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There are many other links on my AOB blog page.

Travels; people and places

My picture albums are hosted by google and can be accessed through links on this page. For some countries/cities I have given a few ideas, recommendations and stories from my travels.

Any recommendations or advice are inevitably very personal. If there is something here that you like then enjoy!!

From 2002, 2003 and 2004

Sailing off Phuket: Sailing from Phuket; calm waters, stunning bays and beaches, great food, friendly people. And we did not see a single shark the whole weekend.

We hired our yacht from Sunsail who you can find at http://www.sunsail.com. Our Oceanis 350 could sleep six. But three or four is enough. You need at least one person with experience. Preferably someone who has a least a day skipper's qualification.

We sailed to Koh Mai Thon. There is a resort (The Maiton Resort) on the other side of the island from the moorage. This is a full-service resort occupying its own island, a rare advantage in this area. The accommodations here are first class, and the beach and surrounding waters are idyllic. The island is small, and there are not many places to go, so this is for those who want a truly relaxing, do-little holiday.

The moorage itself is not so well sheltered.

We continued the following day heading south to Koh Racha Noi and back north to Koh Racha Rai. On a clear day this island appears as a hazy hump on the horizon south from Phuket. It is quite hilly, with the boulder-strewn shores dropping into beautiful clear water. There are only two beaches, both at the northern end closest to Phuket. The one of these with water deep enough for boats to anchor (see picture above) is popular, with many visitors heading this way during the winter season. But most return by night, leaving the island for those few who stay, either moored in the bay or in about three dozen bungalows here. The bungalows are rather basic, and prices are higher than elsewhere, usually about 500 Baht. But the beach here is special….

There are seafood restaurants and bars open throughout the day and evening on both beaches.

There are many other islands off Phuket; all accessible by boat. They are summarised here: http://www.phuketnet.com/attractions_islands.htm

Penang: October 2003. Exotic Georgetown. There probably is no more multicultural city in the whole of Asia. The largest city on Penang Island, Georgetown (pop. 251,000) is a blend of cultures. The diverse Chinese, Indian and Malay population will fit anyone's image of an exotic South Asian seaport. The town is best seen by foot, in part because taxis are so hard to find, exploring all the interesting little streets, or by bicycle rickshaw. Diners can enjoy a wide selection of good food at the local restaurants -- everything from Malaysian satays to Chinese stir-fry.

The city's most famous landmark is the Eastern and Oriental Hotel (the "E&O"). Set on the waterfront, the recently restored E&O was built in 1855 by the Sarkie brothers of Raffles (Singapore) and Strand (Rangoon) fame. Take the funicular railway up Penang Hill for the excellent view (there's also a small cafe, hotel and Hindu temple on top). Visit some of the city's other sights in the British colonial part of town: St. George's Church, Ft. Cornwallis and the Clock Tower (built in honor of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee). You can also drive or walk along the waterfront, Gurney Drive, to see the beautiful houses built in the 1800s. Stop in the modern Gurney Hotel or Gurney Plaza to cool down.

Since my last visit, which admittedly was 19 years ago, an airport has been built and a bridge to peninsular Malaysia. The bridge has changed the city beyond recognition. The population has probably tripled in the last 19 years; there are highways, traffic jams, high rise buildings, and substantial new towns across the island.

Yet Georgetown still feels like a small city. Sadly the old docks area is very run down.

Taxis are elusive ! Meters are rare; they are not that expensive; its just frustrating !

Laos - Luang Prabang: January 2004. Luang Prabang is some 80 minutes flight from Bangkok but is in a different world and a different time. It is a small country town that occupies a space in both historical and modern Laos that is has a far greater than its simple size would ever suggest.

Established in the 14th century as a royal capital it has been invaded, occupied and pillaged throughout history. Yet over 30 wats (temples) remain intact, many in the peninsular formed by the junction of the Nam Khan river with the Mekong. The historic heart of the city was designated a UNESCO site in 1995 and there are significant restrictions on construction.

The local population of the city and surrounding villages is only about 30,000 people.

This is a town for walking; there are few cars. There are motorised rickshaws, scooters or you can hire a bike. The French left baquettes, croissants, wine, some colonial architecture and petanque (really !). And there are many French visitors. It was good to be in a place where you can speak English, Thai and French in almost the same sentence and hear all three spoken in any cafe. It gives the city a very European and cosmopolitan feel.

The center of the city is the hill, and wat, of Phousi; this should be climbed for sunrise (too early!) or sunset.

Lazy, misty mornings; river cruises, markets, craft stalls, Lao and French food, cool evenings, Beer Lao and gentle friendly people. They are relaxed around visitors, not forceful, direct or pushy. The pace of life is slow. Enjoy it. There is not a Starbucks, Holiday Inn or Big Mac in site. Long may it stay that way.

