Travelfish newsletter Issue 272 : Bangkok & Saigon updates + Hotels we remember
Hi everyone,
This week we’re all about hotels. We’ve more updates in Hanoi, Chiang Mai, Bangkok and Saigon online, a review of The River of Lost Footsteps by Thant Myint-U and a soapbox on hotels. More below the fold.
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The week that was
This week new on the site we have still more Chiang Mai updates, a smattering of updates for Bangkok markets and street food eating, a complete revamp of our Ho Chi Minh City transport section and yes, still more Hanoi food—that's it on food there till our planned return in a month or two.
In the tube for this week is the mega-Saigon food update, along with some more Hanoi and Bangkok updates. On the road, Sally is in Malaysia's Penang, Mark is in Thailand's Pai, David is in Bangkok and Stuart is in Bali.
Premium Travelfish members now have access to more than 200 downloadable guides (222 to be exact). Not a premium member? It costs a very reasonable A$35 per year (please note: Australian not US dollars!) for access. Find out more here.
This week's soapbox is on “Show you a room? Are you mad?” The newsletter theme is “hotels we remember”; because so many are forgettable.
Please forward this newsletter on to any friends, family, strangers in bars, bus drivers, som tam ladies and massage men you think might be interested to receive it.
Good travels,
Stuart, Sam and the Travelfish team
Soapbox
Show you a room? Are you mad?
A significant part of day-to-day research for Travelfish involves looking at hotels. This is near always done on an anonymous basis—we show up and ask to see a room or two. Sometimes we say we’re looking for a room for ourselves (which might actually be true), other times for family or friends. You’ll be amazed just how many frontdesk staff say no.
It’s one thing if the hotel is full. But often—very often—this clearly isn't the case. Sometimes staff are just too busy (we do try to time our visits to when check-ins and -outs are at a lower ebb), but often it is policy.
We’ll be asked to make an appointment, look online, or read through a brochure or booklet of photos as a substitute as the hotel tries to maintain control of its messaging. But who knows when the photos were taken or what they don’t show? Photos can keep plenty of secrets; you can't hear traffic or smell mould in a photo.
Of course if staff are run off their feet, it is perfectly reasonable to ask a potential guest to come back later. However, when they do come back, at an obviously less busy time, telling them to go look at the website is just plain rude.
It must be tempting for some hotels based in heaving destinations like Penang to eschew walk-in customers for the bread and butter of undiscerning mass tourism, but sometimes the place down the road is just as good and still recognises the importance of professionally greeting and handling potential walk-in guests.
Good travels,
Stuart
Travelfish partners
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Places to stay: Agoda, Booking
Tours and activities: TourRadar, GetYourGuide
Ground transport: 12Go Asia
Travel insurance: World Nomads
Featured
Varinda Resort
We stumbled upon Varinda by accident on our last day in Samui while looking for a viewpoint. We saw the brightly coloured signs, kept following them out of curiosity and then, luckily, found it – and we just loved this place.
What we're watching
41 days in Hanoi
My first 41 days living in Vietnam. It's a crazy place filled with motor bikes and interesting happenings. Film by Layered Visuals.
What we're reading
The River of Lost Footsteps: A Personal History of Burma by Thant Myint-U
First published in 2006, The River of Lost Footsteps: A Personal History of Burma by Thant Myint-U remains an important read a decade or so on for anyone keen on understanding the nuances and richness of Burmese history.
Off the forum
Can you help with advice on any of these questions?
Peaceful, scenic place in Myanmar?
Tanjung Puting National Park Klotok
Notes from the road
BURMA: An Oasis
With its lush garden and pool set amid Nyaung U’s dusty streets, 19-room Oasis really does live up to its name, offering excellent rooms in delightful surrounds.
CAMBODIA: The Penh Guesthouse
Set in the heart of Phnom Penh’s colonial district and within a short walk of both the Royal Palace and the riverfront, The Penh offers smart rooms in a superb, tucked away spot.
INDONESIA: Taman Bali Bungalows
Worth the one kilometre walk from the main drag, Taman Bali Bungalows offers two cuter-than-cute wooden Joglo-style bungalows, positioned back to back in a long narrow garden edging the rice-fields (for now).
ISLANDS: The Sanctuary
If there was one place on Ko Pha Ngan that summed up the hippy chic of the island, The Sanctuary on Haad Thian on the east coast of the island, would be it.
LAOS: La Folie Lodge
If Champasak isn’t remote enough for you, simply head to Don Daeng island in the middle of the Mekong, where you’ll find La Folie Lodge delivering a luxurious experience on a bucolic island.
MALAYSIA: Wayfarer Guesthouse
The west bank of the Melaka River is lined with traditional shophouses, many revitalised as a mixed bag of guesthouses. The pick of the bunch in this historic area is the charming family-run Wayfarer Guesthouse.
SINGAPORE: Daulat
An unusual hotel with an unusual name, you’ll find the decidedly comfortable Daulat tucked down towards the end of Madras Street, yet still in the centre of Little India. With good sized rooms, a lap pool and a boutique-y feel, this is the only hotel in this style in Little India and will appeal to those looking for something a little different.
THAILAND: Ma Guesthouse
The inconspicuous Ma Guesthouse, hidden away above a hair salon, might not look much from the outside but inside it’s a real budget star.
