Southeast Asia Tour Wrap Up
Aside from a two-week tour of Vietnam in 2016 this was my second Asian incursion. Being a frequent traveller to Europe has taken the thrill out of international travel for me but I say this in a complimentary way. Europe ceases to cause that WOW factor. Instead, it is like returning home. A feeling of ease and comfort.
Asia, on the other hand is NEW to me. I am not wandering around mouth agape pointing here and there like the Smith family from Kansas City in Times Square but I am in a bit of a cultural shock which I embrace as exciting not intimidating.
The long flying time even in economy bulkhead seats is a negative and I would seriously consider premium economy or business class as a mandatory alternative particularly if you’re a tall person who has difficulty in sleeping in airline seats.
Shocking Singapore
Aside from the Bangladeshi construction workers there is an apparent dearth of toiling sweaty masses. A lack of homelessness and panhandlers. Prosperity. Modernity. Still remnants of a British colonial heritage and a vibrant ethnic minority. Love the shophouses. Yes, there is a Little India and an old-fashioned Chinatown. Shopping malls, beautiful roads. High-rises. Benevolent paternalism. Museums and art galleries. Stellar cuisine. Fascinating interracial/ethnic history. Much more to see than the inner city and worthy of another visit! Superb cuisine. Shangri-La Singapore best breakfast in Asia and beautiful rooms and gardens. Why stay anywhere else?
Eastern and Oriental Express
Luxury in a sardine can. As you travel through Malaysia witness the jungle and a country in transition with rural villages and poverty, a developing middle- and working-class high-rise culture apparent. A Kentucky Fried Chicken in every town. Excessive luxury for 3 days reaches an overwhelming point. NOT ANOTHER FIVE COURSE DINNER please. Spend the extra on a stateroom if you are travelling as a couple as a Pullman room nearly impossible for two.
Bangkok
Fascinating mix of glitz and poverty. Stick to the Chao Phraya River for transportation if possible. Check out Icon Siam Shopping mall particularly upper floors for authentic local cuisine. Stupendous cuisine. Peninsula Bangkok superb.
Cambodia
The basic Third World vibe. If I was back in 1973 as a long-haired backpacker this is where I would head. A country waiting to be discovered before it is corrupted with tourism. Such gentle welcoming people. How in earth did Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge ever flourish in such a country? There is more to Cambodia than Angkor Wat and I would dearly love to discover it. Damn it! Too old to backpack it. It is where the action is like the Eastern Europe Iron Curtain I travelled extensively in.
A Bird's Eye View of Fashion, Food, Travel, Culture, Beverage and Curiosity 