Noodle Doodles
Safely back home now, Asia seems a long time ago, though I'm still on the Malaria tablets as a reminder!
As per NZ and Aus, I've made some notes to summarise my time in SE Asia (any typos will be because of tennis distractions!)
Things I liked
Value
A bit of a no brainer really, but Asia is very good value, coming back to Europe was a bit of a shock!
Food and Drink
I do like Asian food, Chinese and Thai were the main dishes I ate, though I also sampled Malay, Cambodian and Lao food too. I ate in all sorts of places, and enjoyed nearly everything I sampled. Also, no serious intestinal problems either (years of abusing my guts help here!)
The local fruits are tempting too. Starfruit, Lychees, Rambutans, Mangos, Pineapple, and beautifully fresh too!
Beer is very cheap too, and many of the local brews are decent and very good value. Further, they come in decent sized bottles too (none of the silly stubbies). Malaysia doesn't have any indigenous brews, but brews the excellent 8% FES Guinness instead...
Traveller Infrastructure
Plenty of English speaking people, plentiful accommodation of all types, it's easy to travel around
Air Asia
Asia's largest low cost airline. I ended up using them several times, and found them a very good way of getting around. They're very good value, and most of the passengers are locals.
Off season travel
Cheap and plentiful accommodation (no real need to book ahead) and less crowded tourist sites, so you feel more of a traveller than part of some great tourist wave
Geylang Singapore
The seedy side of Singapore. For those who think Singapore is all shopping malls and squeaky clean streets, Geylang is a surprise to the system. It's lively and seedy (it's where Singapore's massage parlours and 'ladies of the night' are based) and as a result makes a nice contrast to the ruthless efficiency of the rest of Singapore.
Kuching, Malaysian Sarawak in Borneo
One of my favourite Asian Cities, with a nice mix of Colonial and Chinese past, and moderm infrastructure.
It's a fine gateway to the jungles of Borneo, with their Iban Longhouses and Orangutans
An attractive and pedestrian friendly 1km riverside terrace linking the old town and the modern area
The massive rooftop food court with it's stalls serving excellent fish
The Harbourview hotel, a fine location, and great value (fine comfort for £18 a night)
The Cat museum, one of the rare offbeat museums in Asia
Borneo long boats
A great way to travel, you feel like a real explorer!
Gunung Mulu National Park Sarawak
Gigantic caves full of stunning formations and millions of bats, accommodation in the middle of the jungle, incessant jungle noises...
Death railway, Kanchanaburi Thailand
The emotion of the cemetries and the terrible history, the lovely scenery, the joy of the journey there with the clattering train and it's open windows allowing full absorption of the sights and smells of the countryside
Laos
The gentle people, quiet traffic, slow way of life, a nice antidote to the urban madness of many SE Asian cities.
Elephant Art Chiang Mai
Touristy, undoubtably. Spellbinding, Yes!!!
Angkor Temples Cambodia
Staggering temple complexes, 800-1000 years old, a real highlight of any SE Asian trip. A guide is essential for deeper understanding, but I was glad I also walked around by myself, as you need time to absorb the scenery and atmosphere away from the crowds.
Cambodian Tuk Tuks
Basically motorbikes with detachable carriages behind them. A great way to see the world, more comfortable and quieter than the Thai ones, and with full weather protection for the tropical downpours!
Religion
After NZ and Aus, it was a good cultural contrast to spend time in a region where religion plays a major part in people's life, whether Buddhism, Islam or Animism. (Kiwis worshipping the All Blacks isn't the same!)
Communications
Plenty of internet cafes, decent mobile signals virtually everywhere, the modern day traveller is rarely out of touch!
Things I didn't like
SE Asia as a pedestrian
Many of the cities are deeply unpleasant for pedestrians, the terrible traffic and pollution, the blocked or non existant pavements, the open drains in Malaysia waiting to swallow you up. There seems to be a problem with many of the cities going from bicycles to cars and motorbikes yet still expecting pedestrians to walk in the road. Singapore shows how it should be done, with decent pavements and pedestrian crossings where the traffic can be relied on to stop!
Bangkok
Crowded, dirty and polluted, terrible traffic, not a pleasant city to travel around, there are elevated railways and a metro, but they don't go into the very centre where you want to go!
Motorbikes
The bain of my life. In many cities (e.g. Georgetown, Phnom Penh) they make crossing the road a nightmare, as they disregard traffic laws, going through red lights and travelling the wrong way down roads...I had fantasies of being a traffic policeman. booking and arresting motorbike riders and throwing their machines into the river!
Off season travel
There are downsides as well as advantages. The heat was terrible, and when it rained it was torrential! It was often very hard to get on tours (such as to the Longhouses) as they need a minimum number of people, so you end up hanging around waiting for the numbers to arrive. Finally, the lack of tourists was a bit embarrassing, the empty restaurants, tourist markets and shows making you feel a bit uncomfortable.
