The dietary culture of Asia (Asia Society; 2008) http://bit.ly/bAknlu

Thai Airways, Tiger Airways Announce Low-Fare Airline http://bit.ly/bmihp1 travel asia

Angkor Temples Mapped

For fans of the more obscure Angkor era temples, a lot are mapped starting around here, http://bit.ly/9nsBpv , with a lot of panning the map around.

The locations are generally taken from Ancient Angkor by Freeman and Jacques, Asia Books, Bangkok 1999.   You more or less have to know the names to find them with search.  The comprehensive on line listings of the names with geo-locations seems to have disappeared
http://www.angkorguide.de/English-Dateien/monuments.htm
but here is a site with a lot of photos with locations. http://www.panoramio.com/user/1549852/tags/Cambodia

Angkor (Khmer) Temples and Sites with Coordinates

Here's a work in progress of a listing of Angkor era sites in spreadsheet format, including:

• name
  
• country
• near (city/town/village)
• latitude
• longitude
• Panoramio photo, if available
• whether on Google Maps
• source.

If possible, this will be extended to OpenStreetMap.

As of 27 June 09 this includes 91 sites, including all those listed in:

• Ancient Angkor by Michael Freeman and Claude Jacques, River Books, Bangkok, 1999. A 2009 revised edition is available.

Preah Vihear Cambodia border temple (Thai: Phra Viharn) set to reopen from Thailand side

Preah Vihear Cambodia border temple (Thai: Phra Viharn) set to reopen from Thailand side 10 Feb 2009 http://poprl.com/HOr

update: this has been delayed by intensified military activity

Travel Notes: Singapore-Malaysia Jan 07

Trip Diary (retrospective notes): Singapore-Malaysia, January, 2007
1/17/07; 1/18/07
United 837 SFO-NRT-SIN; Wed, Jan 17 1129A- Thu, Jan 18 330P
connecting to UA 803 SIN-NRT-SFO; Thu, Jan 18 530P - 1159P

SFO-NRT upgraded to C using 1K SWU, 5124 miles, seat 25F
NRT-SIN C, 3324 miles, seat 24G
B 747; Fare Class WXPRO10; $836.7

@SIN
Cheap airport shuttle a bust, as usual, since it wasn't leaving until 130A,though I checked the time anyway for due diligence, then joined the fairly long taxi queue.

Not much point to taking the airport shuttle unless it leaving almost immediately and there aren't many people on it.  In my experience the airport shuttle almost invariably lets me off last.  At least once the shuttle came very close to my hotel and passed on.  It's not that less expensive than the taxi (and never worth it if traveling with someone).  The MRT is cheap to the airport, but takes forever, and isn't an option after about 11PM.

 

Never paid attention before, but it's 18KM from SIN to Hotel 81 Bugis according to the receipt. Room rate $89 x 2 days for a windowless, aircon room. Clean and secure, if basic, with one of the full flood bathrooms without a separate shower stall.  Non-squat, western toilet.  The room was away from the lift so less noisy than some rooms.  For whatever reason this Hotel 81 branch doesn't get the short time hotel crowd like the Palace in Geylang.  I made the reservation online directly. 

Of course, the driver didn't know where the hotel was, so directed to Shaw Towers and then the 1/2 block from there. I had found on a previous trip that directing to the Intercontinental is a bust since he has to make a U turn.  I don't know why I try to avoid the Singapore taxis.  They're pretty honest.

1/19/07
Breakfast (not included at Hotel 81) at Killiney Kopitiam around the corner on Purvis. S$4; I guess it was a version of nasi lemak, plus the toast and kaya, plus coffee.

Internet cafe on Stamford Rd. S$5.25 to find hotel in Malacca and KL, using Asiatravel, but ended up booking directly with the Hotel Puri's Singapore office by mobile phone.  I was looking for a hotel with character and wasn't particularly price sensitive, within reason.

I also considered the Baba House 

After seeing both the Hotel Puri and the Baba House, I think the Puri was the better choice.