Villa Santi is a nice place to stay; there are many other converted homes that are now guest houses or small hotels. Stay near the river in the old part of town.

PB Air and Bangkok Airways fly daily. A 15 day visa costs US$30 on arrival. This may be the most expensive purchase that you make! 

Cambodia - Angkor Wat:

Burma Burma Daze; July 2006 : Pictures from Rangoon, Inle and Bagan

Vietnam August 2006: Pictures from Hoi An

Cambodia Pictures from Angkor Wat

Hong Kong Hong Kong from around 2003 to date. Older pictures from 1994 are pre-digital and need to be scanned one day!

Some special Places to be in Hong Kong - these may not be in your travel guide !

For adults

• Sai Kung - the Kau Sai Chau golf course
• Clearwater Bay - escape to the beach
• Shatin City Centre - another world.
• A Wednesday night at the Happy Valley races -
• The "Big Buddha" on Lantau at the Po Lin Monastery
• Dinner at Cafe Deco or the Peak Cafe - both at the Peak.
• The markets in Mongkok
• Stanley market and lunch at Murray House.
• Shenzen for a day - the new face of China !

For kids

• The Hong Kong Science Museum
• Tram rides
• Ocean Park
• The cross harbour ferries
• The aviary in Hong Kong park (Admiralty)

For families

• Island Hopping
• Bike riding on Cheung Chau
• The Lamma trail
• The Hong Kong history museum in TST East
• Ice Skating - Festival Walk or Cityplaza are both good !
• Stanley market, beach, and a meal at Murray House
• Shek O beach
• Clearwater Bay
• Sai Kung peninsular
• A walk around the Peak

An online guide to Hong Kong with practical links is here.

Macau  Pictures from various trips to Macau 

Macau is prospering; and after Bangkok its open embrace of all that is sinful is quite refreshing. Macau is booming. Through reclamation the city has double in size in the last few years; it needs the space for the new casinos and the rush of mainland gamblers.

Las Vegas has brought its glitz and glitter to Macau; unfortunately it has not yet brought the rich famous and glamorous! Macau's casinos were once squalid and rather sordid; now they are sparkling; it is just the people that are still sordid. Macau gets many of the worst of the China's new generation of tourists; groups of rude, badly clothed, chain smoking males; all of whom appear to be rather desperate. It is a bit how I imagine the Wild West must have been.

Chain smoking is a compulsion, even in the shiny new Sands casino. And there appear to be no designated non smoking areas.

Macau makes no secret of the fact that it is thriving off vice; there is no attempt to close bars by midnight or 1am on the pretext of trying to eliminate drugs or underage drinking. There is a door policy at all the casinos and it is carefully enforced. Macau is open 24 hours. It is a late night town and it makes money all day.

Sadly most (99% maybe) of its visitors are not there to enjoy its history; to enjoy its fine food, its spas or resorts. Macau' so called Lan Kwai Fong, on reclaimed land near the Cultural Centre is a pale shadow of its Hong Kong namesake with more restaurants appearing to be closing than opening. It was very quiet on a warm Saturday night.

And those visitors who do not get past the casinos are missing out on an attractive coastal city with a faded European style and are missing out on some of the best food and wine in Asia.
Macau's government prospers on its 15% betting levy. It has used these funds to successfully bid for the 2005 East Asian Games; new sports stadia are being built for these Autumn 2005 games including the main stadium on Taipa Island. The new Macau Tower and Convention Centre provide a focal point. Fisherman's Wharf between Sands and the Hong Kong Ferry Terminal will open by Summer 2005 and will provide something more than the standard casino fodder.

Macau's most famous hotel is the Lisboa - and it is all that is good and bad about Macau rolled into one. The hotel staff were welcoming and very polite. The room was huge - newly renovated, tastefully furnished, well lit and very comfortable; but the public areas are gaudy in the extreme and the Chinese guests seem unable to read any of the no smoking signs in the elevators.

Attached to the hotel is a ground floor shopping mall. There are many restaurants and the usual array of jewelery and souvenir stores. There is also a constant parade of mainland hookers looking for clients. This may happen in other hotels or streets in Macau as well. It is just so blatant next to the Lisboa. And they are a pretty hard looking crew as well.

And that's modern Macau. Prospering from vice, greed, avarice, lust and any of the other sins that you can think of. And that is part of its appeal and part of the risk for its future. It needs a broader based economy and a broader based tourist appeal.
 

Shanghai A wet winter weekend in February 2002. Shanghai - brave new world in search of its heart

Perhaps more than any other city in the world Shanghai is about making and spending money. It is an obsession and it drives the city's growth,

The changes are remarkable; but they leave the city without a centre and without a heart. The infrastructure is remarkable. A sparkling new granite and marble airport. This was built by men. It is crying out for a woman's touch; a little bit of colour or a little bit of whimsy.

