A list of the best cafes in Chiang Mai, including specialty roasters, hidden cafes, and beautiful spaces. Chiang Mai is famous for its cafes, which makes sense considering that Northern Thailand is a major coffee-growing region. The cafe scene in Chiang Mai is constantly evolving, so if you are a returning visitor there is always […]
Sky 22 – A rooftop cafe on the most famous roof in Saigon
Every time I see the rooftop of 22 Ly Tu Trong I can’t help but think about that famous photograph by Hubert van Es that came to symbolize the U.S. evacuation of Saigon. Even if you don’t know the name you would know the photo, as it’s one of the most iconic images of the […]
Visiting the world’s largest Starbucks in Tokyo
Here at Nomadic Notes I like to make lists of cool independent cafes to visit in cities of Asia. I’m not against visiting chain cafes either, so when I saw that the world’s largest Starbucks store opened in Tokyo I had to pay a visit. Before this visit I had been to what was at […]
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 […]
The best cafes in Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang is a UNESCO World Heritage city that is filled with cool cafes in beautiful old buildings. It’s an ideal place to stay and work, or recombobulate after roughing it through provincial Laos. I was there for a week so I got to visit most of the cafes. These were the highlights of my […]
Cafe Saigon 1975 – a war memorabilia cafe in Ho Chi Minh City
[Edit: This cafe has since closed.] In my quest to visit different cafes in Saigon, I’m always looking out for new places in my wanders. One day I found a sign pointing down an alley that stopped me in my tracks. It was for Cafe Saigon 1975. There are some years in history that are […]
Cool cafes in Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is a major hub for travel in Southeast Asia and is a great city to make a stop-over. While I’ve always enjoyed coming here for the food and to go shopping at familiar stores, the cafe scene has consisted mostly of the big chains (Starbucks, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf et al). The […]
Best cafes in Georgetown, Penang
Georgetown is a former colonial city on the island of Penang in Malaysia. The old town is lined with colonial-era buildings and and the entire inner city is a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site. Traditional cafes here are kopi tiam style, which offer a simple food menu and a place to chat with friends. They […]
Cafes in Vientiane, Laos
During my trip to Vientiane I did the rounds of the best cafes in the city. It had been nearly seven years since my last visit to Vientiane so I was curious to see how much has changed. There is now a good selection of cafes to work from here, so whether you are on […]
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 […]
