Personal News Exciting news to kick things off: I finally got my new visa! With a generous two-year validity, it’s a weight lifted off my shoulders. It’s been quite the ordeal, in the past I could always do visas in Saigon but they changed the rules so all visas must be done locally. The adjustment …
Author Archives: Will Holland
Mysterious Tales from the Annamite Highlands
The YouTube algorithm has a knack for surprising me with recommendations for videos I never knew I’d be interested in. A recent suggestion had me watching a fascinating talk on the history of the Pith helmet. Learning about its practical design for sun protection and air circulation, I felt I needed to head to the …
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Fungal in the jungle
As a fan of both hiking and the allure of jungle settings, there’s not much that excites me more than embarking on a trek through dense, untamed foliage. Recently, I found myself drawn to the mysterious depths of Chư Păh. . Little did I know, my adventure would be accompanied by a nifty app that …
Butterfly Season
Gosh It’s been a long time since I’ve written a blog post! In the last one I was talking about moving to Pleiku and now 3 years on I’m settled here and a lot has happened! I’ve decided to try updating this space more often about life in Vietnam and my projects (let’s see if …
Playing it Cool in Pleiku
When I first came to Vietnam, a year ago at the end of August, I had planned to see how I felt after a year, if I wanted to go home or move to a different country. What I didn’t plan for is a pandemic! So moving country is out of the question so I …
Peaceful coastal getaway
I was incredulous when we got back to the office after coronavirus and the boss asked “did you enjoy your holiday?”. I had worked every day except 1 or 2 through the lockdown and found working from home just as difficult and more emotionally taxing. Now, Finally, I’m getting a holiday, and in an unusual …
Why I got no sleep in Bangkok
I spent a night in Bangkok but didn’t sleep a wink. If you’re thinking about Bangkok’s nefarious reputation you might need to get your mind out of the gutter because it’s not what you think. Bent over double I managed to squeeze passed the banyan tree that half blocked the narrow alley. I would never …
Across the Border on Foot
This is the final piece in my series Christmas in China Is it my imagination or does the air smell sweeter on the Vietnamese side of the border? There’s certainly more greenery around. China seemed suffocating now looking back but it’s only 200 meters away. The austere concrete high-rises stop suddenly at the river and …
Shangri-La
This is part 5 of my series Christmas in China To my surprise the man tending the yaks on the hill near Shangri-La spoke to me in English. He didn’t want to be photographed but asked me what I was doing and told me about his nomadic lifestyle. The name Shangri-La was made famous by …
Tea in Lijiang
This is part 4 of my series Christmas in China Smoke fills the room from the wood-burning stove in the centre. Mama says the chimney is cracked and needs repairing but I enjoy the smell of the wood-smoke. The stove has a large flat metal top that acts as a table. Around it are old …
Eastward Ho! 