Sapa is a Northern Vietnam Jewel Cocooned by the Clouds
“Getting to Sapa in the nothern mountains of Vietnam is part of the experience shall we say” Getting to Sapa in the northern mountains of Vietnam is part of the experience shall we say. The train trip rattles along overnight for eight hours stopping with a jolt now and then at places where, were it […]
Summer Cricket Down Under
It’s like walking into a concert or a European football (soccer) match in full swing. The Big Bash cricket season is underway down under throwing the traditional, all in white cricket, with its rules and five day marathons under the bus. The crowds are enthusiastic, energetic and loud. And that’s just the kids… Growing up I remember […]
Dentistry in Vietnam
I’ve taken the plunge to get my dental work done at home in Asia Sitting on the beach in Nha Trang in Vietnam a casual conversation with a lady sitting next to me turns to dentistry. She’s had them all done! Shiny white veneers from top to bottom. I’ve heard the many stories of great […]
Something from Home
Give me a street market in Asia any day A guy pulls up on his motorbike with live chickens tied together by their feet straddled over every part of his motorbike as the lady at the chicken shop rushes out to greet him. She grabs a handful by the claws and tosses them onto the […]
Stopover in Istanbul
Commuting between Asia and London is something that takes up my time every month. Living in a coastal town in Vietnam, connecting flights sometimes work, sometimes they don’t, and I try to avoid tedious overnight flights to allow my body to adjust easily. In order to make the journey a pleasure I mix it up […]
“The Christmas lights in the streets are up!” A friend posts on Facebook and it’s September!
Look closely enough and you’ll find Christmas cards and decorations sparkling although this early surely they’re last year’s leftovers having been dusted off and displayed in anticipation. Anyone with any sense would have bought the same tinsel and baubles last year when they were on sale and stuffed them into a box until the never […]
Tulum in Mexico
Sometimes the best travel adventures are spur of the moment, throw caution to the wind journeys that reward with incredible experiences and end with promises to return. Heeding a friend’s advice on a recent visit to Cancun and after a day in which to me is quite a sterile, could be anywhere type of place, […]
As the white Buddha watches over Nha Trang …
It’s easy to get blasé. Temples and shrines are juxtapositioned next to high rise towers and ancient ruins mingle with cities throughout Asia. Ayutthaya north of Bangkok, the old Siamese capital, with its three Chedis reaching for the sky protecting the ashes of the Kings beneath, stands out for me when visited at sunset and […]
Long weekend in Ao Nang
Flying along at 35,000 feet facing a sea of heads is nothing new to those familiar with low cost air travel. With seats low to the ground to give an illusion of space heads poke above the headrests searching for somewhere to rest. Slow and surely one by one they disappear as legs slide under […]
Where to go on weekend
Trains, bikes and ferries to the Gulf of Thailand We usually do this tour on the weekend when the traffic is quiet’ our guide informs us as we grab our push bikes and head out onto the footpath before plunging into the stream of early morning traffic already bumper to bumper and creating more lanes […]