From our perspective, the local food on offer can make or break an extended travel agenda. If you have an adventurous palette, more often than not you’ll discover some amazing flavours and experience a diversity of unforgettable snacks and dishes.
Here is a summary of our favourite eating establishments and best bites discovered to date.

Griller in Manila - Shabu Shabu
Eat and drink as much as you want - including beer - at a Manila Shabu Shabu restaurant. Cook your soup and grill food at your own table.

London ...In Just 6 Hours!
Flying in & out of London on the same day? You can still pack in some sightseeing on a short London city stopover - Just stick to a realistic time schedule.

Bland Filipino Food
On menus everywhere, pork and chicken barbecued in a sweet marinade. This bland Filipino food is usually accompanied by heaps of plain white rice.

Drink & Eat in Siem Reap 👩🍳 Cambodia
From edible flowers & crispy red ants to sophisticated world-class dishes, Siem Reap boasts a dining scene as diverse as its cultural tapestry.

Koh Lipe, Thailand 🌴
Nestled in the Andaman Sea, Koh Lipe is a small island paradise with beautiful beaches, world-class diving, and vibrant marine life.

Ubud Bali Eating Out 🍛
With just 4 days in Ubud we were keen to discover the best food this island has to offer. So how did our Bali eating out experiences pan out?

Markets of Hanoi, Vietnam 🏮
Discover the Charm of the Streets and Markets of Hanoi, Vietnam: A Guide to the Best Shopping and Food Spots.

Limoges UNESCO French City
"How can anyone govern a country that has 246 varieties of cheese?" - Charles de Gaulle, on a visit to Bordeaux and Limoges.

Kuala Lumpur 1st Impressions
With plenty to see & do (and some great eating) its worth devoting a few days of a trip through Malaysia to its capital city - Kuala Lumpur

Inexpensive Rome Restaurants
Rome is like one giant restaurant: Eateries everywhere tempting visitors with Italian kitchen aromas - but which inexpensive Rome restaurants are best?

Pubs & Restaurants in Edinburgh
A great place for pub food, but there are some pretty good restaurants too. Check out our best-value pubs & restaurants in Edinburgh city.

Chateau-Maleplane-Saint-Leonard-de-Noblat
Within easy walking distance of Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat, Chateaux Maleplane offers an opulent alternative to a standard hotel room, and at a very competitive price.

SandSpice Zipper Pouch
Your rugged little personal valet: carry your makeup, pencils, phone, cards, anything.
Available in three sizes: check the size chart to find the right one for you

Valencia 🌙 Eating Like a Local
You go on holiday to relax, to see new places, and to EAT. But we had forgotten a fundamental truth about Spanish culture: they eat late.

Gozo Wine Festival 🍷
Experience the magic of the Gozo wine festival: A celebration of culture, flavor and community

Girona City Stopover 🍲
A picturesque & inexpensive city with gourmet Catalan cuisine if you choose well - One highlight of a Girona City stopover is the food.

Girona - Where to Stay and Eat
A picturesque & inexpensive city with gourmet Catalan cuisine if you choose well - One highlight of a Girona City stopover is the food.

Fort Kochi, India
It's quite a journey from the train station to the center of Fort Kochi. In India, you don’t drive on the left of the road, you drive on what is left of the road.

Bordeaux Break 🍷 France
Don't worry - Bordeaux wine won't make you fat. It'll make you lean …against tables, chairs, floors, walls & ugly people.

Kandy Lake, Sri Lanka
Kandy Lake Comfort Hotel - A peaceful lakeside hotel: There were signs on the doors saying "Beware monkeys". They weren't kidding...

Venice Osteria and Trattoria
Considering that Italy is pretty much one big restaurant, there’s never any difficulty finding suitable Venice Osteria and Trattoria.

Best of Edinburgh, Scotland 🏴
Everything you need to know about Edinburgh, Scotland including where to stay, what to do & where to eat in a city that's full of activities.

Galle Fort, Sri Lanka
We landed in Galle with a sense of ill-advised optimism, having trundled down the coast from Unawatuna.

Gdansk Poland Eating Out 🍽️
A little preparation ensures that your eating out experiences in Gdansk Poland are both enjoyable and cost-effective.

Sepilok Borneo - Where to Stay & Eat
Many travellers visit Sepilok Borneo to see the orangutans and nature reserves, but booking a place close to the action saves some leg work.

Great Siem Reap 🍜🌶️🥭 Food Odyssey 🤤
Watch the Sandspice team tumble through Siem Reap's wild food landscape! Expect animated antics, exploding flavours & belly laughs in this cartoon caper.

Istanbul Eateries & Accommodation
With only 2 days in Istanbul we did our planning before leaving home, to optimize time and find the best Istanbul eateries.

Karimunjawa Eating Out 🍤
Low tables are arranged nearby on sheets of tarpaulin. Just assume the lotus position and enjoy your Karimunjawa culinary extravaganza.

Ubud Hotels & Transfers
We chose two very different styles of accommodation for our Ubud Bali hotels: A family-run guesthouse & an upmarket Spa and Gallery resort.

Phnom Penh, Cambodia
From lush green parks to bustling markets & street stalls, intricate architecture, fascinating temples, & delicious street food, Phnom Penh is a must-visit destination for anyone traveling to Southeast Asia

Booze in Bohol, Philippines
Drinking booze in the Philippines can seriously damage your holiday budget - Especially if you happen to be a wine drinker.
Best Bites & Spicy Delights
Looking for more Inspiration? Take a look at some other highlights for the Free Independent Traveller:
Spice up your inbox…

… with discounted hotel deals, cost-saving travel itineraries and SandSpice escapades! 😉





1 Comment
Pacific Spice
June 5, 2021at 8:02 pmGreat post 😍