Le Royal Méridien Presidential Suite
Sometimes in life you have to pinch yourself to check what you’re experiencing is real. I had one such moment last weekend when I had the chance to visit the Presidential Suite of Le Royal Meridien in Shanghai. It just so happened to coincide with my birthday so was a pretty special occasion. Read on for the gory details. Read more
Hong Kong Moments IV
Given the number of times I’ve been to Hong Kong over the past two years to show friends around I’m pretty sure that I could be an official tour guide by now. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy going there but there’s a limit to how many time you want to visit the same places. Here are some more of my favourite Hong Kong moments… Read more
WET @ W Hong Kong
Last week I continued my quest to stay at the worlds most amazing hotels for free with a visit to the W in Hong Kong (for previous escapades see W Seoul, Park Hyatt Shanghai, and Hotel Éclat Taipei). The hotel is located alongside the relatively new Elements shopping mall in Kowloon right above the MTR station. Read more
Seoul Streets: Samcheong-dong
I spent my final few days in Seoul exploring a few areas I hadn’t been to before. First up was Samcheong-dong (삼청동) which lies north of Insadong and east of Gyeongbokgung Palace. The hilly neighborhood is characterized by numerous small art galleries, coffee shops, and many beautiful old residential houses. Read more
Finding Serenity in Sokcho
Sokcho (속초) is a small city on the north-east coast of South Korea along the 38th Parallel, in close proximity to North Korea. While the city in itself doesn’t have much to attract visitors (think 1970′s grey apartment blocks) the nearby Seoraksan National Park (설악산) is renowned for being one of the most beautiful in the country. I took a trip to see for myself… Read more
Jeonju Photo Walk – Part 3
We conclude our photographic journey around Jeonju in South Korea (Pt. 1 & 2) on the third and final day of my stay there. With only half a day left before heading back to the crowds in Seoul it was definitely time to take advantage of the relaxing surroundings of the Hanok Village… Read more
Samgyetang Ginseng Chicken Soup
On my second day in Jeonju I had a chance to sample a dish I hadn’t had in Korea before; Samgyetang (삼계탕), which literally translates as “‘ginseng chicken soup” and is traditionally served in the summer for its supposed nutrients, which replace those lost through excessive sweating and physical exertion during the hot weather. Read more
Jeonju Photo Walk – Part 2
My second, but first full day in Jeonju was spent leisurely exploring the Hanok Village (day 1 here). As it was a Monday morning there weren’t very many people around and many of the shops were closed but this gave us the advantage of having the place to ourselves and there was still plenty to see… Read more
Jeonju Photo Walk – Part 1
During my two-and-a-bit days in Jeonju, South Korea I spent most of my time in the traditional Hanok Village and managed to snap a sizable number of pics which I want to share over the next few days in a three-part series. I’ll keep my notes short but should be enough to give you a flavour of what you can find there. Read more
Hakindang Hanok Guest House (학인당)
Last week I took an impromptu but much-needed holiday to South Korea. While I hadn’t expected to return to Korea this year the time and price were right so I decided to go for it and took a midnight flight from Hong Kong to Seoul arriving 5am in driving rain. Not the best start perhaps but from there on in things went decidedly uphill… Read more