Pattaya in a glance

The sea side town of Pattaya is about a 2 hours (165 km) leisure drive from Bangkok. It's made famous by the US army when they built an airport in U-tapao for their war in Vietnam. Pattaya is a city of entertainment.....and most "farang"(foreigner) called it a "sin city". They city is full of bar beers, disco, massage parlour & agogo bars. Some people claimed that there are up to "10,000" of sex workers (mostly from the Northeastern of Thailand) in this town located inside the province of Chonburi.

Nevertheless Pattaya is not just about nightlife & sex......there are some attractions for tourist. You can always go to the Jomtien beach for the sunset and water sports activities. If you are interested in the exploring the deep sea....try the "yellow submarine". For some specific fees you can start to explore the Pattaya's deep sea. For the daredevils try the tower jump from the tallest building in Pattaya- The Pattaya Tower or a round of bungee hump at the Jomtien fishing park.A visit to the million years stone park & Pattaya crocodile farm will be a great experience also. or if you just want something more leisure just stroll down the Pattaya beach road and watch the world moving.

There are just enough of attractions to keep you busy for a few days in Pattaya......if you are bored at night drop by at the infamous Walking Street and you will be surrounded by hundreds of agogo bar. One of my favorite will be the X-zyte disco ( biggest in Pattaya) where there are daily "ala" Las vegas style performance by dozens of singers and dancers. Guesthouse, apartments and hotels are plenty in Pattaya and you should be able to find one easily. You can rent a motorcycle or a car and easily drive around in Pattaya...I did it and I cover the whole lots of Pattaya in a day! A great experience.....very touristy place....but....I have to come here at least once.......just to confirm what others people have been telling me about Pattaya all this while! It's a good option if you are getting bored with Bangkok.



"sunset in jomtien beach....my favorite activity in Pattaya"



"Sitting here in the evening, sipping a bottle of heineken and watching the sun set will be prefect"



"the more crowded and busy Pattaya beach just in front of the Pattaya beach road"



"entrance to the million years stone & pattaya crocodile park"



" my friend posed in front of the X-Zyte disco in 2007"



" Walking Street at night.....a place to look for someone???"

Pattaya is a not stop action city be it day or night......most "farang" in my humble opinion visit Pattaya for beers, girls & sex.......I come here just to see it and believe it! Not my "A" list place of interest in the land of smile but worth a try if you have not been here.......or else try the city of "Hua Hin" about 190 km south of Bangkok.

Surabaya - Indonesia

On the cool & windy morning 11 November 2007, I was on my way to Surabaya,Indonesia. The 2 hour 45 minutes flight was smooth and we landed safely in Sidoearjo International airport,Surabaya. The trip to hotel on the taxi takes approximately 45 minutes. Our hotel, Weta International hotel is a 3 star hotel which is quite wear off. Fortunately our rooms were okay and clean. The first day of our 4 days trip in surabaya took us to the House of Sampoerna, The kembang jepun street (china town) & Surabaya newest & largest shopping- Pakuwon supermall. On the second day of our travel we went to the Kebun Binatang surabaya (zoo), the submarine monument, Surabaya oldest shopping mall- Plaza surabaya, Plaza Tunjungan-Surabaya most crowded shopping mall & Surabaya very own Tanggulangin which is an area for leather industry. lots of good bargain for leather products. I bought two pairs or leather shoe, one wallet & one ladies handbag. The night was quiet as most of the nightspot in town were close for the Muslim fasting month. We manage to have some fun watching tv and drinking in our hotel rooms.

The next day we are on our way to Surabaya most famous place-Gunung Bromo. Bromo is an active volcano and last reported exploded in 2004. The journey to bromo took us to tretes ( a weekend retreat for Surabaya folk to unwind their past time and relax). Our next stop is malang- an area similar to our Malaysia very own cameron highlands. We visited the Kusuma Agro wisata which is an area for strawberry & apple plantation. I have my first chance to pick up an apple myself. the experience is a memorable one. The air in this area was so cooling and we enjoy our time here. I wonder how great it would be if we could overnight in this small & peaceful town.

