Monday, December 8, 2025
Home AROUND THE WORLD

AROUND THE WORLD

Discover destinations and places that inspire. Flying Baguette takes you to a dreamy travel adventure around the globe.

A Moorish Building in the city
Kuala Lumpur has long been a home to leafy canopies of tropical trees. These days, as skyscrapers dominate its skyline, the drive to reconnect Malaysia’s capital to its green origin is making a comeback.   Kuala Lumpur is going through an identity crisis. For visitors, it is a place that embraces...
The French alps
High up in the French Alps and away from the crowd, ordinary afternoon walks become sublime experiences with soul-rousing natural beauty playing the ideal backdrop.   Ona steep, narrow country road at 1,150 meters above sea level, my travel partner accelerated the engine, aiming at the waggish sound of alpine bells....
The protected marine reserve in Malay Borneo
Just a short boat ride from Sabah’s capital, Kota Kinabalu, Gaya Island in Malaysian Borneo offers a serene escape and natural refuge for both people and wildlife.   From the deck of a speedboat scuttling along at 25 knots, I saw Kota Kinabalu, or KK as locals would refer to it,...
The capital city of Malaysia
Malaysia’s storied capital is teeming with contrast - from its jarring mix of ethnicities, cultures as well as beliefs all adding to its irresistible charm and intrigue.   The early morning call from the muezzin at the nearby Masjid Negara, Malaysia’s national mosque in downtown Kuala Lumpur reverberated in the silence...
Istanbul landscape
There is nowhere in the world quite like Istanbul - spread across two continents, a city exuding with culture and contrast and always on the move.   Everyday mostly at six, old wooden carts pass and move along the narrow cobblestoned alleyways hauling merchandise of freshly picked cucumbers, tomatoes, nuts and...
The sprawling city of Barcelona and Catalonia's powerhouse
Barcelona's appeal begins with its iconic buildings, and the best way to appreciate them is to know the artist behind the city's most impressive landmarks.   My first glimpse of La Sagrada Familia, a fanciful-looking cathedral and the most imposing landmark in the city of Barcelona, is of curious tourists gazing toward...
Robert Graves' house in Deià, Spain
Mallorca, an enchanting Spanish island in the Mediterranean, has lured generations of artists, writers, poets, celebrities, and musicians, inspiring their works and legacies.   W hen William Graves opened the door of his father’s old casa in the undulating hillside of Deià on the island of Majorca, his eyes twinkled. Elena, whom...
The Chao Phraya River and the city it flows through in the sunset
To experience a different side of Bangkok, hop on a river taxi and sail through its ancient Siamese wonders.   From a distance, the pavements shone like fresh galvanized iron sheets straight out from the nearby factory. Last night’s tropical rain shower made them appear even brighter as I strut cautiously...
Viennese cityscape

MY VIENNESE RITUAL

In travel, there is foreignness and familiarity. It's like flipping a coin, you get one or the other. The most fascinating part? The sense of wonder and surprise.   Every so often, when the occasion arises, I would find myself traveling to one of my favorite European cities. I never get...
The town of Ronda in Spain
From a rocky gorge to Spain’s oldest bullfighting ring, Ronda is not just a place to see monumental architecture but also dreams and dramas.   Through the large glass paneled windows blurred by the cold mist of the Andalusian winter, the clip-clop of well-shod hooves from the carriage horses striking the...