Racha Yai Diving

Racha Yai Diving (photo credit Roberta Martinotta)

Today starts with a crackle of anticipation as the alarm sounds in the early morning. We’re all excited about our our family scuba diving tour to Racha Noi and Racha Yai Islands. We have been promised coral gardens, curious marine life and just enough unpredictability to keep things interesting.… Read the rest

Rush Coffee

Rush Coffee

Tucked into the pastel-hued streets of Phuket Old Town, where Sino-Portuguese façades lean gently into one another and the tropical air hangs thick with incense and street food, I stumble upon something I hadn’t realised I was missing quite so desperately – proper coffee.… Read the rest

Shrine of the Serene Light

Shrine of the Serene Light

Tucked discreetly behind a narrow passageway off bustling Phang Nga Road, the Shrine of the Serene Light feels like a secret waiting to be discovered. While many visitors wander through Phuket Old Town admiring its colourful Sino-Portuguese façades, few realise that one of the area’s most atmospheric and historically rich sites lies just out of sight.… Read the rest

Wat Klang

Wat Klang

Set aside from the the pastel façades and Sino-Portuguese shophouses of Phuket Old Town lies a temple that many visitors walk straight past without ever stepping inside. It’s a shame because behind its ornate gates, Wat Mongkolnimit Phra Aram Luang, known locally as Wat Klang, offers something far more meaningful than just another photo opportunity.… Read the rest

Old Phuket Town

Old Phuket Town

Tracing history through colour, culture and quiet corners of Old Phuket Town provides something wonderfully unexpected. At first glance, it feels like a pastel dream, with rows of brightly painted shophouses, cafés spilling onto pavements and the hum of scooters weaving through narrow streets.… Read the rest

Carmen Pavilion

The Carmen Pavilion

The Art Nouveau Site of Sant Pau, including the Sant Carmen Pavilion, is an architectural jewel of Catalan Modernism. I arrive here on a cool November morning. I have walked from my Barcelona accommodation near Las Ramblas not really knowing what to expect.… Read the rest

Sant Pau Operating Theatre

Sant Pau Operating Theatre

The Art Nouveau Site of Sant Pau, including the Sant Pau Operating Theatre, is an architectural jewel of Catalan Modernism. I arrive here on a cool November morning. I have walked from my Barcelona accommodation near Las Ramblas not really knowing what to expect.… Read the rest

Sant Rafael Pavilion

Sant Rafael Pavilion

The Art Nouveau Site of Sant Pau, including the Sant Rafael Pavilion, is an architectural jewel of Catalan Modernism. I arrive here on a cool November morning. I have walked from my Barcelona accommodation near Las Ramblas not really knowing what to expect.… Read the rest

Sant Pau Gardens

Sant Pau Gardens

The Art Nouveau Site of Sant Pau, including the Sant Pau Gardens, is an architectural jewel of Catalan Modernism. I arrive here on a cool November morning. I have walked from my Barcelona accommodation near Las Ramblas not really knowing what to expect.… Read the rest