airports and airplanes, we finally arrived in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. Our hostel owner had been so kind to provide us some directions and this started with taking the “Skybus” to get from the airport to the center of the city.

As this is the most common way of airport transport, we figured that there would be at least some signs pointing to the right bus terminal…not. No problem, they can’t put a sign for every single bus company, we will certainly find the bus at the general bus terminal…wrong again.

Luckily there was this very nice taxi driver who could point us at least the direction of the Skybus terminal. At that time we probably already looked very lost, so thanks to mister cab driver to not trick us into his taxi! After having to ask for directions another couple of times, we finally managed to find the Skybus terminal at the other side of the airport.

We easily found the ticket office and soon we were on our way to Puduraya bus station.
Puduraya is the main bus station of central Kuala Lumpur and from there (according to my directions) it was only a couple of minutes walk to the hostel. Too bad the bus didn’t stop in the station, which made us lost again. After another round of asking directions, we found out that we were only one street away from the station, so soon we were on our way to the hostel.

At that time we called it bad luck, but it wouldn’t take long for us to experience the complexities of public transport in what I like to call a “semi-developed country”.

Metrobus

The first trip we wanted to make around KL was to the famous Batu Caves. We asked the guy from the reception of the hostel how we should get there and in broken English he told us something about the metro and the bus. Now you have to know that in Dutch, and probably in some other languages too, “metro” is the name we give to the subway.
As we didn’t really have a clue what the guy was talking about, I asked him to write it down. So he wrote the word “mertubus” and told us to go to central market.

Over there we started showing our piece of paper to everyone around, but nobody knew what the “mertubus” was. So we tried asking for some variations: “mertubus”, “merubus”, “metrubus”, “metrobus”… That last one rang a bell in the head of some friendly policemen who pointed us the way to a Metrobus bus stop. Indeed, I wrote “a” metrobus bus stop.

When the bus finally came we tried to wave him down but the driver waved back at us that this wasn’t the place where that bus stopped, so we had to run to a couple of streets further where the bus finally stopped at another bus stop.

Apart from a couple of liters of sweat nothing was lost and after half an hour we were dropped off at the Batu Caves. Some hours later we wanted to catch the bus back to KL city, but there didn’t seem to be any bus stops. At arrival we hadn’t really noticed that the bus dropped us off at the side of the road and that there wasn’t really a sign or anything.
So we guessed we should try to stand on the place where the bus dropped us off and sooner or later another bus would stop there and take us back to the city. Another bus stopped there, only to tell us that we were on the wrong side of the road (okay, we could have figured that out ourselves).

So we crossed the road and waited for another half hour until we finally noticed our bus in yet another road… Again some running brought us to the right imaginary bus stop and soon we were on our way back to the center.

Subway

To get to the KLCC PETRONAS towers, someone advised us to take the subway. No, actually that’s not true, someone really advised us to take the train. But luck was on our side and we figured out in time that in Malaysia people call the subway also a train. Otherwise we might still be waiting at the KL train station.

Unlike subway stations all over the world, in KL there’s a different ticket counter for each line. So you first have to find the right line, and then buy a ticket at the counter that sells ticket for that certain line.

After that, the “train” is piece of cake. It works similar to all other subways I’ve ever taken, and it soon became our favorite way of travelling.

Long distance buses

Too bad the subway only runs within a city, so whenever we needed to get from on the move we were dependent on other ways of transport. When we wanted to get from KL to Cameron highlands for example, we asked the guy from the hostel to arrange the bus. He did some phone calls, asked some money and wrote us a pre-printed paper which mentioned our names, the time of departure and the platform where the bus would leave.

By that time we were already a bit suspicious about public transport, so we arrived half an hour in advance at Puduraya bus station. Soon someone asked us where we wanted to go and showed us the way to platform 18. There was already a bus waiting but when we asked the driver if that was the bus to Cameron Highlands the answer was “No”. Nothing lost, we still had 20 minutes, so we waited…

After another 10 minutes the bus still hadn’t arrived and there also were no other passengers. So we started asking around. Nobody seemed to know about that bus, some even told us that what we had wasn’t a real ticket, but a friendly security guy took the time to run all over the station with us only to find out that the bus we needed didn’t exist.

By that time we were already more than half an hour late, so the only thing we could do was go back to the hostel and ask what was going on. The person at the reception did another couple of phone calls and found out that we had a wrong ticket. The bus didn’t leave at Puduraya, but across the street in front of the DiGi (a Malaysian telephone company) shop.

