Koh Yai Noi is the smaller of two main islands that make up Ko Yao district of Phang Nga bay in the south of Thailand. Tucked between Krabi and Phuket, the island feels  far from the full moon parties, beach clubs and crowds of both destinations, which is strange due to the fact that it’s only a 30-minute boat ride from either. The island is not like the majority of Thai beach destinations. It is peaceful, tranquil and extremely quiet. Instead of chaotic ports acting as a gat

A liminal space is a state or place characterised by being transitional or intermediate in some way. A geography where you have left one thing behind but have not yet fully arrived at the next.  Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines , Uzbekistan Airways , Air Astana , or even Thai Airways are more than just national carriers - they represent the projection of a new and growing national identity. With expanding route maps, and increasingly competitive service, they are re-shaping th

Welcome to Uzbekistan. Brutal external geometry, austere and functionally appointed rooms, a vast and mostly empty ballroom breakfast setup, and a top floor smoking bar - the Hotel Uzbekistan is one of the few remaining major concrete icons of the Soviet era, after Tashkent, the national capital, was levelled by an earthquake in the 1960s. From the window, the city was not framed by the blue domes of the ancient Silk Road mausoleums and madrasahs, but instead by the seemingly

Forget Antalya, Ankara, Bodrum, Istanbul, and Izmir. Turkey’s Black Sea region is where you want to be. Unbelievably green, mountainous and flanked by the stunning coastline, Turkey’s Black Sea towns are villages are a hidden gem waiting to be discovered for those brave enough to stray from the traditional Turkey itinerary. A decent halfway point between the two-continent mega-city and the Georgian land border, the cities of Trabzon and Rize feel a million miles away from th