Do overcrowded beaches bother you? I’ve never actually been on one, since I’ve never been on a beach in Europe, where all the beaches look like a Spencer Tunick naked art installation. Who is Spencer Tunick? He’s a brilliant U.S. artist famed for creating human installations of mass nudes in various world locations, mostly…
Category: Travel
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…
The Hideaway Home of Count de Mauny (and yours too) – Taprobane Private Island Sri Lanka
When I first set eyes on Taprobane Island I had no idea that a few years into the future I’d become friends with its owner, an expat British businessman who lives in Colombo and Hong Kong. At that time, I didn’t even know someone could actually own this fantasy vision that I glimpsed while driving down…
Bye Bye, Fear of Frying, at the Four Seasons Chiang Mai Thai Cooking School
“Nine is a lucky number in Thai culture,” our cooking class coordinator said as we stood in the crisp morning sunlight in front of the wooden spirit house at the Four Seasons Chiang Mai’s Rim Tai Kitchen Cooking Academy. “So I give you nine incense sticks and ask you to join me in the Thai…
Where moon massage, mystic mantras, and Theta healing meet Garudas galore – Hotel Tugu Spa Bali
I’d heard of the Hotel Tugu Bali long before I went there, and always spoken in tones of admiration. ‘Tugu’ and ‘beautiful’ were always mentioned together, as in: “Tugu! It’s gorgeous!”, “The whole place is filled with antiques! And it’s right on the beach!”, everyone gushed. Yes gushed. People always seem to get excited when they talk about…
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 to Relive Bangkok’s Old Town Charm – The Asadang Historic B&B
Bangkok’s historic Grand Palace district is the place to be right now if you’re in the Thai capital. A small heritage B&B offers old-time charm just a short walk from the city’s grandest spectacle. Thailand is experiencing the most heartbreaking event ever known to Thai people, the passing the world’s longest reigning and most greatly beloved monarch, HM the late King…
Tomb Waiter – Dream Dining Amid the Ruins at Angkor Wat, Cambodia
At Angkor Wat, where a lost civilization once feasted under the stars, you can too. Just add butler. Here’s how … In recent years, I’ve been hearing of private parties and chi-chi events held amongst the ruins at Cambodia’s Angkor Wat, a Unesco World Heritage Site. Yes gala dinners, jet-set party people frolicking amid the…
3 Best Affordable Wellness & Spa Retreats in Thailand
Psssst! … Guess what! You don’t have to pay big bucks for a wellness & spa escape any more – if you know where to find it. And I’m telling you here. These are the newest and nicest wellness retreats with the most affordable, professional spa offerings you can find in Thailand! Whenever I see the bill to…
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…
In Kiddie Wonderland, a Soothing Sanctuary for Mum & Dad at Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel
People were astonished to hear that I was going to the Hong Kong Disneyland spa. Why? Weird part number one: I don’t have kids and have no reason to be running around with giant mice and ducks. Weird part number two: Hong Kong Disneyland has a luxury spa?! At any rate, it wasn’t really my…
On the Rishikesh Yoga Trail, Beatles Ashram, & Ananda in the Himalayas Palace Wellness Retreat, India
Where best to start learning yoga? At its birthplace in India, of course. Little did I know I was on the Beatles trail in Rishikesh… I’ve been a yoga fan for a long time now, but there was once an unhappy, blurry Time Before Yoga when I didn’t know what it was and wasn’t interested. That was…
Supermodel Tips to Eat, Play, Shop Bangkok: Q&A with Asia Top Model Cindy Sirinya Bishop
Do you love shopping and eating in Bangkok? So does the whole world. Where do the real Bangkok insiders go for the best Thai fashion, specialty shops, great Thai and international food and coolest bars? Ultimate fashion insider and Thailand’s top model Cindy Sirinya Bishop shares her favourite places for the best of Bangkok fashion, food and fun. In her native…
A New Future Rises From a Family’s Abandoned Past – Baan Pra Nond, Bangkok B&B
What happens when dream and coincidence intersect? When an old family photo surfaces, she never expected to see the house she had dreamed of for years… Not long ago when mini-boutique hotels were quite the trend on the Bangkok scene, I started hearing about a new little bed & breakfast hotel called Baan Pra Nond,…
On a Beach in Sri Lanka, Ancient Healing Treats Modern Ills – Barberyn Reef Ayurveda Resort
Everyone has a third eye. Yes, you have one too. Thankfully you can’t see it. Here’s how to take care of this important energy point in your body… A third eye may sound like something you’d rather keep hidden in the genetic skeleton closet, like a sixth finger or third nipple, but it’s an important…
Biking Phuket’s Surprising Back Roads in Mai Khao
Oh give me a zone…where the buffalo roam…where the beer and the nightlife don’t play… I like lazing on the beach as much as the next person, especially when there’s a waiter with crisp chilled pineapple near by, but sometimes one feels the need to get out and poke around a bit. Biking always brings me back to my carefree childhood, and…
Praya Palazzo, Bangkok – From the Ruins, A Labour of Love
A historic Italian palazzo in Bangkok? Yes, it does exist. You can even sleep here and have breakfast on the river next morning. What you don’t know is the massive labour of love it took for a young widow to transform this former pile of rubble into the lovely hotel you see today… Bangkok is not a…
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…
Chiva-Som International Health Resort – a fat-fighting week at Asia’s most glamourous spa
People are always curious about world-renowned Chiva-Som Health Resort, located at the Thai royal beach resort of Hua Hin. It’s the most famous health resort and spa in Asia, thanks to its celebrity clientele of supermodels, pop stars, royalty, and Hollywood glitterati. I’ve enjoyed a few stays there over the years and while there were…
A Powerful Yoga Healing Retreat at the Dhara Dhevi, Chiang Mai
Ask me to name the most luxurious hotels in Thailand, and the Dhara Dhevi Chiang Mai is right there at the top of the list. It’s a fantasy world of northern Thai Lanna and Burmese architecture. The architecture alone is another story in itself (and the hotel has even published a lovely coffee table book…
Kidding Around in Bali – family travel play book
Eliza says she’s not good at stalking. But happily, she found me on the internet and sent me this wonderful activity book that she and her husband wrote about things for kids to do in Bali. I’m a doting aunt and my maternal instinct goes all soft and gooey when I see adorable kiddie toys, clothes, shoes,…
Get a Glimpse: Six Cool Design Hotels in Asia
Does unique hotel design help you decide where to stay? For many travellers, a beautiful interior is just as important as a room with a view. A fabulous space can affect your whole mood and alter your whole travel experience from unmemorable to unforgettable. When I wrote the Contemporary Asian Home series of interior design books, showcasing contemporary Asian interior design…
Dwarika’s Hotel – Sleeping in Kathmandu’s Heritage Haven
Historic architecture fascinates me and I love the way staying in antique hotels connects me to the culture of a place. There isn’t much in the way of historic hotels in Nepal even though you see ancient buildings in Kathmandu that have housed generations of the same family for centuries. While walking around the city…
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