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Senso posted:Anyone interested in Burma should try to get their hands on the awesome Burma Chronicles, by fellow Quebecois Guy Delisle. Yeah, Delisle's books are great. He shows stuff you usually don't see in other stories. Very laidback and down-to-earth. By the way, just came back from montréal. Enjoyed my stay in canada. Some days were as humid and hot as thailand was this winter. Didn't expect that.
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Aug 9, 2011 19:07
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plaindot posted:I (read: my family) own a guesthouse in Jakarta, Indonesia. No real specific questions yet, but I'll be going to Yogyakarta for 4-5 days in September. Any insider info on the city? Places to eat/stay?
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Aug 10, 2011 04:28
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mrfart posted:Yeah, Delisle's books are great. He shows stuff you usually don't see in other stories. Very laidback and down-to-earth. Yeah, I've lived in Montreal all my life except for 2 years in France (and now in Vietnam), during summer it can be incredibly hot. Unfortunately it doesn't last and you get 8 months of lovely autumn/winter after that. One of the main reasons for my move to SE Asia. 
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Aug 10, 2011 16:16
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How is your kid doing over there, by the way?
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Aug 10, 2011 18:17
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Completely the wrong thread for my original post.
Rojkir fucked around with this message at 08:31 on Aug 11, 2011 |
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Aug 10, 2011 21:32
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Jesus Rocket posted:No real specific questions yet, but I'll be going to Yogyakarta for 4-5 days in September. Any insider info on the city? Places to eat/stay? How strong is your stomach?  Kidding aside, it depends on the purpose of your trip, is this backpacking, touristy/sightseeing? Your budget? Are you the nature/outdoorsy type? etc. Generally speaking many people come to Yogya to see Candi Borobudur http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borobudur, Prambanan Temple and shop at the Malioboro Road http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jalan_Malioboro, to name a big few. Other places include the beaches, there are quite a few beautiful beaches in Yogyakarta, like Parangtritis beach, which is quite awesome. Of course everything I said above generally are public knowledge, as for the insider info if you don't mind, let me know your budget/interests and I can direct you to some lesser known places
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Aug 11, 2011 01:06
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Sheep-Goats posted:How is your kid doing over there, by the way? Unfortunately, he's been having a lot of skin problems, eczema and stuff like that. We've been putting various creams all over him for a few weeks, sometimes it gets better but it always come back. Hopefully he will get used to the heat and sweating soon. He's been going to a kindergarten for a month now but it's hard getting used to it as the teachers only speak Vietnamese. He gets pissed off that they're not able to understand him when he wants juice or cookies, etc. Other than that, he seems to love the life here. Every time we go to a park, teen girls surround him and take pictures (trying to make him do that duck face and V-sign pose). I'm proud that he's already in the photo albums of a hundred teenage girls and he's not even 3. 
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Aug 11, 2011 03:14
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Make sure to keep him away from the international school crowd, heh. He'll end up crashing Range Rovers high on pot.
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Aug 11, 2011 14:45
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plaindot posted:How strong is your stomach? We are backpacking and planned on doing the Borobudur and Prambanan Temples. In town we wanted to catch a gamelan and shadow puppet performance. See some cultural stuff and all that jazz. Pretty general knowledge stuff, like you said. But we are very outdoorsy and would like to go to smaller, less visited temples, or nice nature areas. We will be coming from Krabi though, so we might shy away from the beaches. Since this will be at the end of our trip, I expect we will be willing to spend a bit more to really enjoy the tail-end of it all. I guess I would put our budget in the mid-range? We aren't looking for anything too expensive or fancy, but we aren't poor either. I also just remembered that we will need to make our way back to Jakarta from Yogya. We will have 5 full days in Java and then leave Jakarta during the afternoon. Do you have any recommendations on a route to take to Jakarta? We would be up for slowly making our way back and hitting up some more cities on the way. Thanks in advance.
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Aug 12, 2011 04:11
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In Bangkok right now, going to be in Thailand for a month -- thinking about getting a phone with internet just for the convenience of maps and internet info whenever I need it, any of you guys have recommendations on what I should get? I'm like right next to MBK, going to head over soon and look around.
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Aug 12, 2011 05:18
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Jesus Rocket: Let me know when you are in Bangkok and I'll buy you a beer. - Your long lost friend
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Aug 12, 2011 11:09
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Anyone else going to the Full Moon Party this weekend? I'm staying on Koh Samui now, heading to Koh Phangan Sunday and am just gonna crash on the beach. Will be back in BKK Tuesday, Any advice for FMP? Dr. Eat fucked around with this message at 15:09 on Aug 12, 2011 |
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Aug 12, 2011 15:00
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Dr. Eat posted:Anyone else going to the Full Moon Party this weekend? I'm staying on Koh Samui now, heading to Koh Phangan Sunday and am just gonna crash on the beach. Will be back in BKK Tuesday, Yeah, don't crash on the beach... ahah
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Aug 12, 2011 15:45
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is it as retarded as wikipedia makes it sound?