Coffee 1.20 with the usual struggle to stay awake the first day.  Not at Starbucks!

Lunch 6.30 @ Bugis Junction foodcourt; "gourmet" claypot S$5 plus a drink

MTR to Lavender, then connecting bus after screwing around for a while trying to find offices for the VIP buses to Malacca and KL.  I should have noted their addresses first, but I thought there would be easy to find signs.  Nope.  Lavender bus "station" is basically a big parking lot with some small temporary type offices for selling tickets.  Nothing like a Malaysian or Thai bus station.

Bus ticket to Malacca $16 purschased for the next day @ 10A from Lavender bus station

I needed some RM and had wanted to check out Mustafa Centre in Little India anyway.  It was within walking distance, but a taxi seemed an ok choice.  Taxi $4 from Lavender station to Mustafa Centre. And almost stupidly lost my wallet in the taxi, but luckily the taxi couldn't move immediately because of a traffic jam and I retrieved my wallet from the back seat.  Duh.

Changed S$ to RM at the always entertaining Mustafa Centre

Dinner: Chicken noodles $3; beer $5 at the handy (and cheap) Seng Huat on North Bridge road

Internet $3

Haagan Dazs in front of the Hilton for old times' sake. 4.70 for a single waffle cone

1/20/07
Breakfast $4 at Killiney Kopitiam

Top up mobile $18 @ 7/11 using a SIM with S'pore number from a previous trip

Taxi to Lavender bus station $6.50

Bus to Malacca took 2nd/Tuas border crossing

Lunch along the road @ Ayer Hitam 1230P RM8

Malaysian SIM RM5 bought in the Malacca bus station

Taxi from Malacca bus station to Hotel Puri RM10!, going rate 15.  Beats me how I got this rate.  The driver may have been illegal.

Hotel Puri RM172.50, room 310, free wireless internet in lobby.  Rom was in the newer part of the hotel and was pretty charmless, though nice enough.

While in Malacca I did the usual tourist things, got lost at least once, and did a lot of walking.

Dinner at hotel RM15.  Walked all over the area of the hotel and saw many restaurants, but most would have been best with another person.  In the end, took the easy way out and had a quite dinner in the hotel's garden.

 

Day View

And at dinner.

1/21/07
Breakfast included at Hotel Puri, somewhat of a mob scene.

Walked around again while it was till fairly cool.  Got lost again.

Taxi to bus station RM 15.  I asked the hotel to call a taxi after waiting a while on the street.  It took forever to come after the call.  Next time I'd probably just try to flag one down on the street and wait longer.

Bus ticket to KL Puduraya station RM9.50, on Transnational; the largest (?) Malaysia carrier.  Of course, the bus didn't actually make it into the station because of usual jam outside the station.  Since it wasn't raining this was only somewhat inconvenient.  Finding the Swiss Inn was somewhat challenging.  I had through the Hotel Furama would be a good landmark, but it was closed.  Luckily someone pointed me in the right direction and I got there in 10 minutes walk from the bus station.

Swiss Inn RM108, superior room including breakfast, booked through Asiatravel, initially charged RM170, lesson learned: be sure to print travel agent confirmation! Room 530

Lunch chicken nasi RM5.50.  Don't remember where this was, but it must have been some informal restaurant.

Basically walked around Chinatown for the day, not going further afield. 

Dinner Tang City food court chicken noodles + beer RM5 + RM7.40

Bus ticket back to Singapore RM30.50 1/22 @ 10:30A, Transnasional

1/22/07
Lunch RM4.50 on the road back to S'pore; causeway border crossing

Internet S$3

Dinner S4 + S5.40 t at some stall or food court

1/23/07
Taxi  from Hotel 81 Bugis to SIN S$18.45, 12.30 plus night differential 6.15
UA804 SIN-NRT 730A-255P
UA838 NRT-SFO 525P-920A

Notes and random jottings:

• Most Singapore transport was by bus and MTR using an EZ Link card from a previous trip.
• Used leftover S$ from previous trips and then hit an ATM using HSBC card by the City Hall/City Link passage.  HSBC  card didn't work in Malaysia, but I may have been trying it in a deposit only machine, now that I think about it.  It worked on a subsequent trip in Malaysia.
  
