Asia

When I need a break from whatever life decides to throw at me, I have a habit of packing a bag and heading to a different part of Southeast Asia. I’ve explored The Philippines, Cambodia, Thailand and parts of Laos and Vietnam, and in late 2018 I chose to spend a whole month in Sri […]

Have you been to The Philippines yet? If you have already visited one of the world’s friendliest countries, maybe (like me) you are counting the days until you can go back? Either way I have some news for you if travelling on The Philippines’ own signature transport system is high on your wishlist; the colourful […]

As I wait outside the firmly locked gates of Lunuganga Garden and Estate, along with a smattering of other curious visitors to this leafy corner of Sri Lanka, I feel like Charlie waiting to be let inside the chocolate factory. And just like Willy Wonka’s factory, the architectural fantasy world at Lunuganga is full of […]

When I’m invited to visit Barberyn Sands Ayurveda Resort in Sri Lanka, the timing couldn’t be better: it’s been 2 years since a driver ploughed into the back of my car while waiting at a roundabout, resulting in me losing consciousness. I still have debilitating whiplash that just won’t quit. Having already set aside 4 […]

You may be thinking of spending 1 day in Colombo on your trip to Sri Lanka, but aren’t sure if the capital city has enough to offer to make it worth your precious holiday time (the answer is a resounding YES!). Perhaps you’re a city break fan and have decided you want to experience the […]

Pidurangala Rock is probably on your list of places to check out in Sri Lanka’s Central Province, and chances are Sigiriya is on that list too. But unless you’ve got unlimited time to spend in the area, and plenty of funds, you might be wondering whether you should climb just one or both of these […]

I remember way back when the phrase medical tourism was first bandied about in the UK. To my mind it usually referred to people travelling to obscure Eastern European countries to have things like costly dental work and minor cosmetic procedures carried out at a fraction of the price that the same treatment would cost […]

I started planning travels with a mind map instead of a list about 2 years ago. It’s not just travel I plan this way now, it’s everything. From blog-related tasks to personal and financial to-do lists they’re all on a mind map above my desk, to keep me focused on what I want to achieve […]

I’ve been secretly planning my month in Sri Lanka for most of the year, but didn’t want to jinx it by saying anything out loud. Now I know it’s happening I can tell you my exciting news: I will be spending a whole month in Sri Lanka in October. This isn’t just any old trip […]

It really has been a summer of legend here in the UK, but I’m finally ready to admit that the British heatwave is over, that no, I probably didn’t need to buy that extra fan after all, and that there is life (and travel) beyond the UK in the glorious sunshine. Considering I’m a travel […]

Savoir Ink is a new section where I meet real travellers who got inked in international locations, and hear the true story behind their travel tattoo… This week to kick off the series, and as it’s ♥ Valentine’s week ♥ we meet cute travel blogging couple Roxanne and Maartje, the Dutch duo behind Once Upon A […]

I wonder what prompted you to read a post about finding perfect places for winter sun? Maybe it’s the start of January and you’re looking for hot holiday ideas to get you through the month? Perhaps you’ve stumbled on this post in mid-March having suffered an entire English Winter? Or are you actually in Australia […]

The classic summer holiday is that cliche of sun, sand and sea – and that’s when most people tend to do most of their swimming. But as well as lazing on a sun lounger on our precious days off, many of us enjoy exploration and adventure while overseas, and to immerse ourselves in something new. […]

Savoir Solves is a new section where I answer readers and friends travel questions and dilemmas. This week the question is from friend and reader Andrea, from Vancouver, Canada, who has booked her first trip to Thailand and is feeling apprehensive. She asks whether 2 months is too long to spend in Thailand. Travel Question About […]

On a day trip to the Brunei capital I was wowed by a selection of Bandar Seri Begawan’s highlights, from mosques and floating villages to food markets and museums. But the country’s largest mosque, which was built by the current Sultan was undoubtedly the most impressive thing I saw during my short visit to the tiny […]

This guide to Tel Aviv comes from fellow freelance travel writer Rachel Rigby, who explored the vegan cafes, diamond exchanges and biblical connections of the Tel Aviv area of Israel…

