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…)
Archive for the ‘Thailand’ Category
Sunrise from the top of magical Borobudur temple, Central Java
3 January 2012 by Nick Clark
After a night at Losari Coffee Plantation – a wellness retreat surrounded by 8 of central Java’s dramatic volcanoes – our exploration of Java continued with three nights in the historic province of Yogyakarta to the south. After an early morning rise for an hour long yoga session (who knew that stretching could be so tiring?) and a tour of the working coffee estate, we first made our way north to the small Hindu temple complex of Gadung Songo, some 1,300 meters above sea level. We explored the site and yet more stunning vistas on horseback, before getting drenched in a downpour. After the two hour drive south it was starting to get dark by the time we reached, tired and slightly disheveled, the luxury surroundings of Amanjiwo.
I always feel a little embarrassed turning up at such places after a day’s ‘hard work’ – I’m not renowned for my ‘luxury’ appearance at the best of times – and having both changed into our tracksuits to get warm in the car this was no exception! However, it was not long before I relaxed and was marvelling at the tranquil setting and style of the hotel. The circular lobby is designed in such a way that as you approach you are presented with a view that leads through the hotel and down to the magnificent Borobudur temple some 2.5 km away. It was not until the light of the following day that I could truly appreciate this, the four volcanoes climbing into the horizon from the flat plains below and the lush green hill that towers above the hotel from behind. That evening, with the prospect of a 4.30am wake up call so that we could climb the temple for the sunrise, I was more concerned with enjoying the luxury that the suites provided and the grilled salmon in the restaurant!
(more…)
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.
Bangkok Floods
9 November 2011 by Sam Clark
Just a quick update to say that while the center of Bangkok – and the main tourist districts remain flood free, the water does seem to be creeping closer whilst it washes through Bangkok. Our local partners are doing a sterling job re-routing people and making all the necessary arrangements – and this despite being flooded themselves in some cases. Thank you so much Addie, Siriwan, Cherry and all at Destination Asia Thailand for your enormously hard work.
The rest of Thailand is now not affected at all and the sun is shining. Currently we are re-routing all clients travelling over the next week away from Bangkok – if that is what they choose. Though all flights are going through the main airport as normal.
Note though that Suvarabhumi Airport is open and functioning entirely normally. The main Bangkok Airport was built fairly recently and they had flooding very much in mind as flooding is very common in Thailand in Bangkok in particular as it is a flood basin in effect. They built huge flood defenses and no one expects these to be breached.
The Thai authorities were furious with what they felt was a very misleading picture in the foreign press recently – have a look here if you are interested –
We are putting together Thailand holidays as normal and expect the situation to normalise soon.
Our thoughts go out to all the affected people in Thailand and indeed Cambodia.
Trip Advisor – a blessing or a curse!
7 November 2011 by Sam Clark
The great beast lurking around any travel business these days (Google itself of course excluded) is the mighty Trip Advisor. No one in the travel business can ignore Trip Advisor and live to tell the tale. But is Trip Advisor a good thing?
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…)
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…)
Leopards, Tuskers and Sloth Bears with Kulu Safaris in Yala National Park
20 September 2011 by Harriet Reeves
During my current trip to Sri Lanka I was fortunate enough to head off to Yala National Park’s Block 1 on a camping safari with Kulu Safaris.
Led by the passionate and informative Steuart Roelofsz, the one night safari has certainly been the biggest highlight of my trip so far. After being picked up from the road in Kulu’s hardy Landcruiser and braving the innumerable potholes on the entrance road, we finally made it into the national park and within 5 minutes had already spotted a tusker elephant having an afternoon siesta by the water hole.
The camp, located 45 minutes into the park beside a beautiful patch of river is incredibly comfortable for something so mobile. The ‘rooms’ are all large tents with a small living area and separate bedroom, and can even accommodate families as there is a small additional room for the children’s beds. Just outside of your tent is a private portaloo as well as a bucket shower which can be filled with warm water by the staff.
The food was a delicious array of Sri Lankan dishes, all served at a table on the river bank (or in the case of breakfast, in the river itself), allowing you to really enjoy the sights and sounds of the surrounding wildlife. (more…)
Amazing Thailand? Now it’s a Miracle!
5 September 2011 by Tom Armstrong
The TAT (Tourism Authority of Thailand) has announced plans to ditch the country’s much-used slogan ‘Amazing Thailand’, and replace it with ‘Miracle Thailand’. Such a move is not uncommon following a change of government, and this new cabinet will request 8 billion baht in government funding for the campaign. The campaign is aimed at increasing the number of visitors to the country after a troubled few years. As is often then case in Thailand, the specifics of the proposal remain extremely vague and it is unclear what happens for the ongoing promotion of the ‘Amazing Thailand’ brand which is seen as being very successful, alongside the ‘Unseen Thailand’ tool for marketing lesser known hotels. Many in the private sector have expressed doubts about the need for a re-brand and the appropriateness of the new slogan. (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…)