• Jetstar to PNH: low cost carrier
  
• Lantern Festival Taiwan. Did this reference come from a travel show I watched along the way?
  
• Celtic Tides CD music must have been playing along the way

Bokor Cambodia

Interesting article on an apparently recent trip to Bokor. The article mentions the road is currently closed.

Bokor figures prominently in the 2002 movie City of Ghosts. I see that Google Earth/Maps now has high resolution imagery of the immediate area. 

Ho Chi Minh Trail Laos Vietnam Travel Research

This will  be the anchor for trip planning on the Ho Chi Minh Trial in Vietname and Laos.

A good start is this post on a 6 day trip by motor bike starting from Vang Vieng to Thakhek.

Beijing Courtyard Hotels

There's a discussion going on the mailing list Discussion of travel in China on Beijing courtyard hotels.


Here are some extracts from the postings:

Some years ago we stayed at the Bamboo Garden, which was quite lovely and comfortable; here is an excerpt from their website (www.bbgh.com.cn), and though I can't vouch for the accuracy of the history which is reported, I can certainly vouch for its close-in location, helpful staff (with decent English), and a wish to go back:

"Bamboo Garden Hotel Beijing is located in a tranquil lane on the westside of Gulou, built in a classic Chinese courtyard-style. It was the private residence of Sheng Xuanhuai, the postal department minister in late Qing Dynasty, and it was also said to be the garden of Andehai, the imperial eunuch. Since the late Qing Dynasty, a succession of celebrities such as Wang Yintai, Mahansan, Dong Biwu and Kangsheng have lived here."

Joe Luttrell

===================================

2 years ago we stayed at the Haoyuan Courtyard Hotel. Although ours was a basic room, it was nicely decorated and like all the rooms, opened up into a courtyard. The breakfast was good, and the staff were amazing. We had purchased a cell phone chip at the airport and were having trouble getting it to work. One of the staff walked us down to a shop nearby, explained the situation and got it fixed for us. It was a great introduction to our first time and first night in China.

Last year we stayed at the Lusongyuan Courtyard Hotel. It too was nice, the breakfast was good, and the staff helpful. We chose it over the other as it seemed to be closer in walking distance to the places we wanted to go to, more centrally located. However, it was larger and there were more people staying there.
If we get the opportunity and are lucky enough to be able to go back, I think that I would chose the Haoyuan over the Lusongyuan, although either would be a good choice. It just seemed to be more intimate.

Marg

====================================

Some of the better new ones--in real courtyard homes--include the following.

Cote Cour

Banqiao No. 4

Autumn Garden

Red Capital Residence.

I'm sorry I don't have the details handy now, but you can Google them. The first and last are on the expensive side, but the middle two are quite reasonable and comfortable.

Paul

========================================

Paul wrote:

Some of the better new ones--in real courtyard homes--include the following.

Cote Cour

When I looked round this I thought it had been almost totally rebuilt from the ground up, I must admit, as well as overpriced (Y1295 rack for a standard room) and poorly staffed. There aren't many rooms (9 standard and 14 altogether), and the place was full when I looked at it, partly perhaps from having a quick burst of exposure in the foreign press.

Red Capital Residence.

I haven't seen this, but I'd boycott it on the grounds of its owner's sycophantic relationship to senior Party leaders, and tasteless employment of the effects of those who died in the Cultural Revolution to decorate his restaurant.

The Lusong Yuan seems to be suffering from its own popularity, as it's now used by small tour groups, and its prices have risen considerably.

At the budget end of courtyard accommodation, the Templeside House Hostel is worth a look. It's a pruced-up traditional courtyard house with friendly staff in the hush of the hutong but in walking distance of the White Dagoba Temple and other sights, major Xi Dan shopping, and Fucheng Men subway station. Dorm beds to double rooms all share modern shower facilities, laundromat, and courtyard bar. This is basic, but family-run. www.templeside.com

Peter N-H

=========================================

The Bamboo Garden is a Great hotel.