Nevertheless we reach the base camp of bromo around 12.30am. We immediately surrounded by a group of men trying to sell us the infamous bromo hat,gloves and scarf. I bought a few piece as souvenir. We rent a small room for a short nap as we need to board a jeep to Penanjakan view point where we can view the breath taking and magnificent sunrise of bromo. Not to our disappointment, the view was indeed breath taking and magnificient! By far the best sunrise I have ever seen in my life yet! We reach the foothill of bromo around 6.30 a.m. and a further 30 minutes walk or a 10 minutes horse ride will take you to the staircase to heaven(252 steps before you reach the top of bromo) At last we step our foot on bromo! It's worth all the hassle and long drive here. it's just too much to say about bromo! we leave bromo with a heavy heart and head back to Surabaya.

To spend our last few hours in Surabaya, we went for last minutes shopping at BG Junction-newly opened shopping Mall! I managed to bought a ring that cost me 45,000 rupiah which I am still wearing it till today! We reached home at night and we all agreed that the trip is nevertheless a memorable one even without the taste of some nightlife in Surabaya!



"the House Of Sampoerna"



"the fiery komodo dragon in Kebun Binatang Surabaya"



"The famous Pro Steak House in Surabaya"



"the Kusuma Agro Wisata resort in the town of Malang"



" I can't believe it when I was told by my driver there is an apple farm in Malang"



"Bromo sunrise view from Penanjakan view point"



"it's freaking cold out there! Having a cuppa of coffee inside a tea stall with 2 of my friends"



"the sea of cloud and the sea of tourist"



" the active mount bromo, mount batok & mount semeru"



"staircase to heaven....:)"



"I've conquered mt.bromo at last"



"our farewell lunch in BG Junction....Papa Rons Pizza...."

I have change my perception of Indonesia after my first visit to Surabaya...the people is nice, helpful & thankful.........even though some places is freaking dirty and dusty.....overall Indonesia is a safe place for tourist!

The roof of Thailand

Doi Inthanon is the highest mountain in Thailand. Located in the northern part of Thailand and about 2 hours drive from the city of Chiang Mai. The mountain itself is situated inside the Doi Inthanon National Park which was gazetted by the Thai government in 1954. Many tourist will arrive at this national park during the winter season in the hope of watching the snow. Some of the attractions in this huge national park include the famous twin Chedi to honour the king & queen of Thailand. One is made from granite while the other one was made from marble. Lots of waterfall inside the national park but the famous one must be the Vachiratharn waterfall and the Siripum Waterfall.

Drop by at the Inthanon Royal Project research centre if you have some extra time.....lots of species of plant is being extensively research in this place. The royal project also in the midst of rearing the red crayfish imported from Australia with the co operation from the local farmers. Currently the crayfish is being served in 5 stars hotel in Chiang Mai and one of the place that you can savour this delicacy is the luxury Mandarin hotel Dhara Devi. The national park is worth a visit and one of the many attractions when you are visiting Chiang Mai.



"entrance to the inthnaon national park"



" 2565 meters above sea level"



"the must visit Vachiratharn waterfall"



"the chedi to honour the Queen of Thailand"



" Nice view on the surrounding mountainous area"



"This photo was taken in the year 2006 at the Inthanon Royal Project Research Centre"



"one of the biggest secret of Doi Inthanon is the red cray fish"

The weather drop tremendously during the winter season from December to February. The temperature in the morning might drop to zero or a few degree Celsius.

Huay Tung Tao Lake In Chiang Mai

Off beaten track in Chiang mai

As I've been to Chiang Mai for dozens of time for the past few years I choose to visit one of the really off beaten track. I've the chance to visit this lake through the introduction from one of my Thai friend. it was indeed a very nice place which is so quiet, peaceful & the scenery is breath taking. It is a perfect place to unwind your lazy evening. You can chose any one of the available hut around the lake and order food from the many stalls scattered around the lake. The scenery is beautiful and I sat here sipping my favorite Heineken, eating the delicious bamboo worm & my all time favorite pizza from the "Thai Pizza Company"! BTW the lake is approximately 45 minutes from the old city area by the red songthaew!



