ASIA

 

THAILAND

The land of smiles is what Thailand is called. The people are small, polite, and full of hospitality. All of Asia is very crowded, and Thailand is no exception. But your money goes far against the Thai Bhat, on this date it is 1 USD = 31.01737 THB. So once you get your flight paid for, the rest of staying, eating, and shopping in Thailand is pretty economical. Even in Bangkok, you can get a very nice hotel from between $100 to $200. You do need to understand that outside of hotels and major restaurants, you will not be able to use your credit cards.  So don't go out to the night bazaar without cash for souvenirs.

 

WHEN TO GO

Generally speaking, the best time to visit Thailand is from November to February when the northeast monsoon is blowing cool, dry air which serves as a respite from the heat. During this cool season, the temperature ranges from 18ºC to 32ºC in Bangkok, while in northern and northeast Thailand, temperatures can get quite cool with morning temperatures as low as 8º C to 12º C with the occasional 20º C day.  (18C=65).  My friend who lives both in Bangkok and Chiang Rai says there are three types of weather:  hot, hotter, and oh my God!  I have been to the northern mountains in June and it was still very warm.  Do plan to go in the winter months if at all possible.

DO's AND DON'Ts IN THAILAND

The Monarchy : Thai people have a deep, traditional reverence for the Royal Family, and a visitor should be careful to show respect for the King, the Queen and the Royal Children.
 Religion : Visitors should dress neatly in all religious shrines. They should never go in halters, shorts, hot pants, or other unsuitable attire. It is acceptable to wear shoes when walking around the compound of a Buddhist temple, but not inside the chapel where the principal Buddha image is kept.
Each Buddha image, large or small, ruined or not, is regarded as a sacred object. Never climb onto one to take a photograph or do anything which might indicate a lack of respect. Buddhist monks are forbidden to touch or be touched by a woman, or to accept anything from the hand of one. If a woman has to give anything to a monk, she first hands it to a man, who then presents it.

SOCIAL NORMS

Thais don't normally shake hands when they greet one another, but instead press the palms together in a prayer-like gesture called a Wai (wee). Generally a younger person wais an elder, who returns it.
Thais regard the head as the highest part of the body, literally and figuratively. Therefore, avoid touching people on the head and try not to point your feet at people or an object. It is considered very rude. Shoes should be removed when entering a private Thai home.

Public displays of affection between men and women are frowned upon.

 

MOVING AROUND THE COUNTRY

Mountains, big cities, and coasts…all are available in Thailand.  However, forget about driving from one place to another.  In Bangkok, driving is suicidal.  Interesting that the locals use “Bike Taxis”, motor bikes that pull up to a sidewalk station and on the back you hop to get through the traffic to work on time.  Otherwise you really can’t count on traffic not being snarled beyond belief.  To drive from Bangkok to Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai (mountain towns) it’s a long drive, but the roads are good and once clear of the capital, can be relatively free of heavy traffic. Many goods vehicles and buses make the journey overnight, so given the choice it is possibly better to allow a daytime journey, with the advantage of driving in daylight. Night driving in Thailand can be tricky with drivers not always using the same safety regulations as the west (use of headlights being the main one). The distance is some 800 Kilometers, so if travel by road is something being considered it may be a good idea to stop en route. Even the train will take you 12 hours, so we highly recommend flying.

In Chiang Rai, there are many charming and unique resorts.  While I stayed with friends, we visited some of the resorts for dining and found them very interesting.  This is also the land of the Karin Hill Tribes.  We visited a typical village and were amazed to actually see the ladies with the elongated necks.

Another wonderful place to visit is the King's Mother's very grand home and  acres of beautiful landscaped gardens.  The Night Bazaar's are very lively in all of Thailand.

