The Clove-perfumed Island of Ternate
In 1579, Francis Drake (who, two years later became SIR Francis Drake) dropped anchor off the clove-perfumed island of Ternate, which rests in the Moluccas, now part of Indonesia. Read More »
The Civet Cat and the Pussycat
I met this pair of cool cats at Tanah Lot at a stall selling ‘kopi luwak’ (civet coffee) AKA ‘cat-poo-ccino’. Read More »
Buffaloes on Selong Belanak Beach
Stayed in South Lombok for a few days recently at Selong Belanak. Read More »
Jackfruit
Seven years ago, I attended a wedding. The Groom, an avid active environmentalist, gave each of his 500 guests the gift of a sapling. Read More »
Lake Toba, Sumatra
In 1996, when I was visiting my good friends Jackie and Andrew in Tanzania, I met the country’s very well-travelled British High Commissioner. I asked him what was his favourite place in the whole world and he told me it was a lake in Indonesia called Lake Toba. Read More »
Remembering the Victims of the Tsunami
During our trip to Sumatra, we spent one night in Banda Aceh, the city where around 150,000 people were killed in the Tsunami of 26 December 2004. Read More »
The Beginning of the Indonesian Archipelago
This post should really be the very first chapter of my blog because, you see, I’m at the very beginning of Indonesia, not at the beginning of time but at the beginning of the archipelago, on the Island of Pulau Weh on the extreme northwest tip of Sumatra… and Indonesia. Read More »
Revisiting Hong Kong
When I was a little girl, my brother Roger visited the Far East and returned with exotic gifts – Read More »
Gili Air
Even those of us who are lucky enough to live on a sunny little tropical island feel the need to escape from time to time; but where do we head for when we want to get away for a long weekend? Where do we go to find a place that is uncomplicated, peaceful and quiet; somewhere that is not too far to travel and is not going to cost us a packet? Where can we find a haven without cars or motorbikes? An escape from bright lights, and a complete retreat from the frustrations of bureaucracy or the persistent demands of people? Read More »
From the Palace to the Prison
Our first view of ‘Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet’ was from the rooftop terrace of a neighbouring restaurant. From there, in between sipping a Turkish coffee and a cherry juice while relishing the astonishing views of the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia, the Bosphorus and the Marmara Sea, we gazed down into the hotel’s manicured, flower-filled courtyard, which had once been the exercise yard of a Turkish prison. It was our first morning in Istanbul, we had an epic tour of Europe ahead of us – plenty to be excited about, but there was also a certain thrill in knowing that we would be returning to the city for the final two days of our trip and staying one night at each of Istanbul’s stunningly-different Four Seasons’ properties. Read More »
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Blog
- Braving it out in Bali 13 April, 2020 by Rachel
- Villa Iseh 22 March, 2020 by Rachel
- A DAY AT THE RACES 14 August, 2016 by Rachel
- Awestruck in Kalimantan 09 March, 2016 by Rachel
