The best parks and gardens in the world include everything from sprawling botanic gardens with lakes and ponds to palm-lined parks that skirt waterfront promenades. If you seek out green spaces when you travel, whether for respite from big city chaos, some exercise or a leisurely stroll, or to spread a picnic blanket out on … Read more
“So what is local travel and is it over yet?” a hotel general manager asked me the other day during a chat about tourism and travel trends. After struggling to suppress a groan of frustration, for reasons that I will explain, I told him what local travel meant to me. After all, local travel is … Read more
The pups of Hoi An were a joy to photograph on my daily photography walks. Every second house seems to have a small dog as a pet. No, not to eat. And yet that’s a question that foreigners frequently ask. The Pups of Hoi An “Do people in Vietnam like dogs?” a traveller asked us during … Read more
When is cooking at home a waste of time? Never, as far as we’re concerned – which is why I was disappointed to read a story today that suggested cooking certain cuisines at home was a waste of time. One of them being Thai food. What absolute nonsense. Here’s why… Regular readers of our site … Read more
During our first few months in Vietnam, we rented an apartment in Hanoi that didn’t go so well. It was simultaneously the best and worst of locations and you can read about that in a story I did for The Independent. By contrast, an experience living like locals in Milan, Italy, couldn’t have been better. It was bellissimo! … Read more