Spas in my eyes in Thailand
You know that look people get when they’re really, really relaxed? That unfocused middle distance gaze with droopy eyelids and a slack jaw? That’s how I looked after every spa treatment I had in Thailand, give or take an oil sheen and some smudged mascara. I tried three radically different spas; one city, one island [...]
The Cave of Cock: Ao Nang, Krabi
I love a cock as much as the next person but a whole cave full of them? That’s what I call a tourist attraction! So it is in Ao Nang, Krabi. At the end of an idyllic white sand beach there is a cave that is chockers full of carved wooden wangs. Big ones, small [...]
Dinner with David Thompson: Nahm at The Metropolitan, Bangkok
David Thompson has had 17 espressos today which accounts for the overly wide-eyed way he buzzes around his restaurant. He darts from one task to another with the air of someone deeply focused on each moment. One minute he is briefing a staff member in softly spoken Thai; the next he is swaggering up to [...]
The rules of the nomad by Greta Lackey
The rules of the nomad By Greta Lackey I thought you were an international jet-setter? A phrase an ‘international jet-setter’ never wants to hear… It’s been nearly one year since my last overseas trip (which was to New Zealand – does that even count?). But it’s actually been about 3 years since I quit my [...]
Packing Guide for Thailand and Vietnam
There are certain idiosyncrasies that it’s worth knowing about before you head off to South East Asia, particularly for the ladies, as there are quite strict standards of dress at some religious sites. Here’s my foolproof guide to not looking / feeling like a total d*ckhead in Asia: 1. Cover up It might be 35 [...]
Thai Airways are my homies
I am not a fussy traveller. As a kid, I spent many long, hot hours crammed in the backseat of a sweltering Holden stationwagon with two other bigger, stronger kids. Needless to say, I was the thumpee, not the thumper when tensions arose. I am also the daughter of an aircraft engineer so I have spent many happy hours loitering in [...]
Foreign Correspondent: Michael Delargy, Pattaya, Thailand
Name: Michael Delargy Age: 40 (and thanks for asking!) Occupation: Hotel Manager Where do you live and how did you get there?: At the moment in Pattaya, Thailand. The route was a bit roundabout, from Dublin via London (where strangely I was introduced to Australian culture!) then into IT forsome reason and [...]
Asian vs Western Attitude: Jai yen yen (cool heart)
Thai and Vietnamese people are fundamentally hospitable, friendly and almost a little bit innocent. I know I am generalising and that is always dangerous but this has been my consistent observation over two trips to both countries or, put another way, 13 months of waiting for someone to lose their cool. So far, it hasn’t [...]
Pretty in the city: A guide to Hanoi and Bangkok
I am a low maintenance kind of girl most of the time. I would like to be prissier but it takes a lot of time to get your hair and nails done. Fortunately, in South East Asia you can indulge your wildest princess urges without having to max out your credit card or spend every [...]
Disco Temple – Wat Phra Kaew, Bangkok
I have seen a few temples in my time. Big ones, crumbly ones and ones that house malicious monkeys that want to eat your brains. My favourite temple of them all, though, is Wat Phra Kaew aka The Temple of the Emerald Buddha or, if you want to get really technical, Wat Phra Si Rattana [...]
