Travelfish correspondent Stuart McDonald

Stuart previously lived in Thailand and Cambodia for around eight years between them, where he worked as an under-paid, under-skilled language teacher, an embassy staffer, a newspaper web-site developer and various other stuff. Before all those non-travel jobs he authored two travel guides, one to Vietnam and one to Thailand. He still spends a lot of time travelling and can sleep anywhere, anytime - even on the road to Bokor. His favourite read is The Art of Travel by Alain de Botton. He spends most of his time in Bali, Indonesia.
Website: http://www.travelfish.org

Posts by Stuart McDonald:

• Kanawa or Seraya Island?

  First published: 07 May 2013
  

  The Flores Sea is dotted with glistening tropical islands. Some are home to high-end dive resorts, others to fishing villages, others still remain blissfully devoid of civilisation. Two islands however draw a steady stream of independent travellers — perched on the rim of Komodo National Park lies Kanawa Island and north of Labuan Bajo sits … read the full post

• Eating at Kali Manik, north Bali

  First published: 07 May 2013
  

  Kali Manik is a garden-set, beachside eco-resort in the true sense of the word, on the black sands of Bali’s northern reaches, about an hour’s drive east of Pemuteran and six kilometres west of Seririt. While we love the three rooms here, what really stands out is the food — if you’re anywhere in the … read the full post

• Exploring Komodo National Park

  First published: 28 Apr 2013
  

  A day trip to Komodo island from Kanawa takes in more than just the famed dragons the island is named for; expect excellent snorkelling, some beachcombing and perhaps some turtle, dolphin and manta spotting if you’re lucky. Established in 1980, Komodo National Park encompasses the three main islands of Komodo, Rinca and Padar along with … read the full post

• Indonesian volcanoes: Visiting Gunung Kelimutu, Flores

  First published: 18 Apr 2013
  

  While many first-time visitors to Flores get little further than the port town of Labuan Bajo and its immediate surrounds, one of the highlights of Flores is the peak of Kelimutu which lies to the northeast of Ende and offers fabulous views of the surrounds. Best of all? You don’t need to be a mountaineer … read the full post

• Review: Kembang Kuning Ocean View Bungalows, Bingin, Bali

  First published: 14 Apr 2013
  

  One of the advantages of travelling with a four-year-old boy is he tends to leave a steady trail of toy matchbox cars on beaches here and there. On our recent travels through Flores in eastern Indonesia, the boy in question happened to leave a firetruck in the sand at Seraya Island. A day or so … read the full post

• Meet Flores

  First published: 25 Mar 2013
  

  We’re exploring the Indonesian islands of Flores, Komodo, Rinca and a few others over the next two weeks and our initial reaction was along the lines of, “Why didn’t we get off our bums and come here earlier?” And we’ve only been on Flores for a night… The waters surrounding the western end of Flores … read the full post

• Driving around Bali: Munduk to the Organic Farm

  First published: 11 Mar 2013
  

  You could easily give Munduk a day or three and spend your time visiting nearby waterfalls, taking ricefield walks or just enjoying the view, but eventually you’ll need to move on and while there are a number of options from Munduk, we’re going to continue our drive around Bali heading east through a caldera and … read the full post

• A room with a view… in Bali’s Munduk

  First published: 02 Mar 2013
  

  Bali can be really beautiful when it wants to be. While in heavily touristed Ubud and the southern beaches, a room with a view has become an expensive room with a view, but off in Munduk in Bali’s central heartland, the views are still delivered free of charge just for making the effort to visit … read the full post

• Waterfalls around Munduk, Bali

  First published: 24 Feb 2013
  

  Sitting astride a ridge that runs up to the northwestern rim of the Bedugul caldera, the small Balinese village of Munduk offers a healthy respite from the crowds and development that blight southern Bali. Placed along the ridge, many of the guesthouses and hotels in the village offer spectacular views to both the deeply forested … read the full post

• Driving around Bali: Medewi to Munduk

  First published: 18 Feb 2013
  

  You must be thinking this is the slowest drive of all time around Bali, but we’re getting there! From Medewi you have two options — continue east along the coast to Balian and beyond or veer inland. We’re going to opt for the latter and take a left turn at the main junction over the … read the full post