Posts tagged with ‘Sam Clark’
Villas in Sri Lanka
Saturday, November 28th, 2009, by Sam ClarkThe villa concept in Sri Lanka is much misunderstood and so it’s a theme I come back to - in the (probably) vain hope that someone might read this blog and help get the following messages out.
1: Villas are a wonderful option for staying in Sri Lanka, both for couples looking for luxury and privacy at a reasonable cost and for families looking for comfort and value.
2: Villas in Sri Lanka are generally not cheap and they are not basic self catering units as you get in the west.
3: Villas in Sri Lanka are great value.
I’ll deal with point 2 first. We at Experience Sri Lanka spend much of our time explaining that villas in Sri Lanka are not like cheap European/Australian/US villas/self catering units, that you cannot get them without staff and that you will pay a fairly decent rate, even for the most basic.
There are several reasons why the villas are not cheap:
Best restaurants in asia
Tuesday, November 24th, 2009, by Sam ClarkWe constantly get asked to reccommend our favourite restaurants to clients and this worries us as it seems to change so quickly. What suits Peter, seems to annoy Paul, in much more pronounced a way than hotels or more general hotel experiences. I am often tempted to let people chose for themselves by reading the numerous blogs and reviews out there. However, we can always make the table booking for you too…. As usual speak to us directly here.
For Vietnam in particular there are some brilliant blogs on the subject - the writer of Noodlepie has long since left but the info is still there and it is fantastic. I really like a Girl In Asia too. There are many more.
For us here is a quick list to get you started of places we have experienced… This is by no means definitive though - there are simply thousands of incredible options, from street food to high end dining… These are just places we like - I wouldn’t even remotely claim to be expert enough to pronounce on what is best…
Hanoi - Quan An Ngon. Great idea - brought some of the best street chef’s together under one roof - paid them a regualr wage, added a decent markup and made this a brilliant introduction and must visit if time is short.
Hoi An - The Cargo Club is great for Vietnamese food and a relaxed and stylish introduction to the country….
Siagon - personally i’m huge Pho fan… but for high end eating Nam Kha is fun.
Bangkok - where to start - it’s ridiculous and I usually end up with street food but Suan Kularb - has a great variety of Thai and Chinese dishes as well as Dim Sum to die for at lunchtime and the best steamed fish around in the evening.
Cambodia - anywhere on the south coast where delectable fresh seafood, Cambodian spice pastes, French cunning and Kampot pepper collide to extraordinary affec but the fish amok at The Jasmine in Kampot is particularly blinding….
Suggestions from the floor?
Economy plus with Sri Lankan Airlines
Thursday, November 12th, 2009, by Sam ClarkWe have been asked alot recently about Sri Lankan Airlines new economy plus cabin. Sri Lankan Airlines now have a cabin at the front of the plane which has only 3 rows of seats - making it much quieter. The seats also have a very welcome 4 extra inches of legroom. The food and service is the same but at £50 per person per sector, it is a very reasonable upgrade and well worth the money. Talk to us about including that for you.
Sri Lanka Hill Country Bungalows
Wednesday, November 11th, 2009, by Sam ClarkSad news today that Netherbyres Bungalow, near Bandarawela, is no longer available for paying customers. It is a great place and all of our guests have had a wonderful time there - with its incredibly authentic atmosphere. Thanks so much to Ajita the owner and the family!
For those wanting the cool charms of an up-country retreat, there are still some great options. The Tea Trails bungalows are the original up-market tea country experience and the service is unrivalled. Bonnielands is not in the same luxury bracket but for fun and authenticity it cannot be beaten as Gemma Bowes from The UK Guardian found out!
The Dutch House in Bandarawela is equally as exclusive and luxurious as Tea Trails, but definitely a more personal experience. Kelbourne Bunaglows is not as cheap as it once was, but great fun and they have the best views in the country I think. Other options, in a slightly differenet area, would be Ellerton and Rangala House. Both of which mean slightly less travelling time to get there as they are close to Kandy, so really suit those looking to limit driving time.
These are all unique and special places which will suit different people. Talk to us to find out more - we’d be delighted to go through the options. What all the places have in common is that they are places to let the fresh hill air and the peace and tranquillity of the up country region - wash over and replenish!
