matador guide to SE asia?

[earl grey]

in less than two weeks, i will be off to SE asia for almost a month (!). my plans are loose - basically wandering around with a couple friends - but we will be hitting thailand, indonesia, singapore, malaysia, and cambodia. has anyone been to the area before? any suggestions on things to do or avoid?

(one of my friends has actually been working in the area for almost two years, we're relying on his expertise to get us around and keep us out of trouble.)

[Paul]

Just don't do anything that'll get you caned.

[earl grey]

yeah, seriously. i should probably carry lots of cash and work on my bribery skills.

[bitterfruit]

I was in Singapore for a couple of weeks last year. If you don't mind the expense, stay at the Hyatt on Scotts. It's the spot for nightlife. If you are staying at the hotel, you'll have no problems getting in, otherwise you're a little screwed.

The hawker's food stalls are unbelievable. Visit Komala's Vilas for some hard to find Porotta and korma (South Indian style, not North Indian paratta.) There's only one place that I know of in this country where you can get S. Indian style porotta and it's in Silicon Valley.

Booze is ungodly expensive in Singapore. Beers on Orchard Rd. were $10 a pop. Smoking in a public queue is punishable. Not flushing a toilet is a crime. Spit game, not gum.

On the immigration card: "Death to drug smugglers."

Russian hookers are a plenty, iz it? (you'll see what I mean)

[earl grey]

singapore is actually where my friend is based, and he is very well-connected there through his job, so i think we'll have a good time there. plus we can crash at his pad.

yeah the street food is gonna be great, i can't wait to try some of that stuff. very curious to try durian, the fruit that smells like rotting garbage but tastes like heaven (or so i'm told).

[bitterfruit]

Originally posted by earl grey
singapore is actually where my friend is based, and he is very well-connected there through his job, so i think we'll have a good time there. plus we can crash at his pad.

yeah the street food is gonna be great, i can't wait to try some of that stuff. very curious to try durian, the fruit that smells like rotting garbage but tastes like heaven (or so i'm told).

Having a place to crash is awesome. Though it's expensive, I thought the bars were great.

Their quasi autocratic democracy is fascinating. The Singapore-Malaysia water issue is equally riveting.

[earl grey]

indeed, it sounds like a fascinating place. i'm also really curious to check out angkor wat in cambodia, and i think we're gonna just chill in bali for a week or so. plus there is talk of renting a car and driving from singapore to kuala lumpur. (which is a little bold, but i'm game to try it.) at this point, lots of options ... follow through may be another story.

[bitterfruit]

Though currently unavaiable, King Norodom Sihanouk has a blog (http://www.norodomsihanouk.info/)

[Salman]

If you're into the outdoors check out these two places:

Pulau Ubin. It's one of the islands of Singapour with really beautiful wildlife tours. If you're into water sports, make sure to go.

Ratnakiri is a very beautiful place in Cambodia. It's not too far from the capital. It's pretty scenic with lush greens and mountains surrounding the area.

[Thor]

You should check out North Vietnam, it's in the 'area'. Hanoi is one of the most appealing cities I've ever been too. And there are some stunning natural landscapes around vietnam such as Halong Bay (has to be seen to be believed).

But generally my advice, for travelling anywhere in SE Asia is talk to other travellers for advice, and be very very aware of people trying to get money from you, not neccessarily pick pocketing, etc, but by jacking up prices unbelievably, etc. Having a friend who has been there for a while will protect you from this though, I would assume.

SE asia is beautiful, and there are some amazing people there, too. Happy trails!

[earl grey]

so the trip was fantastic. pretty tiring - we were almost always on the move for the last couple weeks - but it was definitely a blast. for the record, here's how the itinerary shook out:

bangkok -> singapore -> kuala lumpur -> taman negara (130K yr old rainforest in malaysia -> jerantut (malaysian town) -> bali -> flores -> lombok -> gili trawangan -> bali -> singapore

flores, lombok, and gili trawangan are all indonesian islands east of bali. spectacular scenery, and it's pretty easy to get away from the crowds. bali was much fun, we rented motorbikes and rode them all around the island for four days. (i learned. and fell a few times. only one was bad, but no broken bones or anything, thankfully.)

[Thor]

damn, I have the travel bug again... it's been a few years.

I went to a little island in the Polynesian islands once called Raratonga... you could walk from one end to the other in 2 hours.. twas conquered by christian missionaries decades ago and was intensly relgious (like, jerry falwell broadcasts playing on TV's in the airport..) I wanna go back badly and zone out for about 6 months on the beaches... that and a visit to NYC.