Our guide to the best Siem Reap markets covers the liveliest local markets in the northern Cambodia city that’s the gateway to Angkor Wat and our home for 12 years. Rise at dawn to join the locals to buy the freshest produce, savour the tastiest market breakfasts, and absorb the bustling early morning atmosphere. Hire … Read more
Things to do in Sapa in Northern Vietnam include cooking and crafting with the Ethnic Minority women, trekking through Sapa’s jaw-dropping mountains and countryside, shopping, eating and drinking in Sapa’s markets, and simply absorbing the breathtaking setting of Sapa. Located near one of northern Vietnam’s highest points and surrounded by valleys and rice terraces, it’s … Read more
Much to the surprise of most visitors to Cambodia, shopping Siem Reap is a real delight, with everything from stonemasonry and woodcarving that date back to the Khmer Empire and artisanal crafts such as silk weaving and basketry to contemporary fashion and handcrafted jewellery. This is why we created our local guide to shopping Siem … Read more
Ock Pop Tok weaving centre in Luang Prabang, Laos, is the product of a collaboration between Laotian weaver Veomanee Duangdala and English photographer Joanna Smith. Ock Pop Tok may mean ‘East meets West’ in Lao but the beautiful fabrics produced on the looms are distinctly local. Click clack. Click clack. I love the sound of a loom being worked … Read more
When it comes to shopping for souvenirs, Bangkok has some terrific shops where you can buy Thai made gifts and mementoes. Most guidebooks will head you to budget shopping mall MBK or Jim Thompson for Thai Silk, which is stunning. But I also love to go to Chatuchak Markets and a handful of other shops … Read more