Impressed by the extravagance of Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon (Myanmar), and even more so by the sheer size of Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, I was surprised that neither were the largest Buddhist temples in the world. Then I discovered that the largest Buddhist temple, Borobudur Temple, is in fact located in Yogyakarta. In spite of this, Yogyakarta… Read More 36 Hours in Yogyakarta, Indonesia
I quickly declared Lisbon as my favourite city in Europe after my solo trip to Porto and Lisbon last year. The colourful houses, steep hills and cobbled streets won me over immediately. The sunshine and bustle of people during the summer made the Portuguese charm even more irresistible. So when I heard a couple of friends were… Read More Eat and Drink with Locals in Lisbon
From absorbing the hustle bustle of Brussels, stumbling on hipster gems in Antwerp and Gent, to living a fairytale life in Bruges, there were many things to adore about Belgium, as I made my way through the country over 5-6 days. Here were my top five highlights of the trip: 1. Fries and Tartare sauce… Read More 5 Highlights for Foodies in Belgium
With grids of canals lined up with boutique stores, coffee shops and coffeeshops, it’s hard not to fall in love with Amsterdam, as soon as you take a five minute walk in the city. Amsterdam has a lot to show off. The abundant number of minimalistic yet beautifully decorated shops by the canals definitely left… Read More Staring at Jacobs (Amsterdam): Perfectly Fried Chicken on Waffles for Brunch
Stepping off the Eurostar from Paris and walking out of King’s Cross Station to see McDonald’s and Chop Chop brought me an overwhelming wave of nostalgia. I would see these two familiar shop fronts every day I walked home when I was studying at University College London 10 years ago (eek). Yet these may be… Read More Sunday (London): Queue-Worthy Buttermilk Pancakes and Coffee
I always knew of Ubud for its calm, serene and Eat-Pray-Love kind of vibe. Without the desire of going on a yoga retreat, it hadn’t been the highest priority on my list of places to visit. But then I heard about Mozaic. In fact, a friend from Jakarta shared a number of excellent restaurants and… Read More Mozaic (Ubud): Fine Dining in an Unsuspecting Place
It’s that time of the year to reflect! I never used to make New Year’s resolutions or set ‘goals’ until last year and it turned out to be a great idea because I can now be proud that I accomplished two out of three (I know they’re hardly difficult things to achieve): 1. cook more and… Read More 10 Favourite Restaurants from Around the World in 2017
Travelling around South America for a month, we encountered all types of travellers. Some were only visiting Peru, others had been in the continent for 6 months. But the one most frequently asked question was: What has been your favourite so far? As much as Machu Picchu of Peru will impress almost anyone, and there’s no… Read More Bolivia – My Unexpected Favourite in South America
It was a pleasant 3:30pm as I stepped out of the metro at Baixa-Chiado, downtown Lisbon. Never had I felt so instantaneously in love with a city. I had just flown in from Porto and had already experienced a little bit of Portugal’s charm – colourful houses, steep hills and cobbled streets. But it was the… Read More Solo Travel in Porto and Lisbon
When L’Estrange London first approached me for my recommendations on fine dining restaurants in Hong Kong, I blanked. Amber? Caprice? What other fine dining restaurants do I know? I couldn’t possibly bring myself to recommend places I didn’t even personally love, but I honestly have barely visited “fine dining” restaurants in the past 2-3 years.… Read More Fine Dining Redefined in Hong Kong