Asia – Blethers from Afar

10 peaceful escapes in Krabi, Thailand

September 5, 2020

Asia, Izzy's Travel Tips, Mindful Travel, Thailand

Sweeping, white beaches. Lush, lively rainforests. Crystal clear waters, peppered with limestone cliffs and unspoiled islands just calling out to be explored... It's little wonder that Krabi is one of the mos...

The overnight train from Chiang Mai to Bangkok

blethersfromafar

October 6, 2018

Asia, backpacking, Features, Mindful Travel, Thailand, the great outdoors, The Stories

It was 4am. I was woken by a crack, piercing and metallic. My eyes were slow to adjust to the darkness. Fatigue had left me disorientated, and for a moment, I struggled to remember where I was. Lightening so...

Bangkok: A Tale of Two Cities

blethersfromafar

April 22, 2015

Asia, backpacking, Thailand, weekend breaks

"And you're sure you want to go for five days?" asked the travel agent, his eyebrows creeping steadily skyward. There it was, that same assumption we had come upon time and time again. Why would anyone who ha...

The Night we ended up at a Ping Pong Show: An Honest Insight into Bangkok’s Sex Industry

blethersfromafar

April 22, 2015

Asia, backpacking, Features, life as a writer, Mindful Travel, Thailand, The Stories

With a sharp snap, the tuk-tuk turned left, taking us away from the neon lights of Patpong and into the depths of an unlit alley. We had stopped outside a building which, on first glance, gave little away. Y...

Can Singapore be done on a budget?

blethersfromafar

December 29, 2014

Activities, Asia, backpacking, Izzy's Travel Tips, Luxury Stays, Singapore, weekend breaks

It’s no secret that Singapore is a pricey place to go. In fact, in March this year, the city knocked Tokyo off the top spot in the EIU survey, officially making it the world’s most expensive place to live. Des...

Teaching in Thailand: Touching down in Bangkok

blethersfromafar

December 3, 2014

Asia, backpacking, Features, life as a writer, Original Volunteers: Teaching English in Thailand, Thailand, The Stories

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are about to begin our descent into Bangkok." The announcement sent a flurry of activity through the plane. Like bears coming out of hibernation, the passengers came to life. E...

Teaching in Thailand: Getting our bearings (or not).

blethersfromafar

December 3, 2014

Asia, backpacking, Features, Izzy's Travel Tips, life as a writer, Original Volunteers: Teaching English in Thailand, Thailand, The Stories, working abroad

As we made our way through the network of sprawling freeways, we began to take in our first views of Bangkok. It was late in the afternoon and yet the time of day seemed irrelevant as the sun lay shrouded bene...

Teaching in Thailand: Arriving in Wiset Chai Chan

blethersfromafar

December 3, 2014

Asia, backpacking, Features, Izzy's Travel Tips, life as a writer, Original Volunteers: Teaching English in Thailand, Thailand, The Stories, working abroad

Picture the scene. It's hot. You're crammed into the back of a stuffy people carrier. The space where your legs should be is occupied by several oversized backpacks. You've been sitting far too close to your...

Teaching in Thailand: The School

blethersfromafar

December 3, 2014

Asia, backpacking, Features, life as a writer, Original Volunteers: Teaching English in Thailand, Thailand, The Stories, working abroad

It was two days before my friend Ciara and I visited the school we were to teach at for the next few weeks. Those two days had been set aside, supposedly, for the purpose of acclimatizing and getting our bearin...

Without a Paddle: Rafting in Chiang Mai

blethersfromafar

November 24, 2014

Activities, Asia, backpacking, Features, Izzy's Travel Tips, road trips, Thailand, the great outdoors, The Stories

I cleared my throat and repeated the question: “Where are we?” The silence which followed sent a chill across my skin, despite the sun’s heat. I searched the faces of my companions, each lost in their own puz...

10 peaceful escapes in Krabi, Thailand

The overnight train from Chiang Mai to Bangkok

Bangkok: A Tale of Two Cities

The Night we ended up at a Ping Pong Show: An Honest Insight into Bangkok’s Sex Industry

Can Singapore be done on a budget?

Teaching in Thailand: Touching down in Bangkok

Teaching in Thailand: Getting our bearings (or not).

Teaching in Thailand: Arriving in Wiset Chai Chan

Teaching in Thailand: The School

Without a Paddle: Rafting in Chiang Mai

The best places to eat near Glencoe, Scotland

10 peaceful escapes in Krabi, Thailand

Taking the train to Pinhao: The perfect day trip to Portugal’s Douro Valley

10 ways you can inject a little Hygge into your morning routine

Ae Fond Kiss: An Acoustic Cover