Places that give the worst first impressions
Within ten minutes of arriving in the Vietnamese town of Dalat I was ready to throw in the towel. Lost, hungry and tired of playing […]
Sightseeing
From Hanoi to Luang Prabang (a love story)
It was off to a fairly underwhelming beginning, delayed in a bitterly cold and threadbare Hanoi Airport due to adverse weather conditions (airport speak for […]
Visiting Ho Chi Minh’s final resting place
Gruff military personnel strip you of your camera as you pass through a metal detector and join a long and somber queue. You slowly make […]
Five reasons to love Brussels
You might think a city that’s home to both the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) would be dull and uninteresting. […]
Death defying acts in old Saigon
Thousands of scooters whip past, their horns blaring as you stand in the middle of the road like a deer caught in headlights. Your heart […]
Getting stabbed in the face in Tenerife
Three simple words to sum up my holiday in Tenerife: OPEN BAR and BUFFET. To be honest, and I feel guilty saying this, I never […]
Istanbul: the place where history and kebabs come from
Istanbul is ten thousand miles away from New Zealand, literally and figuratively. Mosques dominated the city skyline as the ferry made its way across the […]
Vietnam’s Valley of Love – a Valentine’s Day spectacular
Saccharine, schmaltzy and without a hint of irony whatsoever, Dalat’s Valley of Love is cuter than a sack full of lolcats and very nearly as […]
The most intense museum ever
In a town where crossing the road is tantamount to playing chicken in the middle of a busy motorway at rush-hour, Ho Chi Minh’s War […]
Traveller’s paradise: 5 fun things to do in San Francisco
If you’re going to San Francisco you’re gonna meet some gentle people there but it wouldn’t be advisable to wear flowers in your hair. You’d […]