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 […]
Conventional wisdom holds that the king and queen of safari travel in Southern Africa have been always been South Africa and Botswana. We say conventional wisdom be damned. South Africa these days seems to be a victim of its own success, it’s popularity means that even despite a weak currency it’s getting more and more […]
The ingredients for this daunting dish are many, and complicated. By far the most important of them are bravery and time. You cannot rush a cassoulet, and you cannot let it get the better of you. Those of you who are adventurous and gourmand enough to try this marvellous dish will find it will try […]
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 […]
Take me to the shoe store, and all I can think of is blisters. (My toes prefer the feel of beach sand and water.) Shopping for clothes? As fast and infrequent as possible. Jewellery and accessories? I don’t care much. But set me free on the Athenian street market, something happens to me. I am […]
Nothing says transit like a forced layover in a place you never really wanted to go to in the first place. The eternal waiting room that will be part of travel until we invent nifty things like in star trek that beam us around without having to wait…….scratch that……even a Beaming Machine would have a […]
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 […]
Call me a hipster, but a good old fashioned mixtape always puts me in a great mood, which is the bottom line expectation when you’re preparing to head out on the road. Inspired by things like the Bob Dylan Theme Thyme Radio Hour and Sid Mashburns’ own WSID, we’ve put together a soundtrack for your […]
In 2011, I spent a fortnight driving around southwest China by myself. I had a valid Chinese driving license and a legal rental car, and yet I felt as though I was doing something illicit. Others evidently thought so, too: “Do you really just go where you want? So free!” I was asked, wistfully, on […]
How lucky for us that the exact meeting point of sustainable living and culinary flair is in Ecuador, by the crashing Pacific, and right on the beach. It’s called Las Tanusas. The property itself is cozy, pretty and charming – a best friend’s house on a gorgeous deserted beach. Some rooms are in the main house […]
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 […]
What makes a hotel great? The service, the view, the rooms, the location….. Often it’s the little things. Sometimes it’s the sheer opulence. But on occasion, and dammit it’s always a great occasion, it’s the pooch. There’s no category that we know of in hotel books, no little icon in the Michelin guide or tickbox to […]
I couldn’t have pictured a more perfect day to meet my guide Marek of Northern Hikes for a nature walk of Bohemian and Saxon Switzerland. Nestled along the German-Czech border, this is both a hiker’s and filmmaker’s slice of paradise – the beauty of which we were able to appreciate in near solitude thanks to the […]
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 […]