 

The beaches of Southern Thailand are stunning.  We visited the Phuket area for a week and totally relaxed.  This was the third week of a seven week odyssey around the world.  We stayed at the Le Meridien Phuket Beach Resort, Rating: 4.5 Stars and right now you can stay there for $175/night.  The only thing we would do differently if we went back to Phuket is to rent a car at the airport, so we had access to move about easier.  Our resort was very self-contained, but we tend to love walking around village markets instead of eating and shopping at 5-star restaurants.

 

 

Interesting things to do here are to visit the Sunami Memorial where the storm washed a navy boat inland two miles and it has remained there now as a memorial to all the people in this area who were killed.  We also chose to go on an elephant ride.  Not sure we would do that again...pretty scary perched on top of a little wooden seat that high in the air.

 

 

MALAYSA

 

 

Malaysia is a very different part of the world, and from my perspective they are really onto something pretty grand.  The country came into independence in 1957 by combining nine small kingdoms into one.  The states of Malaysia are constitutionally headed by traditional Malay rulers. Every five years or when a vacancy occurs, the rulers convene in the Conference of Rulers to elect among themselves the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the federal constitutional monarch.  Malaysia as a whole is also an elective monarchy.

Hindu Temple

Here's the real kicker.  the country is almost evenly divided between Chinese, Malay, and Indian cultures.  While the Chinese culture seems to dominate the business direction, the three cultures have made it a mission to "just get along."  There is very little divisiveness amoung their people and a high level of respect for the various religions.  Now thing about it Buddists, Muslims, and Hindu, and Christians living in the same small country and getting along.  WHO KNEW!!! The USA definitely could go there and take get along lessons.

Buddist Temple
 

The stunning Blue Mosque

 Please note that the Malays allowed me an American Christian visitor to go into the Mosque since it was not prayer time.  I had to don a robe, scarf, and take off my shoes, but they took me around to see the inside.  I couldn't believe it. 

Malaysia is cheap, cheap, cheap.  Last year when my husband was working in Singapore, he got three days of work cancelled at the last minute and had no choice but to stay in the area because it is very expensive to change air tickets.  So instead of staying on the in Singapore which is expensive even for 2 star hotels and who would want to stay in one...he took a taxi over the bridge into southern Malaysia and rested in a lovely hotel for less than $75/night.  So once again...once you've paid the airfare to get there...stay a while in Asia.

Kuala Lumpur is by far the largest city in the country (1.6 million), but it is not the seat of the government.  I did take a tour to Putrajaya is a planned city, located 25km south of Kuala Lumpur.  KL is a very modern city trapped in very old customs, but not necessarily rigidly trapped.  There are some beautiful Class A office buildings in KL, but they still offer a squatting hole for a ladies room.  In fact I never saw a piece of toilet paper outside my hotel room...PACK SOME!!

SINGAPORE

 

My husband has been to Singapore four or five times for work.  I've only been there once, so I'll be sharing his observations as well as mine.  First let me explain that Singapore is very small and the world's only sovereign City-State and only gained it's independence from Britain in 1963  In other words the entire country is in this combination or 63 tiny islands.    It is the world's fourth largest financial center and one of the five busiest ports, so it is a very busy commercially driven environment.

 

 

Because of it's affluence, Singapore is a very expensive place to live and visit.  This picture is of the last hotel my husband stayed in the Marina Bay Sands where the rooms run $350++ and up.

There are some pretty interesting parts of Singapore such as Little India, but we found it to be a heavily Chinese influence on food and culture.  One of the places we found food that we really enjoyed was at the Chijmes, a converted church and convent where you can find anything from burgers to Mexican and Italian.  Good place to keep in mind for American's traveling there.

There is no "good or bad" time to go to Singapore.  Since it is on the Equator, the weather is always the same.  ...80 to 90 degrees with a change of showers.  My husband describes it as Ground Hog Day in real time.  Still an interesting place to visit though.

BALI, INDONESIA

 

 

I think everyone who grew up in the time of the play and movie, South Pacific, has this romantic notion about what Bali is supposed to be like.  Reality sinks in pretty quickly in Indonesia.  Absolutely there are some of the most beautiful resorts in the world there and as 5-star resorts go they are priced pretty reasonable.

