I love visiting local food markets when I travel, so I asked my homestay host to recommend one. She recommended Broadway and Ernakulam market, where there are fresh fruits and vegetable stalls, as well as shops selling spices, fashion, fabrics, and homeware etc. I took a ferry from Vypin island to Ernakulam [...]

Flat Iron Square in Southwark
 
Once upon a time, visitors to London used to tell me that London rarely changes, especially when you compare to cities in Asia. Well, you can't really compare London to cities like Beijing or Shanghai, but as a Londoner, I feel that London has changed immensely over the [...]

Japanese breakfast at Minshuku Momofuku in Koguchi
 
After having a big Japanese breakfast at Minshuku Momofuku, I was ready for my last hike of the pilgrimage trail. Mr Nakazawa warned me about the first stretch of the hike, which requires a steep climb of 800 metres in elevation over 5km. This [...]

 
After days of traveling to and from various small towns and villages, I finally arrived at a big city – Kanazawa – the capital of Ishikawa Prefecture. Before my visit, I had heard that it is a historical and picturesque city which has been nicknamed 'Little Kyoto'. Although like Kyoto, the city [...]

Bagan
 
Food markets in Asia are always vibrant, colourful and stimulating. In Myanmar, we visited several village and town food markets, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experiences. Aside from food like fish, meat, vegetables, eggs, chilies and dried herbs, we also saw some unusual stuff like the addictive betel leaves and thanaka [...]

   
The restored grade II* listed Ashby's Mill, also known as Brixton windmill (1816) & a trendy cafe nearby
 
Due to rapid urbanisation around the world, major urban cities are struggling to cope with the influx of migrants for the past few decades. Housing shortage is one of the biggest challenges [...]

Mercado da Vila, Cascais
 
When I travel, if possible, I would always try to visit a local food market as I believe it is the most authentic place to be in any city/town/village. At the food market, not only you would find the best local produce, but you would also see how [...]

 
This summer, a few overseas friends who visited both Paris and London told me that they enjoyed London much more than Paris. When I asked them the reasons, they said that the streets of Paris feel unsafe and chaotic, whereas London feels more vibrant and safer. I wasn't surprised by this as [...]

The Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences 
 
Last year I wrote about Hong Kong's mid-levels and Sheung Wan districts, and within a year, the streetscape has changed immensely in this rapidly-changing city, so I have returned to see what is new and how things have changed.
My journey began from Mid-Level's Caine Road, the [...]

Dining out in Andalusia is a social activity with friends or with your local bartenders and neighbours
 
For some reason, Spanish cuisine is not as popular and as 'recognised' internationally as Italian cuisine. Perhaps it has something to do with its cooking varying a great deal from region to region, and that authentic [...]