" this man made lake is a favorite with the local"

"plenty of sitting place for you to choose"



" Ride a boat if your weight is below 50kg"



"sleep in one of the bamboo hut or a bottle of Heini...anyone???



" This is definitely my "MUST" when I am in Chiang Mai"



"My favorite bamboo worm......it taste good...believe me!"



"definitely not as good as bamboo worm....but still worth a try...anyone????"



"The specially made seafood pizza with extra bamboo worm topping!! Aroi mak!!"



" the long winding road back to the city"



" sunset in huay tung tao lake"

Direction to this place:
Off Canal Road
5kms from the Intersection with Huay Kaew Road
Chiang Mai. (same way to the 700 year old stadium)

Cafe' in Chiang Mai

Passion for coffee brought me here................

Small cafe' is mushrooming in the city of Chiang Mai. Dozens of newly opened cafe' can be found scattered around the city. I've tried a few of them and found some of them was a real gem. My criteria for a good cafe' must be a cup of perfectly brewed black coffee, great cakes, great environment and free wifi! It is not too difficult to look for the right one in Chiang Mai.

The Charcoa's coffee & guesthouse is a good example. Situated in a small soi inside the old city ( Soi 1 Siripum) the cafe itself is a cozy guesthouse. Perfectly brewed coffee and perfectly set up...this cafe's is well worth your visit even for a short tea break! the breakfast is simply awesome and well priced. Inside the old city the cafe also has an attached guesthouse.

Mo's cafe is another busy cafe frequented by the CMU students. Located on the busy Huay Kaew road, the cafe itself is inside a massive compund which includes the new and trendy Moc & Mol restaurant. The cafe is small with indoor and outdoor sitting with ample of parking bays if you are driving one! The price is average and there are great choices of cake for your selection. Worth a try after a busy day of city tour or if you need to online to update your blogs! The owner of this cafe' also owned the famous Monkey Club in Nimmanhemin road.

Another well worth mentioned cafe is the small yet cozy Ratchadumnern Cafe' in the famous Ratchadumnern road dub the Sunday Walking Street. Located just opposite the Chiang mai police headquarters....the environment around this cafe's is so relaxing and quiet. Ordered a cup of hot Americano and I bet you would not regret with it. The price is cheap compare to others similar cafe and the overall service was great. The cakes was obviously good but I would said the cakes is fern forest cafe is simply the best in my humble opinion! Still worth a visit if you are staying around the old city.....which houses dozens of hidden but great cafe'. Who needs the over rated and expensive " angmo starbucks" when you can have the better and cheaper coffee.

Doi Chaang coffee is also another local brand of good coffee that worth a mention! The branch that i went located at the kalare night bazaar and I am glad that I tried it. As usual i sat down and order a cup of Americano. The coffee is good, tasty and full of aroma. Worth a visit if you are around Chiang Mai. I can say it rivals the other local brand Wawee Coffee which I will review in the next episode of cafe in Chiang Mai.



" Charcoa cafe' outdoor dining area"



" simple, nice & perfectly set up in a small garden"



" look good & taste good"



" a cup of perfectly brewed Americano"



" There is only one Ratchadumnern cafe' in Chiang Mai"



" outdoor sitting area : perfect place to spend your time sipping great coffee and dreaming "



" the man made waterfall is an add on for the already good set up"



" Mo's cafe in Huay Kaew road"



" the weather is hot and I need a cup of Crush Ice Americano"



"worth a visit to Doi Chaang cafe'"

The writer's will be going back to CM soon and hope to discover more great cafe' located in the city.

