Dulwich Decoded

I think I am in love with Dulwich. Having spent a morning there doing some research, I instantly grew to see its charm. Like an idyllic village in the city, everywhere is green, blossoming and full of florists-cum-farm shops, garage based vintage boutiques and cutesy cafes. And of course there is the Dulwich Picture Gallery, currently showing Murillo & Justino de Neve: The Art of Friendship, which I hope to return for soon.

There are countless finds to be made but here are my morning's three:

Give and Take offers you the perfectly curated charity shop experience. 'How do they do this?' you ask, 'what do they do with those binbags of unsellable crap immortalized by Mary Portas's Queen of Charity Shops?' Well, Give and Take work on an entirely different model.

Local fashionistas are tempted into giving up the designer goods that they no longer wear by the incentive of credit to the value of 50% of their item's net sale price, hence the give and take name. You give something painfully nice away, and get a little back in return along with the charity feel-good factor. Or, like me, just do the taking/buying bit.

The collection includes some enticingly beautiful shoes from the likes of Missoni, Marc Jacobs, and Jo Anne Stoker. These are in almost new condition and priced between £130 and £200. Unfortunately for me they were in sizes 36 and 37 but fortunately for all you Cinderella hopefuls, they are still there waiting for you.

Alongside these pieces, new items such as distressed photo frames are sold from select, ethical suppliers, now at 50% off.

Next on my list is Homemade Cafe, right by Peckham Rye if you want to go for a wander in the sun. This friendly, homely spot offers delicious coffee and a tasty sounding lunch menu. 

Blue Brick cafe is last on my list since it is a vegan cafe with scrumptious cake - quite a feat! Tucked away on the little residential Fellbrigg Road, the quirky interior, filled with humorously selected bric-a-brac gives you the sense of having tea in a quaint old relative's conservatory. The chocolate tiffin is incredible -  rich, dark and chocolatey with little bitter sweet bits of cranberry in it, yum.

Our Houben Hide Away: Thailand, Koh Lanta

Sorry I've been so quiet. A new job and a house move have stolen me away but I'm slowly finding my feet and will be back to posting properly very soon. More on the big move soon - it's a lovely new place with a new room with a view to replace the old one...

For now, I owe myself to write up our last stretch in Thailand at The Houben hotel on Koh Lanta. This peaceful haven feels more like family owned luxury apartments than a hotel - set back from the road and overlooking a steep cliff drop straight to ocean, this was the perfect place to land at the end of our travels. We arrived to fresh oranges, purple grape juice cocktails and cooling minimalist architecture. 

The Houben is owned by a Danish Family who also built the hotel - inspired by Japanese and Scandinavian architecture. Aside from the incredible look and feel of the place, that meant they served a mean plate of chips and some great Danish beer - both of which the boy had ordered and scoffed within 10 minutes of setting foot inside. 

The wild monkeys.. not so wild poolside.

Meanwhile, I was preoccupied with our beautiful new home and getting in the pool as quickly as possible - it had been a long boat and taxi ride there from Koh Phi Phi. Our bed looked straight out onto our very own veranda and the infinity pool beyond it. 

After a perfect day of reading and lazing around, we sat back and watched the sun come down over the water. I won't bang on about the view... 

The light was too good to not take every photo opportunity that cam our way.

Pre-dinner cocktails were shaken to perfection. If you're passing through Lanta and want to go somewhere for a sunset drink, this is your spot. It is far more expensive than the rest of the island (and most of Thailand), but the prices are good for Europe (Danish owned remember) and you're paying for the view. Good wine is also close to impossible to find in Thailand at a good price. The Houben has a great selection and even though it is towards the upper scale of price, it's worth it as it comes properly cold. Just look at the condensation on our bottle of Petit Chablis...

The Houben kitchen also cooks like a dream - mixing Thai and European flavours (as in you can choose either from the menu). We had a combination of the two - it had been two weeks and we were growing home sick (that's our excuse anyway).

Their breakfast buffet is pretty spectacular too, which you can get included in the price of the room. Every morning, you can choose your cooked dish and then pile on the croissants, fruit, yoghurt and beautifully made espresso. Mouthwateringly photogenic eh?

If you stay at the Houben, or just visit Koh Lanta at all, then you should also make The Drunken Sailor a must-visit. This little bohemian, traveller restaurant has been going for about 10 years and has developed somewhat a cult following in its time. It's cheap, it's chilled and so are the beers. 

Who ordered a burger?? Jesus!

The rest of our 4 day stay looked a little like this (same as the first really). A blissful retreat. 

I walked on water. Standard

People have written some mixed reviews of The Houben, saying that the glam-factor isn't quite what they were looking for. I have quite strong opinions on this. If you're the kind of person who usually goes to Barbados to hotels to be seen in rather than to chill, then this isn't for you. The Rawarai might tick your boxes however the reality of most of Thailand (especially the islands) still is that starched collar service doesn't exist. The vibe just is more relaxed. My advice, go to The Houben and relax, take the service glitches with a pinch of salt and go out for dinner in a taxi for some of your stay. You won't find a more tranquil luxury on Lanta than this.
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