Bali's Nyepi day -- Day of Silence --30 March 2006

As part of keeping track of holidays to avoid, I found this good explanation of Bali's Nyepi day at Bali News, Bali Hotels - Villas - Tour and Travel - Information Services: "Bali will celebrate Nyepi - Bali famous 'official day of silence' starting from 6:00 a.m. on Thursday, March 30, 2006 and ending 24 hours later on Friday, March 31st."

For tourists, this means:
"By sunrise on March 30th all will be required to take refuge in their hotels or homes before sunrise - there to remain until the following morning. Major hotels, with the permission of the Island's government, generally allow their guests full use of their various outlets with the understanding that guests will not venture outside the property's grounds. To ensure services to guests are not interrupted, special arrangements are made for the hotel's staff to stay overnight at their place of employment as normal traffic between their homes and place of employment is impossible on Nyepi day.

Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport is closed throughout the designated 24-hour period. Flight are allowed to transit the airport on Nyepi, but no passengers will be permitted to enter or leave the terminal area until the holy day has passed. Special exemptions, however, are made for technical and emergency landings, as well as medical evacuations."

Technorati tags: bali | travel

Japan's Golden Week 2006

A good time to avoid travel to Japan is during the annual Golden Week.

For 2006, "Travel activity is anticipated to peak on May 3 with people leaving the large urban centers and on May 7 in the opposite direction."

Technorati tags: japan | travel

Retiree Health Care Costs

A Fidelity Investments news release discusses health care costs in retirement:

Fidelity estimates that a 65-year old couple retiring today will need $200,000 to cover medical costs in retirement.

The retiree health care cost estimate is calculated annually by Fidelity Investments. The 2006 estimate rose 5.3 percent from the 2005 estimate of $190,000. Since Fidelity's initial estimate of $160,000 in 2002, the number has increased an average 5.8 percent per year.

It's also mentioned that most dental and long term care isn't included in this estimate.

In a related article, Fidelity says, in part:

US Department of Health and Human Services estimates that about 40% of people aged 65 or older have at least a 50% lifetime risk of entering a nursing home. The average stay is 2.4 years, and those with debilitating illnesses such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's could require full-time care for much longer. In 2004, the average daily rate for a private room in a nursing home was $192 or $70,080 annually, but costs vary significantly from state to state.

So, health care in one's later years is likely to be a significant cost. The other companion observation is that fewer companies are offering retiree health benefits. The Fidelity article says:

America is experiencing a double digit decline in the number of companies offering retiree health benefits to their employees

The Fidelity article uses as a source the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research and Educational Trust 2005 Annual Employer Health Benefits Survey 9/14/2005. I didn't review the Kaiser report in fine detail, but I didn't see this observation in the report. The report transcript does say on page 4 that:

Since 2000 the percentage of firms offering coverage has fallen from 69% to 60%.

But the Kaiser report didn't differentiate, as far as I could tell, between regular employee and retiree health care benefits. A more careful reader might agree with the Fidelity interpretation.

So,

• a lot of post retirement income and savings will go to health care
• long term care issues will affect 50% of the population
• companies have been reducing or eliminating health care benefits for at least their retirees, if not both the regular work force as well as retirees.

Routeburn Classic [NZ] Adventure Run

Routeburn Classic run for no more than 225 runners on 13 May 2006. Listed as 38km.

Typically backpackers take 2.5 days/2 nights on the trail.

Trekking Northern Laos

Liz Price in the Malaysian Star writes: "We were in northern Laos, close to the Chinese and Myanmar borders. We had our base in the small town (or more accurately a large village) of Vieng Phoukha, on Route 3 in Luang Namtha province. ...

