Please form an orderly line… Doors are opening for a new Asia planner at Trufflepig. See the page on Work At Trufflepig for details of our employment practises, and here for the unlikely backstories of our current team. You might also want to read about our Hoofprint Project, or look under the hood for a […]
There was a time period at the end of the 70’s, when rock and roll belched up 15 minute ballads sticky with hairspray, and the efficiency of a 2-4 beat and counterculture got lost in the woods and egos of stadium shows. We ended up with “Paradise By The Dashboard Light”. Fortunately punk rock and […]
I like Pete Wells; I like to read his reviews of restaurants in the New York Times. He can be tough and snarky, but at least he is also witty and right. A Pete Wells classic from his review of Per Se: “I don’t know what could have saved limp, dispiriting yam dumplings, but it […]
Last week Conde Nast Traveler released its annual Travel Specialists list, kind of like the Oscars of the travel world. And with another record-breaking 7 Trufflepig planners with their names in lights (again), we feel more than usually justified in describing ourselves as the Tiny Company with the Great Big Nose. We are of course […]
I have a list of three things which, perhaps due to a repressive part of my psyche or some masochistic Protestant lean, I have denied myself until I felt I could no longer continue without them; reading the entire Faulkner cannon, going on a surf/bike road trip through California, and learning how to make my […]
I have always been attracted to the worn, to patina, to rusty and to rotten things. Whether it be architecture (Havana, Yangon), fashion (a good pair of old jeans, or old leather boots), or even food (dry-aged steaks, pickle, fermentation – which when you boil it down is rot, tasty, tasty rot…). And as a […]
I clearly remember my first love. I was a little girl sick in bed, glued to the TV set watching Audrey Hepburn play a princess to Gregory Peck’s dashing reporter, as they zigzagged through Rome on a Vespa. Ever since that film, I have dreamed of my Roman Holiday moment. Decades later, thanks to Trufflepig, […]
Take Vietnamese cooking lessons: a humdrum resolution for many, but for someone who can burn toast perfectly (how black do you want it?), my resolution is revolutionary. It’s all thanks to Tran Thanh Duc (Duc for short), the dynamic Vietnamese chef extraordinaire who charms as he chops, slices, dices, and turns up the heat. Nigella […]
As with most of my trips, food always seems to be a focus. In fact, it is one of the main reasons why I love returning to Indochina over and over. Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia are renowned for their food, and as always, partaking in the various delicious options is a definite highlight. Here are […]
At Trufflepig, we like to partake in all things fine and swine. When we come by fine swine, it’s sublime. Or perhaps a lovely wine, how divine. Okay, I’m done, I promise. On a recent trip to Vietnam, I was introduced to a program that is doing some great work west of Hanoi. Bloom Microventures has […]
Vietnam has a new kid in town, and his name is Amanoi. We’re delighted to see this property open near Nha Trang, and will be making a pilgrimage there to check it out ourselves this October. Our expectations are high—every other Aman hotel we’ve had the pleasure to visit has thoroughly impressed, and then some. Open […]
Your trip planners and planning assistants here at Trufflepig travel a lot. Put all of that jet setting together, and you’ve got yourself a fine selection of previously enjoyed (and eagerly photographed) foods from around the globe. Every lunch hour we end up pining for one faraway dish or another; we’ve decided it’s time to […]
I don’t bathe often. That is to say, I don’t have a bath often. I’m clean, I promise. But never mind that. Throughout my travels, I have stumbled across a few choice spots to take a dip. Some had sweeping views over the ocean, some out to lush jungle, and one just plain outdoors. There […]
Love is in the air. Mostly because we’re trying desperately to ward off the snowy chill of February, but also because of that heart-shaped holiday awaiting us at the end of the week. Whether you think it’s a perfect time for romance or a total Hallmark sham, you can’t lose if you simply look at […]
Every November, for the past years, we’ve attended a remarkable travel show in Marrakech—PURE Life Experiences. It’s where we go to take the pulse of the travel industry (oh no, did I just use that word?), meet with some of the hotels and people we work with, and sniff around for new and noteworthy places. […]
Hotels in Asia are synonymous with fantastic service, beautiful gardens, orchids everywhere and delicious food. And most of the time that is exactly what you get. The variety (and quality) of hotels in Indochina is mind-numbing. Some are much better than others, and we are constantly working to ensure that we make the right choices for […]