Typically the website doesn't mention that the courtyard now the Bamboo Hotel was also the residence of one of the members of the Gang of Four. This explains why there is a Nuclear Shelter (Bunker) in the garden. It is also the reason why it is so exceptionally well-preserved.

The Bamboo Garden is a 3-star hotel, however, service exceeds the 3-star service level, and almost all staff is very friendly and speaks English. Originally the rather simply decorated rooms in the northwest corner of the yard were cheap, while the luxurious rooms in the southeast corner were expensive. Popularity of the hotel has driven up prices of all rooms to the price level of an expensive 4-star hotel. Very central and convenient location.

Edwin Baak

Road to Ta Moan Thom to Be Built

Item in the Phnom Penh Post:

Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered military engineers to build a new 9km road from Prey Veng village in Oddar Meanchey province to the Ta Moan Thom temple complex near the Thai-Cambodian border in a cabinet meeting last week [week of 18 Aug 08].
...
Thai soldiers occupied the Ta Moan Thom temple complex following an escalation in the dispute at Preah Vihear that began in July. They withdrew on August 5 after an agreement was reached between Thai and Cambodian leaders in Oddar Meanchey province, but appear to have reoccupied the ruins over the weekend, military commanders say.

The new road will run from Prey Veng village to a checkpoint gate constructed by Thai forces to prevent civilians and soldiers from accessing the temple. ...

 The complex of three temples is also known as Ta Muen, Ta Muen Toch, and Ta Muen Thom.  Even if Cambodia occupies the primary border temple, Ta Muen Thom, it's probably not realistic for them to occupy the two other smaller sites farther down the road.

Thai and Cambodian Troop Buildup at Preah Vihear

BBC reports:

Cambodia and Thailand moved more troops into an ancient border temple, as a stand-off triggered by a territorial dispute entered its third day.

Four hundred Thai troops and 800 Cambodian soldiers are now stationed at Preah Vihear temple, a Cambodian military chief said.

I wonder if more mines have been cleared in the last couple of years since it didn't appear that there's not that much room past the no-man's land to deploy a lot of troops safely. The condition of the approaches favor reinforcements from the Thai side.

Great Wall Advice Compilation

A compilation of advice on viewing Chinese Great Wall sites, mostly in the Beijing vicinity:
===================

Great Wall close to Beijing?

I'd recommend trying to see the Great Wall at Simatai. It is in Guidebooks. I believe Simatai is the furthest publicly open section that still remains an easy day trip from Beijing. It takes about two hours by private car to reach it. I suspect that the difficulty arriving there by public transportation is the reason it is not smothered by hordes of tourists. There will be other people at Simatai, but nothing like the choking crowds at Badaling (which is easily accessible by public bus).

Simatai also offers the advantage that it has some infrastructure, but it has not been extensively or obtrusively rebuilt. Unlike Badaling, there is no Starbucks or movie theater. Some bricks are new, but most are not. It's very easy to find and photograph bricks bearing their original dates of manufacture. There is a cable car and tram to take one most of the way up the mountain (about 2 kilometers from the parking lot, over relatively inhospitable terrain), and then there are steps built into the mountain to walk up the last 600 meters or so.

The Wall at Simatai location is built along the crest of a steep mountain ridge. The views are breathtaking. Even though the wall is only open for about 1 Km at this stretch, I did not feel deprived in the least. There are many watchtowers and guard houses to explore. If I recall, the guardhouses appeared to be their original condition. After one walks along the wall through several watchtowers, a fence blocks the rest of the way with the announcement that beyond this spot the wall is not open to the public. I would not have ventured past this area anyway, for safety reasons. There are sheer cliffs and crumbling brick.

When I visited Badaling last Fall, it was a huge disappointment after having been to Simatai. The Wall is still spectacular, and I think the portion open at Badaling may be longer, but there is no comparison otherwise.