However Luang Namtha will soon open up to the world as China and Thailand are constructing a highway through the area.
...
We had entered Laos from Thailand. From Chiang Rai we went to the border town of Chiang Khong and took a ferry across the Mekong to Huay Xai [Houay Xai]. Immigration was a breeze as we got our visas on arrival.
...
At Vieng Phoukha [Vieng Phukha], we went to the Eco-Guides office to arrange a trek. This is the newest trekking area in Laos, and the Eco-Guides service is a community-based scheme that currently offers four treks that stop at various ethnic villages like the Akha, Hmong and Khmu. "

This appears to be the link for the eco guide service.
technorati tags: laos | travel

Bus trips [between Ho Chi Minh City and] Phnom Penh rise

Bus trips [betweenHo Chi Minh City and] Phnom Penh rise: "From March 1 [2006], Sapaco, Tourist and Transport Firm will increase one more bus service from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh, Cambodia at 11am and double the services from Ben Thanh Market in Ho Chi Minh City to Moc Bai border in Tay Ninh province... to four services a day, said Le Van Toi, director of Sapaco. Accordingly, from Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penh at the same time, there are buses setting out at 6.30am, 8am, 9am and 11am.
...
The bus fare for the Ho Chi Minh City – Phnom Penh route was raised on 1st January 2006, from VND 145,000 to VND 190,000. Ticket price from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City increased to US $12 from US $9."

Too bad this blurb doesn't mention:

• what kind of buses will be used, Super VIP, VIP, chicken and pig express, etc.
• transit time
• how the border crossing is handled. Does a traveller corss the border and link up with a bus on the other side?

I'm not sure that this is much of an improvement over the café buses or share taxis. Still, more transport alternatives are better than less.

Technorati tags: Travel | Cambodia | Vietnam

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.


























'





technorati tag: laos

Myanmar to use euros for trade, replacing US dollars

Myanmar to use euros for trade : HindustanTimes.com mentions that Myanmar, formerly (and often still) known as Burma, will replace the use of the US dollar with the euro for trade with bordering countries.

The article goes on to say:

Myanmar decided Aug 10, 2003, that government organisations and private enterprises should use euros in place of US dollars for international business transactions including import and export.

What's interesting about this is that as recently as November, 2004, when I visited, the US dollar was a completely parallel currency and many hotels would only accept payment in dollars, paid as cash since the use of credit or debit cards wasn't really possible. I seem to remember people actually having problems trying to use euros, even in Rangoon/Yangon.
myanmar
burma

Nong Khai/Udon Thani, Thailand <--> Vientiane, Laos Bus

I mentioned in a previous post about the new Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand <--> Pakse, Laos bus service, to commence in February, 2006. Previously the Tourism Authority of Thailand had announced service between both Nong Khai and Udon Thani, Thailand to Vientiane, Laos.

Here's an excerpt from the announcement:

The routes will operate from the Thai province of Nong Khai to the Lao PDR capital of Vientiane, and from the Thai province of Udon Thani to Vientiane. Both will go across the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge, the first to be opened across the Mekong River in 1994.

The Nong Khai - Vientiane route is about 30 kms and will be covered in 30 minutes. The Udon Thani - Vientiane route is about 80 kms and will be covered in a little more than an hour, excluding the time that will be spent at the border crossing.

One-way fares for the two routes are 30 baht and 80 baht respectively.

The state-owned transport companies of Thailand and Lao PDR will each operate two round-trip services a day on both routes. Thailand's Transport Company Limited will operate 45-seat air-conditioned buses.

A timetable was also included.

The contact information given is:
TAT Northeastern Office: Region 5
Tel: +66 4232 5406 – 7
Fax: +66 4232 5408
E-mail: tatudon@tat.or.th

technorati tags: laos | thailand

Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand <--> Pakse, Laos Bus Service

The Bangkok Post News reports on a bus service starting February, 2006 between Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand and Pakse, Laos with four daily trips on 40-seat air-conditioned buses on the 138-km route. The one-way fare will be 200 baht. No mention of duration or how the border crossing will be handled.

The backpacker level alternative is to take a pickup from Warin Chamrab, bus stop #7, the town a couple of km South of the river from Ubon Ratchathani, to Phibun Mangsahan on route 217 (1 hour, 15 baht (?)). This connects to another pickup to the border at Chong Mek, about 1.5 hours. The last connection from the border to Pakse is a pickup that takes about 1 hour. Current prices unknown for these last two segments.
======================================
Edited to add: So, after the preceding was written, I took the B200 bus from Thailand to Lao in March, 2006 and returning from Lao to Thailand in April,. 2006.

