The surprising Singapore crane dance
What if I told you I was resting down by the harbour in Singapore when what I thought was a piece of industrial equipment transformed […]
southeast asia
Songkran: the battle for Chiang Mai
Like lambs to the slaughter, we were pinned down near Chiang Mai’s Tha Phae Gate. Sustaining heavy casualties and with our escape route blocked, we […]
Wrestling crocodiles in Bangkok
Anything goes in Bangkok. The same city that sells bogus labelled clothing, pirated DVDs and fake IDs to travellers on a busy street in the […]
The brutality of the killing fields (not for the squeamish)
Bone fragments, teeth and pieces of fabric litter the ground next to a gnarled and knotted tree against which babies and small children had their […]
Ten things you should know before travelling to Laos
For such a small country, Laos has a heck of a lot to recommend to backpackers: the best beer in South East Asia (Beerlao), one […]
Cheeky monkeys: a warning to anyone travelling through Cambodia
Are Cambodians trying to rip you off or are they just really, really bad at mathematics? Since arriving in the country a week ago not […]
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 […]
Vietnam travel tips (learnt the hard way) – part 2
Welcome to the second part of my Vietnam travel tips extravaganza, where I will share with you, the lovely people who read this travel blog, […]
Vietnam travel tips (learnt the hard way) – part 1
As I round out my tour of duty in Vietnam and prepare to travel into Laos, now seems like the perfect time to reflect on […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]