Posts listed under the ‘Guest Contributors’ category
Orchid Painting Workshop in Sri Lanka
Monday, February 8th, 2010, by Sam ClarkA reminder from our friends at Moonhill came in today about their paining workshop which seemss to be proving popular. I doubt there are more inspiring places anywhere!
For more details get in touch with us.
Andy from Moonhill writes:
Only a few places still available on Billy Showell’s ‘Orchids & Tropical Flowers’ painting
workshop in Sri Lanka. Course dates 4th-10th & 11th-17th April 2010.
Spend 6 nights in the tranquil setting of Moonhill, a luxurious beach villa on Sri Lanka’s
southern coast, drawing and painting orchids & tropical flowers Sri Lanka is orchid heaven!
More than 188 orchid species grow here, with a stunning 55 that are unique to the island and
provide the source of inspiration for this course.
Under Billy’s encouraging step-by-step guidance you will find yourself drawing and painting
these exquisite flowering plants with increasing confidence and skill. All-ability levels and
beginners are welcome on the 4-day painting course, with the small group size (maximum no. 
guaranteeing you individual tuition and guidance. Places are limited and will be based on
first come first serve.
Sri Lanka Elephants - The capture of the gentle giants
Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009, by Sam ClarkThis week we are delighted to have Sidantha Kumara as our guest blogger. Sid is one of our finest guides - a fantastic guy who has taught us so much about Sri Lanka. He shows a side of Sri Lanka not often seen and his passionate belief and strong ideas on the positive power of tourism has led him to develop some quite extraordinary tours. His main project is the Abode, but if you are looking for an alternative view of the cultural triangle or the Kandy region Sid is very definitely your man. He also organises and guides treks miles off the beaten track - for travel hardy adventurers only! One of his treks goes deep into elephant country - and elephants are a subject he feels deeply about as the following article shows:
“Safari tours first came to light in the early 18th centaury. The west made inroads in the spheres of discoveries. Before this large parts of Asia remain obscured form travelers eye. The post war period saw a massive boom in the world population driven by successful runs in the health and pharmaceutical industry. The earth became a crowded house to live in and the ever increasing pressure on natural resources further fueled the diminishing flora and fauna. The notion to create protected sites was born as a result.
The following account has been extracted form various travelers note books and compiled unfolding timeless events in Ceylon. (more…)
Northern Thailand - Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai
Monday, July 27th, 2009, by Harriet Clark
Whoa!
Our visit to northern Thailand was rather short and fleeting. We arrived in Chiang Rai from Laos and were pretty knackered after the Gibbon Experience and so did not do anything too energetic. Chiang Rai is a fairly size-able Thai city and although a fair amount of tourists pass through, it retains its ‘Thainess’ more than Chiang Mai. (more…)
The Gibbon Experience - Northern Laos
Monday, July 27th, 2009, by Harriet Clark
It's 5am and we have seen a Gibbon
After spending a day and a night in the fairly depressing border town (Laos:Thailand) of Houay Xai we were really keen to start our 3 day ”Gibbon Experience” trip. It had been highly recommended to us throughout Laos so we were keen to see what all the fuss was about. (more…)
Luang Prabang - Northern Laos
Monday, July 20th, 2009, by Harriet Clark
Alms Givign in Luang Prabang
The journey from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang was a painful one. The air conditioning on the bus decided to break down and the wheel sprung a puncture. Not unusual occurrences in Laos, but it did make for a long, extremely hot and sweaty day. The pain was, however, alleviated by the extraordinarily beautiful views surrounding us as we wound our way through central Laos. They were simply breathtaking!
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Vang Vieng
Saturday, July 18th, 2009, by Harriet ClarkNow Vang Vieng is pretty much all about tubing as the numerous tee shirts you see worn in South East Asia advertise. But Vang Vieng does offer some other great excursions. The town itself has been shaped with a young western audience in mind and has numerous bars playing Friends on loop. However its surroundings are quite amazing. There are rolling hills carpeted with lush jungle dissected by the Nam Song river and a few spectacular caves. (more…)
4000 Islands - Southern Laos
Monday, July 6th, 2009, by Harriet Clark
The Elusive Irrawaddy Dolphin
Siem Reap and the Temples of Angkor
Monday, June 29th, 2009, by Harriet ClarkThe fact that Ben came with me for a full 2 days of walking around temples is testament in itself to the fact that they are rather spectacular and this even though one of the days began at 4.30!
We arrived in Siem Reap having spent the previous few weeks doing a lot of traveling and moving around and so before we had even got here we had decided that we would spend 4 nights here in order to have some chill out time as well as time to explore. It turns out that that was a very sensible decision as Siem Reap is a very pleasant town to spend some time. It is much calmer than Phnom Penh and the people are extremely friendly. (more…)
Kep and Kampot
Thursday, June 25th, 2009, by Harriet ClarkHidden away in the south eastern corner of Cambodia are these two coastal getaways. Unique and definitely a little rough around the edges - though it is in this that lies their charm. (more…)
Saigon and the Mekong Delta
Thursday, June 18th, 2009, by Harriet ClarkAs we walked through Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), or Saigon as the locals still determinately call it, we realised that it is a very different city to Hanoi. While the traffic remains as insane the feel of the city and the set up for tourists is very different.
Selling Pineapples on the Mekong Delta
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