Asian Awards - 2004/2005

---

The long overdue summary of my Asian trip has finally arrived! Hopefully
this might give some pointers to those of you thinking of hitting that part
of the world.
So, without any further ado.........

Favourite Country: Vietnam
Hard to put my finger on why, I think it is just a combination of many things.
From the crazy maze of street life in Hanoi to the blissful peace of the
beach in Mui Ne, Vietnam has something for everyone. Great food, amazing
people, propaganda played over loudspeakers on the street every day, an
unbelievable history. Laos just pipped to the post here. New Years Eve in
Saigon was unforgettable.

Favourite Town/City: Hoi An (Vietnam)
I think all of you who have been there will agree with me on this one. It
is the home of the famous tailor made clothes, but it is the Old Town that
makes it so great. Narrow streets, best restaurants in Asia I reckon (Baby
Shark by the river with Jared, Jackie, Dale, and co.....Mmmmmm), just great!
Being there just before Xmas and hearing Silent Night being played over
the Propaganda loudspeakers one evening.....priceless!

Most Scenic Country: Laos
From the hill in the middle of Luang Prabang, to the stunning views on the
journey south to Van Vieng, Laos is truely beautiful. Floating down the
river on a rubber tube in Van Vieng with the most amazing backdrop and a
bottle of Beer Lao was a highlight of my trip.

Best People: Cambodians
For all the pain & suffering they have gone through they are still warm,
welcoming, and kind.

Best Beach: Mui Ne (Vietnam)
For a place with nothing except a beach you except it to be special, and
it is. White sand & water as warm as a bath!

Best Island: Ko Tao (Thailand)
A close second in terms of beaches, but the island is magic. Everyone should
learn to scuba dive here in it's amazing waters. Super bars to relax in
at night. About the only good thing in Thailand, other than Chang Mai.

Best Tour: Halong Bay (Vietnam)
3 day trip with Handspan Tours. A most-do if you're in the area. 2nd night
on the private beach with a huge campfire was perfect!

Best Man-Made Attraction: Angor Wat Temples (Cambodia)
Petronas Towers was a distant second behind the largest religious group
of buildings in the world. Tomb Raider was filmed in one of the temples.

Most missable country: Thailand
Beautiful in it's own right, but just too touristy. Most towns only exist for foreigners so you are surrounding by bars/guesthouses/tour shops etc.

Places I didn't get to see but will go back to soon: Con Dao & Phu Quoc
islands in Vietnam, Burma, Tioman Island in Malaysia, and Borneo.

Best shopping: Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)
Go nuts ! One of the shopping centres even has a huge theme park inside
it complete with a roller-coaster!!!

Worst Journey: Siem Riep (Cambodia) to the Thai border
There are no words, luckily it's quite short.

City I'd like to work in for 6-12 months: Hong Kong
A really cool city where you have the American city feel of Hong Kong Island
contrasted by the Chinatown feel of Kowloon. Saigon comes second.

Best Beer: Beer Lao
Of course!


Asia, I salute you.

---