Travel
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for other beach vacation packages in Asia .
I.
Our Man In Hanoi
A big hello to all our
readers and I hope you've been getting better weather
than we have. Its been a rainy month here in Hanoi and
ideal timing for the local council to dig a three foot
wide trench directly outside our house. Why? I don't know
but it was something to do with blue plastic pipe……It
led to a day of work and my new nickname of The Fair Weather
Teacher, not sure the boss saw the funny side though.
Anyway, if, like me and most others who live here, you
ride a motorbike, rain sucks. Apart from getting wet obviously,
you've got the associated dangers of not being able to
see more than a few feet and not knowing when the next
bicycle, road sweeper or pedestrian will decide to idly
stroll right in front of you. I really have no idea how
Hanoi's population continues to survive. As if a series
of wars wasn't bad enough their road safety knowledge
is absolutely non-existent. No head light, no problem;
no indicators, well never really use them anyway; driving
on the left, no big deal; stopping your moped in the middle
of a busy intersection to answer your mobile, positively
mundane it is so frequent! Mind you I must admit that
although they are dangerous beyond belief, Hanoi's roads
and streets are kept marvelously clean by the legions
of road sweepers the government employs.
Found Gino, my friend and flat mate passed out on the
sofa at 9:00 in the morning yesterday and soon found out
why…Wednesday night out on the town, a few beers down
(if you ever come to Hanoi check out the beer hoi; a glass
of home made lager for the equivalent of a few cents and
entirely palatable) and they decided they needed to move
on to the stronger stuff. Shots of Jack? Nope. A bottle
of Vodka between the three? No. Bear wine. Yes! Bear wine!
This isn't a brand name or anything but rice wine in a
huge glass jug with a pickled bear inside to, I don't
really know, spice it up a little? Snake and scorpion
wine you see all over town but bear? Apparently the bear
was quite new and didn't taste so bad but that's something
I will never seek to verify.
If your looking for an interesting book to read then I
can recommend "Jim Thompson - The Unsolved Mystery" by
William Warren. About the American who single handedly
kick started Thailand's silk industry only to disappear
under mysterious circumstances in the Malaysian jungle
it offers some interesting insights into an amazing man
and his adopted country, Thailand.
Anyway I'm off to Cat Bah Island next month, not long
now, which is a small island off the North East coast
of Vietnam. I fill you in on it when I return. Happy traveling
To book a hotel in
Asia, visit our website,
http://asiahotelbookings.netfirms.com
II.
This Month in Review
- Thai Airways stabbing
Although the risks of someone taking over a airplane
with a piece of cutlery are remote, surely if airlines
are serious about making travel as risk free as possible
they should stop giving passengers metal knifes and
forks? At the end of the day no one would be allowed
on to a plane carrying a knife so why are they given
one once on board? Yahoo news reports that a Thai born
Australian was hospitalized earlier this month after
a mentally disturbed passenger stabbed him in the throat
with one of the airlines stainless steel forks.
- World Heritage site
Damaged
Not quite a serious as the headline suggests but
a bit disturbing non the less. Info from the India travel
times website states that Darjeeling's famed toy train
track has been damaged due to landslides. For those
of you unfamiliar with the area, Darjeeling is an old
colonial hill station where the Sahibs and Mem Sahibs
working in Calcutta could escape the oppressive summer
heat and play a decent game of cricket. Even now the
town rather bizarrely, resembles an English country
village with tiny cottages and well-kept lawns. The
views of the surrounding Himalayas are quite spectacular
and although you can ride a jeep to the town in a couple
of hours, the tiny steam train still runs and is very
popular with both Indian and foreign tourists, and rightly
so. The tracks wind through the foothills of the world's
highest mountain range and afford beautiful views of
the many tea plantations that provide work for many
of the villages around Darjeeling, forested hills and
some pretty dense jungle. The relevant authorities claim
that the track will be up and running again in no time
at all but if you're planning to include the train ride
in your trip you'd do well to check that it is indeed
up and running again as things do tend to take a while
to get fixed in the sub continent.
- Dehli Belly! (well
Bombay actually)
Keeping with the Indian theme but moving right across
the country to the west coast, where apparently belly
dancing has become something of a rage in Mumbai. Performers
are being flown in from the Middle East to perform in
many of the cities larger hotels.
- Show me the money!