There’s bound to be a special place in anyone’s heart for the first exotic holiday location to which they ever travel. While my first foreign holiday was to Greece (in typically British style) my first ever experience of a long haul destination was landing in Denpasar airport, Bali, more years ago than I care to admit […]

A romantic weekend away for Valentine’s Day – sounds like a great idea in principle, right? But as anyone who has tried to book even a simple night away with their partner already knows, the process of finding the perfect hotel for romance isn’t all hearts and flowers. You’re searching for seclusion and sophistication in […]

Sihanoukville and style aren’t two concepts that always go together. But while some tourists feel that Cambodia’s coastal town isn’t worth visiting  – its reputation precedes it and not always in a good way – I’ve always loved spending time in so-called ‘Snooky’. In fact I think Sihanoukville is one of South-East Asia’s most under-rated beach resorts. […]

Regular readers might have noticed that I tend to take a cooking class in almost every destination I visit; for me there’s now better way get under the skin of a country than to find out about the food. Nowhere does this thrill me more than in South-East Asia, where a morning spent at the […]

As the year drew to a close I found myself writing a post recapping my favourite travel memories of 2013 and I learned a couple of things about myself in the process – firstly that many of my favourite moments of the year involve nature and animals, and secondly that when I’m not looking for […]

Welcome to the best thing I discovered during my time in The Philippines –  doing it ‘dampa style’. Do it once and you’ll just want to do it all over again the next night. And the next. Be warned the pictures are just blurry iphone images because when you’re doing it dampa style you don’t […]

From budget boutique bolt-holes to blow-the-budget palaces Siem Reap has it all – in fact it’s hard to imagine a single town in the world with a better selection of stylish places to stay. Here are my top 10 Siem Reap hotels for style on every budget…

I arrive at Romdeng restaurant ten minutes late as is my wont, but on this occasion I can’t blame the Northern Line. Rushing through the streets of Phnom Penh on foot has left me a lot more sweaty than my usual subterranean dashes to London restaurants and I’ve never found my dining companion to have taken the liberty of […]

This week a brand new tax year started, and those in traditional jobs have been running year-end assessments and shuffling spreadsheets left, right and centre. So I thought I’d do some rather taxing assessments of my own and calculate the 10 best things I’ve done this financial year, and their real value – monetarily and of course in […]

Like everyone else, I take my shoes off and leave them in the pile before entering the last place Pol Pot ever lived, out here in the Northern Cambodian district of Anlong Veng, nestled against the Thai border. But this small and typically Asian behavioral detail, usually meant as a form of respect, is going against every fibre […]

Recently, while travelling without a set plan around Asia, one destination kept coming up time and time again – if there is such a thing as a tipping point, then for me, Burma has just tipped. Everyone I talked to who’d been couldn’t say enough positive things about it and I began to formulate a plan in […]

East meets West, British order overlaid on Chinese culture, perpetually expanding upwards into the sky and outwards into the ocean. Grab an eyeful of the confluence of capitalism, colonialism and communism on this photo tour to one of the most densely populated corners of the planet, the Cantonese for ‘fragrant harbour’ – Hong Kong… There may be no […]

I say The Cosmo is the perfect place to stay in Hong Kong but frankly my dears I’ve never actually stayed anywhere else. Once I found The Cosmo with its boutique concept, ice-cream sundae colour-pop rooms, super-efficient shuttle service about town, and 24 hour check-in policy I simply never bothered to look elsewhere.

