My travels

Chasing a white Christmas

It’s been a VERY long time since I last blogged. That’s not because I haven’t travelled – I have – but life and work have simply taken over my time. About two years ago I started a new business called Legal Writers and it’s really taken off. This has been fantastic but in between managing…
Cuba: The good and the bad of medical care

Surprisingly, Cuba has one of the best health care systems in the developing (and developed) world. It has the third highest doctor patient ratio, high life expectancy and low infant mortality. This due to government funded health care that focuses on education and prevention rather than cure. They’ve achieved admirable results. But… there is a big but…
Is it too late to save Majuli Island?

Majuli Island, in the remote North East Indian state of Assam, is the largest river island in the world. It is rapidly being lost to the savage effects of climate change. Surrounded by the mighty Brahmaputra River, scientists predict that Majuli Island will be entirely reclaimed by the river within 20 years, and along with…
Meghalaya: Root bridges and climacophobia

Meghalaya is a wonder. In the western corner of North East India it’s rolling hills are silent, a welcome contrast to the busy dustbowl that is Guwahati (in Assam) where most visitors begin their journey. Even the small town of Shillong has lost the romantic aura of a hillside town, now packed with merchants who…
Nagaland: The last frontier

Two boys no older than ten wander the dusty roadside, semi-automatic rifles slung casually across their backs. Hearing the vehicle, they meander off-road into the thick verdant forest that’s lush but eerily silent. I ask my driver where all the animals are and he responds drily, “These Nagas eat everything.” Characterised by headhunters and a…
Re-visiting Goa after 15 Years

I’ve lived in Bombay for nearly 4 years, yet had never found a reason to visit the neighbouring beachside state of Goa. My last trip to Goa was nearly 15 years ago when I was seeking some time on a banana lounge after a great but rather hectic trip that included trekking through the Everest…
White Night Melbourne 2016

White Night is the Melbourne edition of an all night event, where the arts (in all its forms) takes over the CBD for 12 hours. While Paris was the first city to instigate its own White Night, my home town has made it its own. The first Melbourne White Night was in 2013, so I’ve never had…
Things I’ve Learned From Back Pain

It’s been ages since I blogged and I have my reasons I promise. Most recently I’ve spent the majority of the past couple of months flat on my back…. literally. I thought debilitating back pain was just exaggerated or something old people got. That is until it happened to me and I was flung straight into…
Things To Do In Istanbul

Following my fabulous sailing trip down the Turquoise Coast I managed to squeeze in a day and half in Istanbul. The last time I was in this fabulous city was over 5 years ago, and even though I’d seen most of the major sights I just felt the need to do some of them again. It’s…
Getting Beach Ready

Before heading off on my rather last-minute sailing jaunt in Turkey I had to deal with the big issue of how to get myself a bikini body or at the very least beach ready in less than two weeks. Experience has taught me that no matter how many grapefruits I ate I was never going…
Sailing The Turquoise Coast in Turkey

It usually doesn’t take much to convince me to travel somewhere, but I don’t think I’ve said yes to an overseas trip quicker than I did a few weeks ago when I was invited to Turkey. Some close friends of mine from Australia are doing a six month trip around the world and they decided…
Review: A Slice of Japan

My love of Japanese food has been well-documented for anyone who’s seen my Instagram feed, so when I was invited to review the “Slice of Japan” food festival at the Sofitel’s Pondicherry Cafe I simply couldn’t refuse. The Sofitel had brought in Chef Kazuhiko who lives in Kobe and trained at prominent restaurants both in…
Exploring Bhubaneshwar: Dhauligiri and Ashoka’s Edict

I’ve been very bad at keeping my blog updated this year, busy working, travelling and collecting new stories. But I’m keeping a record of all the incredible things I’ve seen, eaten and done so that I can keep sharing them. Visiting Dhauligiri near Bhubaneshwar is one of those experiences, I visited there a couple of…
Exploring Bhubaneswar : Khandagiri & Udayagiri

I’ve been spending some time in Bhubaneshwar lately, and while I’ve been here before, the extra time has allowed me to explore the city in more depth. This week I visited the famed Jain cave temples of Khandagiri and Udayagiri. While these sites are beautiful , what really stood out for me was the appalling…
Naga Vilages: Near Mokokchung

Visiting Nagaland had always been on my India bucket list. I’d heard too many stories of head-hunters, mystery and remote villages, something I had to see for myself. What I found when I finally visited Nagaland however was very different. It didn’t meet the expectations I had, but surpassed so many others that I didn’t…
Nagaland: Sign of the Times

One of the things I found pleasantly surprising about Nagaland was the openness in which they seemed to at least acknowledge social issues. In a country where a lot of things are left unsaid, the public signs found all over Nagaland addressed some hard hitting topics head on. By far, my favorite sign was this…
Restaurant Review: Indian Accent, Delhi

Indian Accent has been called the “best Indian restaurant in India”. It’s a big title to hold, so of course I had to try it out for myself. It’s a fusion restaurant, and I’d been told by foodies I respect that it was superior to one of my favourite restaurants in Mumbai, Masala Library, which…
My Shoe Addiction

One of the rather decadent pleasures of living in India is that you can find anyone to make almost anything you want. For me this has meant that I now have my favourite dress in 6 different colours, (all for cumulatively less than I paid for the original), and I have some rather special shoes…
Discovering New Places To Visit in Bombay: Mazagaon and Khotachiwadi

I seem to spend so much of my time these days either at home working or going to the same places to meet friends, that I’d almost forgotten about the joy of discovering new places to visit in Mumbai. So one surprisingly sunny monsoon afternoon a friend and I decided to do just that. We…
A Piece of Chinese History Comes to India

The Indian arts scene is one that can really surprise you with the unexpected, a case in point is the recent production of The Peony Pavillion that was performed in Mumbai and Delhi recently. The Peony Pavillion is a Kunqu Opera, one of the oldest and most refined styles of traditional Chinese theatre, that has…