Category Archives: Nightlife

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Z Hotel and Nungwi Beach

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Oh, Z Hotel, how I miss you so. You were kind to us. Your Phillipe Stark interiors were fun. Your sand was soft. Your rain storms were brief. Your beach hagglers sang soothing jingles of “coconut, fresh, coconut, fresh, coconut, fresh, tourist, juice, coconut, juice, coconut.” Your massages were cheap and plentiful. Your nearby restaurants/bars were delicious and casual. Your water was clear. Your geckos were festive. And your pool, oh my that pool. We had three rooms, all facing the ocean. Mine was approximately 9 seconds from the pool. The WiFi was…adequate. Continue reading →

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Yong Kang Road, The French Concession, Shanghai

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On our last day in Asia we took it a little, ahem, easy. With Hazel’s advice from the night before, we made it finally to the French Concession, which not so surprisingly is the former home of French influence in Shanghai. Yong Kang Road has recently been taken over (re-taken over?) by westerners. It wants to remind you of Paris or London or perhaps New York, but really it’s China. It’s very cute. The man roasting unidentified food stuffs over on active fire in his push cart would be one signal it’s China, though. Another signal would be the Chinese woman leering out her second floor apartment just waiting until 10pm when all shops must be closed and everyone quiet, lest she dump water on you. Seriously, that last part was not made up.

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Layla turns 30, The Park Hyatt, Shanghai

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Of course what 30th birthday trip with friends would be complete without a 30th birthday party? We had long thought about staying at the Park Hyatt because of its amazing amenities and views (it’s the world’s tallest hotel) but had eventually looked elsewhere for space and location concerns. So obviously we had to still go!

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The Bund, Nanjing Road, and Radisson Blu

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The Bund is Shanghai’s famous old row of mostly neoclassical buildings on the river. It’s where various western powers set up banks, newspapers, telegraph services, and the like in the early 20th century to have a commercial foothold in the east. This is also where some of China’s oldest modern companies were headquartered. Many of those buildings remain and are now banks, hotels (Waldorf Astoria), and/or fine dining restaurants (M on the Bund). If you’re picturing the old Shanghai it’s this. Directly across the river are the brand new high rises of Pudong. The old/new dichotomy is obviously striking.

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Last Hours in Bangkok

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Nahm for dinner, drinks on the rooftop, and morning massage. Goodbye, Bangkok.

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Phuket for New Year’s

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Happy New Year!

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Gildita rings in the New Year in Phuket.

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She knows what’s up.

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Phuket Day/Night 2, Patong

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It’s been 6 days, but we finally had a full 24 hours without a plane, train, taxi, boat, helicopter, or jetpack required for some kind of transfer. But seriously there were jetpacks at the beach.

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Shanghai Night 1 Impressions

I’m always a little weirded out arriving in a new city at night, especially abroad. You can’t visualize the geography from the plane, and dark areas feel closed off.
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Well Shanghai was nothing like that. Continue reading →