We received a new ticket and one hour later we were at the shop. There were already some other people waiting over there so our confidence came back and half an hour later we were on the bus to Cameron Highlands. I have to mention that we never made the same mistake again. From then on we always bought our tickets directly at the bus station and we haven’t had problems like this again.

Minivan

Between every tourist highlight there are at least a couple of minivan services. They are usually more expensive than long distance buses, but they pick you up and drop you off wherever you want. Another advantage is that these vans are usually scheduled to arrive at location around checkout time (11 – 12 am), which means you have more chance on finding accommodation.

But every coin has two sides, and so does this one. It seems like the drivers really feel like it’s their van and they are doing you a favor by bringing you to your next location (although you’ve paid for it) and thus you have no reason to complain about whatever they decide. So they decide on the music, both style and volume, on the temperature of the air condition, on the speed (wannabe rally drivers are no exception) and so on.

They also decide whether they stop or not along the way and if they do, where they stop and for how long. Of course, it is kind of funny to see a bunch of people sprinting to the toilets after a six-hour non-stop drive. Just make sure you’ve went before you leave and don’t drink too much along the way. And if you ate something funny the day before, you might want to consider not taking a van.

Taxi

This is the kind of transportation we had the least problems with, I think. But of course you pay the price and we tend only to take taxis if there’s no other public transport available or if we have no clue where we are and where we need to be.

We experienced the taxi drivers as friendly and helpful persons. Because they know the area very well, most of the time they’re also able to give advice about good accommodation and sights.

Although most guidebooks will advise you never to take a taxi which doesn’t have a meter, I’ve always seen this as an advantage. You just need to make sure that you agree on the price before you leave, and it helps to look like you know the distance and about how much you should have to pay. When the price seems a little too much, it might also help to make a “hmmm-face” or to start talking to your companion in another language. This sometimes makes the drivers to reconsider their price.

When you’re at the coast or on an island, there are often boat taxis available. They normally go only to certain locations and they have fixed prices.

Boat

As mentioned before, there are the boat taxis, which are used for short distances, mostly to dive sites, other coasts or close islands. Next to that, there are the ferries. Different ferries exist towards the islands of Penang, Lankawi and Perhentian. But also to other countries like Indonesia.

The only experience we had with ferries was the one between Kuala Besul and Perhentian Kecil. It might take some time to figure out where the ferry specifically leaves. For example, when you want to leave Long Beach on Kecil by ferry, you first need to take a boat taxi to somewhere in the middle of the sea where the ferry then picks you up… You just need to know.

Train

Malaysia has two main train routes: one between Thailand and Singapore which passes by Penang and KL and close to Melaka, and another one between Kota Bahru and Gemas, which drives through Taman Negara.

The latter is also known as the “Jungle train”. In Gemas it switches tracks to either KL or Singapore, which provides a good connection between the city and the Jungle. The trains are old, and you should only take them for the experience, as the bus is cheaper, faster, more comfortably and they have and hourly schedule.

Adventurers as we are, it should be a shame not to give the jungle train a try. So in Taman Negara we went to the tourist info service to find out that the train to KL leaves Jerantut at 12:45, so at noon we were at the train station and found out that the train leaves 45 minutes past midnight… Living in a country where we use the 24 hour system instead of AM and PM, I know that I need to look out for this mistake, and honestly, I can’t remember if the timetable said “12:45 AM” or just “12:45”.

As there’s nothing to do in Jerantut which can keep you busy for more than 12 hours, and as there’s also a bus service every hour, we let go of the plan to take the jungle train and decided to take a bus instead.

Some extra notes about local buses:

Like the Metrobus in KL, every city has its own local bus service, but there are some things they have in common.

None of the local buses have a time table, but they drive quite often and you just need to appear on the right place and wait for a bus to pass by. Normally they have fixed hours when they start in the morning and stop in the evening, but we experienced that either this is a lie, or the people we asked just didn’t have a clue and made a guess.

Outside of the big cities, bus stops are not very common. Buses do stop, but don’t expect a sign or anything, so when you get off, always take a good look at the environment to be able to get back on again later.

Buses don’t always drive the same route. The advantage is that the driver might also bring you to a place where the bus normally shouldn’t pass by. The disadvantage is that it’s possible that the bus doesn’t pass by the place you expected, because it took a detour to drop someone else off. Make sure that whenever you get in, you tell the driver exactly where you want to get off.