Hong Kong's faltering tourism industry has prompted
several government ministers to propose a radical but
rather enticing bill. They're giving away money to tourists!
Well almost. In fact the proposal is for HK$ Billion
worth of cash vouchers to be given to visitors to the
island in a bid to get their tourism industry back on
track after the recent crisis. I for one certainly hope
the plan is adopted! Show me the money baby!
- Flooding in China
(so what's new?)
Not a lot of good news from China at the moment with
rising flood waters in the east last month meaning that
authorities had to evacuate 350,000 people. Yes that's
350,000. If there's one thing China do big then its
disasters. It seems like every other day I read the
international section of one of the British or American
Broadsheets and find an in depth article covering Middle
East peace talks or some top dogs visit to Seoul. But
tucked away in the corner, almost it seems as an afterthought,
will be a couple of lines reporting something along
the lines of "200,000 dead in earthquake" or "Yangntze
breaks its banks killing 25, 000." Why do editors give
so little paper space to these tragedies? Is it reluctance
on Chinese authorities' parts to reveal information?
Are the public just not interested? Why? Tell me. Really,
I'd love to know….
- ASEAN declared SARS
free
Apologies if any of my readers know anyone who has suffered
as a result of SARS but I really can't help thinking
the media created a bit of a fuss about nothing. And
loads of people bought it! Gucci face masks in Hong
Kong, Singaporean shopping malls resembling operating
rooms. A colleague's sister, studying in China has just
returned to Vietnam after spending the last 2 weeks,
(University regulations) holed up in her one room apartment.
Her only human contact was with a canteen waitress who
delivered food three times a day! (God I hope she had
a TV) I think she was more likely to die of boredom
than any virus. However for any of you out there still
worried, worry no more if your traveling to an ASEAN
country, The WHO (no that's not Roger Daltry and co…)
has now declared the area SARS free. Hurrah
- Four hours from Thailand
to Phnom Pehn by car
Thailand and Cambodia have just agreed to build a new
road linking the Thai border town of Trat to Cambodia's
capital Phnom Penh. This will half travel times between
the two towns to around four hours and makes a lot more
feasible a side trip to Cambodia for those of you visiting
The Land of Smiles. Unfortunately not for another few
years though as the completion date is set for 2006.
Culture Tours: Different faces
- different beliefs. Explore the diversity of the region's
fascinating cultures and religions. Get to know Asia and
its people with these local lifestyle and hilltribe tours.
III.
Phuket - The Kingdom's Most Precious Gem
This weeks featured destination
is Phuket, (that's Poo-ket not, Fooket). Lying on the
S.W coast of Thailand, Phuket is Thailand's largest island
and something of a gem with the varied landscape alone
reason enough to visit. Phuket's coastline is liberally
sprinkled with those pristine white sand beaches you see
in all the travel magazines and craggy limestone cliffs.
The interior is no less impressive with an abundance of
tropical vegetation in and around its forested hills.
If that's not enough for you to think about paying a visit
then consider the following; great snorkeling and scuba
diving, lots of fresh seafood cooked as only the Thais
know how, temples, mosques and a lively nightlife for
those who seek it. No wonder its one of Thailand's most
popular destinations.
The islands inhabitants consider their home almost a country
apart and are proud of its rich heritage, which has successfully
fused the varying elements of the Chinese, the Portuguese
and the Chao naam (sea gypsys). Add to this a significant
Muslim population and you have a quite unique blend. Probably
the most interesting cultural event for the visitor is
the annual Vegetarian festival, which is usually held
in September/ October. While which may sound a bit mundane
at first read this is actually one of the most colorful
events you are likely to see in Asia (especially if your
favorite color is red.) In a kind of religious frenzy,
devotees demonstrate blade climbing, fire walking and
every kind of body piercing and self-mutilation you can
imagine be it with sharpened stakes razor blades, saws...
whatever! (I'm sure it must hurt.) Great photo opportunities
if that's your thing and there is also of course some
pretty good food.
