Category Archives for "South Asia"

It’s no exaggeration to describe Malaysian Borneo as a paradise for anyone who loves nature, soft sand and incredible sunsets. But it might surprise you to learn that it’s easier to get to than it sounds. Often overlooked in favour of sister state Sarawak, Sabah mixes up bright cities, lemongrass, turquoise water and eco-reserves like nowhere else on earth.

A cow wanders past the spices beneath glowing fluorescent sabres.

I follow it through the shadows into the light. It stops, blocked by a staircase that overflows with tangerine petals, then turns as though lost in thought on a Sunday afternoon, and returns to the land of darting hands and looped jasmine.

To the soundtrack of thunderous monsoon rain, I learned these easy Malaysian recipes at the Mango Garden Restaurant in Borneo.

In the beginning, there was…

A dragon. Well, at least a dragon king from the sea. I’m not quite sure what the difference is but since there’s a dragon involved (and a king – my name!) I’m not going to ask questions, I’m just going to get on with the story.

In the beginning, there was a dragon king who lived in the sea.

Hanoi packs a punch in a pretty small area when it comes to flavoursome food. Raucous street food eateries? Check. Refined, French-inspired delicacies? Check. Lakeside views, reminders of “that” war, and contemporary, charitable enterprises with an antipodean twist? Check, check, check.

Singapore At NightYou’ll find so many things to do in Singapore at night, you won’t know where to begin. From sweaty, syrupy coffee houses to pyramids of spice and semi-precious stone, Singapore squeezes flavour, colour and character into every other street corner. And unlike some other cities, it’s easy to avoid the sleaze. So make […]

I know you’ve been asking questions about where you can stay in Sabah (and, indeed, even asking where Sabah is.) So, here’s a quick list of recommendations

He loiters. He lurches. Legs bent squat and arms stretched wide, far so, ever so, ridiculously wide…he swings, then swivels, swings, then swivels. Front, back, front, back, lurch, linger, lurch linger like a twisted yoyo on a horizontal jaunt through the leaves.

Brunei: One of the Richest Countries in the World The small nation of Brunei is one of the richest countries in the world, tucked between the rainforests of Malaysia’s Sarawak state and the South China Sea. It’s an intriguing place to visit, and easier than many realise as it makes a great stopping point for […]

The Sofitel Hanoi:  A Luxury Hotel and Historic Treasure The Sofitel Hanoi on Ngo Quyen Street is not a beautiful hotel. At least, that’s not all it is. Inside, it’s a living museum of literary and music history. Not mention something of a time capsule of a bygone age. Related: Where to Eat in Hanoi […]

Finding the Right Halong Bay Cruise Halong Bay showcases the dual nature of travel today: the absolute thrill of finding an icon (in this case, the hazy outline of those towering limestone peaks) and the dismay that everybody and his dog found it first and that the overwhelming tourist machinery will crush the magic spell. […]

Bogyoke Aung San Market Sunlight shifts over gold, silver and sapphires in the ordered, sheltered aisles of the covered Bogyoke Aung San Market in Yangon/Rangoon. Fabric folds and hand carved fans scent the air with jasmine, bringing a sense of quiet and relative wealth to the covered Scott’s Market area. But that’s not the only around. Just […]

Around the corner is the Old Quarter. Around the corner is the vision of Hanoi I expected to see: the fuel-filled crammed corners of Asia with chickens underfoot, wires overhead, clattering and chattering and shouting all around amid a cocktail of scooters, food stalls and silk embroidered cloth flowing at the edges of my vision. […]

Arriving in the Maldives Islands: Approaching the W Retreat & Spa It’s hard to imagine a better approach to a hotel then to skim and skip across the teardrop-shaped islets that rise up from the Indian Ocean around the Maldives Islands. As the sea-plane touched down, dancing spray against the windows, a man raced barefoot to open the […]