It seems that Facebook won from the blog. Have a look at the pictures of this heavenly hot spring hotel on my Facebook album. Lovely room with a view of the valley and mountains…
Annora Bali - Flower petals on arrival
I had the pleasure to travel with a good friend of mine, who for one reason or another finds his way to luxury… I just follow. But during this (and previous) trips I had the chance to stay in some quite special places – unaffordable in Belgium, but quite accessible here (even for a self-employed copywriter who just finished his last contract) – Pics below. (more…)
The result of all the bargaining... Health (let's hope)
Even though the volcanic hot springs were heaven – judging from the Indonesian angels splashing around in the water ;-) the baths did not turn out as healthy as they proclaimed to be. By the time we arrived in Seminyak, my ear was twitching and hurting. Nothing that a short visit to our local doctor can’t fix – even though that also involved some negotiation and bargaining skills… with the doctor and the nurse! (more…)
Sticky rice on the rice terraces
For some reason Indonesia (Bali) seems tougher to get around in than Thailand. There’s a lot more ‘services’ that just blatantly rip you off – with a friendly smile. Once you get a feel for the prices though, you can get good deals – so we booked ourselves a trip around Bali, mixing and matching the ‘standard tours’ and going off the tourist trail a bit. I’m not sure if the mixing of different sights was a good idea, as we ended up spending quite some hours in the car getting to the sights… But I guess that a road trip involves being on the road… lots of road… Pics below. (more…)
Follow the masses into boats, islands and snorkling
What does one do when one is in Phuket. Well, some would go to all the girly or boy bars. Well, we didn’t. We went on another kind of tour, which is just as much advertised on the corner of each street: a boat trip to Phi Phi Island (Ko Phi Phi).
Already when arriving at Phuket airport, the tourist hunters try to trick you in all kind of different ways into tours, packages, accommodation, services and what not (yep, probably also those). (more…)
Beach boy at sunset
Phuket… I suppose you can see it as a huge playground. There are bars and restaurants at every corner of the street and in between there’s a tourist shop or travel agency at every second step. And in certain areas of town, the lights grow dim, the clothes become scarce and the men older and fatter. Whatever it is, it certainly isn’t Thailand.
So what is it that draws dozens of millions of tourists to Phuket every year – both international but also local? (more…)
Have your pick, or is it d...
Another one on the list of surreal temples – one dedicated to Fertility: the Mae TupTim shrine. And fertility for the Thais seems to be a quite ‘male affair’ as you will see on the pictures… The shrine is well hidden behind the parking lot of the Nai Lert Park hotel, a 15 minute walk from the nearest Skytrain station, but quite interesting. Well, let’s say, it depends on your ‘interests’ – hehe.
If you are interested in more ‘funny’ temples: have a look at the ‘Million Bottle Temple‘, the disputed Preah Vihaer temple or the forgotten jungle temple – and more temples.
Sunset at the pool on the 10th floor
Oh my Buddha – all this travelling has quite some effect on me – when Bangkok starts becoming ‘usual’ or even a ‘homey feeling’. I speak the basic tourist survival Thai – know the best dishes to comfort my palate – have found the corners of the concrete jungle that are soothing – able to use the public transport eyes closed – no more need to visit the tourist traps, because been there, done that – a few good places to stay, from nice to luxury – and most of all: indulge in shopping: Thai and cheap. (pics below)
So our regular routine goes as follows: (more…)
Happy year of the Cat - 2011
Don’t get in a fight now – it doesn’t really matter. Some call it Chinese New Year, some call it Vietnamese ‘Tet’. Fact is that 3 February is new year on ‘this side’ of the globe. The Vietnamese celebrate the year of the cat, which for strange reasons, in the Chinese world it is the year of the rabbit. (something got lost in translation?) – pics below.
However, both of the new years involve lots of kitchy decorations, sporting either rabbits or kitties for 2011. Red envelopes are present everywhere, in the New Year trees (who said only christians decorated pagan trees ;-), in your pocket (if all goes well) and you should make sure red envelopes make it to the pockets of your relatives and friends. In a tourist city, like Siem Reap, where life never stops to vibrate, all of a sudden shops close (tough luck for the tourists) and bus prices double. (more…)
Jungle likes temple ;-) Me too
How much temples can one digest? I had seen a fair bit of Angkor Wat temples on my previous trip, so now it was time to see the more ‘special ones’ (like the Million bottle Temple). I went to see the Bang Malea jungle temple some 75 km from Siem Reap (pics below).
