Four years ago I was in an auditorium in Vietnam alongside my teaching colleagues and we were listening to a lecture that only served to strengthen my already iron-clad resolve to travel. I don’t think that this was the point …
Where in the world can you swim around a Second World War tank?
It’s a perfect day in the tropics. The pristine white sand dazzles brightly, starkly contrasted with the deep green foliage fringing the beach. The sea is aquamarine and warm as a bath—too warm to cool down on such a hot …
Top 3 Beaches in Vietnam
When most people think about travelling to an exotic beach, Thailand is often high up on their wish-list. But did you know that next-door Vietnam has some equally spectacular beaches to rival many of those offered by its more frequently …
East meets West in Hong Kong
Hong Kong is my favourite Asian city. It’s a close call as I have loved all of the ones that I have been to – except for Singapore (nice zoo, boring city). Each city has a different …
Five foods the Swedes go crazy for!
1. Meatballs
Ask anybody what they think Swedes like to eat and the chances are that they will say ‘Meatballs’. This is probably largely due to IKEA chains worldwide serving traditional-style meatballs with a cream sauce, potatoes and lingonberry jam. …
A Close Call in Nha Trang, Vietnam
“Careful. Bad people around” whispered the aged street-vendor who had just sold me a banana for an extortionate price, making me wonder if she might be one of the ‘bad people’ that she was referring to. It was 3am and …
Bad Wolf Bay: The Rugged Coastline of South Wales (UK)
Although I enjoy travelling the world and have branded myself a Runaway Brit, I do still appreciate the beauty of my home country. The UK is a small but diverse island and has many unappreciated areas of natural beauty. Many …
Singapore Zoo Photo Essay
Most zoos in Asia are best avoided if you do not want to see malnourished animals pacing sadly around miniscule, urine-soaked cages. In contrast, Singapore Zoo is more of a 5-star resort where the animals genuinely seem happier, healthier, and …
Valborg – Sweden Welcomes the Spring
In Britain, Bonfire Night conjures up childhood memories of sheltering from the driving November rain, eating jacket potatoes while effigies, or ‘guys’, burn on a huge bonfire. Overhead, fireworks crackle with the acrid smell of sulphur – all to commemorate …
Ha Long Way from Home
I have read many blog posts about visiting Ha Long bay in Northern Vietnam, some recounting positive experiences but many negative. I almost decided not to write about my own experience as I feared it may become a cliche. …
Spring Fever
It has been a long and cold winter in Sweden. After a very short Autumn, it started snowing in October and powdered snow lay on the ground until March. The temperature remained below zero for almost five months, sometimes …
A Day on board the Princess Anastasia
The journey from St. Petersburg back to Stockholm takes about 25 hours so we were pretty grateful to discover that the newly refurbished Princess Anastasia boat had a bit more to offer than the Princess Maria—the duty free shop …
Getting a drink in St.Petersburg is impossible!
I always imagined that drinking vodka is a national pastime in Russia so imagine my surprise when I discovered that it is almost impossible to find a local bar in St.Petersburg!
Of course, this is based entirely on my own …
A Few Hours in Helsinki – Photo Essay
We had a few hours to spend in Helsinki after taking the Silja line ferry from Stockholm to Helsinki and then planning to take the St.Petersline from Helsinki to St.Petersburg. The weather was clear and sunny, if a bit cold.…
Mt Fuji: Climbing the World’s Most Perfect Volcano
“A wise man climbs Mt. Fuji once, only a fool climbs twice”
Japanese Proverb.
Consider this the writing of a fool for I have climbed Mt. Fuji twice.
At an altitude of 3776m or 12,395ft, Fuji-San is the tallest mountain …
My Saigon Ink
Getting a tattoo while travelling. Great souvenir or terrible mistake?
Personally I think that it is a great idea and I had one done while I was in Vietnam. The downside of travelling for prolonged periods of time is …
Chaul Chnam Thmey – Khmer New Year
Cambodia is quite possibly my favourite country on my travels so far. There is just something about the rural countryside and its proud people that I love to return to time and time again. I have mentioned Sihanoukville before as …
Tokyo from the Air
Tokyo is a vast urban jungle that stretches as far as the eye can see. From the ground it is a complex web of buildings, bridges and train tracks that criss-cross for miles and miles. The only way to fully …