Luxury , Travel , Vietnam

23 Reasons Why JW Marriott Phu Quoc Is Asia’s Best Resort

It takes a lot to reduce me to stunned silence, but this July one Vietnamese resort managed it. Situated just off the Cambodian coast on the island of Phu Quoc is the JW Marriott Emerald Bay. Beautiful, breathtaking, innovative, the JW Marriott Phu Quoc deserves every superlative you can throw at it – it’s already picked up the title of Asia’s Leading New Resort.  Designed by the famous Bill Bensley, this brand new resort cost an estimated $250 million. Bensley was given a blank cheque to design it, and the result is a resort that will stretch the very boundaries of your imagination.

Food , Food Republic , Thailand

Food Republic | How To Eat Vegetarian In Thailand

In many ways, Thailand is paradise for food lovers. You can’t cross a street without the aroma of frying garlic and chillies drawing you in, or smoke pouring from a street grill hitting your nose. Everywhere you go there’s a new temptation, whether it’s spicy papaya salad, fragrant coconut milk curry or traditional roti pancakes sizzling away. But in Thailand, navigating what’s safe to eat can be a minefield.‘Vegetarian’ generally means not eating meat or seafood: anything else, including meat stock, shrimp paste or fish sauce, is fair game. Get it right and you’ll be feasting on a variety of aromatic and flavorful dishes; get it wrong and you’ll find yourself inadvertently chewing on some gristle. Here’s how vegetarians can eat well in Thailand.

Food , Travel , Vietnam

Touring Saigon’s Street Food: How To Love Ho Chi Minh City

I didn’t expect to love Ho Chi Minh City as much as I did. More than any other place, Vietnam seems to divide travellers and tourists: they either really love it, or really don’t, and Ho Chi Minh City is often at the forefront of that. Because of this polarisation, I entered the city thinking I probably wouldn’t love it instantly, but perhaps it would grow on me. I was totally wrong. I LOVE Ho Chi Minh City – or Saigon, as everyone still calls it. Forget about it growing on me, it took about five minutes to realise this city was right up our street.

Food , Luxury , Thailand , Travel

Temples, Elephants & The Dhara Dhevi Kingdom: Your Guide To Chiang Mai

As Thailand’s northern capital, Chiang Mai has long been popular with travellers and adventure seekers. A historic city surrounded by dense rainforest, Chiang Mai is an alluringly laidback alternative to frenetic Bangkok, and this ‘Rose of the North’ is the perfect place for weary travellers to recharge their batteries. Despite its old-world associations, Chiang Mai today is a thoroughly modern city, one that embraces freshness and change as much as its cultural past: this is a city where barefoot monks and young hipsters are equally at home.

Luxury , Thailand , Travel

JustLuxe | Inside Phuket’s Sri Panwa

The Thai island of Phuket isn’t short of luxury hotels, but word has it that one resort is head and shoulders above the rest. Located in the serene southeast corner of the island is Sri panwa. Spread across a jungle-covered peninsula, the hotel is a favorite of Thai royalty and global celebrities alike. The way I see it, if it’s good enough for Rihanna and Snoop Dogg, it’s probably good enough for me, so I decided to see what all the fuss was about. What’s so special about Sri panwa?

Thailand , Travel

The Art Of The Eight Limbs: Learning Muay Thai At Sumalee Boxing Gym

Like many people who visit Thailand, the lure of learning Muay Thai was strong for Tom and me. At this point we’d been travelling for a year, had eaten and drank waaaay too much and (unlike Tom) I’d done barely any exercise. I was more unfit and out of shape than I’d ever been, and Muay Thai training seemed the perfect way to remedy that. Three weeks might not be nearly long enough to go from lazy layabout to Thai fighter, but it’s long enough to notice improvement and get back on track.

Food , Thailand , Travel

The Whistlestop Food Guide To Bangkok

Bangkok is paradise for a food lover. You can’t cross a street without the aroma of frying garlic and chillies drawing you in, or smoke pouring from a street food grill hitting your nose. Everywhere you go, there’s a new temptation, whether it’s a spicy papaya salad, fragrant coconut milk curry or traditional roti pancakes sizzling away. You could spend weeks wandering these chaotic streets and barely scratch the culinary surface of this city, but many people only spend a few days in Bangkok. If you’re just passing through and want to make the most of your time here (i.e. eat as much as possible), there are a few things you can do to experience how diverse and delicious the food scene here is.

Bali , Food , Food Republic , Travel

Food Republic | Where To Eat Vegetarian Food In Bali

It’s hard to imagine a more idyllic place than Bali. With ornate Hindu temples, verdant green rice fields and white sand beaches, this beautiful Indonesian island encapsulates the idea of paradise. As one of the world’s top destinations for holistic retreats and a mecca for yoga enthusiasts, the concept of health and wellness permeates many aspects of tourism here. As a result, it’s also a dream for vegetarians and vegans — more so than any other country I’ve visited so far on this year-long trip.

