Costa Rica is of course well known for its stunning beaches, lush rainforest, exotic wildlife and towering volcanoes. But what if there was another side to Costa Rica, equally as exciting yet less discovered, an area from which to explore the country’s lesser known rural farm life? Just such a place exists, in the unexplored rolling hills […]

My friend Tandin was talking to me of dragons, concubines, drunken Himalayan gods, and ritualistic funerals.  I was in Bhutan, two weeks prior to the first national election proposed by the King, King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, and therefore for final few weeks it could claim to be the last Buddhist kingdom (on paper at least) in the grand […]

It’s no secret I like to sweat it out. Preferably in the solitude of a wood-fired cabin by a lake surrounded by dense forest. But failing that, I get my schwitz on any way I can. One of my most memorable sauna quests took place in Malmö on the Baltic Sea coast, where on a […]

Visiting Queenstown, it quickly becomes apparent how busy the city is. The traffic is reaching problem level, and the locals will tell you they are none too pleased. If that’s the case, why is Queenstown so popular? Why do droves of kiwis and tourists alike flock here year-round? Well, the answer is simple: adventure. Honestly, nobody does […]

My first tag was in Bangkok (I write that as if I did more, but there was only one lame attempt). It was premeditated, illegal, and fun as hell.  It was lame because I couldn’t even come up with my own tag idea, I bought a book of pre fab stencil tags in the Hong Kong airport and […]

They say that the appearance of a dish greatly influences how you perceive its flavour, and I would normally agree, but have recently heard of an extreme case on the streets of Yangon.  I have always heeded the sound advice I once read concerning street food in Asia, that if it is deep fried or baked it […]

It’s not everyday you come across a place so special, so serene that your first thought is to count down the days until you can come back again. A place that quickens the pulse with pleasure, but enables complete relaxation. Hacienda Bambusa is just such a magical little spot, surrounded by astonishing natural beauty. It’s one of my top […]

We’ve once again teamed up with our friends at Best Made to stage their latest catalog shoot and test their  awesome new gear. Following on the heels of our Brazilian adventure we felt it was time to showcase our own backyard – British Columbia’s backcountry. The Setting The British Columbia backcountry is a relatively bland way to […]

Because travelling on ferryboats is cool. Because creamy yoghurt with fruits & honey make a yummy breakfast. Because the national guards in front of Parliament (with those pompoms on their feet) look so funny. There are umpteen reasons why Greece is a great country for family holidays. Here are my top 12. 1) Greeks love […]

Hops, barley and water. That’s it. These are the only ingredients allowed in beer brewing according to the German purity law established 500 years ago in the very place I found myself during a sunny week in September: Bavaria. Here are some of the highlights from said whirlwind week of Bavarian beer sampling from Munich […]

There are many hidden places of history in London –  it is a city of layers that is to be discovered on foot through its higgledy-piggledy lanes and streets. No grid system here. There are, however, many cul-de-sacs and crescents that confuse and confound. Cycling lanes end where cobbles begin and then suddenly you discover […]

I write from a noisy, jam-packed café on the waterfront in Spetses. A small island, only an hour or so from Athens by boat. Tonight, in commemoration of  the famous warrior princess Bouboulina, a small boat will symbolically be set on fire in the harbour. As far as I can tell, the entire city of Athens […]

Growing up in Eastern Germany, Poland was too close for curiosity. We were neighbours dictated by our respective Communist regimes and that was about it. Even after the Iron Curtain was lifted, it held little appeal. The entire world was up for grabs after all, so I never wasted a thought on Poland – it […]

“HEL yeah” sums what I thought when a recent opportunity presented itself to spend a few days in the Finnish capital Helsinki (whose airport code is HEL… genius!). Now, travelling to a Northern European outpost in February doesn’t appeal to everyone, I get that. It’s dark, it’s chilly and it’s wet. But if you think […]

No one can complicate things like a Frenchman can. Just when you thought it was as easy as ‘bonjour’, here’s our abridged guide on how to say hello in French, reduced to 17 easy-to-remember time/gender/location/religion-specific steps. Think of bonjour as a launchcode: dangerous when it falls into the wrong hands. That’s right, although they taught […]

If you’ve ever dreamed about going on safari but figured it was too expensive, think again. Wilderness Safaris’ 6 Countries Summer Special is back and this year its better than ever. Wilderness Safaris began offering the Six Countries Special a few years ago, to run during the North American winter, and each year it seems […]