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How to sign up for a free Wireless@SG WiFi account
Published 2:14 am, 21 May 2012
Singapore may not be the cheapest country in Southeast Asia for a holiday, but at least you don’t have to pay for the WiFi. That’s right, as part of its uber-modern image Singapore has invested in a wireless broadband program available in most public places. It’s called Wireless@SG and it’s completely free – even for [...] ... Read more -
Saigon 24-hour stores
Published 12:29 am, 21 May 2012
While Saigon is an easy place to enjoy a good walking tour, it may by no means be an easy walk; things can get hot and you may end up frantically searching for something to drink. If you happen to be in one of the tourist areas of the city you'll find no shortage of [...] ... Read more -
Buy from adults, not street kids in Cambodia
Published 10:06 am, 20 May 2012
As you walk the streets, or drink and dine in Siem Reap you will at some stage undoubtedly be petitioned by children and adult male landmine victims to buy books or, in the case of the kids, postcards, jewellery or flowers. This post is not just a request to not buy anything from the children, [...] ... Read more -
Northeastern Thai spicy salads
Published 11:57 pm, 19 May 2012
Thai people from different parts of the country don't always agree on everything, but one area that without question pervades all of Thailand is a love for the spicy, salty, sour and sweet flavours of Isaan-style salads. As a bit of a disclaimer, while these salads are on the whole considered northeastern Thai (Isaan) cuisine, [...] ... Read more -
Java's Ujung Genteng, end of the... roof tile?
Published 9:13 pm, 19 May 2012
I'm often asked about my favourite places in Java and I often reply with expected responses such as "Bromo -- it is spectacular" and "Dieng -- a mystical paradise in the mountains". But I also mention places such as Karimunjawa and Ujung Genteng, both of which receive very few foreign tourists, but are stunning places [...] ... Read more -
Coffee in Hanoi
Published 9:13 am, 19 May 2012
Coffee often seems to be the lifeblood of Vietnam — well, along with beer, tea, rice and pho. You really can't walk far without the tempting aroma of coffee greeting your nostrils, and a hit of the particularly strong brew is enough to keep you going for hours. Yes, Vietnamese coffee is certainly known for [...] ... Read more -
Review: Butter in Canggu
Published 1:34 am, 19 May 2012
Bali's Canggu Club, with its plantation style fans and vast sports fields, isn't exactly a backpacker mecca. But a cluster of interesting little cafes on the street that runs just to the north of the club might be more in tune with what independent travellers are looking for in Bali once they've exhausted their nasi [...] ... Read more -
Review: NeroFico
Published 9:07 pm, 18 May 2012
NeroFico is a "jazzeria" -- a combined jazz and trattoria outlet -- in Kuala Lumpur's Damansara Heights that's an affordable but stylish spot to savour classic Italian food, or to end up listening to some jazz later in the evening. A 15-minute cab ride from the city, Damansara plays host to a fresh crop of [...] ... Read more -
Review: Happy 11 Backpacker, Phnom Penh
Published 8:49 am, 18 May 2012
Occupying a corner plot, the white four-storey Happy 11 Backpacker guesthouse does a good job of living up to its name. Formerly a lakeside institution, the owners and staff have been helping travellers to Phnom Penh relax for many years. The new location in a mainly residential area is a five-minute walk to the river [...] ... Read more -
Saigon tra
Published 2:38 am, 18 May 2012
Back when I used to live in the Western world I grew used to the fact that if I visited a restaurant I would be able to get a free glass of water with my meal. In fact, I grew so accustomed to it that you could probably say I took it for granted. But [...] ... Read more -
Getting a Thai visa in Kuala Lumpur
Published 9:46 pm, 17 May 2012
If you're heading to Kuala Lumpur and then onwards to Thailand, the Royal Thai Embassy in KL is a fine place to get a visa. While not quite as painless as completing the process in Bali, we found the embassy in KL to be organised and professional. If you show up prepared, you'll have plenty [...] ... Read more -
Review: Moonhut Bungalows on Ko Samui's Mae Nam
Published 9:34 pm, 17 May 2012
Moonhut Bungalows is a great budget option on Ko Samui's Mae Nam beach. Arriving at Moonhut from a windy dirt road, the initial impressions may be mixed:the entrance is quaint, with a signposted archway leading to a tree-lined avenue with a beach sand floor, but a stagnant river to the left, at least when we [...] ... Read more -
Bangkok's Pak Khlong Talaat flower market
Published 7:48 pm, 17 May 2012
In the concrete maze of Bangkok, colourful flowers brighten up the greys around every corner, but it's not just because they look nice; flowers play a pivotal role in an ancient Thai tradition of making offerings to spirits and sacred representations as tangible expressions of kindness and generosity. Bangkok's biggest flower market, Pak Khlong Talaat, [...] ... Read more -