Luxury , Thailand , Travel

Inside The Siam, Bangkok’s Most Beautiful Luxury Hotel

Writers are often prone to hyperbole, but it’s no exaggeration to say that The Siam is Bangkok’s best hotel. Rated number one on TripAdvisor, The Siam sits in prime position along the Chao Praya River and provides the perfect blend of antique allure and contemporary comfort. Setting foot in this 39-room luxury retreat is like stepping back into a bygone era. The cool building offers respite from the sultry heat, and its refined, serene elegance are welcome after bustling, buzzing downtown Bangkok. Considered by many to be the best hotel in Thailand, not just Bangkok, what is it exactly about The Siam that’s so special?

Bali , Luxury , Travel

JustLuxe | When Luxury Meets Wellness At Bali Floating Leaf

There are few places as entrenched in spirituality, health and wellness as Bali. As such, few places are more suited to a yoga and meditation retreat. This beautiful Indonesian island has its fair share of luxury havens, but critics seem in agreement as to which one is best. Bali Floating Leaf is “the premiere retreat center with the best personalized service,” according to VOGUE. Condé Nast Traveller considers it one of the “world’s best yoga and wellness retreats,” and Harper’s BAZAAR brands it “the number one choice for luxury oriented, eco-conscious travellers.” So what exactly makes Floating Leaf so special?

Australia , Food , Food Republic , Travel

Food Republic | The Best Vegetarian Restaurants In East Coast Australia

Australia is such a vast country that writing an article about the best veggie hotspots would only offer the thinnest insight into the food scene here. Most visitors tend to stick to the ever-popular East Coast, which stretches from Cairns down to Melbourne. While not the capital, Sydney is indisputably the business and tourism hub of Australia: almost all visitors will find themselves here at one point, and the city has as many exciting food options as you’d expect. The appreciation for vegetarian food in Australia was not, on the whole, as prevalent as in other countries I’d visited (many people I encountered seemed to genuinely think I only ate vegetables), but there is still a growing vegetarian movement here.

Australia , Luxury , Travel

A Luxury Travel Blog | Five Unique Hotels In East Coast Australia

As the world’s sixth largest country, Australia’s size means you can spend years exploring and still not scratch the surface of what it has to offer. Most visitors tend to stick to the ever-popular East Coast, which stretches from Cairns at the top to Melbourne at the bottom. Whether you’re looking for a glamorous beach retreat, a cosmopolitan city adventure or an idyllically peaceful hideaway, you’ll find it all down under. From north to south, here are five of the most unique luxury hotels on Australia’s East Coast.

Bali , Travel

A Room With A View: Inside The Anantara Uluwatu, Bali

  Bali has been a popular travel destination for years, but ever since Eat, Pray, Love hit shelves and cinemas, the number of tourists flocking to this Indonesian island has skyrocketed. As a result, places like Seminyak and Ubud can be uncomfortably crowded, packed with people invariably chugging cheap cocktails or searching for some kind of spiritual fulfilment. But there are parts of Bali that have remained unscathed. Located on the south-western tip of Bali’s Bukit Peninsula, Uluwatu has long been beloved by surfers and peace-seeking travellers, but retains a sense of peace that’s lacking in other Bali hotspots. Weaving old with new, the rugged cliffs here are home to the 11th century Pura Luhur Uluwatu Temple as well as several five-star luxury resorts.

Australia , Food , Travel

48 Hours In Noosa, Australia: Your Luxury Guide

Outside of Australia the name Noosa Heads might not ring a bell, but its reputation stretches far Down Under. Billed as the Australian Hamptons, this sunny Queensland beach town is every bit as glamorous as its counterpart, and just as beautiful. Located about a two hour drive north of Brisbane, Noosa’s tropical climate, excellent shopping and upscale dining has made it a mecca for luxury-seekers across the world. Celebrity sightings are aplenty (Richard Branson, Russell Crowe and Greg Kinnear are all fans) and the cosmopolitan crowd who flock here spend around $940 million per year. But despite its parallels with the Hamptons, Noosa is entirely unique.

Food , Food Republic , USA

Food Republic | Inside China Poblano, Where East Meets West in Las Vegas

Mexican restaurants are a dime a dozen in most American cities, and Las Vegas is no exception. In and around the famous Strip are a peppering of taco joints and burrito bars, most serving up the usual fare. But as with most things, the City of Sin has taken Mexican food one step further. The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas has no less than 17 restaurants — a number that doesn’t seem so high once you consider its 2,995 rooms. Deciding where to eat can be a test, but as a serious aficionado of Mexican food, I had my heart set on guacamole and tacos. The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas had bigger ideas. What’s the only thing better than Mexican food? Mexican and Chinese food.

