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Vietnamese spring rolls at Koh Phangan – at Beach Garden restaurant
A few months ago, I told you about the Beach Garden restaurant which I really love. We go there once or twice a week because not only is the food good, but the ingredients are top-notch and simply the best in the world. The big boss, Jérémie, always picks the best possible ingredients: pepper from Cambodia, olive oil from Greece… nothing is left to chance. Over time, we became friends, and when I started complaining about the lack of Vietnamese restaurants on Koh Samui and Koh Phangan, I had an idea: what if I gave him the recipe for Vietnamese spring rolls? It came from a very selfish desire: that…
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How to charge the reMarkable 2?
As you’ve gathered from our articles, we’re big fans of the reMarkable 2. That doesn’t mean it’s a perfect product without flaws. Among these weaknesses, there’s a certain fragility, especially when it comes to the battery. You need to be especially careful about how you charge the reMarkable or you risk frying its battery. The batteries on these kinds of devices are very thin. If you charge too fast, the battery can swell and look like this (photo taken on a Kindle) – the famous battery swelling. And if that happens, the screen will crack like this (photo taken from Facebook): Of course, customer service might replace it, but it’s…
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[Test & Review] Foreo UFO 2, a home spa that weighs 146g
Get ready to pull out your credit card! Today, we’re talking about facial devices, and more specifically the FOREO UFO 2 When I showed the product photo on Instagram, everyone asked me what it was. What it was for, what gadget I’d bought this time. I admit it! This year is the year of gadgets, I treated myself to some truly unique products like the reMarkable, Insta360 go 2 and now Foreo UFO 2 As usual, this post is NOT sponsored Foreo Foreo is a Swedish brand, specializing in “beauty” devices for the general public. Their main technology is T-sonic: sonic vibrations. They started by releasing facial cleansing devices (like…
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How to get to Thailand with the Phuket Sandbox? No Quarantine & 30-Day Visa Exemption
Right now, there are 2 ways to get to Thailand: We’re going to explain how to get to Thailand via the Phuket Sandbox, without going through an agency. It’s very easy and quick, you just need to understand English and have a fairly well-filled wallet. Should you opt for a visa? We compared the different visa options in this article. Personally, we chose to come to Thailand with a visa exemption (30 days right now). This allows us not to have to go to the Thai embassy in Paris or do the e-visa online. The 30-day extension is super easy to get on the spot. Right now, stay extensions (Covid…
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My review of the Accor payment card
While in North America, credit cards offer huge benefits if you use them wisely, France has long been (and still is) lagging behind. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, given how rampant abuse can be. If you wanted to enjoy benefits in France through everyday purchases, there was basically only the American Express card. It had the merit of existing, but you can’t say the returns are amazing. That’s gradually changing, and there’s not a month that goes by without a new company launching a new card promising incredible perks. That’s recently been the case with the hotel company Accor, which operates numerous hotel chains: Fairmont, Sofitel, Ibis, Mercure, Formule…
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[story time] Digitizing an Old Book: My New Volunteer Project
Twenty years ago, on a summer day, a book as thick as a brick landed in the living room of my maternal grandmother’s house, 40 To Hien Thanh Street, Hanoi. She used to exchange books with her literate, French-speaking friends. One of her friends, after buying this book fresh off the press, hurried to show it to her. Who was this gentleman? I can’t remember anymore. Even though I was used to seeing new books arrive every week, this was the first time I took an interest. Usually, the books were in French, but this time it was in Vietnamese, huge, impossible to miss. Finally, a book I could understand!…
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Test & Review of the Bose Soundlink Micro Travel Speaker
It’s not necessarily an essential item in a digital nomad’s life, but a Bluetooth speaker is very much appreciated. Laptop and smartphone speakers aren’t known for being top-notch, and even without being an audiophile, the sound quality of an external speaker is a real plus. For several years, we were happy users of the ultimate ears roll 2speaker. When its battery started to wear out, we took advantage of a discount offered by our American Express Fnac card to treat ourselves to the Bose Soundlink Micro (Amazon link). When we bought our first speaker, the Bose Soundlink Micro didn’t exist yet. We had considered getting the Mini version but found…
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Shooting range session in Koh Phangan (Thailand)
Back from a hotel stay for my birthday, we happen to pass by the entrance to the Phangan Yang Yai Shooting Association (link to their Facebook page). Judging by the photos on their Facebook page, this is where the police forces train in shooting. Since I’m still a big kid and shooting a pistol is fun for me, we follow the path without really knowing if the shooting range is open during this covid period. The dirt road is quite long but manageable by scooter, and it’s by hearing several gunshots that we get our answer: it’s open. The range offers many different weapons and the price depends on the…
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Celebrating JB’s birthday at Anantara Rasananda in Koh Phangan (Thailand)
Because of a small Covid wave hitting Koh Phangan island, all the “cool” plans to properly celebrate JB’s birthday fall through. But that’s okay, we decide to spend 1 night at the Anantara Rasananda hotel, which we really liked during our little excursion last time. Part 1: Travel JournalPart 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Journal I wanted to go there by boat from Chaloklum, then be brought back to Chaloklum the next day, but that requires two round trips for the fisherman and he gives us a very high rate. What’s the point of taking the boat if the visibility isn’t great and we can’t even go snorkeling? JB…
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How to Apply for the 60-Day Covid Extension in Thailand? Koh Phangan Immigration Office
After getting a visa extension of 30 days without any hassle in Koh Samui, we applied for the 60-day Covid extension for the first time, which allows us to stay in Thailand a bit longer. This extension, called Covid, was originally designed for tourists stranded in Thailand since March 2020. However, the deadline keeps getting pushed back. For now, it can be requested until November 26, 2021, for an extension until January 25, 2022. But Thailand has continued to extend the possibility of applying for this extension since last year, so for now, it’s a fairly safe way to stay in Thailand until the country considers that Covid no longer…
