A few years ago I posted my first list regarding some of the best beaches in South East Asia, although now my opinion has changed quite a bit. These days, however, I enjoy visiting even more beaches that are off the beaten path so I can get my feet wet more regularly than before – although I still won’t swim in the sea! Koh Lipe has a beautiful coastline 5. Pattaya Beach, Koh Lipe, Thailand Otres Beach, Sihanoukville 4. Otres Beach, Sihanoukville, Cambodia I cannot believe Mira eyes at this beauty! 3. Mira Beach, Perhentian Islands, Peninsular Malaysia Phu Quoc could one day get as busy as the ..read more

The Garden State of South East Asia remains one of the most enticing countries in the region for first time travellers – but can Singapore get a bit boring for returning visitors? After all, the country is small, and attractions are few and far between. Raffles Hotel is a tourist attraction I have been travelling to Singapore at least twice per year since 2011 and on most of those occasions I spent a good while in the country (sometimes even in luxury hotels – some backpacker!). I have always been fascinated by the local culture, which is a hotchpotch of Malay/Indian/Chinese with a splattering ..read more

Travelling in South Korea (or living in Korea!) is always a joy no matter what time of the year, but there is something very special about summertime on the Korean peninsula. And when the snow melts and the sun comes out, Koreans like nothing more than to chill with some good food (and Soju). Naengmyeon Naengmyeon is a traditional Korean dish of long and thin handmade noodles, served in a tangy iced broth, with a boiled egg and cold boiled beef. Traditionally, these long noodles would be eaten without cutting, as they symbolised longevity of life and good health. Dotorimuk Dotorimuk may only b ..read more

Despite travelling for a long time in Asia, Africa, and South America, it took me a while to fully appreciate the majesty of the Mediterranean. Now, however, I have made up for lost time and explored some of the region’s finest landmarks. Many countries lay claim to having a coastline on the Mediterranean Sea, including Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Libya, and Morocco. But which are the finest destinations in the Mediterranean? Here are my top 5! El Djem Ampitheater in Tunisia 5. Tunisia Highlights include the capital Tunis, with its local culture unlike no other I have experie ..read more

One of the easiest things to see and enjoy when in Reykjavík is the Blue Lagoon, situated just a half hour drive west of the Icelandic capital. It is a very impressive attraction and reminds us all why Iceland is so beautiful! Photo: Guide to Iceland This geothermal spa is one of the most visited attractions in Iceland, and even better, in the dead of winter (or on a particularly chilly day), no one will say no to escaping the freezing elements by soaking in some warm geothermal waters! Soaking in the milky blue waters is a wonderful way to de-stress and say goodbye to any worries you may have ..read more

Sure, if you accept Easter as part of your culture, then you will probably love receiving some chocolate eggs during the festivities each year. However, there are some amazing foods from around the world that are eaten traditionally over the Easter and Lent period. Some of these you may know, some you may not, but they all look extremely tasty – and probably healthier than chocolate eggs, too! So let’s now look at 14 of the finest Easter snacks that you could munch on in 2018! Tsoureki, Greece Tsoureki is a sweet, egg-enriched bread that can be shaped either into a circle or into two large bra ..read more

The battle for the skies is hotting up in South East Asia as two heavyweights of the aviation industry as regularly competing for the same kind of passengers. Garuda Indonesia and Malaysia Airlines are similarly structured companies, but which can lay claim to besting the other? Airline Overview Garuda Indonesia (GA) was founded in August 1947 and is national flag carrier of Indonesia. It is named after the Holy bird of Hinduism, the Garuda. Skytrax rate Garuda Indonesia as one of the new 5 star airlines in the business, and since 2014, Garuda Indonesia has been part of the SkyTeam alliance ..read more

One of the greatest Empires in history is that of the Romans. Most of us learned that at school. But when on our travels, exactly which parts of the world can we see some of the best examples of Roman architecture? From the Roman heartland of Italy to present-day Syria, there are certainly some impressive cities to visit, some of which were built and some of which were just invaded. So what did the Romans ever do for us, eh? Umm Qais, Jordan 5. Umm Qais, Jordan, is the modern name for the city that was once known as Gadara, itself a major city of the Greco-Roman Decapolis. The Bible also says ..read more

I had always wanted to visit Hainan island, which is marketed as the Chinese version of Hawaii. The climate is certainly the same as Hawaii, and the sheer amount of luxury hotels around Hainan is also similar to what you would find across the Pacific. But what is there to do on Hainan island for a mere backpacker? Sanya Phoenix International Airport was my arrival point I flew to Sanya from Singapore (with a short layover at Hong Kong Airport – didn’t bother going downtown this time), and I usually make the mistake of arriving at a new destination in the evening, which means more trouble and s ..read more

A ride along the Golden Circle tourist trail in Iceland reveals the breathtaking Gullfoss Waterfall where traversing a narrow path provides close-up views of the massive, two-tiered waterfall below. In winter the view is spectacular when the waterfall freezes over into undulating waves of glistening ice. On sunny days, however, visitors are treated to thousands of rainbows, which are a natural reaction with the clouds of spray from the tumbling falls. Gullfoss Waterfall is a part of the famous Golden Circle Route in Iceland. Its distance from Reykjavik is about 113km (70 miles). From the capi ..read more