[Old and new Saigon: Bitexco Financial Tower and a French colonial-era building.] I’ve been basing myself in Saigon off-and-on for the past two years, and my first visit here was in 2005. In this time I’ve been watching the city transform as it catches up from decades of underinvestment. It’s an interesting time to be […]
Recommended accommodation booking sites
In my travels I stay in a variety of accommodation types, depending on the length of stay and travel situation. I don’t mind hostels if it’s going to save me money, yet I will keep an eye out for deals on 4 and 5 star hotels and book it if the price is right. I’ll […]
Aussie-style cafes in Paris
For a country that has a reputation for its cafes, I was surprised at how average coffee in France was when I first arrived. Sure, the cafes are great for people-watching, with rows of chairs lined up in theatre style so you can watch the world go by. As far as the actual coffee goes […]
A day in Paris is better than no day in Paris
Passing through the grim outer suburbs of Paris on the train from CDG Airport I wondered if I made a mistake coming back for just one day. Was Paris as wonderful as I remembered it to be, or was it a trick of the mind that tends to romanticise places long after you have been? […]
Notes on Montevideo
The second leg of my South American trip was to Montevideo, Uruguay. As part of this trip I was flown as a guest with Air France/KLM to a destination in their South American network. I opted to visit Buenos Aires. Being so close to an international border though I couldn’t resist the temptation to visit […]
Tips for staying at the Chungking Mansions – budget accommodation in Hong Kong
Do a search for cheap hotels in Hong Kong and you’ll find a list of accommodation options for the Chungking Mansions. The first time I stayed in Hong Kong I booked a place here not knowing what I was getting myself into. I had a vision of a run-down colonial mansion with high ceilings, a […]
Notes on Buenos Aires
I love wandering around big cities, and one city I’ve always wanted to visit for urban exploration was Buenos Aires. I ended up spending 11 days in BA, and I could have easily spent more time given the chance. I can see how many travellers I’ve met have ended up staying for way longer than […]
Notes on Taipei
My visit to Taipei was also my first time in Taiwan. Rather than rush around and try and visit the whole island I dedicated two weeks to exploring Taipei and decided to visit the rest of the island another time. Two weeks turned out to be a good amount of time to linger and explore […]
Cafes to work from in Taipei
If you are looking for a city in Asia to base yourself as a writer or digital nomad then add Taipei to your consideration list. With 90 day visa on arrival for most western countries and unadulterated internet in Taiwan, Taipei is a good base for location independent types. Taipei is well known for its […]
Metro construction, Ho Chi Minh City – Vietnam
I took this photo as a historical reference to the changing face of Ho Chi Minh City. The city is finally getting a sorely needed metro system and there are numerous blocks in district 1 that are now boarded up in preparation for construction. The building in the foreground is the Saigon Tax Trade Centre; […]
