#Vietnam's Golden Bridge among Time's top 100 destinations this year

Just months after it opened to public, Vietnam’s amazing Golden Bridge continues to grab the world’s attention.

The Time magazine has listed it in its list of top 100 World’s Greatest Places for 2018.

Remarking on its architectural creativity, the magazine’s Julia Zorthian notes: “The two massive stony hands emerging from the mountains of central Vietnam may look mossy and cracked like ancient ruins, but don’t be fooled: they’re brand-new wire mesh and fiberglass supports for a striking footbridge that opened in June.”

Images of the two giant hands holding up the 150 meters long bridge at Ba Na Hills near Da Nang have gone viral and many international media outlets have remarked on the bridge, including AFP, Reuters and CNN.

Vu Viet Anh, Design Principal at TA Landscape Architecture that designed the pedestrian walkway, told Reuters that the bridge was designed to stimulate the image of the “giant hands of Gods, pulling a strip of gold out of the land.”

Other places on Time’s list include the Macan Museum in Indonesia and Tianjin Binhai Library in China.

According to Time, editors and experts at the magazine evaluated the entries based on quality, originality, innovation, sustainability and influence.

Offering grand views of mountains and forests from a height of almost 1000 metres above sea level, the bridge is set to attract increasing numbers of tourists to Da Nang and Ba Na Hills.

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism reported that Ba Na Hills attracted 2.7 million visitors in 2017.

In the first six months of this year, more than 1.7 million of four million plus people visiting Da Nang also visited Ba Na Hills.

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#Thailand - The peaceful side of #Pattani

Long beset by insurgency, this southern province bordered by Narathiwat, Yala, and Songkhla has plenty to offer the visitor

THE FORMER capital of the ancient Langkasuka Kingdom, Pattani province in Thailand’s far south has traditionally been feted for its multiculturalism, though sadly the ongoing violence has kept it well off the tourist path for more than a decade. 

But not all the residents have given up on drawing visitors to their home. On a recent visit that saw a group of journalists wrap up a tour of all three southernmost provinces, we were taken around China Town by Melayu Living, a club of innovative artists who are hoping to bring tourists back to this thriving trading hub on the bank of the Pattani River and the border of Thailand and Malaysia.

 The group has also collaborated with the Association of Siamese Architects under Royal Patronage to create maps and guidebooks to illustrate the city layout and indicate the locations of tourist attractions. 

Along the 1.4-kilometre walking route, visitors can learn about history, enjoy some local delicacies and get a feel for the simple way of Southern life. Contrary to the negative pictures painted by the media, it’s normal to see Muslims sitting alongside Chinese-Buddhists eating roti and drinking coffee or tea and sharing space in an art gallery. 

Sulaiman “Lee” Chemae is our tour guide for the walk and one of my travel companions greets him not with “hello” but a question – “It is safe to roam on foot?”

Lee doesn’t appear put out. “This area is like the yolk of an egg, protected by checkpoints controlled by armed soldiers. So, yes, tourists can feel safe. I admit we can’t guarantee 100-per-cent safety but we can recommend places to which visitors can go as well as those best avoided,” he says. 

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China Town is populated by Hokkian Chinese, whose ancestors migrated from Fujian and set up shop on Anoru Road. Lined with old Chinese-style buildings mostly constructed during the reign of King Rama III, it’s home to the Lim Ko Nieo Shrine, worshipped by local residents and seafarers alike to ask for fortune, success, good health and protection. Built in 1634, it was originally called Leng Chu Kiang Shrine. 

Legend has it that Lim Ko Niao crossed the South China Sea from China to Pattani to bring her brother back home to be with their dying mother. The young man, Lim To Kiam, declined her request, preferring to stay in Pattani because he had married a daughter of Phraya Tani and converted to Islam. Lim Ko Niao was frustrated by her brother’s refusal and ended up hanging herself from a cashew nut tree. The villagers later carved a wooden statue to her memory. 

A short distance from the shrine is the former residence of taxman Luang Wichit Sulkakorn. Made from wood and cement, the main structure has been maintained to celebrate its long history. 

When Wichit and his family moved out, the house was turned into a Thai dessert shop by Xuan Lui Kowittaya and became the first grocery on Anoru Road. Today, it’s under the care of the Kamolwittaya family.

“In the past, the Chinese residents traded with sea merchants from Singapore, Malacca and the Malay Peninsula, while the Muslims made their living from fishing. King Rama III recognised the potential for border trade, so he sent a tax collector to Pattani, making our community stronger,” Lee explains.

