I just got back from a weekend in “The Central Plateau” in the North Island of New Zealand. Namely a small, remote “desert” town called Turangi. Fifty kilometres southwest of Taupo and skirted by volcanic mountains; Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe and Tongariro,…
The daily high-speed ferry departs from South Vietnam (Chau Doc) at 7.30a.m. Picked up from the hotel we were very politely and rather tentatively shown where to embark. We walked down a broken concrete stairway that circumvented another hotel, The…
The Capital of Vietnam Hanoi is one of the most exciting and absorbing cities I have ever visited. The best way I can describe its appeal is to divide our experiences into headings named “Streets.” It is a city very…
aka Saigon Saigon is a city I always wanted to see. During the Vietnam War, I used to imagine journalists holed up in hotel rooms, busy typing or telexing their foreign correspondent reports back to the West. My father was…
Hoi An … translates as “peaceful meeting place.” Indeed, the city’s serenity was captivating the moment we disembarked our 45-minute taxi ride from Danang. History – A UNESCO World Heritage site, this small ancient city sits on the banks of…
Da Nang As we trained into Da Nang, one of the most eye-catching sights from my window seat was the view of “Lady Buddha Da Nang.” She is huge. At 67 metres high, she is the tallest Buddha statue in…
Hanoi – Da Nang. On the night train Recently selected by Lonely Planet as the leading journey among eight of the world’s great train journeys, The Reunification Express departs twice daily from Hanoi and travels the coastline down to Ho Chi Minh City over…
Halong Bay Yes, it’s a tourist cliche, and yes, it is relatively expensive. However, visiting Halong Bay is a must, if only to witness its overwhelming beauty and historical interest. We broke our stay in Hanoi – opting to take…
In 2015, we visited NYC. One of the enduring curiosities I had of “The Big Apple” was a nostalgic longing to visit Coney Island. Settled by the Dutch in 1624, Coney Island opened its first hotel in post-Civil War times.…
This past winter I was flying solo for 6 weeks. My partner had realised his dream and was on his trip of a lifetime playing golf in Ireland and Scotland with a couple of buddies. I have always wanted…
It was a life dream. I blame the movies and the soundtracks of my childhood and young adulthood. New York City was always going to be a place I had to see. I needed to be in the city that…
I know – it’s a cliché, right? But let’s be honest; Italy must just about take the cake (ha ha) for gourmet food. It’s not just the flavours, the ingredients, the passion that goes into the cooking, or the visual…
