The Burmese Government today announced that 651 prisoners will be freed under a new amnesty, although it is not known how many of these will be political prisoners. Min Ko Naing, a leader of the failed 1988 uprising, is the highest profile prisoner to be freed and was greeted by jubilant cheering crowds outside Yangon’s infamous Insein prison. Other prisoners also freed include those involved in the 1988 student protest movement, monks involved in the recent 2007 demonstrations and ethnic-minority activists from rebel groups. (more…)
Author Archive
Over 200 new species discovered in the Mekong region
13 December 2011 by Lyria Eastley
According to an article from the Guardian website, the WWF has announced that 208 new species were discovered in Southeast Asia’s Greater Mekong area in 2010. Discoveries included a new kind of monkey in Burma’s remote Kachin state, a rainbow gecko in Vietnam, and new species of carnivorous plants too.
Impressions of Burma
2 December 2011 by Lyria Eastley
Cart taxi, Mandalay
Now that I’ve sat down here to write about Burma, I suddenly find that the mix of emotions and all the passion, wonder and intrigue I feel about the place have come pouring out onto the screen and I’ve actually found it hard to know when to stop writing!
The thing is, Burma is just such a complicated place: historically, culturally, politically, and there’s just too much to say about it. It’s impossible to talk about Burma in simple terms. With a history spanning more than 13,000 years and a population made up of a huge variety of different ethnic groups, it is an endlessly fascinating, complex and beautiful country. The country itself is stunning with an immensely varied topography. Mountains clad in thick jungle surround central lowlands and extensive rice plains and snow-capped mountains in the north reach heights of over 5,800 meters. The Mekong river that is the main artery for all of Southeast Asia also enters Burma from China’s Yunnan province, although the lifeblood of Burma is the Irrawaddy (Ayewaddy), a vast expanse of water that runs right through the centre of the country linking north to south. (more…)
Top 10 unusual foods you might encounter in Southeast Asia
21 October 2011 by Lyria Eastley
Southeast Asia quite rightly has a reputation for some of the world’s most delicious food: in the Experience Travel office the virtues of Thai Food are regularly extolled and we’re still looking for a Thai restaurant in London that can offer the same standard of culinary experience that you can get in Thailand (any suggestions are welcome).
However, Southeast Asia can also offer the western visitor some of the world’s strangest (well, strange to a western palette anyway) delicacies. At Experience Travel we’ve all been there, done that, and some of us even have the t-shirt when it comes to sampling unusual dishes. In this article I run down the top 10 most unusual foods you might encounter, and which 5 I would recommend giving a try (provided you’re up for such an experience!) and which I think it’s best to avoid. Of course, it’s all a matter of personal taste… (more…)
Echoes of a lost decade of Khmer rock n roll
11 October 2011 by Lyria Eastley
Khmer/American psychedelic rock n roll group Dengue Fever last week announced that they’ll be touring to Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam in November of this year.
Dengue Fever are a unique ensemble formed of 5 musicians: Khmer singer Chhom Nimol, who left Cambodia to live in the USA, brothers Ethan and Zac Holtzman, Senon Williams, Paul Smith and David Ralicke. Their style is a groovy and upbeat combination of haunting lyrics in Khmer language with upbeat psychedelic rock and jazz sounds.
Thailand weather update: precautionary closures
6 October 2011 by Lyria Eastley
We’ve just received word from our Thailand office with the latest update about the Thailand floods.
Floods are still a big issue in areas such as Ayutthaya, Ang Thong, Sara Buri, Lop Buri, Uthai Thani, Sing Buri, Suphan Buri and Nakhon Sawan provinces, some roads are still un-passable which is causing minor disruptions to overland operations.
The national reservoirs in and around the central areas are swollen to capacity and water is having to be diverted into the main rivers which flow through the central plains and the capital city Bangkok, with such a high volume of water this is causing all kinds of disruptions to river traffic due to the rise in the water levels and localised flooding in certain areas. (more…)
Khmer artist Vann Nath in a coma
30 August 2011 by Lyria Eastley
Vann Nath stands at the entrance to his gallery, 2008
Renowned Khmer artist Vann Nath, one of only seven survivors of the notorious Tuol Sleng S-21 prison fell into a coma on Friday from which doctors say he may not recover.
Vann Nath survived the Khmer Rouge torture prison where he was taken in 1977, but escaped execution as his skill as an artist meant that
in 1978 he was commissioned to paint the portraits of the guards there. Since the fall of the Democratic Kampuchea regime, Vann Nath painted his memories of his time at Tuol Sleng which have since served as a powerful visual account of the brutality suffered by those imprisoned there. (more…)
Orion Cruises in Southeast Asia
25 July 2011 by Lyria Eastley
Orion cruises in Southeast Asia Orion Cruises are now offering discerning clientele the opportunity to experience some of the most exciting and exotic parts of Southeast Asia in true comfort and style – until now no other cruise company has come close to offering the same insight into the region as that offered by the Orion Cruises.
The whole idea behind Orion Cruises is to allow their passengers to have truly extraordinary and genuine experiences in isolated parts of the world . The ships themselves are incredibly luxurious offering 5* facilities and great service with a high staff-to-crew ratio, but actually the focus is on the outside world and the experience to be had on shore. (more…)
Songsaa Island Resort – the most romantic place in Cambodia
14 July 2011 by Lyria Eastley
A new island resort and the first of its kind in Cambodia is set to be opening soon, offering holidaymakers a new and luxurious beach experience. Song-Saa Private Island is a super exclusive resort built in the pristine Koh Rong archipelago covering two islands connected by a footbridge and surrounded by a marine reserve.
The name ‘Song saa’ itself means ‘lovers’ in Khmer, as the two islands Koh Bong and Koh Oun fondly refer to the pet names that Cambodian couples give each other: ‘Koh meaning island, ‘Bong’ meaning boyfriend (literally ‘older one’) and ‘Oun meaning girlfriend (literally ‘little one’). The name of the resort thus clearly places itself as one of Cambodia’s best destinations for honeymooners and couples alike. (more…)
News article – Thailand is home to more wild tigers than previously thought
17 May 2011 by Lyria Eastley
There’s a great article in The Guardian today, saying that Thailand’s Thaplan National Park could mask a larger tiger population than previously believed. This is great news for a country with great biodiversity but whose animal populations have been massively reduced by urban development and poaching. (more…)
