The Three Balis: Which One Are You Actually Visiting?
Bali is three destinations in one — Tourist Bali, Local Bali, and Digital Nomad Bali. Which one you visit changes everything. Here is how to tell them apart.
A Month in Phnom Penh — Why Cambodia’s Capital Surprised Me
An honest one-month stay in Phnom Penh — what works, what doesn’t, the food, the heaviness, and why I left with more respect for the city than I arrived with.
Saigon Stays Saigon — Notes from Ho Chi Minh City After 29 Days in District 1
After 29 days in Saigon I still prefer Hanoi for food — but Ho Chi Minh City has its own pace, its own neighbourhoods, and its own version of Vietnam that earns more than three days. Notes on District 3, Cu Chi, cooking classes, and sidewalk coffee.
Living in Nepal for 3 Months: Why Pokhara Changed My Life
In October 2022, I moved to Nepal for 87 days — living between Kathmandu and Pokhara, trekking the Mardi Himal, and discovering why this is one of Asia’s best-kept remote work destinations. The honest account, with real costs included.
Bhaktapur — Nepal’s Ancient City the Tourist Buses Skip
Bhaktapur is the best-preserved medieval city in the Kathmandu Valley. A guide to its three squares, the Nyatapola Temple, and why it is worth more than a quick stop.
Patan (Lalitpur) — The Kathmandu Valley’s City of Bronze and Beauty
Patan is the finest of the three royal cities in Nepal’s Kathmandu Valley — extraordinary Newari bronze workshops, the best museum in Nepal, and a Durbar Square that survived the 2015 earthquake remarkably intact.
Pokhara, Nepal — Where the Quality of Life Seems Almost Unfair
Two months living in Pokhara: what it costs, how it feels, and why this lakeside city under the Himalayas is one of Asia’s best long-stay destinations.
The Mardi Himal Trek: Pokhara’s Secret Mountain Path
The Mardi Himal trek is one of Nepal’s most beautiful and least-known routes — a ridge walk above 4,000m with unobstructed Annapurna views and almost no crowds.
Penang and the Slow Asian Heritage I Keep Coming Back To
George Town, Penang — a UNESCO city of shophouses, clan houses, street art, and the best food in Malaysia by a mile. After two visits in the same year, here is what makes Penang the multicultural Asian heritage town most travellers skip.
Okinawa in December — Subtropical Japan, Ryukyu Culture, and a Quiet Year-End
My first introduction to Japan was not Tokyo or Kyoto — it was five days in Okinawa in December 2018 with Natha. Subtropical island weather, Shuri Castle, Churaumi Aquarium, goya champuru, awamori, and the half-not-Japan culture of the old Ryukyu Kingdom.