Next door is the White Building, which was constructed in 1883 by Luang Cheen Kananurak. Anan, the third generation of the Kananurak family, recently had it completely refurbished and gave it a more modern look. 

The building is divided into three zones linked by walkways from the front building to an old wooden house in the middle. There is a kitchen and a lush courtyard at the back, where the air-raid shelter hastily constructed during World War II, has been turned into a fish and lotus pond. 

Commonly known as Baan Kongsee, the bright blue, 150-year-old house was constructed by another tax collector, Luang Samret Kitjakorn Jangwang – an ancestor of the Kanaurak family, during the reign of King Rama III. 

The roof has a perforated design that resembles ancient currency, symbolic of fortune, while the front of house features two windows to protect against inauspicious happenings in line with feng shui beliefs.

The structure is built with glazed bricks coated with white honey-mixed lime and oversize earthenware tiles cover the floor. The living room has a huge stand to accommodate the many statues of Chinese deities.

“Before the violence, this area was really colourful. It was lined with restaurants and always packed with foreign labourers and local fishermen. Because of its proximity to the huge fish market and pier, some Bt100 million changed hands every night,” Lee says. 

“We want to promote other tourist routes that take in artisan villages and encourage people to take a cruise to a swamp forest in Yaring district so that visitors can experience our culture.” 

Just a 15-minute drive away from downtown Pattani next to Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana Garden is the recently opened Pattani Adventure Park, which is billing itself as the best vantage point for admiring Tachee Cape and azure waters of the Gulf of Thailand. 

The 400-metre skywalk stands as high as a three-storey building and can hold up to 400 kilogram per square metre, thus ensuring safety for all visitors. It’s also connected to a long nature trail on the ground, home to a lush massive swamp forest. 

A mere 35 kilometres from town is 

 Sai Khao, which won the Most Outstanding Community-based Tourism Award back in 2007 for its eco-cultural tours and homestay services. Local residents have modified their vintage Jeep trucks to transport visitors to the Namtok Sai Khao National Park, where a golden statue of the Buddha looks down at visitors from the top of the mountain. 

 

“The province invested Bt32 million to construct the Buddha statue and it took 41 years to complete. It is a great viewpoint to look out over the verdant landscapes of Sai Khao district,” says Uncle Chanin Siannin, the head of Baan Sai Khao community.

The mountain is also home to a sacred pond, which the monk Luang Pu Tuad discovered during a pilgrimage in the jungle, a huge snake-like rock attached to the steep cliff and the Sai Khao waterfall, which is a popular picnic spot for local families. 

Our day out ends with a visit to the massive rubber plantations and orchards, where we’re allowed to pick durian, bananas and rambutan straight from the tree and stock up on such snacks as preserved garcinia and miang kham made from banana to remind us of our visit.

Source - TheNation

 

 

#Thailand - Discovering the Royal Projects

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                             Dr Weerachai Nanakorn will lead a Siam Society study trip to the Royal Projects at Doi Ang Khang and Huai Hong Khrai as well as the small Chiang Mai village of Mae Kampong from January 5 to 7.

The Royal Agricultural Station Ang Khang is located in Fang district and is spread over some 2,000 rai. Within the station compound are nine villages inhabited by four different minority groups – Thai Yai, Black Lahu, Palong and Chinese Yunnanese.

The station is designed for conducting experiments on possible temperate plants to be grown in Thailand as cash substitutes for opium poppy. In 1969, His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej gave his private funds to establish the Royal Project Foundation under the directorship of HSH Bhisadej Rajani as the Chairman of Royal Project. The station mainly researches the temperate fruit, exotic flowers and vegetables that can be cultivated to provide a sustainable form of income for the hilltribes. 

Today, almost 50 years on, the valley is a thriving tourist attraction, replete with beautiful gardens and fruit orchards. The project produces a wide variety of temperate fruits including Chinese peaches, Chinese pears, persimmon, plums, grapes, apricots, strawberries, passion fruit, figs, kiwi fruit and pomegranates.
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Huai Hong Khrai Royal Development Study Centre is located in Doi Saket District and was established in 1982 under King Bhumibol’s initiative and driven largely as a result of drought and forest fires caused by extensive forest destruction and poaching. The centre is located in the Pa Khun Mae Kuang National Park, a mountainous and forested region that is heavily degraded where the study centre is located. Studies at the centre encompass watershed development as an appropriate model with forest areas designated for planting three types of forest with four applications: economic crops, fruit trees and firewood, soil conservation and watershed area to engender moisture and recover the degraded area.