Food , Food Republic , New Zealand , Travel

Food Republic | Where To Eat Vegetarian Food In New Zealand

New Zealand is known for its Middle Earth–inspiring beauty, Maori culture and passion for rugby more than for its food. Yet the endless swaths of farmland and 8,700 miles of coastline mean that meat and seafood feature strongly, and popular national dishes include roast lamb, oysters, and fish and chips. But vegetarianism has been increasingly steadily, and in the past five years the number of vegetarian Kiwis has reportedly grown 27 percent. During my time here I found that while there were few exclusively vegetarian eateries, most cafés and restaurants have several decent meat-free free options. Naturally, some are (much) better than others. Here’s where to find the best vegetarian food in New Zealand.

Fiji , Food , Food Republic , Travel

Food Republic | Where To Find Vegetarian Food In Fiji

Known more for its beautiful beaches, rich culture and warm hospitality than for its food, Fiji has a far more extensive culinary repertoire than one might think. This group of South Pacific islands has a deep and diverse culture, and its cuisine takes influence from India, China, Polynesia, Melanesia, Rotuma and several other Pacific Islands. But just how diverse is the vegetarian food in Fiji? Read the full article on Food Republic HERE.    

Fiji , Travel

The Three Most Unique Eco Resorts in Fiji

(This article is now featured on Huffington Post – click here to read). Since leaving the UK to travel the world last year, I’ve visited many beautiful and exotic beach destinations, but Fiji perhaps best encapsulates the idea of tropical paradise. Almost every way you turn you’ll find palm trees swaying in the breeze, turquoise ocean shimmering on the horizon, and brightly coloured flowers adorning almost everything. But with over 330 islands and thousands of hotels and resorts, deciding where to stay in Fiji can be difficult. Rather than spend my time in Fiji kicking back on the beach in just one place, I wanted to travel around and see which places stuck out to me.

Fiji , Travel

JustLuxe | Four Days In Paradise at Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort, Fiji

It didn’t take long to realise that Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort is pretty special, even as far as luxury resorts go. Perhaps it was the all-singing, all-clapping welcome from the staff, which even for Fijian standards was warm. Perhaps it was the fact that the resort has a ‘pillow library’. It might have had something to do with the breathtaking beach vistas, which perfectly encapsulate the idea of tropical paradise: palm trees sway gently in the warm breeze, and clear, calm waters sparkle under the hot sun and deep blue sky. Whatever it was, it took about five minutes to realise that this would be a luxury travel experience entirely out of the ordinary…

Peru , Travel

SUITCASE Magazine | Lima, Peru: City Guide

Lima, Peru’s sprawling and chaotic capital, has long been overlooked. Less picturesque than the country’s second city Arequipa, and less steeped in Inca history than Cusco, many travellers would often bypass Lima altogether. But things have changed. In recent years Lima has been steadily carving out a reputation as not only the gastronomic capital of South America, but also as one of the coolest cities on the continent.

Food , Travel

Inside The Cosmopolitan Las Vegas, Sin City’s Most Glamorous Hotel

After spending the past eight months travelling through Latin America, our two week layover in the US felt very welcome. It was so good to be able to communicate easily again (our Spanish sucked), and it was also good to enjoy that excellent customer service. Not that Latin America had bad service (apart from Bolivia…), but it’s just SO good over here. So when we arrived in Las Vegas, the city of hedonism, excess, consumerism and glamour, we thought we may as go all out.

Food , Travel

California’s Winter Wonderland: Exploring Yosemite National Park

“The only way to experience Yosemite is by sleeping under the stars.” I read this years ago and it stayed with me. I’d wanted to visit California’s Yosemite National Park for a long, long time, and this January we got the opportunity. Sleeping under the stars, however, was out of the question, because our visit coincided with the heaviest snowfall in years.

Food , Food Republic , Panama , Travel

A Vegetarian Travel Diary: In Search of Food in Panama

Despite many people telling me I’d find it hard to find healthy, varied options, on the whole Central America surprised me by how veggie-friendly it could be. The standout was Guatemala, but each country’s people offered up their own unique meat-free treats and happily tweaked their dishes for vegetarians. So how hard would it be to find the best vegetarian food in Panama?

Guatemala , Travel

Antigua, Guatemala City Guide for Suitcase Magazine

Antigua Guatemala was the first place I fell in love with on this trip. This Central American colonial town has it all – incredible food, absorbing culture and jaw-dropping vistas – and over six months after my visit (where does the time go??) it’s still on my mind. I’m making it a personal mission to encourage as many people to go to Guatemala as possible; along with Peru, it’s my favourite country so far and an absolute joy to explore. If you’re considering visiting Antigua, check out the city guide I’ve written for Suitcase Magazine for some advice, tips and tricks.