Where is Davao anyway? I don’t recall knowing of Davao until a couple of years ago. I think I knew it was in the Philippines but I definitely had to look on the map. For me, Davao was put on the map by Justin and Joe from the Empire Flippers (then known as Adsense Flippers); […]
Best cafes in Hanoi
Following up on my guide to cafes in Ho Chi Minh City I now present my guide to cafes in Hanoi. In my previous cafe reports I have usually had at least a month to try out the cafes of each city. My trip to Hanoi was for one week, so this meant I had […]
Notes on Caye Caulker
Escape from Belize City Belize was my first foray in Central America, and after a month of travel in North America, it was good to be back in the tropics and visiting a new country. To get to Caye Caulker I had to go via Belize City. Everyone I’ve met who has ever been to […]
In Pictures: Beautiful buildings of Detroit
Detroit?! You’re going to Detroit?! Why? This was the most common reaction I heard when detailing my US travel plans to Americans. Occasionally I would meet someone more curious who thought it was a good idea, but they were few and far between. They wanted to go for the same reason I did: ruin porn […]
The Big Durian: Why first-timers to Durians and Jakarta should be with supervision
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 […]
