Abel Tasman Mussels Spaghetti
I could taste the salt on my lips, feel the flecks of dry ocean on my skin as the waves rolled in. They had told us to be careful, Cyclone Pam had just hit Vanuatu and the consequences were threatening to approach the northern shores of New Zealand’s South Island. But it was now or […]
The Travel Essential
We have been asked a few times recently what our travel essentials are. I assume that the answer people are looking for is what we carry in our bags. The sharp Opinel knife that we cannot live without, the all-important toilet roll, what brand of sleeping bag we use, what backpacks are the best for […]
Nobody Goes To…Dapa
We’re not used to seeing good roads on tropical islands. Dirt roads, sandy curves, bumpy-pebble paved, yes. But not the smooth, easy-riding asphalt that Siargao provides, making it the perfect beach, palm tree and rice paddy-lined road trip destination that it surprisingly is. When not attempting to surf, we would grab a motorbike and explore […]
General Luna’s Kinilaw
There is ceviche and there is kinilaw (sounds like kee-nee-lao). There is Boracay and there is Siargao. Chances are you’ve definitely heard of ceviche and if you are interested in the Philippines, you’ve probably heard of the beaches of Boracay too, but perhaps you have never heard of kinilaw yet or indeed, the island of […]
A Chinese Family’s Duty : Gluttony
gluttony \ˈglət-nē, ˈglə-tə-nē\ – the act or habit of eating and drinking too much It took about 45 minutes from when we stepped off the train for the feeding frenzy to begin. And it continued, full speed ahead, for the rest of our 30-hour stay in Liu Bo 寮步. We had taken the train from Hong […]
The Coffeehouses of Hanoi
The main streets of Hanoi revolve around speed. The large arteries clogged with traffic and action somehow ebb and flow with a dizzying lightness, a blur of motorcycles, rickshaws and pedestrians zooming around in between. The smaller veins are still calm, occasionally a cyclist passes by and in the small park on the corner, men […]
Journey to the East Awards – The Best in Travel
When we were on the plane a couple of weeks ago, they were showing a documentary on the house of Christian Dior, giving some background history and the story of the young Belgian designer who took over after John Galliano’s infamous rant. I was not really paying attention, until an old interview segment with Dior […]
Hanoi Rooftop Nem Ran
It is easy to be consumed by Hanoi. The hysterical ballet of endless motorcycles constantly threatens to knock you over, yet somehow never does. Instead they flow in a kind of hypnotic harmony without the aid of any traffic lights or commands, cutting seamlessly into each other as if they were riding to a soundtrack […]
Journey to the East Awards – The Best in Food
What are the flavours and food moments you remember most from your travels? Usually it comes down to the very good and the very very bad. There was so much excitement, so much hope when we saw that sign for Chinese food shining in the dark at a crossroad in Mandalay. Oh it was delicious, MSG-laden […]
It’s a Banh Eat Banh World
Vietnam. The hot belly, the fiery stomach, the Mecca of street food. The place to walk down an alley, follow your nose, pick a dish and pull up a red plastic stool. Squat with your knees bent at your waist and dig in. Street food does not require a guide. It is an independent and […]
