travel
Tianzi Fang at Taikang Lu in Shanghai – A Destination for Shopping, Galleries, Food and Drink

Tianzi Fang at Taikang Lu in Shanghai – A Destination for Shopping, Galleries, Food and Drink

A wonderful way to spend a weekend afternoon in Shanghai I love a lazy weekend afternoon in Shanghai. Unlike Singapore where the steamy weather often forces me into taxi cabs with air con, in Shanghai I love to spend the day walking the city and exploring various neighborhoods....
A Weekend Trip from Singapore - Banyan Tree Bintan, Indonesia

A Weekend Trip from Singapore – Banyan Tree Bintan, Indonesia

A luxe weekend getaway just a couple of hours from Singapore (pictures from Banyan Tree Website) Singapore is a convenient hub – parts of Indonesia and Malaysia are next door neighbors and as such provide great options for short weekend trips vs. the slighty longer destinations of Thailand,...
Why I Love Asia, But Still Miss the West Sometimes

Why I Love Asia, But Still Miss the West Sometimes

My exotic Asian life vs. Life in the West I have been living now in SE Asia for 3+ years. First I spent roughly 2 years in Bangkok and have now been in Singapore for 1 ½ years. In this time, I explored a part of the world...
Trekking from Kathmandu to Nagarkot and Club Himalaya, Nepal

Trekking from Kathmandu to Nagarkot and Club Himalaya, Nepal

A 2 day trekking trip from Kathmandu to Nagarkot We were only in Nepal for a short time and so didn’t have option to do a typical 2-3 week trekking excursion. But we also didn’t want to miss out on getting a taste of the quintessential Nepal trekking...
Traveling to Kathmandu, Nepal

Traveling to Kathmandu, Nepal

Urban chaos and pollution juxtaposed with some of the world’s most famous sights Photos by Joanna Wedged in the Himalayas in a valley, even landing in Kathmandu feels perilous as the plane is batted about by wind gusts and spirals onto the tarmac. And then, nothing really prepares...
Paradise in the Maldives, Alila Villas Hadahaa

Paradise in the Maldives, Alila Villas Hadahaa

I have spent a lot of my life and a great many holidays at the beach. In the US I travelled to Hawaii, North Carolina, Florida, Martha’s Vineyard and California to see the most beautiful beaches in America. I have been to the white washed beaches of the...
Stay at the Hotel Shangrila, Lazimpat, Kathmandu, Nepal

Stay at the Hotel Shangrila, Lazimpat, Kathmandu, Nepal

A charming hotel in the Lazimpat area of Kathmandu (photos from Hotel Shangrila Website) Kathmandu is a backpacker town mostly…a staging ground where people land and spend a few days before heading off on their treks. It’s this context which explains a distinct lack of “proper” hotels in...
A Guide for a Walking Tour of Bazaars and Markets in Shanghai

A Guide for a Walking Tour of Bazaars and Markets in Shanghai

Spend an afternoon strolling Shanghai while taking in the bizarre and bazaars I miss antique markets and flea markets. I suppose it is mostly a Western thing – you see them in Paris, London, New York, Los Angeles. My personal favourite being a NYer was the Chelsea Weekend...
Enjoying Life on the Streets of Vietnam - Fresh Bia Hoi and Smoking with Locals

Enjoying Life on the Streets of Vietnam – Fresh Bia Hoi and Smoking with Locals

Ah Bia Hoi. No trip to Northern Vietnam is complete without at least a couple glasses of the stuff. Forget Saigon, 333, or any of the other local beers. Look instead for a small, street-side shop selling locally brewed versions of this light drink.
The Church Hotel, Hanoi Vietnam

The Church Hotel, Hanoi Vietnam

A good value hotel located in the heart of Hanoi’s Lake District Everyone agrees the Sofitel Metropole Hotel in Hanoi is the nicest, most luxe hotel in the city. But it is also $200-300 USD a night. So it is a bit of a splurge in a city...
Rainforest Hiking in Singapore at MacRitchie Reservoir Park & Tree Top Walk

Rainforest Hiking in Singapore at MacRitchie Reservoir Park & Tree Top Walk

A leisurely trail hike in the rainforest of Singapore If you are looking for a day out in nature in Singapore, MacRitchie might be just the ticket. Slightly outside of the city center lies this nature reserve that will help any city dweller retreat the chaos of Orchard...
Cruising Halong Bay, Vietnam on a Chinese Junk

Cruising Halong Bay, Vietnam on a Chinese Junk

2 days and one night aboard a luxurious boat on Indochina Sails on Halong Bay One of the must do’s if you are visiting Hanoi is a side trip to Halong Bay. I personally have done it twice – once on a bit of a budget and most...