Phnom Penh

Hi Bloggers,

I've just been on a trip to Cambodia with my friend Gerrit, who came over from Japan. I had actually already been once before in 2000 and was interested to see how much Cambodia had come on since then. To be quite honest, the answer is not a lot, except for the area right down by the river, which has become extremely touristified, and also along the main boulevards, where some quite impressive new hotels have sprung up.

Basically, though, Phnom Penh remains a rough, dirty city with limited amenities, stifling traffic and shockingly dangerous driving. Nevertheless, there's no denying its attractions - the royal palace, ubiquitous temples, French colonial architecture, the reminders of the Khmer Rouge and a stunning location at the confluence of the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers. Khmer cuisine is also a pleasant surprise. Softer and milder than Thai cuisine, I think it suits westerners better actually.

The terrible reminders of the Pol Pot regime
Anyway, we spent three days here, which included trips to the Killing Fields and the Toul Sleng S-21 interrogation centre (read torture camp). We also rented motorbikes and rode out in the country around. Flat terrain with numerous but isolated toddy palms is the main feature of the Cambodian landscape.

S-21 cells where detainees were kept

Typical Cambodian landscape

Nong Khai

Hi Bloggers,

Here are some shots of my recent trip to Nong Khai. Nong Khai's as charming and sleepy a town as you could hope to find. It lies on the mighty Mekong River which flows unrelentingly on down to Vietnam. The Mekong is one of the widest rivers in Asia, and here is no exception. On the other side you can see Laos. In fact, you can even go across for a day trip via the Friendship Bridge. Mind you, your pocket'll be about $20 lighter for this privilege.

Apart from the laid back feel of the market and central area, the main attraction is Wat Sala Kaew Kou. Within the temple compound is the now famous Sculpture Park, with a huge array of all kinds of statue. Most depict some aspect of the Buddha or Buddhism, but there are also some strange animals, such as dogs and snakes.

Udon Thani

Robinson's - the heart of modern Udon Thani
Last week I made a return trip to Udon Thani, in the far north of Isaan. Actually it's my favourite town up there, as it's got a really sleepy laid back feel to it, in strong contrast to hustle and bustle of Khon Kaen, for example. Yet at the same time, it has a modern downtown area centred around Robinson's. None of the other Isaan towns seem as developed. So it's a great mix of traditional and modern. It's also quite open-planned and easily navigable on a motorbike. Finally, there's a significant farang population, resulting in plenty of appropriate restaurants and bars.

There are tropical plants everywhere














The kind of fare on offer!

A farang area

Singapore

Hi Folks,

Just been to Singapore for three days. Officially I went to get a new visa for my sojourn in Thailand, but, of course, I made a good holiday of it too. I thought it might be boring visiting it a second time, but actually the converse turned out to be true.

It's such a vibrant place, and has really begun to shake off its squeaky clean image. In fact, I thought parts of Singapore looked downright shabby, something few would have dared say ten years ago! Also the shopping malls are starting to look dated. And the MRT? Well, it's definitely in need of a face lift. Maybe, though, my view was shaped by coming there straight from Bangkok, which really is at the cutting edge these days.

Nevertheless, the buzz of the place is undeniable, whether one's in the financial district, Orchard Road, Chinatown, Boat Quay or even impoverished Geylang. Just the sheer number of people busily hiving there way around, all so purposefully. And that combined with these beautifully tranquil tropical green oases of parks everywhere in the town.

It's also a very different kind of vibe from the rest of S.E. Asia, being so Chinese. Strangely, there is an actual Chinatown, but in reality the whole place is one big Chinatown! I think what makes the official Chinatown special is the survival of all the old merchant buildings and the ubiquitousness of the food centres. Plus all those tacky souvenir shops!

And food - boy, can you get it here! Chinese, Thai, Malay, Indian, Indonesian - all catered for in abundance. This is certainly a place to extend your knowledge of cuisine, and particularly Chinese. Mind you, I seemed to end up eating Indian and Malay food as much as anything.

Anyway, by the end, I must say I was really quite sad to leave.

Will write up more about it soon

Phuket

Hi Folks,

It's certanly a long time since I've done any blogging, so I'd better get back to it! Well my latest trip was just down the road to Phuket, well trodden territory indeed. Nevertheless I was interested to see how far it had come since the tsunami. In fact, I had been there just three days before that terrible event. I'm pleased to say you wouldn't even know it had happened. In fact, it's probably even more developed now than before, particularly along Karon beach.

I rode right around the island, and must say you never really feel you're completely away from it, unlike Koh Samui, where you really can get that feeling on its west coast. Nevertheless, I enjoyed my stay and found a few side paths that offered real isolation and seclusion. But generally, I'd say don't come here if you're looking for solitude or something different.