Something else we’ve experienced is that people (even bus drivers) often don’t have a clue which bus goes where to. The tactic we’ve used is to ask at least five persons and take the bus which number has been answered most. But feel free to invent your own tactics.

You might have figured out by now that public transport in Malaysia is not that easy as it is in the western world. But luckily, it seems that the Malaysian government knows about this. One of our last days on the peninsula, I mentioned the problems we had to a Malaysian guy and he answered that their minister of transport has been to Europe to see how we handle these things over here.

So there’s hope!

10 Weird Food Delicacies From Around the World

Travelling is often about trying the unusual and attempting to experience the different culture of the country you are visiting. One of the best ways to do this is to try the foods the native people eat.

They may not be to everyone’s tastes, but the following foods, whilst considered weird and bizarre to some of us, are considered delicious delicacies in other countries. Although eating these foods might seem like a form of ‘extreme dining’ to us, they are in fact quite normal to the people who eat them.

1 – Birds Nest Soup, China

You wouldn’t necessarily think a birds nest would be edible, but the Chinese use Swifts’ nests to make this soup, known as the ‘Caviar of the East’. Right now you’re probably imagining a nest made out of twigs and leaves, but Swiftlets make their nests predominantly out of saliva.

It’s something in the saliva of the bird that makes it have this unique gelatinous, rubbery texture and it’s one of the most expensive animal products consumed by humans. It’s expensive because the swiftlets build the nests during breeding season over a period of 35 days and nests can only be harvested around three times a year. The nests are typically built in coastal caves and collecting them is a treacherous process involving climbing and nimble skill, which adds to the hefty price tag.

With an increase in demand for birds nest soup however, manmade nesting sites are often constructed. Hong Kong and the US are the largest importers of birds’ nests and a bowl of soup can cost around $30 to $100 per bowl, whilst a kilo of nest can cost between $2,000 and $10,000. The soup has been a tradition for centuries and is believed to be nutritious in proteins and minerals and have aphrodisiac qualities.

2 – Fried tarantulas, Cambodia

Eensy weensy spider, climbing up the spout…if you suffer from arachnophobia you probably don’t want to try eating these eight legged monsters. They’re not tiny little house spiders, they’re great big tarantulas and you can buy them in the streets of Skuon, Cambodia.

They’re fried whole – legs, fangs and all. They were first discovered by starving Cambodians in the bloody, brutal days of the Khmer Rouge rule and have gone from being the vital sustenance of these people to a delicacy tourists come far and wide to try.

The black hairy arachnids found in the jungle around the market town of Skuon have become a source of fame and fortune for the region as bus loads of people stop to try them on their way to other places. They cost only a few cents and supposedly taste delicious, as they are best plucked straight from the burrow and pan fried with a bit of garlic and salt. They’re supposed to taste a bit like crickets or scrawny chickens and are crispy on the outside with a gooey body on the inside.

3 – Puffer fish, Japan

You’ve got to be careful with this delicacy or you might end up in the morgue. The deadly Puffer fish, or fugu, however is the ultimate delicacy in Japan even though its skin and insides contain the poisonous toxin todrotoxin, which is 1,250 times stronger than cyanide.

That’s why in Japan only expert chefs in licensed restaurants are allowed to prepare it. Otherwise you’re likely to become paralysed whilst still conscious and eventually die from asphyxiation because there is no known antidote.

Fifteen people died in Thailand when the fish was made illegal and people started dying it pink and passing it off as salmon.

4 – Balut, Phillipines

A bit like with a Kinder Surprise, you certainly will be surprised to open these eggs, though not in the same pleasant way as finding a toy inside. You get to eat your chicken and your egg at the same time with Balut.

Fertilized eggs are boiled just before they’re due to hatch, so your yolk oozes out followed by… a chicken (or duck) foetus. They are cooked when the foetus is anywhere from 17 days to 21 days depending on your preference, although when the egg is older the foetus begins to have a beak, claws, bones and feathers.

In Filipino culture Balut is almost as popular as the hot dog in America and street vendors yell out ‘Baluuuuuuut’ as they push their carts down the street. They are popularly believed to boost the libido and are also a hearty snack full of protein. Balut are usually guzzled down with beer and are prepared with a pinch of salt, lemon juice, black pepper and coriander, although some Balut eaters prefer it with chili and vinegar. The way to eat Balut is to crack open the egg, sip the broth and then eat the yolk and foetus…it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but apparently it’s delicious.