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Aug 12, 2011 16:02
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Well, I am planning on staying up all night then coming back to Koh Samui as early as possible. I don't see anything bad happening if I need to take a nap on the beach for a couple hours.
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Aug 12, 2011 17:18
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Dr. Eat posted:Well, I am planning on staying up all night then coming back to Koh Samui as early as possible. I don't see anything bad happening if I need to take a nap on the beach for a couple hours. I wouldn't advise it. If it were a primarily Thai-populated area I'd say go for it. However, the Full Moon Party is like a giant frat party filled with obnoxious and sometimes violent young backpackers (read: British/Australian).
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Aug 12, 2011 17:23
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brendanwor posted:Epic post, and gently caress you love your kak everything don't you Sheep-Goats I ate here tonight. It was pretty good. Not the best food I've ever eaten, but it scratched the duck confit itch I had.
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Aug 12, 2011 17:58
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i see things posted:I wouldn't advise it. If it were a primarily Thai-populated area I'd say go for it. However, the Full Moon Party is like a giant frat party filled with obnoxious and sometimes violent young backpackers (read: British/Australian). Anyway, how much should I worry about cops? I finished a book about Thai prisons last week and really do not want to end up in one over a joint or something.
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Aug 12, 2011 18:07
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Dr. Eat posted:Staying up all night it is, I shouldn't have too much trouble with it. I lived in Thailand for a long time and never had any problems with cops. As long as you're not doing something horribly illegal or dangerous you have no reason at all to be worried. Even then, you'd probably run little to no chance of getting in trouble. And even then, you can pay your way out of it, unless you're some international arms dealer or something.
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Aug 12, 2011 18:15
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Now, what should I bring back from Thailand. All I can think of is a few food and drink items. I used to be a cook back in the states.
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Aug 13, 2011 20:36
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DontAskKant posted:Now, what should I bring back from Thailand. All I can think of is a few food and drink items. I used to be a cook back in the states. I've got a stringray wallet that I've had for a little over seven years now. They're cheap in Thailand, you can get them in normal stores in the mall or there's a small ray leather store near Thanon Silom on Patpong 2. Thai silk is a nice gift for mom. There are lots of places you can get it, I got the pieces I brought back from a handwoven silk store in Chiang Mai that featured a lot of hilltribe work. The weft and the weave are often two different colors so you get a changing iridescence as the fabric moves around, there are also lot of patterned weaves. Get a few CDs of Thai country music. The old stuff from the 50s is easy to find, there's a nostalgia store on the ground floor of MBK (and elsewhere) and most markets will have a good selection (outside of Khao San of course). Can't go wrong with Khun Surapol or Khun Pumpuang but there are more contemporary choices too. Mor Lam CDs are hard to find outside of Thailand or Laos. Thailand also makes quite a few movies. Go to a DVD store in any mall or whatever and buy a few comedies or historical epics or horror movies. Many of these will have English subtitling, look on the back for info or just ask the clerk if it has English. The best overall souvenir that you can get is an amulet, IMO. You are allowed by law to only bring a few (one?) out at a time but no one checks or cares and the ones you'll be buying aren't historical artifacts. The biggest Thai amulet market in the world is just south of Thammasat University (which is in turn just south of the Khao San area). If you're worried about getting ripped off (some of these amulets are quite valuable to collectors so you may get some sheisters trying to sell you fool's gold) look around inside the market -- leave the actual streetside and go into the warrens -- and you'll soon find shops that have some of their amulets price tagged. Be sure to get it housed in the available housings and purchase a chain for it so you can wear it around like a Thai mobster. You can get a decent quality amulet for around 200B, the housing and a stainless steel chain (the normal material) for maybe another 200. I got my brother one that's supposed to protect against seizures!  Don't buy a wooden frog no matter what ReindeerF might say (if any goons meet up with him try to get him a cool one as a gift though so he can add it to his collection) and certainly don't get chopsticks as Thai people don't use them apart from noodle soups.
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Aug 13, 2011 22:01
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If anyone plans on travelling to the East Coast of peninsular Malaysia, I strongly recommend stopping by Cherating. It's a small beach resort, really just a beach and a strip of restaurants/chalets off the main Kuantan/Kuala Terengganu road where the jungle river meets the sea. But the beach is great, not too busy and not that built up. The whole place has a really relaxed feeling about it. There's a beach-side bar that does a good Mohito (Malaysia drink prices still unfortunately) and a Balinese themed bar/club that hosts a half-decent rock covers band on the riverfront at weekends. You can also go on a boatride up the river to see the fireflies, which are breathtaking and happily come down from the trees to swarm all around you when attracted by red light. Food options are really good, especially the Malay seafood restaurant whose fresh grilled fish and butter prawns were fantastic. The Chinese seafood places aren't bad either, but you can find better around Malaysia. The only problem is the drat mosquitoes, which ate us alive at sundown.
