Latest Blog Posts
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Temples and Tall Towers – Bangkok
After 20 years, I find myself back in the huge, sprawling city of Bangkok. The choking pollution that has plagued the city in recent times is not in evidence when arrive. Basing myself close to Hua Lamphong Station where I have journeyed from Cambodia, I search for my hostel and notice lots of red Chinese… Read more
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Kanchanaburi – The Death Railway and Hellfire Pass
My last week is spent lounging by the river in Kanchanaburi, more well known as the town of the famous “Bridge over the River Kwai”. Bizarrely, the original bridge, known as Bridge 277 by the Japanese, did not cross the River Kwai, it was the River Mae Klong. However, due to the fame of the… Read more
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The Benidorm of Thailand – Hua Hin
With only two weeks left of my 5 month trip, I decide to head south of Bangkok on the train. Hua Hin is a coastal resort once favoured by the Kings of Thailand. I arrive at the station where there is a royal waiting room and an old steam train on display. As I stroll… Read more
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Tuk Tuks, Temples and Tea Time Treats – Siem Reap
It’s impossible to visit Cambodia and not go to Siem Reap. It is the holy grail of South East Asia and a place that travellers and tourists put at the top of their “to do” list. Of course, it’s not the city of Siem Reap that they come for, or the markets, or the restaurants,… Read more
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The Best Kept Secret in Cambodia – Kompong Thom
Most tourists rush straight from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, desperate to get to the iconic temple of Angkor Wat. Their bus will usually stop halfway through the journey at the town of Kompong Thom. From the main road it doesn’t look like much and generally people will only see the toilets of a bus… Read more
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Kampot – Salt & Pepper and the Green Cathedral
Apparently, all the best chefs cook with Kampot pepper – who knew? Well, obviously the expats who have set themselves up in the pepper business. I haven’t come to Kampot for the pepper, but because I’ve read a lot of travel blogs raving about the laid back town. After the relaxing time I’ve had in… Read more
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Monkeys, Crabs and Giant Geckos – Kep and Rabbit Island
Kep is a sleepy place, apart from the odd tuk-tuk or scooter, the two-lane highway along the coast is eerily empty. There are mats and chairs laid out along the beach promenade but few people using them and the crab market restaurants have a lot of empty chairs. It’s a bit of a shock after… Read more
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War and Peace – Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penh
My stays in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) and Phnom Penh (Cambodia) involve visits to museums and sites which graphically portray the horrors of the wars which took place in these countries in the 1960s and 1970s. Until now, I never really understood what had happened at that time, but the more I learn, the… Read more
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Dalat – Flowers, Farms and Crazy Places
Dalat had won a place in my heart long before I arrived in the city, mainly due to its production of wine which I’d been drinking throughout Vietnam. The journey from the coast, through the mountains, also proved a winner and the bus was more comfortable and safer than I had imagined. On my first… Read more
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New Year in Hoi An
I thought Hoi An would be a good place to celebrate the New Year so I arrived on the 31st of December after a brief visit to Danang, just an hour away. To enter the historic old town of Hoi An I have to purchase a ticket (£4) which includes entry to 5 of the… Read more
About Me
A Nomad at Heart
I have been wandering the world since I was old enough to walk. My parents used to take me on grand tours of Europe by car and when I flew the nest I literally started flying to far flung corners of the globe. I have backpacked through SE Asia, overlanded through Africa and South America, and hiked in the footsteps of great European explorers and adventurers.
For many years I was paid to travel but this meant sticking to a pre-planned itinerary and being followed by a dozen or more paying tourists. Now I travel for my own pleasure and mostly on my own. This means I have to interact with the local people, learning more about their cultures.
South East Asia Nomad 