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Travelogue
Treasure Island, Pirates and the Bitch from Hell - Ko Samet - 05 October 2012
Ko Samet is rumoured to once have been the den of pirates, and to this day it’s believed there’s hidden treasure on the island. It has gained a reputation as a laid back paradise where the emphasis is on spending as much time as possible doing as little as possible.Ko Samet (also Koh Samed) lies three hours drive east of the Thai capital Bangkok. The island can be reached easily from the nearby cities of Rayong, Pattaya, and as far away as Trat, Ko Chang and the Cambodian border.When tourists first visited the island still had malaria. For years Ko Samet was off limits. In 1981, the Royal Department of Forests (RDF) declared Ko Samet and its surroundings to be a national park, Khao Laem Ya-Mu Ko Samet.Historically, Thailand's legendary royal scribe,the poet Sunthorn Phu, was the first one to put this island on the map. His classical epic, the 30,000-word romantic adventure Phra Aphai Manee, a work he began in prison, is largely set on Ko Samet.The jumping off point for Ko Samet is Ban Phe. From there it’s a 45-minute journey to the island on a converted fishing boat. I came here on my first visit to Thailand years ago. I think the fishing boat I took to the island then was the same one.Faster speed boats make the trip in less than half that time. Getting on and off these craft is a haphazard affair, and potentially dangerous given you are also carrying all your gear. One false move, one surge of the tide and you’d be in the water, bags and all. Tourists
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The Beautiful Game in the Kingdom of Wonder - 20 September 2012
Football in Cambodia, the self-styled Kingdom of Wonder, doesn’t scale the heights of the Beautiful Game in other countries. There are no huge stadiums, well, there’s one old one, no large crowds “doing the Poznan” and singing en masse or waving scarves and flags, no massive pay cheques on offer or transfer fees, and no superstars. A few people
The Road Most Travelled - The Expats Guide to Cambodia (Part II) - 20 August 2012
The road most travelled in Cambodia work wise for expats is the world of foreign language teaching mainly English, but also as a former colony French, and these days to a lesser extent Korean and no doubt, Chinese. But most plunge into the world of English language teaching in a plethora of institutions, some functional and some not so
Working in the Kingdom of Wonder - the Expats Guide to Cambodia - 1 August 2012
For expats working in Cambodia can be a fascinating experience one, however, that comes with a few pitfalls which can affect foreigners and locals alike. Over time, I’ve chosen to stay and work in the self-styled Kingdom of Wonder for a number of reasons. After visiting neighbouring countries, I found Cambodian people amongst the most friendly
In The Ghetto - 14 July 2012
Khao San Road (pronounced “Cow sarn”) is the main backpacker mecca for foreigners in Bangkok, Sukhumvit being another. The road itself is located in Banglamphu or Farang-Lam-Phu, as it’s jokingly referred to after the Thai word for foreigner.The more cynical call it “Khao Shit Road” and it has been described as the perfect example of a
Where The Streets Have No Names - 25 June 2012
Phnom Penh is a city where the streets have numbers rather than names save for the main thoroughfares, though some have both. As someone once commented, “the thing about Phnom Penh street names is that they are fun for every purpose except the obvious – identifying where you are or where you are going.”Some street names have changed over time
You'll Never Ride Alone - Traffic in the Pearl of Asia - 20 June 2012
Road traffic in Cambodia is a wonder laced with danger. More than mere transport, for the expat observer it can provide hours of entertainment and at times, sheer amazement in a country where the mere mundane can be both fascinating and photogenic. It provides the pulse of life, a hive of activity, the sheer energy that is life in the country
Great Walls of Glass - 9 June 2012
Changi International Airport at Singapore is much like the city itself; neat, ordered, clean almost sterile, and almost wholly without character, though to be fair the city has Little India and Chinatown.Changi is an airport like many others but run with all that efficiency synonymous with the island state. Singapore has two great qualities
The Bizarre Temple at Banglamung - 28 May 2012
About 100 kilometres southeast from Bangkok at Banglamung near Pattaya in Chonburi is the Sanctuary of Truth, one of the strangest sights in Thailand. Touted as “The Magnificence of Heaven Recreated on Earth”, the Sanctuary of Truth is a huge structure made entirely of carved wood and looks like a temple of the bizarre from some giant film