Backpacker areas
Parts of Bangkok and Chiang Mai are excessively dominated by backpackers, you lose the essential culture of the country. There was something irritating about the long term travel bums you find there too, white men with dreadlocks bring out the Grumpy Old Man in me!
Buddha Overload
I guess you can have too much of a good thing...but you can only see so many Buddhas, wherever reclining, sitting ot whatever before the enthusiam starts waning. The desire to have the largest Buddha is a bit childish too...
Poor Safety
Manic bus drivers, lack of seat belts in vehicles, overloaded boats, safety standards are not what they are in the West, unsurprisingly
It probably should be pointed out that none of the above applies to Singapore, which doesn't have the excitement perhaps of the rest of Asia, but also doesn't have the negatives either...
A few Asian asides
Malaria
Many parts of SE Asia are Malarial, but it's not always clear cut whether to take the tablets or not, as it's generally regions of countries that are risky, rather than countries as a whole. The internet is a good source of information on which regions are risky, and what tablets to take. I ended up taking a calculated risk in not taking tablets in Borneo, as I knew I would need to take tablets later on in Indochina, and didn't want the courses of tablets overlapping.
Colonialiam and communism
All the countries I visited, apart from Thailand, were former Western colonies. After World War II when the Japanese invaded them with embarrassing ease, one wonders of the arrogance of the western powers, that they could immediately resume control after the war as if nothing had happened. Maybe if the independence handover had been quicker and more realistic, the tragedies of the various Indochina wars and subsequent communist takeover could have been avoided. Thailand was affected too, the vast number of American troops based there definitely changing the culture of the country. It is worth noting that Malaysia had it's communist insurgency too, but this was defeated as the majority Malays fought with the Britain and it's allies against the communists.
Airport Control Towers
When Kuala Lumpur opened it's new airport a few years ago, it proudly boasted the world's tallest Control tower. Bangkok is about to open a new airport, which will have an even taller Control tower. Does anyone outside SE Asia actually care about the height of control towers!?!
Pale skin
Especially in Indochina, pale skinned girls are popular. The guide showing me around Angkor Wat mentioned that her parents were worried about her taking the job, as it meant her spending all her time outside, getting a tan and thus not finding a husband! You see girls riding bicycles or motorbikes with an parasol in one hand. Skin cancer would be non existent if other countries had the same attitude...
And finally...
SE Asia is a great place to travel. It's good to keep your travel plans as open as possible, and go with the flow. A pan country guidebook is useful in this respect, as it enables you to window shop places you might otherwise have passed. My travel plans changed completely from what I had originally planned, and my favourite countries Malysian Borneo and Laos weren't in my original plans at all!
As per NZ and Aus, I've made some notes to summarise my time in SE Asia (any typos will be because of tennis distractions!)
Things I liked
Value
A bit of a no brainer really, but Asia is very good value, coming back to Europe was a bit of a shock!
Food and Drink
I do like Asian food, Chinese and Thai were the main dishes I ate, though I also sampled Malay, Cambodian and Lao food too. I ate in all sorts of places, and enjoyed nearly everything I sampled. Also, no serious intestinal problems either (years of abusing my guts help here!)
The local fruits are tempting too. Starfruit, Lychees, Rambutans, Mangos, Pineapple, and beautifully fresh too!
Beer is very cheap too, and many of the local brews are decent and very good value. Further, they come in decent sized bottles too (none of the silly stubbies). Malaysia doesn't have any indigenous brews, but brews the excellent 8% FES Guinness instead...
Traveller Infrastructure
Plenty of English speaking people, plentiful accommodation of all types, it's easy to travel around
Air Asia
Asia's largest low cost airline. I ended up using them several times, and found them a very good way of getting around. They're very good value, and most of the passengers are locals.
Off season travel
Cheap and plentiful accommodation (no real need to book ahead) and less crowded tourist sites, so you feel more of a traveller than part of some great tourist wave
Geylang Singapore
The seedy side of Singapore. For those who think Singapore is all shopping malls and squeaky clean streets, Geylang is a surprise to the system. It's lively and seedy (it's where Singapore's massage parlours and 'ladies of the night' are based) and as a result makes a nice contrast to the ruthless efficiency of the rest of Singapore.
Kuching, Malaysian Sarawak in Borneo
One of my favourite Asian Cities, with a nice mix of Colonial and Chinese past, and moderm infrastructure.
It's a fine gateway to the jungles of Borneo, with their Iban Longhouses and Orangutans
An attractive and pedestrian friendly 1km riverside terrace linking the old town and the modern area
The massive rooftop food court with it's stalls serving excellent fish
The Harbourview hotel, a fine location, and great value (fine comfort for £18 a night)
The Cat museum, one of the rare offbeat museums in Asia
Borneo long boats
A great way to travel, you feel like a real explorer!
Gunung Mulu National Park Sarawak
Gigantic caves full of stunning formations and millions of bats, accommodation in the middle of the jungle, incessant jungle noises...
