It smells, it’s banned in hotels and taxis, and people from Southeast Asia absolutely love it. After three attempts, I’m still not convinced, but I’m starting to see the bigger picture.

A 9th century temple built as a path to enlightenment…and a giant chicken on a nearby hill. Borobudur is awe-inspiring-but it’s the unexpected detour that made the whole thing unforgettable.

It started with stone temples and a bit of historical curiosity. It ended with dancing demons, burning effigies, and an entire island going silent. Somewhere in between, Rama kept reappearing.

I take hundreds of photos when we travel, carefully framing the light and the moment.

But what happens just outside the frame is often the most interesting part of the story.

We arrived in Melaka, Malaysia knowing absolutely nothing about it, which felt risky until I realized that the city itself is essentially a centuries old experiment in throwing cultures together and seeing what happens. The result is a glorious mosaic of temples, mosques, colonial buildings, and food that makes all that history taste exceptionally delicious.

Over four weeks in Sri Lanka, we encountered towering Buddhas, vibrant Hindu gopurams, striped mosques, and coastal churches — often within minutes of one another. Here’s what the island’s four main religions reveal about history, symbolism, and the quiet power of coexistence.

From vertiginous tea slopes and fearless red buses to the quiet choreography of small growers, estate factories, and Colombo auctions, Sri Lanka’s Ceylon tea is far more than a cup — it’s a landscape, a livelihood, and occasionally, a white-knuckled passenger experience. ☕

Two weeks of cycling across Sri Lanka with a dozen Brits and a team of five highly responsible Sri Lankans delivered nearly 500 km of jungles, tea country, wildlife, UNESCO sites, endless snacks, and a Garmin watch that remained deeply unimpressed with my inability to recover adequately. Challenging, joyful, occasionally terrifying, and wonderfully over-fed, it was easily the best cycling trip we’ve done.