Skip to content
Travelling Cooks
Travelling Cooks

A place to document our pan-asian travels

  • Home
  • Instagram
Travelling Cooks

A place to document our pan-asian travels

Instagram

traveling.cook

Two Brits sharing their 8 month honeymoon adventure 💍 ✈️
Slow travel is our style. Follow for our fav places and experiences
📍🇬🇧

Slow boating around Komodo National park 🛥️ Slow boating around Komodo National park 🛥️ 

📍 Padar Island ⛰️ 
📍 Pink beach 🏝️ 
📍 Komodo Island 🦎 

The highlight had to be seeing the iconic Komodo dragons. At first it took us a while to spot them due to their excellent camouflaging with the surroundings.

#komodo #komododragon #padarisland #pinkbeachkomodo #komodoisland #komodotour
Day tripping to The Maeklong Railway market in Ban Day tripping to The Maeklong Railway market in Bangkok 🛍️ 

One thing James has learnt about Jess that he didn’t quite realise before this adventure moon is she quite likes trains and train stations 🚉 

This meant we HAD to ride the train through the market as a passenger but also experience it from the market perspective too 🚶‍♀️ 🚶‍♂️ It was quite frightening how close the train was to our feet 👣

#bangkok #bangkokmarket #maeklong #maeklongrailwaymarket #railwaymarket
There’s so much more to Songkran than the never There’s so much more to Songkran than the never ending water fights 🚿 

Thank you Thailand for welcoming us with open arms, warm hearts and lots of ice cold water to break in the new year and the coming of the rainy season 🌧️ 🩵 

The dates are saved to celebrate Songkran next year. Thailand next April anyone? 💦 🔫 🎊 

#songkran #chiangmai #thailandfestival #newyearfestival #waterfestival #songkranday #songkranfestival
Crossing the road into Chiang Mai’s old city jus Crossing the road into Chiang Mai’s old city just to grab some brunch is a bit more of a challenge during Songkran — and if you’re trying to stay dry too we’ve figured out the best time to make a dash is when people are refilling their water guns/ buckets/ splashing devices 🪣 💦 🚿 

We are having the best time being big kids

Follow @traveling.cook for part 3. 

#songkran #songkranfestival #chiangmai #songkranchiangmai #songkran2025 #thailandfestival
Songkran in Chiang Mai💦 Water guns and water Songkran in Chiang Mai💦 

Water guns and water fights that’s all there is to say 🔫 That is, until your water gun breaks, and you’re forced to improvise with a DIY backup… like your chip tub from dinner 🍟 

#songkran #songkranfestival #chiangmai #thailandfestival #thailand #waterfestival
Swipe ⏩ to see what we got up to in Pokhara afte Swipe ⏩ to see what we got up to in Pokhara after our week trek in the Himalayas 🏔️ 

By the last day our legs were aching A LOT from the downhill section, so we spent most of our time in Pokhara allowing our legs to rest; which meant people watching whilst relaxing at lakeside cafes, having tasty curries and enjoying the sunsets (hence so few photos of us!) 🌅 

Last pic is of the Nepalese take on Indian starters 🍿 We were a huge fan of this complimentary starter! This was by far our favourite restaurant in Pokhara which we ended up going to three nights in a row! 🍛 Thank you @utopiagardenandsnacksbar 

#pokhara #pokharalakeside #phewalake #nepaltrekking #nepaltrek #pokharanepal
Celebrating Holi in India was pure magic ✨ Aft Celebrating Holi in India was pure magic ✨ 

After we finished playing with our own family we were made to feel very welcome to join in with other families and groups of friends. We spent less than 60p on colours (we only bought a few of the small bags) and had a great morning of fun.

We weren’t quite prepared for the roads to be a full blown playground though - the roads were super crazy yet extremely colourful! 🌈 

We spent nearly as long cleaning ourselves and the hotel bathroom as playing. The paint really does get everywhere - the ears were probably the worst!

Such a fun experience. Happy Holi from Rajkot 🎨 

#holi #holi2025 #happyholi #holiinindia #rajkot #gujarat #holicolor #holicolours #india #indiagram #happyholi2025 #djiosmopocket #dji
Come meet Mahe, a beautiful French colonial town i Come meet Mahe, a beautiful French colonial town in the South of India. 

Easily one of our top five places we visited in the whole of India. You are guaranteed this white sand beach to yourself, beautiful orange sunsets over the fishing harbour and, rather unexpectedly, a plentiful supply of liquor shops 🥃 

However, be prepared for limited tourist amenities, with only a handful of restaurants, activities, and hotels available.