Alex

========================

David Kasper wrote:

In reality the Great Wall at Jinshanling is the furtherst that one can go and still make it a day trip from Beijing.

Indeed, the turning is less than 20km further on and it's a shorter distance from there to the Wall itself than at Simatai.

It takes about two hours by private car to reach it.

That time will have been cut, or will shortly be cut, by the opening of the Beijing to Chengde expressway. This might also affect the volume of visitors, but there are certainly currently far fewer there than at Simatai, which is the darling of now innumerable tours run at (often absurdly high) prices by budget accommodation. Still, you wouldn't call Simatai crowded.

There are even fewer people than either at Panlong Shan, which is between the two (from a driving point of view). The three sites run west to east: Panlong Shan, Jin Shan Ling, Simatai. Panlong Shan might well be the best choice for Wendy, since just a little bit of work has been done to keep it intact, possibly quite illegally by local peasants who appear to be running the show and may not in fact have proper permission to do so, although a proper ticket is issued. The entrance fee is half that of the other sites, the decay of the Wall just enough to make it romantic yet easy to walk on, and there's none of the massive rebuilding to be found (although also to be walked away from) at Jin Shan Ling and Simatai. There are no cable cars, chair lifts, zip lines, or souvenir sellers of any kind. The problem with souvenir sellers is most intense at Simatai, and on the walk from Jin Shan Ling to there. They cling limpet-like to visitors for long periods and can completely spoil the experience for some.

It's possible to walk from here to Jin Shan Ling in about five hours at a steady dither, but about 1.5 hours of that is spent off the Wall as a military camp has to be skirted, and without detailed directions it's not hard to get lost.

I suspect that the difficulty arriving there by public transportation is the reason it is not smothered by hordes of tourists.

But in the case of all three sites it's only a matter of getting on a Chengde bus and jumping off at the turning, then either walking or negotiating with waiting transportation.

Simatai also offers the advantage that it has some infrastructure, but it has not been extensively or obtrusively rebuilt. Unlike Badaling, there is no Starbucks or movie theater.

Wasn't there a 'Lonely Planet Restaurant' last time I was there?

Mutianyu has the benefit that it can be reached at weekends on Chinese tour buses, and it's a very green site; busy, still with some backpacker tours, but not as busy as Ba Da Ling (nowhere is). It's cursed with souvenir sellers, but under better control, a chair lift, and a sled for coming down.

Anyone wanting a quick trip would be better to choose Juyong Guan over Ba Da Ling: It's nearer and has one tenth of the visitors (or less). This is a long swooping section completely rebuilt about ten years ago, no more or less authentic than Ba Da Ling. Souvenir sellers are kept under tight control and made to stay behind a line. It's easily reached by express aircon bus for ¥12 or less.

Decayed, not legally open but well-known, and not easy by public transport, would be Huanghua Cheng (where people walk round big signs forbidding entry, and pay local farmers a few kuai to walk through their orchards), and Jiankou, which is exceptionally steep even by Wall standards, and with its surface very badly broken up. It's possible to walk from here to Mutianyu, but serious boots and a head for heights both needed.

Result: For Wendy's requirements I'd recommend Panlong Shan, turning both left and right after mounting the Wall, with Jin Shan Ling as second choice. The Panlong Shan entrance (it's a 3km walk from there to the base of the Wall) is on the right immediately before the entrance to the Gu Bei Kou tunnel. Make an early start, buy a ticket for Gu Bei Kou on any Chengde-bound bus, and hop off at the entrance. On the way back cross the road, and flag down any bus with the Beijing characters in the window. Best to be doing that by 4pm or so. You have the other alternative of taking a bus going to Miyun, and a bus back to Beijing from there, the last one leaving around 6.30pm.

Peter N-H
May 26, 2008 at 10:29 AM

Road Conditions in the Anlong Veng, Cambodia Area

Babu posted about some activities in the Anlong Veng area that included some information about traveling there from Siem Reap. I commented on the blog entry, but there wasn't any followup. Anyway, so as not to lose the thought, I'll repeat most of the comment here.