The bus takes about 3 hours, including border formalities. The bus stops at the border, all the passengers get out, and pass through exit immigration. Then they reboard the bus, cross the border, and get off the bus again. If anyone needs a visa for Lao, they can get it on arrival with one photo and US$30. Each person them passes through immigration. If entering Lao, there's a fee of THB50.

The bus then continues on to the bus terminal in either Pakse or Ubon. It's hard to imagine that the backpacker alternative that I outline above would be the best way to go for anyone needed to go between Ubon and Pakse. I did see some backpackers at the border, but they may not have known about the bus or had other destinations in mind,
laos
thailand

Huynh Ann Hotel Saigon HCMC Vietnam

The Huynh Ann hotel is a decent mid range hotel located in the Pham Ngu Lao area of Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon.

Aircon with breakfast for the room shown for one person was US$15, including breakfast and all taxes as of March, 2005.

Laundry done daily was about $1/day.

26A/2 Do Quang Dau
District 1
+84 8 920 3566
Fax +84 8 9203588
huynhanhhotel@yahoo.com

saigon
vietnam

Between London and Heathrow: Heathrow Express, Heathrow Connect, Underground

The Heathrow Connect train seems to be a decent, cheaper alternative to the Heathrow Express for transport between Heathrow and central London and may be more convenient that the Underground. Bus, taxi, and perhaps other methods are also possible. You can check the Heathrow site for these alternatives.

Here's a comparison among the Heathrow Connect, Heathrow Express, and the Underground for:

• fare,
• approximate elapsed time, and
• convenience (subjectively judged).

The comparison isn't exact since, while the Heathrow Express and Connect terminate at Paddington Station, getting to Paddington from the Underground would require a transfer and, if one is going into centralmost London, a transfer to another Underground line or a taxi from Paddington would be required.

Fare (as of December, 2005, assuming adult, one way travel at peak times purchased from a ticket machine or window):
Underground to Piccadilly Circus £3.80
Underground Zones 1-6 Travelcard (allowing travel from Heathrow to town as well as unlimited Underground and bus rides for the rest of the day) £12.00
Heathrow Connect to Paddington £9.50
Heathrow Express to Paddington £14.00

(note: there are some discounts on fares that are worth looking into, especially for adults travelling with children, travel during off-peak periods after 9:30AM or weekends, and so on. The details are at the Transport for London site.)

Elapsed Time (assuming starting from Terminals 1, 2 0r 3):
Underground to Piccadilly Circus 47 minutes, every 15 minutes
Heathrow Connect to Paddington 26 minutes, every 30 minutes
Heathrow Express to Paddington 15 minutes, every 15 minutes

Convenience:
Underground can be crowded with lots of baggage in the aisles. It's not uncommon to have to stand all the way into London. Once in London, there can be lots of stairs to negotiate with your baggage.

Heathrow Express has places in the cars for baggage near the doors.

Heathrow Connect: I've not taken this service, so I can't comment. The Amiable Heretic's post "360203 at London Paddington," has a comment on the cars themselves with a photo. The additional maximum waiting time, 30 minutes versus 15, is a factor.
[update: I've taken this service once from LHR to Paddington. It's a good, cheaper, slower alternative to Heathrow Express.]

The bottom line is that, especially during non-peak periods, it may be cheapest overall to take the Underground, especially if you expect to travel by bus or Underground for the rest of that day or you're travelling with up to 4 children who are 5-15, inclusive. Hauling lots of baggage up the stairs in the Underground can be a major pain, however.

london

Saysong Guest House Vang Vieng Laos

There are plenty of lodging styles in Vang Vieng, though only a few have decent views. One of the better economy options is the Saysong guest house, which has a great location right in the market, with a balcony overlooking the river with karst mountains on the horizon.

Decent fan cooled rooms are US$3 ( March, 2004 pricing). You may want to bring a lock to use with the hasp already on the door to supplement the somewhat lax security offered by the hotel's own door lock

Here are some pictures of the guest house. A view of a room.












The ensuite bathroom with western style toilet













The hotel lobby with the town market immediately outside














A view from the guest house balcony, across the river with the karst hills in the background

SaySong Guest House
+856 23 511130

laos

Queen's Park Hotel Yangon (Rangoon) Myanmar (Burma)

The Queen's Park hotel, located 10 minutes walk East of the main shopping area, is a decent, mid range hotel in Rangoon/Yangon. (This information is current as of November, 2004.)

