King Father Norodom Sihanouk died on 15 October 2012, bringing Cambodians together to mourn the loss of their beloved former king in the capital Phnom Penh. On the eve of the anniversary of his passing, we thought we’d share our story of a nation in mourning. In October 2012, we rented an apartment for a …
A Bangkok riverside renaissance in the last six years has seen an abundance of new boutique hotels, restaurants, cafés, and bars sprouting along the banks of Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River, luring locals and expats as much as tourists to Thailand’s 'River of Kings'. A Bangkok riverside renaissance has been enticing locals and expats back to …
A night at Phare Cambodian Circus, Siem Reap, might seem like an odd way to spend an evening in the northern Cambodian city that’s famous for Angkor Wat and other Khmer Empire archaeological sites. Yet this quirky show has become one of the top things to do at night in Siem Reap, while turning around the …
In Cambodia epic urban landscapes unearthed by airborne archaeologists have rocked the archaeological world and we had an exclusive on the story for The Guardian. A recent airborne laser scanning survey of remote temples has produced remarkable outcomes, rewriting the history books. In Cambodia Epic Urban Landscapes Unearthed by Airborne Archaeologists Lara and I have been covering huge archaeological news …
Just a two and a half hour drive from Siem Reap, in northwest Cambodia, a rustic Banteay Chhmar homestay offers a rare chance to live like locals in a village set amidst the Khmer Empire ruins of a garrison-city. We’ve just returned to Siem Reap from the sprawling Angkor-era archaeological site, where our accommodation was …
The secret is out, revealed by the chef himself on his restaurant website this morning: René Redzepi is moving Noma to Sydney for the summer to offer an Australian-inspired menu at a pop-up restaurant at Barangaroo on the city’s sparkling harbour. We’re relieved to be able to at last share a secret that we’ve been keeping …
An apsara dance show is a priority for most visitors to Cambodia's Siem Reap. The Sacred Dancers of Angkor, the original apsara dance performance, offers a more authentic experience in the form of an incredibly enchanting performance, as well as the chance to support the preservation of this ancient art form. A precursor to the entertaining spectacle that is …
Contemporary Australian cuisine is best exemplified in the inventive dishes served in its best restaurants, where in recent decades a unique form of fusion cuisine has emerged, rooted in Australia's multicultural heritage, global flavours and techniques, and beautiful home-grown produce. Contemporary Australia Cuisine, Food Worthy Flying For It all starts with a sublime sashimi of Corner Inlet rock flathead, …
When it comes to Thai cuisine, everything old is new again in Bangkok kitchens, especially in those of Bangkok’s best restaurants where chefs are cooking Thai heritage cuisine, everything from the dishes of their ancestors to the centuries-old recipes of the Siam aristocracy. Everything Old Is New Again in Bangkok Kitchens Not far from the Chao Phra River …
In October 2013, we went behind the scenes at Jaan Bai restaurant in Battambang to cover the opening of the Cambodian Children's Trust's new social enterprise hospitality training restaurant. We spent a lot of time in the kitchen. Supported by Australians Chef David Thompson of Nahm Bangkok and restaurateur John Fink of Quay restaurant in Sydney, a …
This is the fourth installment of a series reflecting on the Syria we knew and the Syrians we befriended in the years we travelled to the country before the Civil War. Parts one and two were on the Storyteller Abu Shady and Jazz Duo Rasha Rizk and Ghazwan Zerkli. The Old City of Damascus had …
I wanted to share a moment in time from Damascus in 2009 for the third part of our series reflecting upon Syria and the Syrians we knew before the Civil War. That was the last time we visited Syria, to work on a handful of stories for magazines. We were also developing a book project …