Tom and Steve watching the sunset on Gili Air

When friends come to visit…

When friends come to visit, it’s not the time to write. It’s time to explore, …share your favourite restaurants, …drink colourful drinks, …and spot faces in walls. It’s a time to drink fancy coffee, …take a trip (or three) to the spa, …brave the monkey forest, …and then learn to wood carve when it rains. … Read more

Noticeboard and motorbike in Ubud

The conundrum of the eat-pray-lovers

There are people here who pray as they eat. Palms upturned beatifically, and beaming orgasmically with every bite. These people aren’t Balinese but a different breed of Ubudian — the spiritual seekers, here to find themselves in what has become a magnet for the esoteric. You see these people in the bounty of health food … Read more

Mas Can Batlle lounge

Special Stays: Mas Can Batlle, La Garrotxa

Mas Can Batlle in Santa Pau, Catalonia was one of the most special places we’ve ever stayed. It’s the product of a young couple’s dream and for that reason it was something we could relate to. For the past nine years, Albert and Cristina have been transforming what was an abandoned farmhouse into a designer … Read more

Monkey in Ubud

That time we got held hostage by monkeys in Ubud

“Why didn’t I like this house? It’s beautiful” “You said it felt like the type of place horror movies took place. I wasn’t going to argue with that.” “Ah, I was probably just tired. Let’s take it.” Those words were said the day before. Now, 15 minutes after moving in, we’re sitting in the upstairs … Read more

Ardlui, Scotland

On healing, guilt and self-discovery – part two

Mum and I on the beach

A continuation of last week’s post, On healing, guilt and self-discovery – part one

It’s a guilt that comes from the knowledge that what I am doing is a luxury. I’m confused and I fret about what I should do next, but the very fact I can ask that question is a wild privilege that I struggle to accept gracefully. It’s partly a matter of cultural privilege, but a personal one also. I can afford to sustain my current life because I bought a house with my parents’ inheritance and am able to live partly off the income. It isn’t a long-term solution. I don’t want to rely on that money and I work hard to earn my own, but I also have to work hard to allow myself to make the most of the opportunity that has been bequeathed.

Read more

Europe Road Trip - Santa Margherita Ligure

On healing, guilt and self-discovery

There’s nothing like a trip home for a case of the ‘Who am I’s’… I approached it with trepidation, and was left with a sinking mix of guilt, confusion and unease. Trips of old had taught me that a return to the UK was always a disorientating experience— new lessons and growth struggling to stay … Read more

PANCHO VIDA SAN PANCHO

The Best Cafes and Restaurants in San Pancho, Mexico

One of the joys of San Pancho, Mexico is its food. After six months there, I never got bored of it and still miss it to this day. Here’s our round-up of the best San Pancho restaurants. I’ve updated it for 2021 with some help from friends who still live in San Pancho who have … Read more

The mud beach in San pancho

40 reasons to love San Pancho, Mexico

San Pancho, Mexico was a town that surprised us. A month’s stay easily turned into six months and we almost set down roots there. We loved and love it, and my oh my how much we miss it. In homage to our beloved town, here are some reasons to love the San Francisco you’ve never heard of. This includes things … Read more

San Pancho friends

On goodbyes and what comes next…

Eleven years ago, I left a little town in Sri Lanka with a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes. I’d been there two months and fallen in love with the place and its people. Multiply that feeling by a hundred and you have how I feel today, leaving San Pancho behind. For … Read more