The hotel has a better than average restaurant with Burmese, Chinese, and Western food. Laundry is relatively cheap and quick, too. No Internet service.

The rooms were clean and secure and the Western style bathroom was better than average for Asia. There's an elevator, unusual for a hotel of this class in Asia.

The front desk staff was helpful and spoke reasonable English.

The cost was US$15/night in cash for a single room with bathroom though we negotiated a 7% discount. No tax or service. The restaurant, minibar (for example, bottled water), and laundry were charged in Kyat.

There was an inexpensive coffee shop across the street that opened in the morning before the restaurant. It had outdoor seating, but the mosquitos really precluded sitting outside.

The 50th Street Bar and Grill, affiliated with the Foreign Correspondents' Clubs of Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, was 10 minutes walk South East through a fairly interesting mixed commercial-residential district.

Maybe it's just me, but i like having some idea of what the rooms look like, so I'll include a few pictures.

Queen's Park Hotel
No 132, Anawrahta Road
(Corner of Bo Myat Tun Street)
Botataung Township
Yangon, Myanmar
+951 296 447
fax: +951 293 596


burma
myanmar
rangoon
yangon

Angkor -- Siem Reap Tour Guide

Heard from an acquaintance that the Angkor -- Siem Reap tour guide we recommended did a good job for her companion and her on a recent trip.

The guide is:
(Mr) Darith Touch
phone +855 12 793 908
darith_touch@yahoo.com

English speaking for sure. I see from his business card that he speaks Japanese, too, but I can't vouch for that.

What I can vouch for is good English skills, a good ability to arrange for transport and accommodation. He's honest and hard working. I've known him for some years now and I find him thoroughly reliable.

cambodia

Hotel Strategy London December, 2005

Ok, since three people, two adults and one 11 year old, are going, Priceline is out, since I wanted to get just one room and Priceline, realistically, is good for 2 people at most, especially in Europe where you can get stuck with a postage stamp sized room . Also, frankly, I didn't want to hear the complaining if they got stuck with a smoking room or it was awful in some other way.

Too bad since I scored an $80/night room ($68 bid), no breakfast, at the well located Thistle Bloomsbury in October. Lots of people hate the Thistle Bloomsbury, but it was fine for me. Clean, quiet, with a good location one block from the British Museum and 5 minutes walk from Holborn tube station.

Hotwire was more ambiguous than I could handle for this particular trip, with a price of $190/night including everything for a reputed 4*.

Getting a room in London for 3 people is a pain. It seems the big chains have rooms for 3 and that's about it. (Well, I know the smaller places, such as those on Gower have triples, but the en suite bathrooms are so small you literally can't turn around in them.)

Anyway, after making a "safety" booking at the Holiday Inn by Oxford Circus for about $241/night, including VAT, I found a rate of $212/night inclusive of taxes and fees at Expedia for the Radisson SAS Portman, which is in a decent area. So, unless something better comes to mind, that's that.

London Theatre Strategy -- December 2005

Ok, theatre strategy. I like to start by looking at what tickets have been available recently for discount at the TKTS booth. For instance, today's offerings at the TKTS booth include several of Time Out's recommendations.

Although it's kinda cheesy, one of the gang wants to see Fame, which I've found generally available at TKTS.

Musicals seem to have enough energy that you don't doze off in the middle from jet lag. So, Les Miz and Phantom sound pretty good.

Epitaph for George Dillon is billed as a comedy, but, when I saw it in October, it certainly wasn't a laugh a minute. Pretty adult, but the redeeming factor here is Joseph Fiennes in a lead role.

Last, Lion King, which I've been warned off of, but I don't think we'll be going to New York anytime soon to see it, so perhaps this is the right time and place.

End of Year Holidays in London

We're planning for things-to-do in London for the end of year holidays, from late December through New Year's day. The things that are in focus so far as:

• theatre
• museums
• London walks
• the usual attractions.

I've found the Time Out London site a good point of departure for the usual tourist stuff.