Think twice before venturing out too far too pee: mines!
Bang Mealea is a temple that was long lost and forgotten and it had completely fallen to ruins. The jungle nevertheless adopted the ruins and trees grew upon the ancient buildings. As it is far away from Siem Reap (1,5 hours by tuk tuk), it is relatively peaceful and quiet, set amidst de shady greenery. Visiting the temple actually involves climbing over the rubble and ducking under the doorways – I assume, completely in line with health and safety regulations (yeah, right). (more…)
The Wedding Tent (I want one like that!)
Hm, what is the ‘interculturally sensitive’ action when the neighbour of your Cambodian guesthouse gets married: meaning 120 decibel (very) Khmer music starting at 5am during 2 days, to attract the good spirits…?
Pictures of the wedding below (more…)
The traditional 'I was there' pic ;-)
One of the must-sees on my trip and the reason for hopping over the not so common Thai-Khmer border crossing, was the Preah Vihaer temple. It is not only declared UNESCO world heritage (since 2008) but it is also the subject of vigorous quibbles between two oh-so peaceful countries. So if even two zen countries fight a war over it, it must be amazing (pics below).
So I asked well around before setting off to this well hidden temple at the Thai border. The holy guidebook told me that the trip involved having dollars ready to ‘support’ the Cambodian soldiers (so that they let you through). My guesthouse girl (who looked very much like a boy though) told me that there were shared taxis from the one and only Anlong Veng roundabout going to the road crossing at the foot of the hill/mountain. From there I would need to take a motorbike up the steep slopes (because no common vehicles would manage). (more…)
Chong Sa Ngam TH-KH border crossing
The guidebook said it was possible, the Internet that knows it all too. So I decided to try the most remote border crossing from Si Saket (TH) into Anlong Veng (KH). A little adventure, especially as I started off in the wrong direction. Actually, I didn’t have a clue which direction but still pointed the motorbike taxi in the wrong direction. Wrong wrong wrong…
How to get sunburn for double the price?
Made out of a million bottles
This is the most impressive temple ever. Even though I’ve seen Angkor Wat near Siem Reap or Bangkok’s Grand Palace, this well-hidden temple in the North-East of Thailand is surely the most original. A temple completely made out of glass bottles! (pics below). (more…)
Spaceship buses: imagine light coming out of every crevice
As I would be going up to Bangkok later, I decided to head straight for the North-East: the real Thailand: Isaan, where hardly any tourists go (unless they get lost or want to go to Laos). That also means that people don’t speak English, but they help you all the more ;-) But what really impressed me was the public transport: the buses and the trains. (more…)
The beginning of another little trip around the world
Thailand just makes me smile: the overdose of pinkness, the constant hellos of the children, people helping you out no matter you speak a different language, the Thai massage by frail giggling girlies that could nevertheless easily break your bones, temples made out of recycled bottles or buses that look like spaceships and the trains that are like planes…
Boracay equals Beach
This time round I haven’t been very much into writing, because of combining a Filipino household, work for back home and making sure I get some holiday at the same time. Therefore, I’ll have to satisfy you with some pictures giving a vague impression of a month in the tropics…
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So I had the chance to visit my little angel again in Boracay. Four weeks down in the Pilipinas, on the paradise island. But what should I be doing all this time? After one week a comfortable routine slowly installed itself:
The view from my Boracay office for the coming weeks
6am – wake up ceremony
Presumed Heteroseksual (with KS to avoid being blacklisted by your provider)
Some picture impressions of the Belgian Pride – 35000 people partying in the streets (even though the parade itself is rather pathetic and un-creative). They changed the name from Gay and Lesbian Pride to Belgian pride – because ‘everybody’ should be proud to be what they are…
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My kingdom for a pink BKK taxi
The end: a last torture massage, stuffing myself with Thai favourites, a last dip in the pool (35°), a last walk through the Red Shirt war zone, a few more kg of cheap clothes before jumping in a violently pink taxi to the airport – sniff sniff.
(more…)