We fell in love with Mahe because of its relaxed vibe. The locals made us feel like celebrities, always wanting to chat and take selfies. Midway through our run James joined a game of football with the boys, while Jess practiced her Hindi with the girls 🤳 

We stayed at The Pearl Hotel for just £16 per night, breakfast included. 

#pondicherry #mahé #mahe #southindia #indiatravelgram #india #reelsindia #indiabeach #colonialindia #maheindia #pondichery
Five days exploring Taipei where we started and en Five days exploring Taipei where we started and ended our two weeks in the diverse country of Taiwan 🇹🇼 

It included lots of people-watching (hence the lack of photos of us), immersing ourselves in the culture, wandering the streets trying new foods, and exploring a bit further into New Taipei 🏰 🍜 

We took a day trip to visit the Beitou onsen. The last picture is of the meditation area, where the seats are warmed directly by the onsen steam 💦 

We also visited the popular Jiufen Old Street to try some street food, and Jess sampled numerous free cups of tea 🫖 

The view of the city at sunset was spectacular, we highly recommend the short hike up Elephant Mountain 🌇 

Stay tuned to see where else we travelled in Taiwan. 

#taipei #taipeigram #jiufenoldstreet #jiufen #beitou #beitouhotspring #newtaipeicity #elephantmountain #taipeisunset #taipeistreet #taiwan #taipeicity
Did you know that while Chinese New Year was prima Did you know that while Chinese New Year was primarily celebrated on 29th January 2025, the festivities actually continue for another fifteen days. 

We specifically came to Hong Kong 
to celebrate CNY with our friends, who were just fabulous hosts! 

One of the traditions for CNY is for married couples to gift “lai see” (red envelopes) to younger, unmarried children as a symbol of good fortune 
for the upcoming year. Our friends have a lovely little two year old, and as newly weds, we handed him a small red envelope which we understand should only be opened on a specific day of the lunar calendar. 

Other ways we celebrated CNY was through watching the annual parade which showcased some fabulous acts from around the world. 

We also loved all the beautiful hanging lanterns around the country as well as the brightly coloured flowers in abundance. 

Wishing everyone a very happy lunar new year 🐍

#hongkong #chinesenewyear #chinesenewyear2025 #happylunarnewyear #chinesenewyearparade #chinesenewyears #yearofthesnake #yearofthesnake2025
Alleppey in all its spectacular glory 🚣‍♀️ 🌴 We loved lazing around (some more so than others 👨 ) cruising on the shikara boat, watching the locals go by their daily lives using the backwaters of Alleppey whilst others were on houseboats. 

Details of the tour:
We booked a sunset cruise (2:30-6:30 PM) with Oscar Cruise after finding them on TripAdvisor—they came in as 750 rupees per hour, per boat, which was cheaper than the option with our homestay 💵 Booking was super easy via WhatsApp the night before 📱 Our Captain very kindly offered to drop by some of the backwater shops for us to pick up any drinks or food. 

If you go with another company, just be sure they have the right licenses to operate on the backwaters. 

#alleppey  #allepey #alleppeybackwaters #keralabackwaters  #kerala #pov #povreels #shikara #shikararide
We didn’t just visit the Golden Temple—we trul We didn’t just visit the Golden Temple—we truly experienced it✨ 

The serenity, the devotion of thousands, and the perfect harmony of prayer and beauty made it unforgettable. 

Even as non-Sikhs, we were welcomed with open arms to this sacred gurdwara. Learning about its four entrances, symbolizing openness to all corners of the world, was inspiring 🌍 A place that offers food, shelter, and unity to everyone, regardless of who they are. 

A space so peaceful, it touches the soul🙏 

If you are planning on visiting the Golden Temple be sure to bring a head covering (both men and women), though free communal ones are available if needed. You’ll also need to check your bag at the free luggage storage area and leave your shoes in the designated shoe storage before entering 👟 🎒 

#GoldenTemple #goldentempleamritsar #amritsar #punjab #sikhtemple #gurdwara #shriharmandirsahib #thegoldentemple
Shout out to our besties, Sam and Dan, for joining Shout out to our besties, Sam and Dan, for joining us in Kochi to celebrate New Year’s! 🎊 (and also a huge thanks for hand-delivering essentials like new bank cards after ours annoyingly expired mid-trip)

New Year’s Eve was an adventure—we tried to catch the grand Pappanji burn, but the streets and park were way too busy and chaotic. Instead, we headed back to the hotel and rang in the New Year over a game of cards 🃏✨ Swipe to the end to see a small glimpse of the NYE street parties.

