Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre in Luang Prabang, Laos
The once remote areas of Asia continue on a path of rapid modernisation, swept along to some extent by tourism and technology moving through the region. Along with this change, traditions and customs once abundantly practiced and visible are becoming less prominent in the lives of the younger generation, as globalisation instills a level of [...]
Latest Article Published
My latest published article has just been released in the June 2011 issue of Qatar Airways inflight magazine – Oryx. It is a short introduction to one of my favorite areas in Guangzhou. To read the full piece, My Favourite Street, Guangzhou – click here.
Boracay – Getting there
Although this was my first visit to the Philippines I can confidently say it won’t be my last. A huge surprise was just how close it is to Hong Kong. (My flight from Shanghai to HK was longer than the HK to Manila section.) Flights to Boracay, despite being an easy 1 hour or so [...]
Charming Hoi An
Hoi An has not lost even one iota of its charm. There have been many but few changes to this ancient World Heritage site over the past 10 years. I still found myself gasping at just how beautiful and appealing the architecture is in the old town. It also took me a day to realize [...]
Cruising in Saigon
Stepping out of Hanoi’s old quarter onto the streets of Saigon is a bit of shock. Saigon is alive with frantic activity. The streets buzz constantly with steady streams of motorbikes and with Sunday night being one of those “out cruising with the family evenings” you see many of the passers by smiling and simply [...]
Happy Birthday Hanoi
It has been 10 years since I last visited Hanoi and I must say it was great to be back. The city seems to retain a traditional vitality and wonderful atmosphere in the old quarter with so many street vendors carting colourful baskets of fruit and flowers amongst the rustic French colonial architecture lining the [...]
Yangshuo to Longji Rice Terraces (4)
Day 4 – Butterfly Valley to Pingan (48 klms) The hotel in Butterfly Valley is in a surprisingly beautiful location, next to a Yao minority village some 4 kilometres off the main highway in a gorge filled with luscious foliage and a gushing mountain stream. For me, today was the big [...]
Yangshuo to Longji Rice Terraces (3)
Day 3 – Guilin to Butterfly Valley (82 klms) An easy ride this morning out of Guilin, we make our way through some wonderful little villages and classic rural China countryside under chilly but glorious blue skies and sunshine. The karst scenery ended not far out of Guilin and for a short time [...]
Yangshuo to Longji Rice Terraces – Rest Day
After yesterdays cold and wet weather we find things have deteriorated even further with a top forecast of only 8 degrees today. We decide to postpone our Guilin departure till tomorrow (Friday) and return to Yangshuo to pick up warmer clothes. This turned out to be a fantastic decision, not only for the [...]
Yangshuo to Longji Rice Terraces (2)
Day 2 – Xingping to Guilin (72 kilometres) Just the slightest feeling of fatigue and a case of raging saddle soreness were dominating my mind for the first 20 minutes on the bike this morning. This all dissipated quite quickly as we emerged into a valley and cycled directly towards a row [...]
Yangshuo to Longji Rice Terraces (1)
This time of year in Yangshuo is usually a fantastic mixture of warm, dry days that are perfect for cycling. So I decided to head off for a few days on a cycling research trip with one of the Directors over at Bike Asia . For the most part the route we followed was [...]
Turtle Island
Being a little disorganized prior to arriving in Borneo is quite natural for me so I guess I should not have been surprised when I contacted the Turtle Island agent in Sandakan (Crystal Quest) and was told that the island was fully booked for the coming 10 days. Given the option of just [...]
Bountiful Borneo
I have been fascinated by the very idea of Borneo for as long as I can remember. It sits in my mind as a wild, mysterious and fascinating destination. Finally this year I made it for a short but very sweet visit. It is amazing how perhaps just one small detail in a [...]
Hong Kong Favourites – IFC Two Roof Garden
One of my favourite places at the moment in Hong Kong is the roof garden in IFC Two. An oasis located in one of the city’s iconic buildings it is the perfect spot to sit back and relax with some takeaway. The environment is fantastic – comfortable seats and lounges, trees, a [...]
The Peak, Hong Kong
Visiting the peak in Hong Kong is one of those “must do” activities. It has been quite a few years since I ventured up the hill however the purchase of a new camera lens had me braving the crowds to capture my own little piece of stunning HK skyline. Things have changed. [...]
