Now that Halloween candy is marked down to half price, it’s only a matter of time before the malls are filled with Christmas carols reworked by pop stars, and all the merchandise to go along with it. But Santa, what we want this year is really quite small. It could fit in the slimmest of […]
Most people visiting Asia think of huge temples, amazing food, and busy everything. Everyone wants to snap a picture of a monk, 14 people riding one scooter, or a water buffalo standing in the middle of a busy highway, but that’s not all there is to it. While playing around with macro photography on my […]
Legendary handmade Hoi An noodles come together with the freshest herbs and greens to make the perfect simple dish. Insider’s tip: order two bowls. You will eat both, trust me. Where: Trung Bac, 87 Tran Phu, Hoi An What: Cao Lau. If you have been to Vietnam, you have heard of it. The noodles have been made […]
Want to see CEOs sitting alongside day labourers? Interested in a good meal while you do it? Well then, Singapore is your type of place. While in most places a food court would make me cringe in fear and loathing, in Singapore it elicits uncontrollable Pavlovian drooling and the sure knowledge that my next meal […]
In Vietnam, the simplest ingredients are combined in countless different ways to create culinary magic. The best part is that each region does a dish just differently enough to make you want to try it again and explore new flavours. Where: Six Senses Con Dao, Vietnam What: Banh Xeo. A delicious combination of a crispy rice flour […]
A whole bay of traditional dark wooden boats, all painted white. Was this someone’s idea of a joke? Were they drinking? This was the general sentiment overheard on the dock in Halong Bay while I waited to board my junk, the Halong Jasmine. A sister boat with both the Halong Violet and the Halong Ginger, each […]
I may be alone on this, but have you ever stood on a balcony overlooking a pool and wondered if you could jump far enough that you’d land in the water? You know, the sort of thing James Bond might do. Where: La Residence Phou Vao, Luang Prabang, Laos Why: Truthfully, you’d never make it. […]
It’s hard to see the differences between two hotels in a similar location without doing a little on-site research. I did just that this spring, and am happy to report that there’s a spot on the beach outside Hoi An suitable for all wallet sizes. High: The Nam Hai 800 USD and up (high season) The […]
The first time I saw this pool I was moved to tiers. Okay, lame dad joke. What are you going to do, throw me in the pool? Please do (just make sure it’s this one). Where: Amankila, Bali, Indonesia Why: Trickling down the steep green hillside, everything about this resort is delicious and dramatic. Raised […]
We’ve all been there. You’re on vacation and walking by a local restaurant or food stall, and are either captivated or disgusted (or both) by what you see. Your brain says try it but your digestive system screams and runs away. What to do? Do you take that chance, knowing that in 12 hours you […]
Ever found yourself looking for a shop and finding not one, but about fifty of the same name? Probably not, but in Hanoi this is par for the course. With a serious disregard for copyright issues in Vietnam, knock off businesses are everywhere. On our first trip to Vietnam my wife and I travelled independently, […]
The infinity pool: there’s a reason it has graced the cover of about 14 billion travel magazines. The illusion of floating in your own private sea is priceless. Where: The Nam Hai, Hoi An Why: Sometimes you need a vacation from your vacation. After whipping around the scooter-frenzied streets of Saigon or exploring the crowded […]
On my most recent jaunt through Cambodia, I had the pleasure of meeting up with a friend I made on my last trip. When I met Rure Rady, he was just finishing up guiding school and eager to start working in the tourism industry. He had a single tuk-tuk and a vision. We spent about […]
Correct me if I’m wrong, but is it not crazy cool to swim in a pool that’s on an island located between two continents? Where: Suada Club, Istanbul Why: The islet may be miniature, barely big enough for the pool and a handful of restaurants, but it’s a massively fun place. Smack dab in the middle […]
When an email comes in offering you three free nights on a private island in the Maldives, you’d be forgiven for assuming it’s cruel spam. This is the real deal, though: volunteer on one of of three very cool projects and you’ll be repaid in luxury. Ever since our safari planner Greg returned from Soneva […]
I love restaurants that make just one dish. It’s the culinary equivalent of the poker player who’s so confident they go “all-in” and commit all their chips to a single hand. Sure, you don’t always win, but my experience has been that you tend to win way more than you lose. Where: Hanoi, Vietnam (a […]