Bruges in the Rain, Belgium. Board the Eurostar at St Pancras, London and in less than four hours you can be wandering the picture-perfect streets of Bruges. It’s a simple platform change at Brussels: a smooth, roomy Belgian train will transport you for the last hour across the...
Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia, So the lure of Borobudur was too much, Java had been on my must-go list for a while, this huge temple just had to be seen with my own eyes. Yet Borobudur would have to wait, I would build up to it...
The Poppies at the Tower of London Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red 888,246 ceramic poppies, one for every British military fatality in World War I. When you first see the sea of red blooms you are overwhelmed by the vivid beauty, the extraordinary sight....
Kew Gardens in Autumn The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew are a blissful, verdant escape from hectic London. The majestic trees and stunning Victorian hot houses are a heavenly experience as the year turns to vibrant Autumn. The gardens are a celebration of plant life and...
3 Free things to do in Singapore, Passing through Singapore on tight budget doesn’t mean you have to miss out, here are three free things to do in Singapore that would fill one full day in the city. Alternatively, if you are staying a bit...
Melaka Markets Melaka’s Jonker Street Night Market is by no means the only place to find Malaysian street food. In fact, after a little trip out to a local food market, Jonker Street was a bit of a let down! Jonker Street night market (Fridays...
Melaka (Malacca) This gorgeous town is just a few hours south of Kuala Lumpur, yet it feels a thousand miles away. Melaka is steeped in history and legend: founded by an exiled Sumatran prince, it was passed from one colonial ruler to the next –...
Malaysia’s capital city is often overlooked by travellers, a convenient transit hub for South East Asia. This is a mistake though, there is so much to see and experience in this vibrant city. I’ve been to KL a few times now, each time discovering something new....
Perhentian Islands, Malaysia White sand beaches, crystal clear azure water and very low-key development, it sure sounds like paradise, right? The Perhentians are two small islands off the north-eastern coast of Peninsula Malaysia; they had been on our radar since our last trip to Malaysia:...
Late last week we said goodbye to our sweet home on wheels: Juan the Van. Time, and rust, had caught up with him and we took the decision to scrap him as there were to many niggling and costly problems. We have been living nomadically...
Cameron Highlands Head up into the Malaysian clouds and cool off amid glorious green tea carpets! The Cameron Highlands is one of my favourite places in Malaysia: sure, Malaysia has blissful beaches, exciting cities and wild rain forests but I’m simply a sucker for this cool,...
Penang Hill The funicular rail car fills with tourists, all taking the easy ride up Penang Hill: for the views and tourist attractions at the top. We stand at the front, the steep rails snake up in front of us, thick cables quiver to pull...
Penang Street Art Penang’s George Town has become a flourishing street art hotspot; a safari through the old town streets reveals cats, children and words of wisdom: all bringing life to crumbling walls and plain buildings. It began when Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic was commissioned to...
George Town, Penang My heart races as the ferry crosses the narrow channel from peninsula Malaysia to the island of Penang; I have dreamed of returning to this multicultural jewel for six years. The ferry deposits us on the fringes of George Town, Penang’s capital,...
Post Travel Depression, Going home after any trip is hard, the longer the adventure, the more traumatic the return. I’ve been giving this a lot of thought lately, discussing it with a friends who have recently returned or are soon too. It seems to be...
The Bangkok to Butterworth Train: The International Express from Thailand to Malaysia. Penang: it is one of my favourite places on earth. This small island in the north-western coast of peninsula Malaysia is a melting pot of culture; feed your eyes, your belly and your...