5 – Casu Marzu, Sardinia

This Sardinian cheese is a cheese with a difference; it’s riddled with insect larvae. “Casu Marzu” means ‘rotten cheese’ and is most commonly referred to as ‘maggot cheese.’ It’s now banned for health reasons but can still be available on the black market in Sardinia and Italy.

The sheep’s milk cheese is basically Pecorino, which has had the larvae of the cheese fly, Piophila casei, introduced to it. Fermentation occurs as the larvae digest the cheese fats, and the texture becomes very soft with some liquid seeping out. The cheese has to be eaten when the maggots are still alive because when they are dead it is considered to be toxic.

Since the larvae can jump if they are disturbed, diners have to shield their eyes or place the cheese in a sealed paper bag until the maggots are starved of oxygen and die. Health issues have arisen in relation to Casu Marzu, including reports of allergic reactions and the danger of consuming cheese that has advanced to a toxic state. There’s also some risk of intestinal larval infection.

6 – Surstromming, Sweden

One of the world’s strangest dishes can be found in Sweden. Surstomming is fermented Baltic herring and can be found on supermarket shelves all over the country, although you probably won’t see it next to the Ikea meatballs.

The herring is caught in spring when it is just about to spawn and is fermented in barrels for one to two months before it is tinned where the fermentation continues for several months. The cans often bulge during shipping and storage because of the continued fermentation process.

Certain airlines have in fact banned these cans from being taken on flights, as they consider the pressurized cans to be potentially dangerous, like fireworks and explosives. When the can is opened the smell is usually what will get to you first as the fermented fish has a really strong odour. It’s usually eaten with a type of flat crispy bread and boiled potatoes. Sometimes people drink milk with it, but beer and water are often used to guzzle it down.

7 – Live Octopus, Korea

In Korea Sannakji is a raw dish consisting of live octopus. The octopus is cut into pieces whilst still alive, lightly seasoned with sesame oil and served immediately whilst the tentacles can still be seen squirming on the plate.

Eating live octopus is a challenge not only mentally trying to get your head round eating something that’s still alive, but physically, as the tentacles stick to any surface they touch. You actually have to fight with your food before you can devour it and savour its taste.

The first hurdle is to get the tentacles off your chopsticks, and once the octopus is in your mouth it will suction to your teeth, the roof of your mouth and your tongue essentially trying to preserve its own life. It is supposedly enjoyable to experience the party in your mouth as the tentacles wriggle around and stick to your mouth as you chew it. Special care should be taken to chew thoroughly, however, because if the suction cups stick to the mouth or throat, this can be a choking hazard.

8 – Kopi Luwak, Indonesia

You might want to think twice if someone offers you a cup of this coffee when you pop round to their house. Kopi Luwak is the rarest, most expensive gourmet coffee in the world. Sounds divine right? It’s actually made from the excrements of an Indonesian cat-like creature called the Luwak.

The Luwak eats only the ripest coffee cherries but its stomach can’t digest beans inside them, so they come out whole. The coffee that results from this process is said to be like no other, and the stomach acids and enzymes that perform the fermentation of the beans give the coffee a special aroma.

This process takes place on the islands of Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi in the Indonesian Archipelago. With an expensive price tag of anywhere between US$120 – $300 per pound, you might want to start saving now if you want to try this gourmet coffee.

9 – Puffin Heart, Iceland

Sometimes referred to as the ‘clown of the ocean’ or ‘sea parrot’, the puffin, with its colourful beak and clumsy behaviour, is considered an adorable bird. The sight of a puffin flapping its wings and jumping from a cliff to generate enough lift to become airborne is enough to make anyone go ‘aaaah’.

In Iceland, however, these seabirds have been a source of sustenance for Icelanders on the islands for centuries. Iceland is home to one of the world’s largest colonies of puffins and ‘sky fishing’ is a sport which involves catching the low flying birds in a big net.

The best place to catch a puffin or two is in the Westman Islands, where they are sustainably harvested to prevent them from coming extinct. The heart of a puffin is eaten raw whilst it is still warm in traditional Icelandic delicacy.

Puffins are eaten by breaking their necks, skinning them and then eating the fresh heart raw. Puffin is supposed to be delicious like a fishier version of chicken or duck. It is often smoked, grilled or pan-fried. TV chef Gordon Ramsey caused quite a stir when he was seen eating this rare delicacy on TV.

