Archive - Tales of the Orient by Simon Ostheimer

First Impressions

'For many months in Hong Kong I had no idea of what the job actually entailed, but I did learn quickly that moving files around and avoiding…

Jun 4 •

Simon Ostheimer

The Last Plane Out of Cambodia

As the Khmer Rouge finally overran Cambodia in 1975, a former CIA pilot pulled off a desperate escape from Kampong Som at the same time as Phnom Penh…

Jun 2 •

Simon Ostheimer

September 2023

After watching the Hong Kong football team draw with Cambodia at Phnom Penh's Olympic Stadium, I began to ponder what defines a Hongkonger (hint: it's…

Sep 16, 2023 •

Simon Ostheimer

It Takes a Village

In his new book, 'The Village at the Center of the World', celebrated Hong Kong author and cartoonist Larry Feign issues a heartfelt paean to a beloved…

Sep 9, 2023 •

Simon Ostheimer

August 2023

One-Armed Bandit

Meet the extraordinary Francis Arthur 'One-Arm' Sutton: talented golfer, engineer, soldier, entrepreneur, adventurer and mercenary - sometimes all at…

Aug 26, 2023 •

The Truth is Out There

Meet John Harris, author of 'The Trial of Maximo Bonga', probably one of the craziest true stories I've read about expat life in Southeast Asia. I…

Aug 5, 2023 •

Simon Ostheimer

July 2023

Hey Taipei! - Part Two

As you probably gathered from part one, Taipei is a truly amazing city full of fantastic sights, but what makes it even better are all of the special…

Jul 22, 2023 •

Simon Ostheimer

June 2023

Phnom Penh's new Hotel KVL brings spirit and sheen to the city's moribund riverside

Jun 24, 2023 •

Simon Ostheimer

May 2023

Hey Taipei! - Part One

Visiting the island for the first time in 40 plus years, I discovered an amazing city full of great food, friendly people, and a wealth of attractions…

May 13, 2023 •

Simon Ostheimer

March 2023

Meet Nick McGrath, an Australian photographer based in Bangkok for the last decade, who - when he's not on assignment - seeks out the changing faces of…

Mar 18, 2023 •

Simon Ostheimer

January 2023

Meet Chet Nairene, the American author of 'Pacific Dash', a new novel that follows the Asian adventures of Dashiell Bonaventure, from an Illinois farm…

Jan 21, 2023 •

Simon Ostheimer

Pyongyang or Bust

Meet Nicholas Bonner, the founder of Beijing-based Koryo Tours, which since the '90s has specialized in taking tourists to one of the last undiscovered…

Jan 14, 2023 •

Simon Ostheimer

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