Travel Tales: Julie Tyers, journalist, mother and domestic goddess
Name: Julie Tyers Age: 42 Occupation: Journalist, mother and domestic goddess Favourite travel destination? Why?: Close call between Koh Samui and NYC – but I reckon Thailand wins as it never fails to relax and nourish me on many levels. Worst travel experience?: Last June we flew to the UK with our two kids. On [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Top Five Must-Eat Foods in Thailand
Thailand is a paradise for food lovers; especially those that can handle a bit of heat. Interestingly, chilli is not native to Thailand (it’s from Central and South America) but you would never know it. Thai people have embraced chilli with the kind of gusto usually reserved for religion and football. Without any further ado, [...]
Tipster Tuesday: Thailand and Vietnam
Guess who’s going to Thailand and Vietnam in two weeks’ time? Uh, that would be me. The utterly delightful people at Thai Airways are sending me on a little adventure. To say I am excited would be like saying the Dalai Lama is a good bloke. I am beside myself. I am travelling from 3rd [...]