I’d always wanted to visit The Sultanate of Brunei but somehow it had never happened – until circumstances brought me to the Brunei capital Bendar Seri Begawan on a great value Royal Brunei Airlines flight from Bangkok to London ‘via’ Brunei. Of course it’s hardly on the way, in fact it’s just over two hours in the wrong […]

If you have only a short time in which to experience Manila you might think that a visit to a cemetery shouldn’t be at the top of your must-do list? But a trip to the sobering and thought-provoking American Cemetery and Memorial in Manila will pull The Philippines’ part in world history sharply into focus and underline how privileged we are to be […]

The Filipino Island of Bohol is best known for two things: tarsiers and what I came to think of as an exaggerated teletubby land known as The Chocolate Hills, a strange landscape of 1,268 eerie and bizarre conical mounds dotted a round the centre of the island…

The Philippines’ sprawling capital may not be the first place that springs to mind for a gastronomic city break – understandably most tourists who fly to The Philippines are headed for one or more of the 7107 islands and islets to kick back on an idyllic white sand beach. But it’s a big mistake to overlook […]

Think Asian street food and you’ll probably think of stalls selling delicious and mysterious local delicacies cooked up by a smiling old lady on a dirty street corner. Street food can make us feel excited about the thrill to our taste buds and apprehensive about the danger to our tummies in equal measure, but they’ve […]

The huge unspoiled Cambodian temple complex at Preah Vihear has long been the scene of animosity and fighting between Thai and Cambodian forces, but happily for those seeking an unspoiled temple experience it’s currently safe to visit. And due to the contentious history of this site there’s just a tiny sprinkling of tourists here even today, […]

I don’t mean to pry but are you gay or are you straight? And how would you feel about staying in a gay-friendly resort if you’re the latter? I’m a straight gal, so why have I been feeling completely at home at a self-proclaimed gay hotel? In true Carrie Bradshaw style I got to thinking…

If you’re looking for the perfect luxury beach resort on Cebu’s Mactan Island, it has to be The Crimson Resort Cebu. With stunning Asian-inspired decor and manicured grounds it makes a great retreat after exploring The Philippines’ bustling second city.

I love Cambodia, I love Siem Reap and I love Angkor Wat. But as well as playing the same game as everyone else and trying to get pictures of the famous temples sans tourists, I decided to embrace the scenes created by my armies of fellow snappers. Here are my top 5 photos of random […]

But Christopher Robin is nowhere to be seen. And instead of bearskins you can witness the guards or Sumungun (meaning gatekeepers) dressed in their own traditional brightly coloured costumes and armour as they perform a ceremonial re-enactment of the changing of the royal guard.

How much food can one girl eat (and photograph) during a single day on a food tour of Seoul? Let’s find out…

I’m just going to come right out and say it, Manila’s Fairmont Makati is my new favourite hotel in the world. In fact it isn’t really a hotel, it feels like a destination in and of itself. Manila may not be the first place that springs to mind for a relaxing break, but after a stay […]

For a city of 22 million people, 10 million cars and seemingly a million coffee shops (plus a million and one Gangnam Style souvenirs) Seoul is pretty short on boutique hotels – but Seoul’s original boutique hotel, the IP, is just what you need for a short stop in the city.

I’m in Seoul for just 36 short hours and with an 11 hour overnight flight direct from London and a 9 hour time difference, I know I’m going to be pretty jet lagged the entire time. There’s no way I can even begin to skim the surface of Asia’s 24 hour mega-city in such a […]

London has more global cuisine than anyone could hope to eat in a lifetime including a bewildering array of around 450 Japanese restaurants, but how can you find the most authentic Japanese restaurants in the capital if you don’t know your sushi from your sashimi? In this guest post Japanophile and Japan Journeys expert James […]

Miranda Glasser decided to leave her London life behind and embark on a year-long stint as a teacher in Vietnam – after entering her second year as a resident of Siem Reap, Cambodia where she’s about to become a correspondent for the Phnom Penh Post. Here she shares the 10 most important lessons she learnt […]

The Taiwanese capital is chaotic and cute in equal measure. Here’s some inspiration for ten things to do in Taipei in a day – and on a shoestring budget.

One year on from the Japanese earthquake and ensuing tsunami and nuclear disaster, what are the issues surrounding travelling to post-tsunami Japan? In this guest post Japanese-born and London-based lecturer Kaori Homma gives her views.

Recently I was asked if it was possible to see Hong Kong in a single day. The answer is yes – and here’s what I managed to cram into my 24 hours in Hong Kong. I had exactly 24 hours in Hong Kong due to an unexpected stopover when British Airways messed up my return flight from […]