-
6 places in Seoul for book lovers
Having previously read quite a few books by Korean authors, I recently visited South Korea. Although I spent most of my time in Seoul, I also visited Busan and Yeongju. As expected, over the next couple of months, I’m going to publish quite a few posts about my trip, with tips and recommendations. Today, I’m kicking off this stream of posts recommending places in Seoul for book lovers. Starfield Library The first place in Seoul for book lovers should be the very Instagrammable Starfield Library. It is located in Southern Seoul, inside the COEX Mall, one of the city’s premier malls and the world’s largest underground mall. The two-story library has 13-meter-tall bookshelves and is home to…
-
6 books by 5 Korean female authors
I recently returned from a week-long trip to Seoul. Although I had previously been on ‘a cinematic journey to South Korea’, this was actually the first time I set foot in the country. It’s been 4 years since ‘Parasite’, directed by Bong Joon-ho, won the Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay. This was a historical moment: ‘Parasite’ was the first South Korean film to have been nominated in these categories, as well as the first non-English language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. Since then, I have watched many more films from South Korea, listened to Korean music (not only K-pop) and…
-
8 places to eat and drink in Hanoi and Vientiane
When I visited the countries formerly known as French Indochina last year, I almost neglected their capitals. Even though I started my trip in Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital, I mostly used it as a departing point for a 2-day trip to Halong Bay and a day trip to Ninh Bình, rather than a destination in its own right. As such, even though I stayed in Hanoi for a total of 3 nights, I did not explore it as much as I would’ve liked. Similarly, when I visited Laos, I stayed in the country for a total of 6 nights. Of those, 3 were in Luang Prabang, 2 in Vang Vieng,…
-
7 (+1) bookshop cafes in London
Today, 7 March 2024, is the World Book Day. To mark the occasion, I’m visiting 7 bookshop cafes in London, as well as one bookshop bar. London Review Bookshop & Cake Shop The London Review Bookshop is located a stone’s throw from the British Museum. As the name suggests, The London Review Cake Shop serves cake, but also many savoury items. There is indoor seating, as well as an outdoor seating area in a courtyard, the latter being perfect for those rare (for London) summer days. Caffe Nero, at Blackwell’s Bookshop High Holborn Located inside the Blackwell’s Bookshop on High Holborn, this café is almost halfway between Chancery Lane and…
-
9 places to eat and drink in Hội An and Huế
When I visited the countries formerly known as French Indochina last year, I spent 4 days in central Vietnam. Of those, I spent 3 days in Hội An and one in Huế. The distance between the 2 cities is 120 km (I travelled by car, which allowed me to stop several times en route). Both cities are close to Đà Nẵng, Vietnam’s fifth-largest city. All three cities were part of South Vietnam when the country was divided (from 1955 to 1975). Today, I’m sharing my recommendations for 4 places to eat and drink in Hội An, and 5 in Huế. Hội An Hội An translates as “peaceful meeting place” from…
-
10(+1) places to eat and drink in Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang is a northern Laotian city consisting of 58 adjacent villages, of which 33 comprise the UNESCO Town of Luang Prabang World Heritage Site. The city centre is located at the confluence of the Nam Khan and Mekong rivers. A former capital, Luang Prabang is nowadays well worth a visit, as it is of remarkable cultural and gastronomic interest. I visited Luang Prabang a few months ago. I stayed there for three days, which was enough to visit many of the Buddhist temples and other cultural landmarks, and also wander around the city. During my stay in Luang Prabang, I had the opportunity to try the local cuisine. Today,…
-
9 places to eat and drink in Siem Reap
Siem Reap is the gateway to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Angkor, the largest religious structure in the world and Cambodia’s most popular tourist attraction. Although it was little more than a village when French explorers such as Henri Mouhot “re-discovered” Angkor in the 19th century, Siam Reap is nowadays the country’s second-largest city. It has a population of 245,000. I visited Siem Reap a couple of months ago. I stayed there for three days (two nights), which was enough to visit the temples of Angkor, and also wander around the city. During my stay in Siem Reap, I had the opportunity to try the local cuisine. Today, I’m…
-
9 coffee shops in Ho Chi Minh City
Although Ho Chi Minh City (abbreviated HCMC, also known as Saigon) is not the capital of Vietnam, it is nonetheless the most populous city of the country, with a population of around 9.3 million. The capital city Hanoi has a population of around 8.4 million, whereas the entire country’s population has reached 100 million. Following the partition of French Indochina, Saigon became the capital of South Vietnam until the fall of Saigon in 1975, whereas Hanoi was the capital of North Vietnam. After the fall of Saigon and the reunification in 1976, the communist government renamed the city in honour of Hồ Chí Minh. Even today, however, the name Saigon…
-
5 great places to stay in Bali
As I mentioned in my previous posts, I recently went to a yoga and surf retreat in Bali. The retreat was in Uluwatu, on the south-western tip of the Bukit Peninsula. After the retreat, I set to explore the island, as well as a couple of smaller, lesser-known ones. Among the places I visited were Ubud, Nusa Lembongan, Seminyak and Jimbaran. Today, I’m recommending 5 places to stay in Bali and what to do and see there. Uluwatu The name Uluwatu comes from ‘ulu’, which means ‘land’s end’, and ‘watu’, which means ‘rock’. Uluwatu is home to the Pura Luhur Uluwatu Temple, built at the edge (‘ulu’) of a 70-meter-high…
-
9 things to do and see in Ubud
As mentioned in my previous post, I recently went to a yoga and surf retreat in Bali. The retreat was in Uluwatu, on the south-western tip of the Bukit Peninsula. Home to the Pura Luhur Uluwatu Temple, Uluwatu is nowadays famous for its world class surfing spots. On the other hand, inland Ubud is widely considered the Mecca of yoga. Because of this, I headed there for a few days after the retreat. Today, I’m recommending 9 things to do and see in Ubud. Yoga Ubud is not short of yoga retreats and yoga centres. The Yoga Barn is probably the most famous yoga centre in Bali. It is within…