To celebrate the Lunar New Year and the start of the year of the dragon, I visited the Nan Hua Buddhist temple in Bronkhorstspruit, which is approximately 100km from Sandton. The stalls which attracted so many hungry customers really did give me the impression that I…
Fracking: You’re either for it or against it! There seem to be no gray zones when it comes to hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking. I was in the Karoo, a semi-desert region of the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa, at the end of…
Tantalising smells allure me from a distance; the vivid colours of the produce draw me deeper into the inner workings of its core; the hustle enchants me, until I realise that I have been standing in the same place for over five minutes – allowing strangers…
Aaahhh, how I have missed a decent road trip! Here are three photographs that stand out for me from our road trip to Mozambique. I’ve never been and so I’m very excited to cross it off the bucket list, and hope to return again. On the first…
With a melodic name like Nuwara Eliya, which means ‘City of Light’, this small town is obliged to be charming, by default. The cool atmospheric conditions allow for the cultivation of tea. ‘Tea country’ is located in the hilltops (1,868 metres above sea level) and…
A Buddhist and Hindu temple stand next to one another near the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in Kandy, in central Sri Lanka. I witnessed a ceremony in the packed Hindu temple. Worshippers were sitting cross-legged with their knees touching, as praise songs wafted outside. It…
The clock tower in Dambulla graciously welcomed me upon my arrival. Dambulla was to be my base over the next few days. In Sri Lanka main streets carve their way through the middle of town. They are named after the biggest city they lead to,…
The sea between South Korea and Japan is called the Sea of Japan, as advised by the United States of America at the International Hydrographic Organisation. South Koreans continue to refer to it as the East Sea because the name change occurred while South Korea…
Marco Polo restaurant is serenely perched above the skyline, on the 52nd floor of the World Trade Centre in Gangnam, Seoul. The glass elevator ride to the top is reminiscent of an amusement park ride as the world shrinks beneath my feet. The glass walls provide…
My wonderful friend, Gina, and I spent the afternoon nobly frolicking around Changdeokgung Palace like we owned the place: quite literally we were pretending to be the daughters of royalty. We suspended our disbelief – no one had to know that we were ACTUALLY part of…
Incheon Chinatown is the biggest and only (official) chinatown in South Korea. Its beginnings can be traced back to the late 19th century when it was opened in an attempt to create a free trade zone for Chinese merchants and settlers. The Korean War, however,…
This gallery contains 10 photos.
Namdaemun Market is one of my favourite traditional markets in Seoul. Not a fortnight goes by that I don’t visit. There are quite a number of reasons as to why I frequent it so often. You can buy anything here – from jewelry and accessories, to…
Janggi is a strategic board game that permeates South Korean society. Although Janggi is usually played recreationally, a patient crowd gathers as players begin to bet money. Men huddle around the two opponents. As horses gallop across the board; cannons fire; government officials take their positions…
I updated this post in December 2017. :) Captured by an age-old spell, Lilliput – also known as Gaemi Maeul or Ant Village to the locals – lies hidden in the hills near Bugaksan in northwestern Seoul. Once I passed through the portal, like the one found in The…