Hi I'm James, a professional chef with a career spanning 20 years and 2 hemispheres, but now I'm out of the kitchens, I run this travel blog as I travel the world. I'm passionate about food and fitness as well as being my family's travel organiser. I take care of the nuts and bolts of how to get from a to b, currencies, visas and all the usual dad … read more
World Food
Laos Street Food
Street ladies abound in Laos, you'll see them on every street where tourist gather. Street ladies I hear you say? Sorry to disappoint but I am strictly talking of the pancake making variety. In Luang Prabang and here in Vang Vieng there are loads of friendly street food vendors lining the sidewalk offering fresh-cooked Laos style street food. Baguettes, pancakes, noodles, soups and. of course, shakes, much … Continue reading
Best Hoi An Eco Cooking Class- Fun With Vietnamese Food!
Walk around Hoi An Old Town and her maze of backstreets and you'll see a dedicated Hoi An cooking class on offer at every turn. Sometimes arising from purpose-built cookery schools other times at local restaurants. Hoi An is often recognised as a culinary centre of Vietnam and the local businesses rightfully capitalise on their cuisine culture. Being a chef I couldn't resist getting my family (with kids) and … Continue reading
Travel Tips
Best Visa For Vietnam. Which to Choose and How to Get a Vietnam Visa
With so many options out there which is the best visa for Vietnam? It’s confusing I know, it confused us so we had a good dig into the visas available and the regulations, official, scam, and for profit. Everyone has different needs so I’ll go through the options from the free 15-day exemption for those […]
Getting From Ho Chi Minh City to Phu Quoc – The Best Ways
Phu Quoc is tipped to become one of Vietnam’s major drawcards in the future and is already well established as a tourist destination amongst well-travelled people. Getting from Ho Chi Minh to Phu Quoc isn’t as straight forward as other parts of Vietnam mainly because it is an island off the south coast of Vietnam. […]
International Ironman and Travel Fitness
My First Ironman
What made me think I could do an Ironman? I had never completed nor attempted any of the three disciplines individually at full Iron Man distance. Yet … continue reading
Ironman Malaysia. Race Recap
My 'A' race and only race of 2017 was Ironman Malaysia located on the tropical island of Langkawi, an Island of the north eastern coast of Malaysia. … continue reading
Being a Chef
Getting Chef Work in London
Getting Chef work in London is surprisingly easy. Numerous agencies are ready to sign you up and make commission on the back of your hard work, or you … Continue reading
The Secret Life of Chefs
Have you ever wanted to know what goes on behind the scenes in 5-star kitchens? I've worked in many, on two continents, for 20 years+. I was exec chef … Continue reading
Latest Posts
Hai Van Pass and Getting From Hoi An to Danang and Hue
Hai Van Pass – Đèo Hải Vân lies just north of the central Vietnamese city of Danang and is part of the Annamite range that extends down to the East Vietnamese Sea. The name means Cloud Pass or Ocean Cloud Pass as a result of the constant fog that can cover the mountains even while the lower […]
Vietnamese Food Blog for Beginners
Having spent 6 months plus in Vietnam I’ve put together a brief Vietnamese food blog for beginners. A guide to what is best to eat and try in Vietnam and particularly Hoi An, a culinary capital in Central Vietnam, but with some tips for north, central and south Vietnam. Cuisine does vary up and down […]
Cambodian Food
As a Chef I have to try as many dishes as I can from every country I visit, or at least that’s my excuse to eating everything in sight. Cambodian food isn’t as famous as the local cuisine of its nearby neighbours, but don’t discount traditional Cambodian food, this little country with a war-torn past […]
Top Destinations for Travelling Dads
Every family travel blogger writes list posts about the best places to take travelling kids, I bet you’ve seen a few. Well, what about us dads? It’s our trip too and we deserve to have a great time. Below I’ve detailed how I rank travel destinations for travelling dads. My wife loves to travel, not […]
Discovering Local Foods as You Travel
Discovering the local foods of a region is a huge part of travel for most of us, but it isn’t always so easy. If you stick to the main tourist strip you will more than likely find yourself eating western favourites and watered down versions of local classics. Discovering local foods as you travel requires […]
Tips for First-Time Travellers
I don’t claim to have all the answers to make travel easy and pain- free, after all, isn’t working things out for yourself half the fun? Having travelled around the world more than once I have a few tips to help you along. Here are our best travel tips for first-time travellers and new travellers, […]
The Traditional Full English Breakfast
The traditional Full English Breakfast is an institution in its own right. Served everywhere in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland it should really be called the full British or full UK breakfast, but each country has its own twist on what should be served on the plate. From small “greasy spoon” cafés to London’s top […]
Ho Chi Minh to Hoi An, Vietnam. The Three Best Ways.
Ho Chi Minh is the largest city in Vietnam and was the old capital of South Vietnam during the American war. Back then it was called Saigon and the center of the city is still referred to as Saigon. Hoi An is a small UNESCO listed city located along a river just south of the […]
Where to Eat in Port Douglas
A friend recently asked me where to eat in Port Douglas. I’ve written posts about eating overseas but not about home. I thought it was about time to write about this as I spent nearly 6 years living and working in Port Douglas, a beautiful tropical holiday destination, gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. Most […]
Why Write a Travel Blog?
Why write a travel blog? It’s a question I often ask myself. After all, it is a hassle, setting up a website and producing content. Posting often and with suitable photos often seems like too much bother. We ditched everything to travel, including working long hours, which for me meant missing out on my family. […]
Antigua to San Pedro Laguna. Guatemala
A stationary month in Antigua had us itching to move on to San Pedro Laguna, our next destination in Guatemala. The last time we were stationary for so long I was in the hospital having surgery in Thailand. The journey from Antigua to San Pedro Laguna takes just 3 hours by bus ride but San […]
Getting from Flores to Tikal, Bus, Shuttle and Tour
Tikal National Park is quite possible the most famous place in Guatemala and the majority people depart from Flores to Tikal. The ancient Mayan city is the biggest and most impressive in Central America, spanning over 100 square km of sub tropical rain-forest The island town of Flores is where most people base themselves for their […]