10 – Snake Wine, Vietnam

Fancy some wine with a difference? A bouquet of snake with some snake blood notes perhaps? Snake wine is a bottle of rice wine with a venomous snake inside and has ‘medicinal purposes’, but is probably more useful for display purposes than to drink.

The snake is left to steep in the rice wine for many months to let the poison dissolve in the wine. The ethanol makes the venom inactive so it is not dangerous, and snake wine supposedly has many health benefits. It has a slightly pink colour like a nice rose because of the snake blood in there.

It originated in Vietnam, where snakes are thought to possess medicinal qualities, but it has spread to other parts of South East Asia and Southern China. Snake blood wine on the other hand is made by slicing the belly of the snake to let the blood drain into the wine and this is served immediately.

Photo credits:

Bird’s nest soup by wynlok on Flickr, Fried spiders by Nir Nussbaum on Flickr, Fugu by Schlomo Rabinowitz on Flickr, Balut by chadedwardxxx on Flickr, Casu Marzu by wikicommons, Surstromming by Ese-emon on Flickr, Octopus by gregoryperez on Flickr, Kopi Luwak by miscpix on Flickr, Puffin by nicholasngkw on Flickr, Snake wine by Rob Sheridan on Flickr

Diving is an Adventure in Curacao - Photo Courtesy of Curacao Tourism Board

The Tugboat - Photo Coutesy of Curacao Tourism Board

7 Unique Modes of Transport In Asia

The very first thing that a traveller looks for when arriving at a new country is how to get from one location to another. Usually, people would expect to take what would be classified as the normal modes of transport, which is either by car, taxi, bus or train while travelling on land. This is not necessarily the case in Asia, as it has managed to develop its own way of taking people from point A to point B.

These different modes of transport are particularly unique and exotic that it can’t be found anywhere else in the world. Through the years of travelling around Asia, I’ve noted some of the unique modes of transport that can only be found in Asia and nowhere else. Here are the 7 unique modes of transport that a traveller will find only in the biggest continent in the world:

1 - Tuktuk (Thailand)

The tuktuk is Thailand’s local version of a taxi. It’s essentially a three-wheeled vehicle that looks like a modified motorcycle built with a metal frame carriage that can accommodate 2 passengers. The carriages are usually bright and colourful, and carry the “TAXI” symbol on the roof. These three-wheeled vehicles can be found in nearly every town and city in Thailand, including the mega-packed city of Bangkok.

Tuktuks are great for buzzing around the busy and crowded streets, as they can easily maneuver and squeeze through the smallest gaps in the traffic. However, this also means that you will experience the ride of your life. The tuktuk drivers can drive really fast and turn and cut corners that most foreigners find themselves clinging on to their seats! Taking the tuktuk may not be for the faint-hearted, but it’s a great way to experience and travel around Bangkok and other towns and cities in Thailand. Nevertheless, it is one of Thailand’s unique mode of transport, and a symbol of Thai ingenuity.

2 - Jeepney (Philippines)

The Jeepney is the Philippines’ take of a bus. Its name originated from the American Jeep, which was how the jeepney started. After the Second World War, when Manila was almost completely destroyed by the Japanese bombings, the American Jeep became the only vehicle available as a means of transport. The American Jeep was then modified for public transport purposes.

With a touch of local Filipino ingenuity, the jeepney evolved into the colourful and tough mode of transport we now find all over the Philippines. The Jeepney essentially has the engine of a jeep, and a long body with two long rows of benches facing each other. Normally, the jeepney can take in between 16 to 18 people (between 8 to 9 people on each side), but as regulations are pretty loose in the Philippines, this vehicle can take up more than that number. The jeepney acts similarly to a bus and travels on distinct routes, however, it doesn’t have a proper jeepney stop. You can hail it practically anywhere and get off anywhere. With this kind of setup, you can imagine the chaos that it causes to traffic. Thus, the jeepney is given the nickname “King of the Road” in the Philippines.

3 - AutoRickshaw (India)

The AutoRickshaw is India’s version of the tuktuk. It is a three-wheeled vehicle that can take up to 3 passengers. The sizes of these autorickshaws are generally smaller than the tuktuks, and a great majority of these vehicles are manufactured by the local motor giant Bajaj.