The Pudong development area has been an architect's dream. Their buildings show fantastic size and shape. But there is no continuity to the buildings. They don't seem to fit together. The old Bund was an example of similar style buildings that seemed to all be in the right place. Not now; the skyline is confused and needs definition.

And the city needs a park and playgrounds. Every great city has a substantial park; a place where people go to find the green lungs of the city. And they need playgrounds where the next generation can be indulged and make as much noise as they like. You don't see too many kids on the streets of Shanghai.

It is also becoming a world class city in terms of prices. For those people who can afford it - living in style in Shanghai is easy to do and comes at a price.

But go and see the Xintiandi area; restaurants, bars, stores in a wonderfully renovated old style Shanghai. Go to T8 (at No 8, Xintiandi North Part) for dinner, its not cheap but it is very stylish.

Be cautious with local Shanghainese food; this can be very oily. One restaurant must have recycled its cooking oil many times.

But the lasting images of Shanghai are of far too many people smoking. And they are heavy smokers. Near the entrance (or exit if you are contrarian) of my hotel there are some seating areas occupied almost permanently by groups of men in heavy coats chain smoking !

It is a city where young professionals make money ! They work. they go out to eat and drink; they catch up with some sleep and they start all over again. It is a bit like the wild west used to be but with mobile phones.

Oh yes, mobile phones. They do not get turned off in cinemas. Ravel's Bolero for some two minutes was a bit unnecessary!

The Grand Theatre is spectacular; but was dark on a Saturday night. Andrew Lloyd Weber's Cats is coming to town. There is culture. There are a galleries, an attractive Art Museum, and other museums. There us a new tunnel under the Bund - a tourist tunnel. That costs RMB 30 one way. The subway costs 2RMB to cross under the Bund !

A big, bold, brash city. 110% hard working but in need of a little more heart.

 

Thailand One of the great vacation countries. City life, beach life, country life, sports, food, spas. Great people and great value. There are plenty of web sites that will tell you where to go, where to stay and what to see. Here are a few more personal experiences:

Golf and Plane-spotting in Bangkok. - the most unlikely combination

Staying at Karon Beach in July 2004

Sailing from Phuket - life on the ocean waves off Phuket

Hua Hin - Hua Hin was Thailand's first beach resort. Although it is still an active fishing village, it is now home to some 65,000 residents and is the summer time home for Thailand's royal family.

It is a peaceful escape from Bangkok - the beach is quiet, and although it is not great for swimming but it goes on for ever - you can walk all the way up the coast to Cha-Am.

There are six top class golf clubs within a 20 minute drive of the city. The closest is Thailand's oldest course, the Royal Hua Hin, next to the railway station in the centre of the city.

The city has become busier and more fashionable over the last few years. Chiva-Som is a world famous spa for stressed out superstars, the Marriott and Hyatt have opened beach front properties. The Hilton is in the city centre. The oldest hotel in town is the old Railway Hotel, now renovated and managed by Sofitel/Central. The resort includes the hotel and 41 Thai style bungalows of the Central Hua Hin Village. They are by the beach bit in the center of town.

Along the waterfront there are many smaller hotels; catering to weekending Thai families, expats and visitors. Many have spa facilities.

In the city there are seafood and other restaurants (Italian is popular), a night market, coffee shops, and some bars with pool and would be girlfriends. But this is not Pattaya; it is all very laid back and well dressed !!

To get to Hua Hin:

There is a daily 30 minute SGA (Siam General Aviation) flight - this is an expensive choice.

The train takes about 4 hours from Bangkok. Scenic but slow.

Air conditioned buses leave the Southern bus terminal in Thonburi every 30 minutes. The cheapest route at about Baht 130 one way.

Or hire a car and driver to take you there.

 

Bangkok - the Grand Palace and the River

Chiang Mai - Doi Suthep

Canada Vancouver - including pictures from a low - flying sea plane!

Australia The contrasting cities of Sydney and Melbourne in Spring time.

Singapore The always changing appearance of Singapore; very accessible, and just a little exotic. Asia for first time visitors and the less adventurous!

Malaysia  Georgetown, Penang A melting pot of civilisations, cuisines, cultures and lifestyles; now significantly developed; sadly growth has meant traffic jams and pollution.

Europe

Copenhagen, Stockholm, Paris and Rome in 2005 and 2006

Favourite Links

Circle Of Asia - your online travel consultant Travel agency organizes tour packages and hotel reservations; provides a guide to Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and other destinations in Asia.

Dragonair Holidays Short breaks from Hong Kong to Dragonair destinations; sightseeing, cultural and golfing trips.

Smart Travel Asia Useful tips and destination guides, edited by a guy of annoying arrogance.