When I first visited Phuket about 15 years ago, I stayed
in a small bamboo hut right on the beach with just a flimsy
roof and a mosquito net for cover. While accommodation
like this is still available for Robinson Crusoe types,
an airport with quick, frequent flights from Bangkok has
pushed accommodation distinctly up market. While you pay
slightly more than in the rest off the country (remember
this is Thailand which has some of the best value for
money deals in Asia) the pay off is that you'll also find
a minimum of get rich quick operations and a majority
of hoteliers who make a concerted effort to keep the islands
environment as unspoilt as possible. The most popular
spot on the island is Patting, where venders and masseurs
tend to you every need on a broad, powdery white sand
beach and as night falls, life for many starts. For those
of you like me who prefer something a bit quieter the
beaches of Karon, Kata and Nai Han are less visited and
give you plenty of chance for a bit more solitude. And
if you'd like to travel further afield then short boat
trips to the Racha islands, Rang Yai island, Coral island
or Koh Khai Nok are all easy to arrange and promise idyllic
surroundings and superb snorkeling.
GETTING THERE
By Air
Phuket has
an international airport. Thai Airways and Bangkok Airways
have daily flights from Bangkok. For booking and more
information, visit the following websites:
Bangkok
Airways
Thai
Airways
By Bus
Phuket
Guide: A list of existing bus lines to and from
phuket with price and time-table
Phuket
Tourism : Boat schedules from Phuket including fares.
By Train
No direct route is available from Bangkok to Phuket.
You could however go to Surat Thani and then take a
bus to the island. Visit the State Railway of Thailand
website for the train schedule,
click here
RECOMMENDED
HOTELS IN PHUKET: These Special
Rates are Valid until Oct. 30,2003
A)
Blue Village Pakarang, Phang Nga Phuket :
5 Stars, from USD 52
Rate per room including 10% service charge and 7% VAT,
excluding breakfast.
B) Felix
Karon Phuket, Karon Beach :
5 Stars, from THB 1600
Rate per room including 10% service charge
and VAT.
C) Koyao
Island Resort, Phang Nga Phuket: 3 Stars, from
THB 3320
Rate per villa excluding breakfast, including 10% service
charge and 7% VAT.
D) Phuket
Island Pavilion : 2 Stars, from THB 960
Rate per room, including American breakfast, 10% service
charge and 7% VAT.
International
Health Insurance - Click Here for
an Instant Quote
IV.
Asia Trivia
Did you know that…..
- The centerpiece to the
British Queen's crown comes from India? It weighs, after
re- cutting, an impressive 108.93 carats, and is named
KOH-I-NOOR . Amongst people who know something about diamonds
it's the world's most famous. Probably worth a bit too
if you could get your hands on it….
- The world's most perfectly
coned volcano is The Mayon Volcano in the Philippines?
If you want to see it, its about 12 bumpy hours by bus
from Manila. Active though, so you have been warned…..
- All of the following English
words come from Asian languages? Tofu, Kow-tow, Tycoon,
Typhoon, Wok and Gung Ho all come from Mandarin or Cantonese.
Chess comes from Persian. Boondocks, basically meaning
the back of beyond, comes from the national language of
the Philippines, Tagalog. Chutney, Sandals and Verandah
were all Indian words originally, and Amok (as to run),
Paddy (as in field), Rattan, Sarong, Ketchup, Gong and
Launch (a type of boat) all come from Malay. There are
many, many more.
- Kites, fireworks, the
fan, the abacus, acupuncture, stirrups, the wheelbarrow,
the magnetic compass, paper, umbrellas, Paper money, decimal
mathematics, cast iron, the first seismograph, matches,
brandy and whiskey were all invented in China?
- An Indian writer penned
the longest novel in the English Language? The Suitable
Boy by Vikram Seth is 1,349 pages long and an absolutely
cracking novel. Well worth a read if you have even a passing
interest in the sub continent.
V.
Your Travel Question Answered: Do I Need To Apply for A
Visa In My Country To Go To Thailand?
Answer: No you
don’t. Almost all nationalities can obtain a 30-day transit
visa upon arrival to Bangkok’s Don Muang Airport. If you
are lucky enough to come from Brazil, Korea, New Zealand
or Peru then you receive a 90-day visa. It’s certainly
not difficult to enter Thailand but you should of course
contact your local Thai embassy or consulate to make 100%
sure visa regulations have not changed.
Please
refer to the following websites for more details.
Ministry
of Foreign Affairs
– The official website
Travel Document
Systems – Not as long (or as wordy) as the
ministry of foreign affairs website, but a lot easier
to understand. There is also a downloadable visa application
form (although I believe this form is for American citizens
only).
VI.
Important
Information
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