Jakarta is the city known as The Big Durian. Just like its fruity namesake, Jakarta has the ability to repulse first-time tasters and have them running, swearing never to return. I have tried durian a couple of times and I still haven’t acquired a taste for it. The last time I tried it made me […]
Kopi Joss – The charcoal coffee of Yogyakarta
When I’m on the road I’m always on the lookout for interesting cafes and new coffee experiences. On my trip to Yogyakarta I found an unusual brew called Jopi Joss: charcoal coffee. [Kopi Joss – it tastes better than it looks.] Kopi Joss preparation starts off in the usual Javanese style, with loose coffee grinds […]
Notes on Pangandaran, Indonesia – An alternative beach destination to Bali
[Pangandaran Beach, Java – Indonesia] Up until a few days before I arrived I had never heard of Pangandaran. This fishing village on the south coast of West Java is a popular beach resort (if you can describe it as that) for domestic visitors, but like much of Indonesia beyond Bali, it is not on […]
Notes on Kota (Old Jakarta)
Kota (Old Jakarta) is the area around the old port area of Jakarta. [Remnants of Old Jakarta] The remaining heritage buildings here are remnants from the Dutch colonial era when the city was known as Batavia. [Jakarta History Museum] Like seemingly every big colonial city in the region Batavia was an “x of the east” […]
In Pictures: Wadi Rum – Jordan
I am very much a city person but there is something about desert landscapes that appeals to me. It wasn’t always that way. I grew up on the edge of the Australian Outback so I thought I had my quota of the desert for one lifetime. Having travelled overseas and returned as an adult I […]
Iconic Saigon war photo locations revisited
There are some cities in the world where I can’t help but think about its troubled past. I lived in London for two years where its ugly post-war buildings are a constant reminder of the blitz. I have spent several months in Budapest where you see plaques everywhere inscribed with 1956. Ho Chi Minh City […]
Ridiculously skinny buildings of Vietnam
[A tall and skinny building in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.] Spend any amount of time in Vietnam and you will soon notice that there are skinny buildings everywhere. Some are so slender that they barely look like they could fit a double bed across. Don’t ask me how they would get a double bed […]
A day as an extra on the tsunami film, The Impossible
I have been self employed for close to 10 years now, but there have been occasions that I have taken up the odd day job. There was that time in Mumbai where I was a Bollywood voice over extra. Recently in Melbourne I got back on the factory floor for a day to help pack […]
Cafes in Bangkok to work from
Last updated 16 October, 2015 Bangkok Cafes Map Bangkok Cafes Map Cafe Locations Sukhumvit – Along Sukhumvit Rd from Ploen Chit Siam/Chit Lom – Sound Siam, Chit Lom, Ratchadamri, National Stadium, and Ratchathewi. Phaya Thai – Along Sukhumvit line from Phaya Thai to Ari. Silom/Sathorn Chinatown Old Town – Khao San Rd Other Places Sukhumvit […]
Cost of living Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh City for $724 a month
[Ho Chi Minh City Hall] Here at nomadicnotes.com I keep a cost of living tally for when I spend a month at a time in one location. I had heard from some online business friends that Ho Chi Minh City (AKA Saigon) is the new hotspot for online entrepreneurs, so naturally I had to go […]