The beautiful village of Mae Kampong in Mae On district has long been a source of enjoyment and inspiration to not only the locals that happily reside there, but also to fortunate visitors from around the world. Located just a short distance from the city of Chiang Mai – visitors to Mae Kampong will instantly feel they have stepped back in time, with traditional teak houses dotting the nearby mountains.

Source - The Nation

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#Thailand - A day of adrenaline at Chiang Mai adventure destinations

A journalist tries out some of Chiang Mai’s high-excitement pursuits, from a micro-light flight to rock climbing and barreling down some of Thailand’s longest forest ziplines

As we took off, wind slapping my face and churning my hair, I thought to myself, “This is just like a regular plane”. But the moment the wheels lifted off terra firma, I felt this deep sense of exhilaration no plain plane could have ever given me. There I was, rising up and up and up, eventually reaching a thousand feet above the shrinking ground below, surrounded by nothing but air. I was on a micro light at Chiang Mai Adventure and I felt as though I was flying straight into the rising sun.

We had been invited on a one day trip to experience some of the local attractions and this was a great start. Chiang Mai Adventure has been around for nearly 20 years, a professional outfit operating out of Doi Saket. As we flew over paddy fields, farmers toiling below, taking a small break to shield their eyes as they watched my dangling feet pass over above, I felt as though I was in a ‘Nam movie, the soundtrack of Platoon playing in my head. The wind was rather vigorous that day, especially as we headed over the skies above Mae Guang Dam, but the views of mountains, paddy fields, glittering temples and charming villages, kept my fear at bay and my senses on alert. The ride only lasted for 15 short minutes, and following a rickety landing, we were soon rushed off to our next attraction.

 Chiang Mai Adventure Land is a popular day out for the family. Since I am still single, I would never have really thought to come here, but after spending a few hours rock climbing, flying fox zip lining and zorb balling like a human-hamster-ball, I decided that no one is too mature for such frolicking! The park itself has all sorts of activities to keep everyone fully busy, giggling and exhausted, from the Indiana Jones style tight rope, the hill tribe swing, hill skiing, riding, fishing to challenging sky bridge, the staff are all on hand to make sure that everything is safe and everyone is having a great time.

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Just when we were getting into it, we were told that we had to go to our next adventure. I wasn’t sure that anything could top the first two, but was soon proven wrong as I found myself hurtling atop canopies down the longest zip line in Chiang Mai. The roller coaster, where you are strapped on under the coaster and hold on for dear life had my head spinning and my body pumped with adrenalin.

By this point I was utterly exhausted, but was then told that we had one more destination, Dragon Flight. We actually had to trek a full hour to get to the first base of the zipline, but it was worth it when once again, I found myself flying through the skies down their 900 metre zip line.

I don’t remember the drive back to the city, as I was passed out, along with every other journalist in the van, from exhaustion.

These are activities which we Thais don’t normally get to enjoy, as we tend to think that they are for tourists. But once we woke up on arrival in the city, we all agreed, over a bowl of late night noodles, that this was a day to remember.

There are obvious health and safety concerns, especially of late, about many adventure tourism destinations. I hope that you all do your due diligence before you book any activity to make sure that the company in question is reputable. And most of all, have fun and stay safe.

Source - TheNation

#Myanmar (Burma) Laying treks to boost tourism in Pyin Oo Lwin

Trekking routes are to be mapped out and constructed as well as regional guide training are to be provided in Pyin Oo Lwin township, Mandalay Region, where locals and foreigners frequent.

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 Environmental conservation groups conduct a field inspection at Yay Pyan Mountain in Pyin Oo Lwin township, one of the initial trekking routes. Sithu Lwin / The Myanmar Times

The program – a joint effort between the Directorate of the Hotels and Tourism and entrepreneurs who run hotels in the Pyin Oo Lwin area – aims to improve the tourism industry there.

Ko Wai Lu, a hotel entrepreneur who runs Mya Nan Daw Hotel in Pyin Oo Lwin, said that the purpose of creating trekking routes in the Pyin Oo Lwin region is to open up job opportunities for locals.

“We have earmarked three routes but these have not been approved yet. We are still analysing what routes to be constructed. We will choose the routes that are for one-day trips.