Trip Advisor
Friday, September 11th, 2009, by Sam ClarkI recently waded into a discussion on the fantastic Travel Rants website. Much to my surprise I then got a call from the producer of ‘Fasttrack’, BBC World’s travel programme, asking me if I would mind making the same point on a programme he was making.
I did and they did an interesting and thoughtful piece, which among other things, put my argument up against the CEO of Trip Advisor in the UK…. Which we found fairly amusing. Last heard it was still available on the BBC website.
I do feel there is a point to be made though. (more…)
A Solar Eciplse from Sri Lanka
Thursday, August 27th, 2009, by Sam ClarkExciting news that on January 15th 2010 you will be able to experience a solar eclipse from northern Sri Lanka. Apparently it will be an annular eclipse, so the Sun and Moon are exactly in line, but the Sun will appear as a very bright ring, or annulus, surrounding the outline of the Moon.
I cannot glean much information on this as yet, but it seems that it will start from East Africa before moving towards northern Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu, before passing Bangladesh, Burma and China. From what I can tell the best place to view it from Sri Lanka will be Anuradhapura to Jaffna. Anuradhapura would be a magic place to view it from I’d think. Contact us at Experience Sri Lanka to arrange a tour around this.
Rick Stein’s Far Eastern Odyssey - a review:
Tuesday, August 25th, 2009, by Sam ClarkRick Stein did us a massive favour by doing a programme that focused, almost exclusively, on the area that we specialise in. Apart from Laos, all our bases were covered – Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Cambodia and of course, Thailand. A big ‘thank you’ to Rick then, as we saw a definite increase in inquiries from the sort of people keen to do something a little different and sample the true flavours of the region – something which we can deliver!
I also think we are well placed to review the show and watched it with great interest. Not only do we know the countries very well, but we are all fairly greedy and get thoroughly over-excited by the thought of South East Asian food. We also know a few of the characters featured in the programme and all of the hotels featured.
Asia Wishlist - No. 1 Knai Bang Chatt
Monday, August 17th, 2009, by Sam ClarkStuck in my office in Wandsworth putting together tours for people in Vietnam is a decent way to make a living. My thoughts do wander sometimes though, to the places I am working on, and where i would like to go next.
With 2 small children, much of this is purely a pipedream, but number 1 on the list has to be Kep in Cambodia and Knai Bang Chatt in particular.
My colleague, who visited recently, came back raving about the laid back charms of Kep, the delicious buckets of Kampot Pepper Crab available in the markets at a dollar a throw, the hike up Bokor mountain to see the ethereal abandoned hilltop colonial resort up there and dreamy boat trips out to empty paradise islands. Having loved the rest of Cambodia, but missed Kep on previous visits, I am most keen to get back.
He also said that Knai Bang Chatt was the best hotel he had ever stayed in. That would all depend on what you’re looking for, but personally, the converted villas sound fantastic, and the thought of the food - a cunning French and Khmer fusion, too good to be true. (more…)
What to eat in Singapore in 24 hours?
Thursday, June 18th, 2009, by Sam ClarkIn my opinion Singapore is one of the finest place to eat in the world - in terms of good food per square footage I would say it is totally unbeatable.
Singapore food
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Special Offers Vietnam!
Wednesday, June 17th, 2009, by Sam ClarkSorry to keep harping on about low fares, but we have just had some even better specials given to us by Singapore Airlines. These allow you to fly in or out of Siem Reap, Ho Chi Minh, Danang (Hoi An) or Hanoi, so are incredibly flexible. Obviously Singapore Airline are second to none in terms of the quality of service they offer too. The fare part is coming out at including tax, around £350 each.
They have meant that we can take at least £100 per person off all our advertised website prices at the moment and in some cases up to £300 each! There really has never been a better value time to visit Vietnam and/or Cambodia. Hotels also have some fantastic offers and in combination we can do some amazing deals! The Nam Hai is a case in point - Vietnam’s best hotel is doing a stay 2 get 1 free offer from now until April 2010. We’ll pass you the savings directly.
You will have to hurry though - the Singapore offer ends on the 30th June and already the limited seats released for this price seem to be going fast.