You might think, after watching Planet of the Apes, that a town run by monkeys would be a relatively civilized and peaceful place. The reality couldn’t be further from the myth. The monkeys in Lopburi constantly scrap amongst themselves, make love (probably not the right expression) on rooftops and harass humans with any semblance of … Read more
Between 1802 and 1945 a succession of emperors ruled over central Vietnam from Hue, a small city on the banks of the Perfume River. Some were dynamic leaders and others were puppets to the French, whose influence grew as the years rolled by. Despite their growing irrelevancy, the Nguyễn emperors continued to pour money and man … Read more
The Singapore River has played many roles over the last couple of hundred years. It was the centre of trade and commerce during colonial times, but these days the focus is on tourism and nightlife. Downtown Singapore is home to some of the city’s top tourist attractions and is easily explored on foot, whether it’s a … Read more
Singapore is often thought of as a slightly soulless city full of towering sky scrapers and air conditioned shopping malls. Dig a little deeper though and you’ll find historic streets lined with colourful shophouses, although these shop / house combos are often towered over by massive skyscrapers (this is still Singapore after all). Singapore’s shophouses are a … Read more
The Khmer Empire once spread its wings through much of modern day Cambodia and Thailand, as well as a small portion of Southern Laos. Siem Reap, and the world-class temples of Angkor, is the epicentre for Khmer ruins tourism, but some of the smaller sites scattered around the region are also worth a look. Wat … Read more
“Paradise Cave is a long way from here” warned the woman in the travel agency. We had enquired about renting bicycles to get there but she was adamant it was a bad idea. We did it anyway, as we don’t know how to ride motorbikes and we didn’t want to shell out for a tour. … Read more
Don’t you hate it when travel bloggers make wild claims about something being the “best” or “most beautiful” place in wherever? Surely they haven’t been to every vegan restaurant in Paris or every island in Thailand. You’ll see that I subtly phrased my own wild claim as a question, but in all honesty I can’t … Read more
I could hear the hum of a motorbike as it drew closer. I moved to the side of the road as it rounded the corner and came to pass me. It didn’t pass me though…it crashed in the soft bushes on the opposite side of the road. The driver and I both started laughing once … Read more