Singapore's Labrador Nature Reserve
Published 11:52 pm, 16 May 2012
Singapore has many public parks, but if you want to picnic by the seaside, walk through dense jungle and learn about World War II history there’s only one that fits the bill: the Labrador Nature Reserve. Located along the south coast of Singapore quite close to Sentosa Island, Labrador Park was officially upgraded to a [...] ... Read more -
Where's a good place for cheap Indonesian food in Seminyak? Part 2
Published 9:49 pm, 16 May 2012
When I started this series on cheap Indonesian food in Seminyak, the place at the top of my must-try list, because I still shamefully hadn't after four years in Bali, was Made's Warung. Everyone knows Made's Warung; it's been around since 1969 and these days has two outlets; I tried the one in Seminyak, which [...] ... Read more -
How to do Khao Sok national park independently
Published 8:05 pm, 16 May 2012
As part of Thailand's largest contiguous wildlife preserve, the ancient jungles and emerald waters of Khao Sok National Park should be far more than an after-thought while on a Thai island holiday. Khao Sok is a must for nature-loving travellers to south Thailand, but given the sparse info available online (stay tuned for fresh Travelfish.org [...] ... Read more -
How to cope with riverside hassle
Published 10:33 am, 16 May 2012
It's an impossible challenge to spend any time in Phnom Penh's tourist areas without being approached by hawkers, beggars or tuk tuk drivers. Street commerce is a fact of life here, but for some visitors the constant “Wanna buy book?” and “OK, tuk tuk” get a bit wearing. So how can you deal with the [...] ... Read more -
Saigon street food: chao
Published 4:08 am, 16 May 2012
On the streets of Saigon you won’t have to look far to find someone selling food from a cart. From noodle dishes to sandwiches, you can find almost anything but you may find that soups dominate the landscape of HCMC’s street food. This might not be much of a surprise since pho is the most [...] ... Read more -
Natural medicines for travellers: Chiang Mai's Arun Thai
Published 3:41 am, 16 May 2012
This is a slight departure from our usual topics as we look at an excellent new Chiang Mai initiative in the field of natural medicines and beauty treatments. Skin cream, herbal shampoo, moisturiser, hair restorer (oops too late for that!)... have I finally lost the plot? I'll admit that having (very tentatively and making sure [...] ... Read more -
Wine in Siem Reap
Published 3:18 am, 16 May 2012
When it’s as hot in Siem Reap as it has been lately (though do we dare for a respite after the last few days of storms), there’s not a great deal you can do except restrict movement as much as possible (mainly so that you don’t skid in great lakes of your own sweat and [...] ... Read more -
Review: The Plantation, Phnom Penh
Published 7:18 am, 15 May 2012
I really want to start this review with a pun about wanting to put down my roots at the Plantation. I won't though, as I'm sure it's been used a hundred times already -- I'm not sure how you could stay here and not want to put your roots down. The Plantation is lovely, and, [...] ... Read more -
Cuc Phuong National Park
Published 3:37 am, 15 May 2012
Located 120 kilometres south of Hanoi, Cuc Phuong national park was established in 1962 and is the oldest national park in Vietnam. Consisting of more than 200 square kilometres of tropical forest and many grottoes, the reserve is rich in wildlife and natural beauty and also possesses historical significance, as prehistoric tools and ancient tombs [...] ... Read more -
Review: L’Usine in Saigon
Published 12:13 am, 15 May 2012
Tucked away down a tight alley in the heart of Saigon, one of the city’s most pleasant cafes perches in an upstairs loft. Only a short walk from most of the city’s major sites, like the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Saigon Opera House, L’Usine is a quiet oasis. Although it's on the major shopping [...] ... Read more -
Bang Nam Pheung Floating Market
Published 2:47 am, 14 May 2012
When visitors come to Thailand, they tend to have a mental to-do list, derived from overheard stories at hostels, or the pages of a guide: ride an elephant, pet a tiger, eat a ripe mango, lay on the beach, and of course, visit a floating market. All of these things are possible, but the problem [...] ... Read more -
A visit to the farms of Singapore’s Kranji countryside
Published 11:52 pm, 13 May 2012
Although Singapore is so densely populated that the government has resorted to literally increasing the size of the island, the northwest corner of the country remains refreshingly rural. The few businesses operating here have banded together to promote the Kranji countryside as an “agri-tainment” destination where you can visit small farms selling organic veggies, goat [...] ... Read more