WARNING:  Bali is not a place for your reckless behavior choices.  This warning is at the airport

 

Bali is predominately Hindu in a country that is predominately Muslim.  Therefore they have had some incidences in the past of violence by Islamic Terrorists.  However, please know that the Balinese people are the most gentle and unthreatening people I’ve ever been around.  Because of the Hindu religion, there are small offerings all over the place.  You will see them at the door of a house, on the street in front of the house.  Be a good world citizen and do not step on or kick the offerings out of the way…just step over and move on.

 

We stayed in Nusa Dua, at the Melia Resort. It honestly is only about 15 minutes from the airport and once you are in the resort, it is like stepping into another world.  You are greeted by costumed musicians and bellmen and your every need is addressed.  Right now this resort is advertised for $114/night and I mean 5-star.  So look for a bargain and book early.

 

Once you are there, do not be afraid to wander around in town on your own.  Asia is full of “hawkers” which is people calling to you from their stores asking to get your business. These folks are never threatening, but just trying to make a dollar.  I did get into a situation though looking for a nail shop.  I wanted a gell treatment and not acrylic, so the lady said she would put me on her motor bike and take me to her friend’s shop on another part of the island.  My husband was not about to let that happen, so we hopped a cab and she went with us to the shop.  No Worries!

GETTING OUT OF THE RESORTS TO SEE THE ISLAND

The easiest way to get around the island is to ask the resort for a guide.  We used the same guide for several days and we were provided a driver and an English speaking guide for about $40 for the whole day.  You cannot rent a car and find your way around for that and believe me you want to know which roads you are on!!

UBUD—47 km (29 miles) away—offers traditional art museums and workshops complemented by a market featuring souvenirs and Indonesian art and craft.   I was familiar with the village from reading the book. Eat, Pray, Love.  It was a long drive but we stopped along the way to see the rice fields.

 

In Ubud, we visited a temple park and watched Indonesian children learning their native ritual dances…way cool.  There were tons of village craft and art shops and we stopped for a nice lunch downtown.

ULUWATU TEMPLE – 15 km (9.5 miles) Uluwatu temple is on the far south coast of Bali. Believed to be built in the 11th century by Mpu Kuturan, Uluwatu temple is one of Balis most cherished temples, and finest examples of traditional Balinese architecture.  The temple and the surrounding paths, sit over 600ft above the ocean on towering cliff sides. They are literally sitting upon the edge of breath taking cliffs, and there for make for unforgettable pictures and memories. The temple and the surrounding area is also home to families of long-tailed Macaques. A monkey that is common around temples and forest in Bali. These monkeys can be aggressive, so be sure to secure all valuables before entering the area. Guides are recommended here, because of the aggressive monkeys, and for their knowledge of the best places to view the temple along the cliff sides.  You will be required to wear a skirt or sarong over shorts…EVEN the men.  So be prepared and take a wrap skirt with you or a large scarf.  I took two scarves and sure enough they made my husband wear one.  Fore Warned is Fore Armed!

 

We truly loved Bali, but it is HOT!!!  Do not expect to have a good hair day while you are there.

 

 

 

HONG KONG

 

If you didn’t know, the Chinese took Hong Kong back from Britain in 2006.  Things are reportedly not too different, because it still has a very Western side even though the predominant culture is Chinese.

 

The food is pretty weird here and they eat EVERYTHING.  Some of the shops along the street have every animal body part imaginable hanging up for all to see and buy if you will.  NOT ME!!!

It was a good thing we both liked dumplings and dim sum or we would have gotten pretty hungry.

 

What we enjoyed most was having a tailor make some clothes for us, shopping in the jade market, and riding on a ferry around the Hong Kong harbor to see the amazing light show that all the sky scrapers put on each night.  I can only imagine that on New Years with the addition of the fireworks it is a sight to behold.