I appreciated the news that there is road improvement progress between Siem Reap and Anlong Veng. Now that the independent tourist overland route between Poipet and Siem Reap is becoming more and more expensive, overland to Siem Reap from the north is becoming more and more attractive.

Is the road to the north sealed much past Banteay Srei? I understand from your blog entry that the part that's not paved is graded. Is it your impression that the grading will extend past Anlong Veng to the border?

I was also interested to read about the school building efforts. Is it your impression that school and library construction efforts such as Room to Read's (http://www.roomtoread.org/countries/cambodia.html) have been effective? I realize that this question may be too broad to answer.

HSBC Branches and ATMs in China

HSBC ATMs in China from the HSBC China site, including those at airports.

Citibank ATMs in Bali

Bandara Bali Arrival International Area (beside Baggage Plane).	Jl. Bandara Ngurah Rai, Denpasar – Bali
Jimbaran Mc Donald Jimbaran	Jl. Raya By Pass Ngurah Ray No.1 Denpasar – Bali
Sanur Mc Donald Denpasar	Jl. Raya By.Pass Ngurah Ray No.109 Denpasar – Bali
Teuku Umar Branch 1	Jl. Teuku Umar, Denpasar Bali
Teuku Umar Branch 2	Jl. Teuku Umar, Denpasar Bali

NPR : 'China Road' Trip

NPR : 'China Road' Trip Gauges a Nation on the Move: "In 2004, Rob Gifford set out on a 3,000-mile journey across China. The NPR correspondent followed a single highway west from Shanghai into the heart of Asia. His trip resulted in a series of stories and now a book, called China Road, a look at the rapidly rising nation."

Sri Lanka closing airport at night after rebel airstrikes - International Herald Tribune

Sri Lanka closing airport at night after rebel airstrikes - International Herald Tribune: "Sri Lanka's only international airport will be closed at night after a series of Tamil Tiger rebel air raids near the capital...

The airport will be shut from 10:30 p.m. to 4:30 a.m each day starting May 10, [2007]"

Need to check times for SQ, which used to arrive and depart during this window.

Funny, Informative Blog on Western China

While looking for information on Tibet Travel Permits, I came across this interesting blog.

Kouangsi Falls, Laos

Kouangsi falls, also known as Tat Kuang Si, approximately 32km West of Luang Prabang, are a series of very picturesque, tiered waterfalls over limestone formations.

Both Lao and foreign tourists visit the falls, mostly the lower pools. There are paths on both the right and left sides of the falls that lead to the top.

If you follow the left path, you can make your way to a large upper pool, though the way there isn't all that obvious. On my second visit I took some photos to provide more detailed instructions and better show the way.
Leaving the "main area," where the access road ends, there are paths both to the right and left. The path to the right goes to the top of the falls along a dirt path and it has an interesting side path, partly on a non-industrial strength wooden walkway that overlooks the falls.

The path to the left, shown here looking down, veers away from the falls and goes through the adjoining forest.


After a 5+ minute walk and scramble up the dirt path, you come to a long wooden set of stair in amazingly good shape, at least, at the time of my visit.














Go up the stairs, past the middle platform, and continue up about 1/2 way from the middle platform. You'll see a flattened "path" on what appears to be a stream that leads to the right and somewhat up. Here's what it looks like looking down the stairs.

There's another path, just below, along a similar offshoot stream. The path just above is much easier to follow.

And here's what it looks like leaving the stairs onto the path. It's obviously slippery. River rafting sandals with good traction are helpful.







Follow the path, such as it is, along the stream.









Continue, heading generally up.
















Continue along. The walk along the stream is fairly brief, perhaps 5 minutes.











The path ends at the falls and the upper pools, which are also tiered.












The upper pools are fine for paddling around. There's no real place to change clothes like the facilities down below, though, but there are a few places to put things to be kept dry, away from the water and spray. It can be helpful to have some plastic bags.






Going back down looks worse than coming up.


























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