As with the tuktuk, the autorickshaws are great for squeezing through the chaotic traffic of India’s major centres. Consequently, the autorickshaw drivers are also your typical Michael Schumacher-wannabes, and you would need to hang on tight as there are no seat belts in these three wheelers.

Paying for the autorickshaw is quite an interesting challenge. They have meters installed, but the meters have not been re-calibrated since 1983. Therefore, the locals came up with a conversion chart that would tell you how much you need to pay if the meter shows a certain amount. As a foreigner and tourist, it is a must to carry this card to avoid being ripped off by some sneaky drivers. Autorickshaws are part and parcel of the Indian street scene, and although they aren’t as colourful as the tuktuks, they are a great option to the crowded buses and trains of India.

4 - Songthaew (Laos)

The Songthaew originally started in Thailand, and became popular in neighbouring Laos as a means of public transport. While the songthaew that you will find in the capital Vientiane and in the historic city of Luang Prabang are pretty much similar to the ones in Thailand, this version of the songthaew is unique to Vang Vieng and the rural areas of Laos.

It uses a small tractor engine with manual handles to steer the vehicle. The tractor engine is attached to a wooden carriage, which has 2 benches for passengers to sit on. The name “songthaew” literally means “Two Benches” and it’s pretty obvious when you see the vehicle. The benches of this particular type of songthaew are not fastened to the carriage, so you need to hang on to it when going through rough patches.

The roof is made of plastic tarpaulin. It is not the most comfortable things to ride on, especially on rough terrain, but the great thing about this makeshift-looking vehicle is its ability to run like a 4WD and plough through mud and do river crossings. If you would like to explore the many caves around Vang Vieng, getting there can be challenging without taking one of these vehicles.

5 - Motorela (Philippines)

The Motorela is a mode of transport that can only be found in Northern Mindanao, Philippines. Originally from Cagayan de Oro City, this vehicle looks as colourful as the jeepneys. In fact, the motorela is somewhat a cross between a jeepney and a tuktuk. It is literally a motorcycle that is encased in a carriage with 2 rows of seats facing each other.

Motorelas can take up to eight passengers (four on each side), and the way it serves passengers is quite interesting. It generally tries to work out its route depending on where the first passenger is headed. Along the way, it will pick up passengers who are headed towards the same direction of the first passenger, or even a bit further from the first passenger.

Because of rather skewed proportion of the weight of its carriage against the motorcycle, the motorela doesn’t travel as fast and cannot travel to steep terrains well. In saying that though, it is a great and convenient way to get around the city of Cagayan de Oro without the fear of speed. The structure and use of the motorela is definitely unique, and not many people have heard of this vehicle unless you have been to this part of the Philippines.

6 - Songthaew (Thailand)

The original songthaew is a truck that is converted into a passenger vehicle, with two benches facing each other. The structure of the songthaew looks very much like the jeepney, but the body of the songthaew is slightly bigger and wider. In some cases, the wider songthaew would have an extra bench placed in the middle between the 2 opposite benches to take more passengers in. With this kind of setup, the songthaew can take up to 30 passengers.

The songthaew operates very much like a bus in that it also generally plies on a specific route. However, you can hail it on the side of the road and there are no official stops for this vehicle apart from a terminal where it starts and finishes its journey. This mode of transport is more common outside Bangkok, in the other regional centres of Thailand where buses are not available within the centres.

7 - Human-powered rickshaws (Kyoto, Japan)

The traditional rickshaw is one of the most impressionable images of Asia before the Second World War. You can find several black and white street scene images of a man pulling a passenger carriage with two huge wheels. These modes of transport are long gone with the rapid urbanization across Asia, but in Kyoto, there are sections of the city where you can still find these human powered rickshaws plying the streets.

Most of these rickshaws are only available in the small alley ways in the older parts of Kyoto, where cars are not able to travel through. The drivers of these rickshaws are not necessarily huge people, but you can see that they do have strong legs that could compensate for their size.

One unique thing I noticed about their outfit is the specially designed foot glove that they wear that helps them travel through any type of surface without slipping. The rickshaw is one of the last vestiges of the romantic image of Asia, and an environmentally and healthy way to travel.

Photo credits:
Tuktuk by Akuppa on Flickr, Jeepney by ManilaDailyPhoto on Flickr, Autorickshaw by PrinceRoy on Flickr, Motorela by Zeng Lebron on Flickr, All other photos by Kelvin Lim