Where to stay in Da Nang – the best areas and most notable hotels

Da Nang is increasingly becoming a travel hotspot in Southeast Asia. Located midway between Hanoi and Saigon, this Vietnamese city is geographically blessed with a river and sea front, with mountains in the backdrop. It wasn’t that long ago that travellers bypassed Da Nang on the way to and from Hoi An. Nowadays Da Nang […]

Best cafes in Da Nang

Danang is growing in stature as it positions itself as the third city of Vietnam. Located roughly half way between Hanoi and Saigon, this coastal city is becoming a popular destination for business and leisure travellers, and there is a growing digital nomad scene here as well. The cafe scene is also growing here, with […]

Where I’m At: March, 2019 – Da Nang edition

Greetings from Danang and another edition of Where I’m At – my monthly summary of where I’ve been and other site news. Where I’ve Been Penang View this post on Instagram A post shared by James Clark ✈️ (@nomadicnotes) on Feb 4, 2019 at 6:58pm PST The month began in Kuala Lumpur and from there […]

The Brooklyn of Penang – Seven Streets Precinct / South George Town

I’ve been a frequent visitor to Penang over the last decade, being one of the few places I visit on an annual basis. I spend most of my time wandering the streets of the UNESCO World Heritage area of Georgetown, as it’s undisputedly the main attraction. In the last few years though I’ve been lured […]

The rebirth of Ipoh Old Town

Ipoh in Malaysia has experienced a reversal of fortunes after decades of economic decline and tourism obscurity. I first went to Ipoh in 2010, and after visiting again in 2019 I can say its revival is real. My first visit was when I was on my way to Pangkor Island. Rather than go straight through […]

Bangkok to Chiang Mai by train – best train times to see some of the highlights of Thailand

The train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai is a great way to travel between the two cities, but depending on your travels it’s not always the best way. With some planning by picking the right trains you can save money and see some of the highlights of Thailand. Bangkok to Chiang Mai – train, bus, […]

A complete guide to train travel in Southeast Asia

A complete guide to Southeast Asia train travel, featuring resources for buying tickets and reviews of rail travel in the region. An introduction to Southeast Asia Railways Travel by train is a great way to experience the landscapes of Southeast Asia, and to meet the people who live here. Personally I think train travel the […]

Where I’m At: February, 2019 – Kuala Lumpur edition

Greetings from Kuala Lumpur and another edition of Where I’m At – my monthly summary of where I’ve been and other site news. Where I’ve Been Saigon Apart from the first and last days of January, I spent the whole month in Saigon. I started the month in Pattaya and Bangkok, before returning to Vietnam. […]

Pattaya – The beach of Bangkok, and thoughts on retirement

I’m usually immune to click-bait listicles, especially when they just arbitrarily rank cities. One list that I will always stop to read though is Mastercard’s Global Destination Cities Index. For the 2018 list Bangkok was number one again, which was not a surprise. What was a surprise was to see Pattaya checking in at #18. […]

View Bangkok from the King Power MahaNakhon Tower

King Power MahaNakhon is one of the most visually distinctive buildings in Southeast Asia. Up close it looks like a jumbled mess with pieces of the building missing. From a distance though it all makes sense. The missing pieces resemble pixels that are spiralling around the building. The building was completed in December 2016, and […]