As you may already know, Thailand was formed by the annexation of smaller Tai kingdoms into the powerful Ayutthaya Kingdom: first the Sukhothai Kingdom, the Phayao Kingdom, then the Lanna Kingdom. The Lanna Kingdom was centred at Chiang Mai, with…
If you are visiting Miami, then you should certainly make a trip to Key West. Key West is the southern most city in the US on a very small island that measures 6.4km long and only 1.6km wide. The “keys”…
… among others, of course! Explore South Beach and its Art Deco jewels In the day, this is where the muscle gods descend from heaven to glimmer in the sun just for your viewing pleasure. You can watch non-stop till…
To be honest, I had never been a fan of Phuket. One of Thailand’s first beach destinations, Phuket has very early on earned a reputation for mass tourism and low-class tourists. Service, compared to less exposed parts of Thailand, is…
One of the best things to do during a trip is to take a cooking class. Really, it not only adds to the unique experience but also helps you to better appreciate the culture and knowledge of the country you…
Chiang Mai is the largest city in northern Thailand and was the former capital of the Lanna Kingdom (1296-1768) before being absorbed into the Kingdom of Siam in 1774. There are so many reasons why you should visit Chiang Mai,…
When we arrived in the Hotel Indigo on the Wireless Road in Bangkok, I was gasping with awe. While Bangkok hotels are generally luxurious and modern, this IHG hotel stands out as the epitome of combining luxury and modernity. Hotel…
As a follow up to my Daikon no Nimono 大根の煮物 recipe, this is an extremely popular Kyoto dish called Furofuki Daikon ふろふき大根. There are many variations of course, and the difference lies in the miso sauce. One comment about daikons:…
Daikon no Nimono 大根の煮物 is an extremely simple dish that is a regular, traditional accompaniment in Japanese meals. Daikons 大根 are very nutritious. The taste takes a bit of getting used to for non-East Asians but once you eat it a…
I took part in the Arenberg Festival that is taking place in the region of Leuven, Belgium. The Arenberg nobility came from a small village named after a hill in the German Eiffel region. In 1547, Jan of Ligne inherited…