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Aug 15, 2011 16:53
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Yogya: wander around the ISI campus and see if you can get some art students to adopt you. I met some at a restaurant/bar my first night there and had a great time being taken around by them the whole week. Uh, I guess don't forget to see the kraton as well?Sheep-Goats posted:and certainly don't get chopsticks as Thai people don't use them apart from noodle soups. This is my favorite part of taking girls back home on a date to a Thai restaurant, and seeing if they ask for chopsticks to eat their pad thai with  On the reverse, when I was studying in BKK a Chula girl took me to a Japanese restaurant, ordered the Cooked Whole Dead Fish, and struggled to eat it with chopsticks the whole time.
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Aug 15, 2011 23:46
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Help! Help!! I'm going to Singapore for two nights and Langkawi Island, Malaysia for four nights, and I'm leaving tomorrow night. Other than booking accommodations, I've done very little research as I've been extremely busy at work the past three weeks. Any must-eat restaurants in Singapore? Has anyone been to Langkawi? We're staying at nice accommodations with the intent of relaxing, and the current plan is to rent a motorbike and explore while taking it easy. Thanks for any advice. I'm used to winging it with vacations, but I got such good advice with my trip last month to Vietnam (thanks for the info about Ninh Binh!) that I figured I might as well ask.
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Aug 16, 2011 05:45
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I am heading to BKK tomorrow AM for my honeymoon! Can anyone recommend a good tailor for custom clothes?plaindot posted:If you have any questions about jakarta/java island in general, customs etc, I might be able to answer so ask away! The second part of our trip is to Yogyakarta. We have 3 full days there. 2 days are for the 2 main temples and the last was for the city itself. I had not considered going to the beach. Which would your recommend? Are they worth visiting relative to our time there? Also, would you recommend renting a car at the airport and driving to the temples or would you recommend hiring a driver and/or guide? How do I find a good one? Edit: How much is Ramadan going to affect our ability to eat? We LOVE food stalls and local food, which I understand essentially disappears this time of year?
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Aug 16, 2011 23:17
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I haven't read all 60 pages of the thread so forgive me if this has been covered already. I'm planning on going at the end of the year to Vietnam, doing plenty of research on everything but I'm going alone and while I think I'm going to love doing whatever the hell I want without having to worry about others, I still think it will be good to travel with others for a few a little bit. So is a place to find travelling? Anyone here from staying in Vietnam and would not mind me popping in?
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Aug 17, 2011 01:10
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Suspicious Lump posted:I haven't read all 60 pages of the thread so forgive me if this has been covered already. I should be there in Januaryish for what it is worth
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Aug 17, 2011 03:56
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Tai-Pan posted:I am heading to BKK tomorrow AM for my honeymoon! Can anyone recommend a good tailor for custom clothes? My tailoring advice is in the following link, the section you're looking for is called "Indian neighborhood and tailor shops?! You don't say!": http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3260679&pagenumber=62#post393768744 That section also contains a link to ReindeerF's favorite tailor who is conveniently located in MBK, which is probably what you're looking for.
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Aug 17, 2011 04:20
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Tai-Pan posted:
Haven't been to Java, but if it is like Malaysia then there are less options for eating during the day, but more options at night because restaurants and hotels put on big buka puasa (fast breaking) buffets and meals. Plus you get lots of fasting month delicacies, often dates and other Arabic food. For lunch, a safe bet in Malaysia during Ramadan is to go to a Chinese or Indian place for lunch. Not sure if this would work in Java though as Malaysia is much more multi-ethnic.
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Aug 17, 2011 08:57
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Tai-Pan posted:I am heading to BKK tomorrow AM for my honeymoon! Can anyone recommend a good tailor for custom clothes? http://www.gmcstyle.com/ His main location is at Amarin Plaza (Chit Lom BTS) and he opened a second shop at MBK. He's unusual for a tailor as, unlike most of Bangkok's tailors, he's from the HK Chinese tailor background (I think) and he's definitely not Indian. So, you know, 100% non-pushy and 100% less YESSIR YESSIR YESSIR OH THE PRICE HAS CHANGED Indian tailor nonsense.
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Aug 18, 2011 10:11
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I am travelling to Cambodia, and after doing some research it seems alot of the outlets will accept all 3 plug types, but are 230v. My camera charger is 220v. This is probably a stupid question, but I can put 220 into 230 right?
