I had the happy occasion to be in Thailand in spring 2011, staying first in downtown Bangkok, then up in Chiang Mai, luxuriating in two hotels that were two of the most glorious and well appointed I'd ever enjoyed. In the thick of downtown Bangkok is Lebua at State Tower, a five-star, all-suite luxury hotel that towers over the rest and offers stunning views of the city and Praya River below. It is a massive place of glass and stone, and … [Read more...]
Thailand: One man’s virgin tour
Dried fish at a Bangkok street market I wake up at 5:30 a.m. on the 57th floor of the Lebua at State Tower, an upscale hotel in the thick of Bangkok, the Praya River snaking by below. I stand and listen, hearing a throaty growl seeming to gather steam in the distance and figure it has to be an airplane leaving the city from Suvarnabhumi Airport. But how can that be? For one thing, the airport is 19 miles away. For another, the sound doesn't … [Read more...]
More LA Times Travel Show
As always Los Angeles is a study in contrasts and that is the beauty of this incredible city. I'm just as comfortable at an exclusive party at a secret location on one of the blvd's in Hollywood or Beverly Hills as I am slurping up Menudo or enjoying Horchatas at a small taco stand in the heart of South Central or Watts. I'm always in town every year for the annual LA Times Travel Show. Like many things that are "big" in LA, this the largest … [Read more...]
Undiscovered Brunei
Brunei Darussalam (meaning an Abode of Peace) is a country that one often cannot even locate on the world map. When I told friends I was coming to Brunei one said "oh, why don't you also visit India since its so close." Others told me they had to look the country up on Google Maps. A geographical lesson is obviously in order. Brunei is located on the large island of Borneo and is surrounded by the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak. The rest … [Read more...]
Thailand Village Rice Rats
I always tell people we eat rats here to varying responses including one of disbelief and disgust. However these are not Bangkok Rats, er, city rats, rather they live in the unpolluted rice fields. My wife's brother makes bamboo traps by hand for catching these rats. The traps are simple in design but very effective. They are spring loaded by a string which bends the long part of the trap into the shape of a bow when the trap is loaded. A … [Read more...]
Back in Thailand
There is such a contrast between the countries of Brunei and Thailand and nowhere is this more evident than at their respective airports. Usually for International flights I allow about 2 hours to get to the gate and with some extra time but in Brunei the airport is so small, quiet, and there are not so many flights that even 40 minutes is usually enough time to check in, go through security, get to the gate and still have time left … [Read more...]
Greetings from Brunei
After using Bangkok as a base to visit all its neighboring countries and their neighboring countries I had run out of new countries to visit within say a three hour plane ride of Thailand (don't get me wrong, there are many places I haven't yet visited in the countries I've already been to). However I had not yet visited Brunei and with a non stop Royal Brunei flight from Bangkok lasting about 2.5 hours it was fairly easy to get here and spend a … [Read more...]
Thailand Village musings
So I'm back in my wife's village after a hectic several weeks of travel in Japan and Thailand (hence the shortage of blog posts). This is Eastern Thailand, about 90 minutes from the wild outpost of Poipet, on the Thai/Cambodian border. I've been coming here at least once a year for nearly the past 10 years for 5-6+ weeks at a time. This is a great escape from the city and urban life not to mention the undesirable weather in most of California at … [Read more...]
Do not do this in a Bangkok Taxi!
Took this picture from back seat of taxi. Left to Right: No Crazy reindeer allowed in taxi? No weapons, certainly you wouldn't want that AK47 in the back seat. What, no doggy style? And right, wolves are not a good idea either, or perhaps that is a dog! … [Read more...]
St. Regis opens in Lhasa, Tibet
St. Regis Hotels & Resorts Debuts First St. Regis Resort in China with the opening of The St. Regis Lhasa Resort, Tibet Tibet's First International Luxury Hotel, The St. Regis Lhasa Resort, Offers a New Dimension of Luxury for the Region Lhasa, Tibet China / New York, New York (November 19, 2010) - Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) today announces the debut of St. Regis first resort in China and first-ever luxury resort … [Read more...]
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