✦ Author

Sarah Chen

@sarah-chen

Asian-American travel writer + photographer based in SF. Luxury and culture, design-forward destinations, slow travel.

Articles

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Published articles

Where to Stay in Malacca: A Neighbourhood Guide
From restored Peranakan shophouses off Jonker Street to riverside calm in Kampung Morten, here is how to choose your corner of Malaysia's most layered city.
Sarah ChenJun 22, 202610 min read
Bali for First-Timers: Where to Go, What to Skip
A curated, honest shortlist of where a first-timer should actually spend their days in Bali, from Ubud's terraces to Uluwatu's cliffs, and which famous photo spots are worth the queue.
Sarah ChenJun 22, 202610 min read
Where to Stay in Thailand: A Strategy, Not a Booking
From 250-baht dorm beds to clifftop villas, a clear-eyed guide to Thailand's accommodation tiers, what each costs, and where in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and the islands your money actually works hardest.
Sarah ChenJun 10, 20267 min read
Singapore City: The Six-Question Guide to a City-State That Refuses the Easy Binary
Marina Bay's engineered spectacle and a S$5 plate of chicken rice are not in tension here — they're the same argument. A grown-up guide to Singapore the city.
Sarah ChenJun 9, 2026
The Long-Haul Kit for Southeast Asia: What's Actually Worth Packing
The 12-to-18-hour haul to Southeast Asia has a specific, knowable set of problems. A small, considered kit solves them better than an expensive one.
Sarah ChenMay 31, 202610 min read
The Right Cards for Southeast Asia — and When to Put Them Away
A considered guide to paying your way across Southeast Asia: the cards that earn their keep on the long-haul flight, and the moment, at a Bangkok soup stall, when plastic stops being the smart move.
Sarah ChenMay 31, 202612 min read
Thailand in Three Acts: A First-Timer's Stay Strategy
Thailand isn't a destination so much as three of them. A 10-to-14-day first trip needs a triptych of stays — Bangkok river-side, Chiang Mai design boutique, southern island — not a checklist of hotels.
Sarah ChenMay 26, 202614 min read
Where to Stay in Bangkok: A Neighborhood Map for First-Timers
Bangkok isn't one city, it's seven that share an address. A calibrated guide to the neighborhoods that matter — and which one fits the trip you're actually taking.
Sarah ChenMay 26, 202614 min read
Thailand Travel Insurance in 2026: Is AXA Sawasdee Actually Good?
AXA Sawasdee is the policy Thailand's own travel sites push hardest. It's reasonable, locally fluent, and not the best plan you can buy. Here's the honest comparison.
Sarah ChenMay 26, 202611 min read
Where to Stay in Manila: A Neighborhood Map for Travelers Who Want to Actually See the City
BGC, Makati, Poblacion, Intramuros, Binondo, Pasay — five Manilas, five trips. Choosing a district isn't logistics; it's choosing which version of the city you'll meet.
Sarah ChenMay 26, 202612 min read
Where to Stay in Flores: A Slow Drive East from Komodo
Six stays along the Trans-Flores Highway, from a Phinisi-inspired resort on the Komodo coast to a hilltop bungalow under Inerie's cone — and how to thread them into a road trip that earns its slowness.
Sarah ChenMay 25, 202613 min read
Which Lombok Are You Visiting? A Map for Where to Stay
Lombok is not Bali's quieter sister — that's a brochure line. It's a Sasak Muslim island shaped by a volcano, and your hotel choice tells you which version of it you came for.
Sarah ChenMay 25, 202612 min read
The Best Travel Insurance for Indonesia and Bali in 2026
Indonesia rewards travelers who plan well and punishes those who don't. A buyer's guide that starts with what Bali actually needs covered — then judges the insurers against it.
Sarah ChenMay 22, 202613 min read
Where to Stay in Singapore: A Design and Heritage Map
Past Marina Bay's glass towers, Singapore's most rewarding stays are tucked into shophouses, godowns, and the curved deco of Tiong Bahru. A neighborhood-by-neighborhood guide for travelers who care what a building is, not just what it costs.
Sarah ChenMay 12, 202610 min read

Sarah Chen

Published articles

Where to Stay in Malacca: A Neighbourhood Guide

Bali for First-Timers: Where to Go, What to Skip

Where to Stay in Thailand: A Strategy, Not a Booking

Singapore City: The Six-Question Guide to a City-State That Refuses the Easy Binary

The Long-Haul Kit for Southeast Asia: What's Actually Worth Packing

The Right Cards for Southeast Asia — and When to Put Them Away

Thailand in Three Acts: A First-Timer's Stay Strategy

Where to Stay in Bangkok: A Neighborhood Map for First-Timers

Thailand Travel Insurance in 2026: Is AXA Sawasdee Actually Good?

Where to Stay in Manila: A Neighborhood Map for Travelers Who Want to Actually See the City

Where to Stay in Flores: A Slow Drive East from Komodo

Which Lombok Are You Visiting? A Map for Where to Stay

The Best Travel Insurance for Indonesia and Bali in 2026

Where to Stay in Singapore: A Design and Heritage Map