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Aug 20, 2011 15:26
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Nazi Zombies posted:I am travelling to Cambodia, and after doing some research it seems alot of the outlets will accept all 3 plug types, but are 230v. The EU standard is 230. It used to be 220 in most countries, but everything that is made for 220 can take 230 normally since the late 90ties.
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Aug 20, 2011 15:51
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Just remembered: One of the best things I did in Thailand was try all the weird fruit they have that you can't find in the West. Rambutans, Magosteens, Longtans... they were all awesome and I usually ate a kilo of them a day. I would definitely make sure to try these if you pass through.
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Aug 21, 2011 05:47
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They've got this fruit in the carts that looks like an apple and basically tastes like one too but it comes from this weird potato looking thing that comes from under ground and they peel it and section it up.  Mangosteen (mangkut in Thai) is the best fruit ever and it's seasonal even in Thailand. Eat a lot of them when you're over there, they're all but impossible to find anywhere else in the world -- they won't even grow well in Hawaii. Mangkut and papaya all day every day. Be sure to try durian and jackfruit too. Lychee is delicious and comes in an easy to open wrapper. Have a green mango (Thai people eat a lot of different fruit before it's ripe) dipped in the provided chili/salt/sugar mix, tastes kind of like an apple and is really nice in the heat. Pummelo is a huge mild grapefruit, get the pinkish slices. There was sone kind of tamarind sized bean pod with a mildly sweet white pith that you eat on a farm in Issan that I still don't know the name of. It's good. raton fucked around with this message at 07:33 on Aug 21, 2011 |
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Aug 21, 2011 07:23
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Anyone been to Myanmar? Thoughts?
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Aug 21, 2011 12:38
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eviljelly posted:Anyone been to Myanmar? Thoughts? Yeah, for a few weeks in mid-2003. I wrote about it on this thread, a couple-few dozen posts up. Favorite country to visit in mainland SE Asia, although I can't imagine living there.
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Aug 22, 2011 04:49
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Tuff Ghost posted:Just remembered: One of the best things I did in Thailand was try all the weird fruit they have that you can't find in the West. Rambutans, Magosteens, Longtans... they were all awesome and I usually ate a kilo of them a day. I would definitely make sure to try these if you pass through. Sheep-Goats posted:Mangosteen (mangkut in Thai) is the best fruit ever and it's seasonal even in Thailand. Eat a lot of them when you're over there, they're all but impossible to find anywhere else in the world -- they won't even grow well in Hawaii. Mangkut and papaya all day every day. I dunno about in the States but here in Australia if you go into a Thai/SE asian grocer you can normally pick up all of these fruits. Rambutan in a can 
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Aug 23, 2011 02:44
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brendanwor posted:I dunno about in the States but here in Australia if you go into a Thai/SE asian grocer you can normally pick up all of these fruits. Rambutan in a can Mangosteen was banned in the US until recently. I see it very occasionally at the local Vietnamese market, but not often.
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Aug 23, 2011 03:06
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brendanwor posted:I dunno about in the States but here in Australia if you go into a Thai/SE asian grocer you can normally pick up all of these fruits. Rambutan in a can You forget that all these fruits are probably 10 times cheaper here. As for me, my favorite local (Vietnam) fruits are the longan, the rambutan and the pitaya. I buy big bags of longans (nhãn) and rambutans (chôm chôm, I call them "baby shoggoths") for about 30 cents total every weekend and my family binge on them.
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Aug 23, 2011 03:48
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brendanwor posted:I dunno about in the States but here in Australia if you go into a Thai/SE asian grocer you can normally pick up all of these fruits. Rambutan in a can The Asian markets in NYC have all of those either canned or frozen, even mangosteen, but canned fruit just doesn't hold a candle to fresh. Many of them can also be found fresh but those are often flown in from Hawaii or Central America and they suffer a lot on the trip. Mangosteen only grows in SE Asia and has only been legal to import for a few years now (in irradiated form to eliminate bugs -- the irradiation is nothing to fear and actually a fantastic way to sterilize food) but suffers mightily on the long trip over the Pacific. Also when it gets here in fresh form it costs ten dollars a pound or more. One of my biggest disappointments about my last trip to Thailand was that mangkut wasn't in season. One more cool mangosteen fact -- the number of green portions on the green or brown leaf thing on the bottom corresponds to the number of segments inside. Smaller segments are less likely to have the chalky and inconvenient seeds so try to pick mangkut with lots of green segments on the bottom. Also the fresh ones have less yellow blisters on the outside than the older ones. You open them by scoring the equator of their thick leathery rind with a knife and then taking the top off -- the juice from the rind will permanently discolor clothes so be careful. raton fucked around with this message at 05:19 on Aug 23, 2011 |
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Aug 23, 2011 05:17
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