VIETNAM: Maison d'Orient
Maison d’Orient combines a peaceful and convenient location with charming, spotless rooms and professional staff, all at a reasonable price.
News from the region
BURMA I: The female warlord who had CIA connections and opium routes
“Ms Yang’s pursuit of a career as a militia leader and opium smuggler grew in part out of her desperation to escape traditional gender roles, her relatives said. 'It was a temptation she couldn’t resist,' wrote her niece Jackie Yang in 'House of Yang', a family history published in 1997.”
BURMA II: India plans $252m upgrade to road link with Myanmar
“India’s Road Transport and Highways Minister, Mr Nitin Gadkari, told reporters the upgrade would reduce the travel time between Imphal and Moreh from three-and-a-half hours to one-hour and 45 minutes.”
BURMA III: A biennale in Yangon?
“Many artists were angered by a number of issues, including the proposed venue for the biennale, its organisers and even the type of art to be displayed. Their biggest complaint was over the name of the event.”
CAMBODIA I: The last days of Phnom Penh's iconic White Building
“Images of diverse lives lived well in one of Phnom Penh's most iconic buildings, days before its demolition.”
CAMBODIA II: Researchers find nest of rare riverine bird
“The International Union for Conservation of Nature has placed the bird on its red list of globally endangered species because its worldwide population of less than 1,000 is declining at an alarming rate. It is found only in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.”
CAMBODIA III: Cambodia widow sees dead husband in five-month-old calf
“I believe that the calf is my husband because whatever he does... is in exactly the same way as my husband did when he was alive.”
INDONESIA: Jokowi urge police to shoot drug dealers who resist arrest
“President Jokowi said that assertiveness should be presented to drug dealers who come from foreign countries. He said that these foreign drug dealers should not be tolerated.”
SOUTHEAST ASIA I: Southeast Asia’s future looks prosperous but illiberal
“All this is designed to prevent voters from electing the 'wrong' leaders, in the army’s view, as they have done at every opportunity over the past 15 years.”
SOUTHEAST ASIA II: On the meter: Where is the cheapest city in Asia to catch a cab?
“Indonesia’s capital Jakarta comes in third, with its Toyota Vios Limo-driving cabbies charging around US$10.31 from the airport to the middle of town. Initial hire fee is just 51 cents, while sitting in one of the megacity’s notorious traffic jams won’t break the bank, costing only US$3.37 per hour.”
THAILAND I: Wirapol Sukphol case highlights country's Buddhism crisis
“Monks behaving badly are nothing new in Thailand. The temptations of modern life have thrown up many examples of monks with unseemly wealth, monks taking drugs, dancing, enjoying sexual relations with men and women or abusing girls and boys.”
THAILAND II: Northeast braces for floods
“Somchai Vitdumrong, the governor of Nakhon Phanom province, has ordered residents living along the Mekong River to brace for possible flooding as water levels in the province rose by 50 centimetres to one metre on several days last week.”
THAILAND III: Actor rescued after three days trapped at foot of Thai waterfall
“It took two hours for emergency services to get him to International Koh Samui hospital, the Sun reported, adding that Nicholls’ medical bills will run into tens of thousands of pounds. Last month American tourist Geoffrey Maui, 28, died after falling at the same waterfall.”
VIETNAM I: Chiang Mai–Dong Hoi anyone?
“Jetstar Pacific plans to pioneer the first air link between the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai and the central Vietnamese province of Quang Binh.”
VIETNAM II: How Saigon and the Mekong Delta can confront the threat of climate change
“People have little knowledge about water-related issues and they have little access to information. The government and journalists are trying to bridge the gap through reports in the media. In addition, if local authorities don't have the knowledge about climate change, how can they implement the adaptation plans imposed from above?”
Travel writing
TOURISM: Can tourism alleviate global poverty?
“But how much global tourism money really makes its way to poor countries?”
INDONESIA I: The forgotten Indonesian island that was swapped for Manhattan
“The fragrant reason for Run's fame – the tropical tree Myristica fragrans – is still ubiquitous on the island. Its seed is the source of nutmeg; its aril, or seed covering, the source of mace.”
INDONESIA II: Nasi goreng with sausage? You can thank Bali’s Chinese for that
“The history of Chinese people in northern Bali goes as far back as the 12th century, when Balinese King Jayapangus was said to have married a Chinese woman. She is often referred to in Balinese folk tales as a 'Chinese princess', although her heritage is unclear.”
VIETNAM: Is over-tourism threatening Sapa?
Sounds like it. “According to figures from Lao Cai province's government, the region welcomed over 2.7 million tourists last year—970,000 to Sapa alone—and tourism officials aim to reach three million visitors by the end of 2017. For comparison, Sapa District’s number of actual residents is just under 60,000.”
Interesting site
Ajarn
Ajarn.com has grown enormously and is now the most popular TEFL site in Thailand - possibly even South East Asia. Although best-known for its vibrant jobs page, Ajarn has a wealth of articles, blogs, features and help and advice. But one principle has always remained at Ajarn's core - to tell things like they are and to do it with a sense of humour.
Travel shot
Smouldering Merapi from Borobudur. Photo: Sally Arnold
Till next time
That's it from us for now. As usual, enjoy the site's new additions and drop us a line if there's something in particular you'd like us to cover in Southeast Asia.
Travel light!
Stuart, Sam & the Travelfish team
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