“We aim for locals to get jobs as well as for the city to be developed. The routes are being chosen so that each will give travelers and trekkers a different experience and taste. One trekking route will include a waterfall scene, another would be through a jungle path, and yet another route will provide experience in the ethnic people’s lifestyle. It will be interesting because trekkers can enjoy the scenery along the trip and then they can also travel by car and rendezvous at a point where they can go trekking again,” Ko Wai Lu told The Myanmar Times.

The routes that have been chosen initially include the Yay Pyan Mountain route, which includes a seven-stepped waterfall and has become popular after The Myanmar Times ran a story about it.

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 Also included in the initial planning is trekking along the Pan Oo Taung village, where there are many Shan ethnic people.

On the Pyin Oo Lwin-Hsipaw trekking route are rendezvous points for both trekkers and tourists who go by car and by foot, according to Pyin Oo Lwin’s hotel zone entrepreneurs.

Local villagers will be given priority when choosing candidates for regional guide training but they have to have a basic level in the English language.

Also, those that contribute enthusiastically to the region’s development will be given preference.

Daw Nan Mon Kham, who owns the Royal Park View hotel in Pyin Oo Lwin, told The Myanmar Times “Although we are doing all this for the township’s development and opening up jobs for local residents, we don’t want the region’s tradition and spirit to be watered down by foreign tourists. That’s why we are educating the locals who live along earmarked routes to have a deep understanding of the local tradition and how to use local products effectively before these routes are constructed.”

Daw Nan Mon Kham said that trekking routes have to be mapped out to highlight tourists spots that will boost the tourism industry in Pyin Oo Lwin.

She said that more foreign travelers are going from Mandalay to Hsipaw directly but the number of tourists who visit Pyin Oo Lwin is decreasing although it has many beautiful places to visit.

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Kep Province, #Cambodia

Kep City is a municipality in Cambodia with the status of a province. Kep is just a few kilometres from the border with Vietnam located and used to be Cambodia's most popular beach town but has fallen on hard times in recent years (especially due to the Khmer Rouge). Many of Kep's, mostly French villas are abandoned, but some of the town's former splendour is still apparent. 

 The see is lined with huge sidewalks and some large statues that now seem largely out of place. The king built a palace overlooking the Gulf of Thailand, but it was never furnished and now sits empty. A good, paved road connects the small town with the 15km far away Kampot. The slightly darker beaches than in Sihanoukville are mostly scattered with mangroves and black rocks, but Koh Thonsay (Rabbit Island) is just a short boat ride away (approx. 1/2h). 

 Kep appears to be experiencing something of a renaissance, with several mid-range and luxury guesthouses and bungalows recently opened or still under construction. The seafood is cheap, plentiful and delicious - particularly the quite famous crabs. Kep is also home to an extensive national park covering some mountains with deep green jungle.

The French established Kep City during the colonial time in 1908. Today Kep is mainly popular to the domestic tourists, who choose Kep as their holiday destination. What's more, Kep offers great seafood and magnificent views of the mountains and the beaches. 

 Taking a boat to the nearby islands is also a breathtaking experience. Another itinerary, which must not be missed, is an excursion to the serene waterfalls of 'Tuk Chhou" situated about 10 km from Kampot. Kep City is located in the Southwest of Phnom Penh. The city is accessible by the National Road No 3 from Phnom Penh via Kampot province (173 km) or by the National Road No 2 from Phnom Penh via Takeo province. 

Especially during the Sixties, during the time of Sang Kum Reas Ni Yum the city was developed as a beautiful seaside tourist resort for the rich and government. The story related to the name of Kep said that there was a king named Sa Kor Reach, who had a mighty spell. He put a sleeping spell on a commander at AngKor Thum, than stole the commander's white horse and fled together with his troop to the Southwestern seaside.

 When he took a rest at the seaside, he was overhauled by the commander's troops, who chased him from behind. Suddenly, he got on the horseback; the horse reared, and made him fall down on the ground together with the saddle. Then, he got on the horseback again and fled away without picking up the saddle, because the commander's troops almost approached him. So that's why this area was called ' Kep Seh ' meaning ' the saddle ', nowadays it's only called ' Kep '.

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Pai, #Thailand

Nestled up in a valley in Northern Thailand, close to the Burmese border, is the town of Pai. Historically, due to the town’s secludedness, Shan people occupied the area for much of its history until they were eventually overtaken by the Lan Na Kingdom. The Japanese had an interim appearance in Pai, as they tried to utilize it as a connecting point for the transport of soldiers and goods to the Burmese front in World War II. I developed a love/hate relationship when I visited Pai -the touristic town located in a gorgeous valley.

