We’re in the throes of a weird Covid third wave, raging full-throttle in Bangkok. WFH is back in place, schools are closed, and pink Food Panda deliveries are the main sign of traffic on empty city streets. But let’s rewind to a few short weeks ago, so I can cling to the memories of my…
Category: Eco Luxe
Where a magic mountain retreat recharges body and spirit – Alassari Plantation Bali
When I told people my next destination in Bali was a private coffee plantation with luxury villas and spa high up in the central hills, the reaction was always the same – widened eyes and “wowww … sounds reeeally nice! Where!” My own reaction was pretty much the same when I first saw Alassari Plantation’s…
The Smog Eaters Are Coming – the Vertical Forest Nanjing, China
Next year, an eco building with 1,100 trees will absorb 25 tons of CO2 per year and produce 60kg of oxygen daily in smoggy China. Big trees fascinate me; the older and bigger, the better. They’re so beautiful, and so majestic. If you’ve seen my Barefoot Luxe Facebook page, there are quite a few posts of beautiful…
In Search of Man-Eaters of Kumaon – Corbett Tiger Reserve, India
I went by elephant and by jeep, and nobody was eaten alive. That’s because nobody tried to eat us. Mention animal safaris, animals in the wild, and most people think African safari, but I love visiting the tiger reserves of India. And there are actually quite a few of them. India was once a land teeming…
Where Turtles Lay Eggs, and Nobody Knows – A Secret Black Sand Beach in Bali
On a secret black sand beach in Bali, turtles lay their eggs, and nobody knows… Many complain that Bali is ruined – commercialized, over-run by invading tourist hordes, group package tours, beach cowboys, and shaggy souvenir shacks blocking the view of the postcard-perfect rice terraces that the world comes to see. That may be true, but it’s a big…
Tropical Hangover Healer-Tamarind Springs Forest Spa, Koh Samui, Thailand
Feeling groggy and sluggish? A fantastic Thai herbal steam cave in a lush coconut grove offers a healing herb mist that clears the fog in your head. Tamarind Springs Forest Spa on the laid-back island of Koh Samui in southern Thailand is the first spa I wrote about at the start of my career as…
Glamping Maharajah-style, at Vanyavilas luxury tented camp, Ranthambore Tiger Preserve, India
I saw a lot more than the Big Cats at this former royal hunting ground that is now the world’s most fabulous tiger preserve. It’s strange that I’ve been to India so times, yet not to Rajasthan. At least, not the Rajasthan that most people know. Most visitors head straight to the famous desert fortresses and…
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