Death railway, Kanchanaburi Thailand
The emotion of the cemetries and the terrible history, the lovely scenery, the joy of the journey there with the clattering train and it's open windows allowing full absorption of the sights and smells of the countryside
Laos
The gentle people, quiet traffic, slow way of life, a nice antidote to the urban madness of many SE Asian cities.
Elephant Art Chiang Mai
Touristy, undoubtably. Spellbinding, Yes!!!
Angkor Temples Cambodia
Staggering temple complexes, 800-1000 years old, a real highlight of any SE Asian trip. A guide is essential for deeper understanding, but I was glad I also walked around by myself, as you need time to absorb the scenery and atmosphere away from the crowds.
Cambodian Tuk Tuks
Basically motorbikes with detachable carriages behind them. A great way to see the world, more comfortable and quieter than the Thai ones, and with full weather protection for the tropical downpours!
Religion
After NZ and Aus, it was a good cultural contrast to spend time in a region where religion plays a major part in people's life, whether Buddhism, Islam or Animism. (Kiwis worshipping the All Blacks isn't the same!)
Communications
Plenty of internet cafes, decent mobile signals virtually everywhere, the modern day traveller is rarely out of touch!
Things I didn't like
SE Asia as a pedestrian
Many of the cities are deeply unpleasant for pedestrians, the terrible traffic and pollution, the blocked or non existant pavements, the open drains in Malaysia waiting to swallow you up. There seems to be a problem with many of the cities going from bicycles to cars and motorbikes yet still expecting pedestrians to walk in the road. Singapore shows how it should be done, with decent pavements and pedestrian crossings where the traffic can be relied on to stop!
Bangkok
Crowded, dirty and polluted, terrible traffic, not a pleasant city to travel around, there are elevated railways and a metro, but they don't go into the very centre where you want to go!
Motorbikes
The bain of my life. In many cities (e.g. Georgetown, Phnom Penh) they make crossing the road a nightmare, as they disregard traffic laws, going through red lights and travelling the wrong way down roads...I had fantasies of being a traffic policeman. booking and arresting motorbike riders and throwing their machines into the river!
Off season travel
There are downsides as well as advantages. The heat was terrible, and when it rained it was torrential! It was often very hard to get on tours (such as to the Longhouses) as they need a minimum number of people, so you end up hanging around waiting for the numbers to arrive. Finally, the lack of tourists was a bit embarrassing, the empty restaurants, tourist markets and shows making you feel a bit uncomfortable.
Backpacker areas
Parts of Bangkok and Chiang Mai are excessively dominated by backpackers, you lose the essential culture of the country. There was something irritating about the long term travel bums you find there too, white men with dreadlocks bring out the Grumpy Old Man in me!
Buddha Overload
I guess you can have too much of a good thing...but you can only see so many Buddhas, wherever reclining, sitting ot whatever before the enthusiam starts waning. The desire to have the largest Buddha is a bit childish too...
Poor Safety
Manic bus drivers, lack of seat belts in vehicles, overloaded boats, safety standards are not what they are in the West, unsurprisingly
It probably should be pointed out that none of the above applies to Singapore, which doesn't have the excitement perhaps of the rest of Asia, but also doesn't have the negatives either...
A few Asian asides
Malaria
Many parts of SE Asia are Malarial, but it's not always clear cut whether to take the tablets or not, as it's generally regions of countries that are risky, rather than countries as a whole. The internet is a good source of information on which regions are risky, and what tablets to take. I ended up taking a calculated risk in not taking tablets in Borneo, as I knew I would need to take tablets later on in Indochina, and didn't want the courses of tablets overlapping.
Colonialiam and communism
All the countries I visited, apart from Thailand, were former Western colonies. After World War II when the Japanese invaded them with embarrassing ease, one wonders of the arrogance of the western powers, that they could immediately resume control after the war as if nothing had happened. Maybe if the independence handover had been quicker and more realistic, the tragedies of the various Indochina wars and subsequent communist takeover could have been avoided. Thailand was affected too, the vast number of American troops based there definitely changing the culture of the country. It is worth noting that Malaysia had it's communist insurgency too, but this was defeated as the majority Malays fought with the Britain and it's allies against the communists.
Airport Control Towers
When Kuala Lumpur opened it's new airport a few years ago, it proudly boasted the world's tallest Control tower. Bangkok is about to open a new airport, which will have an even taller Control tower. Does anyone outside SE Asia actually care about the height of control towers!?!
Pale skin
Especially in Indochina, pale skinned girls are popular. The guide showing me around Angkor Wat mentioned that her parents were worried about her taking the job, as it meant her spending all her time outside, getting a tan and thus not finding a husband! You see girls riding bicycles or motorbikes with an parasol in one hand. Skin cancer would be non existent if other countries had the same attitude...
And finally...
SE Asia is a great place to travel. It's good to keep your travel plans as open as possible, and go with the flow. A pan country guidebook is useful in this respect, as it enables you to window shop places you might otherwise have passed. My travel plans changed completely from what I had originally planned, and my favourite countries Malysian Borneo and Laos weren't in my original plans at all!
posted by Michael Conway at
3:36 pm
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