 

 It was originally going to ride a motorcycle around the famed Mae Hong Song loop to visit Pai, but poor weather conditions and a soon-to-be expired visa forced me to take a minibus into the town from Chiang Mai. I was disappointed, but the drive to Pai proved to be a beautiful one, as we slowly climbed our way up the mountains. The views were well worth the drive, even though several other passengers were vomiting profusely on the last half of the way up.

 Upon arriving in Pai I made my way across the Pai River to my hostel. I could tell that Pai was packed with tourists, as most people had the same idea as I did -leave Chiang Mai after Loi Krathong/Yi Peng and head to Pai. Most hostels were completely booked and I considered myself lucky to nab a spot in one. The other problem was that most places had already rented out all of their motorcycles. I was struck by luck once again, however, as I was inquiring for a motorcycle at the ‘famous’ Pai Circus School/Hostel at the same moment someone was returning theirs (yes it sounds like what it is, you can rent a room here, smoke a joint in the pool, and then learn how to juggle). Of course it was a bright pink scooter with stickers all over it -I took it regardless.

Let’s start with my least favorite part of Pai -the town of Pai itself. Yes it is small, quaint, and only has four 7-11’s and three traffic lights, but I found the town to be completely and utterly catered to tourists. I ventured into the residential areas surrounding the center and these did prove to be the quaint part of Pai, but I had nothing to do there unless I wanted to barge in on someone’s house -I couldn’t even find local eateries. The center of Pai was just so obnoxiously touristic with it’s night markets that sold the same crap that I saw in Chiang Mai and Sukhothai and it’s streets lined with Western style restaurants. Two stalls did give me a chuckle, however, as I saw a street food lasagna stall and a Mexican street food stall. I considered this an opportunity to have some Western food on my long Southeast Asian journey, but the Western food was junky -I was a fool to think otherwise. This is a lesson I’ve learned many times over, never choose Western food over local food while abroad. Never. I did partake in a bit of the Pai nightlife though, primarily bar-hopping with huge crowds and constantly playing pool with a Singha beer (my Thai beer of choice) always in hand. The one positive of the town of Pai is that it’s where I picked up any sort of billiards skill that I have today.

I’m not trying to bash things that are touristy, I do plenty of touristy things when I travel. But my problem with Pai is that I don’t think it would really exist without tourism -a town truly with more tourists than citizens.

 The positive of Pai was getting out of town and exploring the nature throughout the valley. Equipped with my bike, I spent most of my time getting lost in the countryside surrounding Pai. I was initially recommended to check out the World War II bridge, so I drove out to it on the southern side of the valley. It turns out that it is a memorial bridge built after World War II, but the Japanese original does still (partially) stand next to it. But as far as memorial World War II bridges go, it was damn cool, I guess. It was okay because I’ll take any excuse to go zooming through beautiful countryside on a bike.

I also made my way to Pam Bok waterfall. It was another great, scenic bike ride to get there, and a nice place to take a quick dip after a hot day. I had to traverse up some rocks and a shady looking wooden plank bridge to get to the falls and the pool but it was a great little adventure.

On the way back from the falls I encountered a place that many tourists mentioned back in town, the land split. The land split was literally just a big crack in the ground. However, next to it looked to be an old house/small farm where a friendly Thai woman welcomed me in for some snacks and a juice. The first thing that came to my mind was that the land split was just a ridiculous tourist trap to get you to come buy some things from this woman. I was correct, but it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. She literally gave me an entire platter full of local fruits and fruit drinks. It was my meal for the day, and she said the price was up to me. I came back here every day while in Pai -it was well worth it.

Aside from aimlessly driving around the countryside, I also visited Pai Canyon. I came here for sunset and was granted some great views. The canyon itself wasn’t too big, but it was a good few hours to hike around and explore. There were some narrow paths with sheer drops into the canyon on both sides, which made the adventure ever the more thrilling. Most others that were there were complaining about the canyon’s lack of grandiose, but I thought of it as a nice place to walk around and enjoy the beauty of the valley.

Most of my time in Pai was spent cruising on my mean, pink road machine throughout the valley and returning to the town at night to knock back a few and hone my pool skills. Even though I didn’t like the town itself too much, there were other things in the valley that I could spend weeks doing. Whether you are looking for parties, friends, nature, drugs, or learning how to juggle -you will find your niche in Pai.

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