FaCes oF CamBoDiA

Cambodia or officially known as The Royal Kingdom of Cambodia is bordering Vietnam to the east, Thailand to the west and Laos to the north. The capital Phnom Penh is full of activities......but most of the time tourist come to Cambodia just to see the infamous Angkor Wat in Siem Reap.The nation which gone through several devastating war for decades has finally settled down.

The country is booming again even though poverty is still the nation main priority. Most Cambodian live with an average income of USD 50 per month. Life is hard in the capital city.....poverty is evidenced as you can noticed a lot of beggars some even as young as 4-5 years old. At night homeless people will sleep at the riverside front just a few hundreds meter from the royal palace. You cant miss the S-21 genocide museum if you visit Phnom Penh........the Red khmer or Khmer Rouge tortured and killed hundreds of thousand of innocent Cambodian during their reign from 1975-1979. Most of these victims were later transferred to one of the many killing fields outside of the city. One of the most visited killing fields is the Choung Euk Genocidal Center about 10 miles out of the city. I feel for those victims of the brutality and inhuman action by the Khmer Rouge.

For those who fancy guns.....do drop by at the Thunder ranch at the outskirt of the city on the way further up from the airport. You can try the Russian made Ak-47, US made M-16 and the German made Heckler & Koch MP-5 9mm submachinegun. Others interesting places aroung the town is wat phonm, the royal palace, silver pagoda,national museum, central market, russian market and numerous others off beaten path places for the adventurous one. Gamblers are most welcome in Naga World where you can put your bet on the baccarat table for minimum of USD4! A 5 hours journey up north will bring you to the city of Angkor or nowadays "Siem Reap".

A visit to Angkor Wat complex, Angkor Bayon, Ta Phrom, Bakheng and others temple inside the Angkor Archeology Complex is a breath taking experience. You can spend the whole day walking around inside this huge complex and feel like you are back in the ancient time...even though very touristy nowadays....still worth it to come here and see it with your own eyes one of the old seven wonders of the world! If you have enough time you can pay a visit to the Tonle Sap lake which eventually the largest fresh water lake in the world. Grab a can or bottle of Angkor beer and sip it in one of the many floating restaurant on the lake.

For shoppers you can drop by the old market or the official Angkor night market to grab some souvenirs for your love ones! As the night arrived check out any of the bars in pub street or some of the night clubs scattered around the town. Clubbing in one of the local night clubs proved to be a memorable one! Cambodia is a huge country with many nice and interesting places waiting for those daring one to explore..... From the seaside town of Sihanoukville, Kampot, Anlong Vieng......Cambodia is just magnificent and mysterious with some of the nicest people I've ever met through out my journey in this part of the world "Asia"



"sunset in front of the royal palace"



"Sisowath Quay in the early morning...not too busy"



" two young Cambodian girl at the Sisowath Quay"



"BBQ Cambodian style"



"there are steam pork buns everywhere on the street of Phnom Penh....I tried it and it taste good"



"independence monument at night"



"one of the best americano coffee i can find in Phnom Penh" by the coffee maker company



" This fried noodle is simply awesome" created by North Star restaurant in Sotheroas Boulevard in Phnom Penh



"life is harsh in Cambodia......a pedestrian walk way in the morning turned sleeping ground"



" some money please.....I need to buy pen..buy book...go to school"



"infamous S-21 (Toul Seng) genocide museum"



"some of the guns available in Thunder ranch"



"a currency exchange dub cigarettes shop in Siem Reap"



"Breakfast in FCC Angkor Siem Reap"



" FCC Angkor in Siem Reap- an ideal place for breakfast"



"Angkor Wat as what it is today"



" It's simply majestic"



"just sit down, free your mind & have a bottle of iced cool Heineken"



"Life in Tonle Sap lake"



"this cutey was caught in action on the floating restaurant @ Tonle Sap lake"

Remarks:- the writer wants to thank his buddies Ivan & Eddie for some of the well taken photo's.

Cambodia is definitely on my Trans Indochina 2010 tour.... :)