On New Year’s Day, we attended a Kathakali performance at @folklore.odeum—the incredible makeup, costumes, and intricate eye movements were such a display of talent and tradition👺

We managed to squeeze in a beach day at Cherai Beach, countless card games, drink stops, and, of course, lots of curry stops 🍻🃏🏝️

We wrapped up our Kochi New Year celebrations with the Fort Kochi annual carnival parade, where the locals came together for an amazing and lively performance.

Bring on 2025! 🧡💚

#fortcochin #cochin #kochi #cochincarnival #kathakali #cheraibeach #kerala #keralagodsowncountry #godsowncountry #kathakaliface
Finally experiencing train travel in India! 🚆 F Finally experiencing train travel in India! 🚆 From Agonda to Mahe (incoming reel of this French colonial town we adored 🇫🇷✨), we’ve tried both second-class AC sleeper and non-AC second class.

The AC sleeper gave us clean sheets, pillows, and blankets—so comfy! But it was about 10x the price compared to the non-AC second class, which had open windows for amazing views of the countryside 🌴 🌄 That said, the non-AC ride left us feeling SO dusty and dirty!

Oh, and yes, there were actual cows on the tracks🐄 At one point, we thought someone was throwing rocks, but it turned out to be a staff member trying to shoo the cow away before the train passed. The cow thankfully stayed put to continue munching on the railway grass. 

We love the beautiful places we get to see on our train journeys 🛤️✨

#indiantrain #indiantrains #southindiatravel #trainjourney #indiatravels #trainstagram #southgoa #indianrailways #indianrailway #indianrail #trainjourney
Kicking off the year in style at the New Year Carn Kicking off the year in style at the New Year Carnival Parade in Fort Cochin! 🎊

Four hours of endless celebrations with the locals 👹🎭🪘

Wishing everyone a very happy 2025 !!
Swipe right to see our creative take on Christmas Swipe right to see our creative take on Christmas dinner! ➡️🍴🎄🇮🇳

This year, we celebrated Christmas in the hills of Wayanad, Kerala 🌿✨Christmas Eve involved meeting Santa, a dramatic bonfire lighting (yes, with petrol!), attending Christmas Mass, and an impromptu jam session with the older boys playing drums and singing Christmas songs 🎶🥁

On Christmas Day, we explored a nearby tea plantation, sampled delicious teas, wandered through the lush tea gardens and went kayaking 🍃☕🚣‍♀️

In the evening we had an Indian-inspired Christmas dinner 🍽️
Here’s how we gave it a twist:
	•	Paneer ➡️ Cauliflower cheese 🧀
	•	Rotis ➡️ Yorkshire puddings 🫓
	•	Coleslaw ➡️ Cabbage 🥬
	•	Coleslaw ➡️ Carrots 🥕
	•	Alfaham chicken ➡️ Roast chicken 🍗
	•	Chutney ➡️ Gravy 🍵
	•	Tomato ketchup ➡️ Cranberry sauce 🍇
Enjoying a South Goan sunset with the cows until … 🐄 🐂 🌅
Christmas in the hills of Wayanad, Kerala 🎄✨ Christmas in the hills of Wayanad, Kerala 🎄✨ 

We celebrated Christmas Eve with a beautiful Mass and joined the festive fun afterward! The highlight were two Santas and their drumming crew spreading Christmas cheer with music, dance, and laughter ❤️🎅 

A big thank you to @upavanresort for our stay, the great Christmas vibes and for the invitation to attend Christmas Mass. 

#christmasinindia #christmaseve #indianchristian #indiansanta #kerala #KeralaChristmas #wayanad #lakkidi #christmasmass #indiachristmas #indiareels #indiatravelgram
Jodhpur, the Blue City of India 💙 #jodhpur #bl Jodhpur, the Blue City of India 💙

#jodhpur #bluecity #bluecityjodhpur #clocktower #indianmarket #jodhpurdiaries #indiatravelgram #rajasthan #stepwell #stepwellsofindia
First Indian train of the trip 🚂 Still can’ First Indian train of the trip 🚂 

Still can’t get over how cows and dogs casually appear in the most unexpected spots—like right on the train station platform 🐄🐕

The best part? Watching passengers stop to pet the cows ❤️ 

#trainjourney #indiantrain #indiantrains #onlyinindia #indiancow #reelsindia #indiatravelgram #everydayindia
Follow on Instagram
©2026 Travelling Cooks | WordPress Theme by SuperbThemes