Here are all the posts for seAsia
swimming with the sharks
Not being content with snorkeling the coral immediately in front of our Tioman Island resort, we hiked about 45 minutes north to Monkey Beach. It was deserted. We snorkeled the north side of the bay. This area is used for beginner diver training and I could see why. The water dropped off from 20-30 feet to what appeared to be 70-100. I had a sense of vertigo and falling as I snorkeled above the precipice.
After warming up, we snorkeled the south side. It was high tide. I enjoyed the environment. Large boulders had tumbled down Read more
student conversation, video
Conversation with Malaysian education students in Cameron Highlands. Dawn answers questions. In high def.
Favorite southeast Asia photos
My favorite southeast Asia photos are now uploaded.
http://www.patrickdowd.com/photo/album/72157612130251496/seasia.html
multicultural heritage
Randy commented: “Taking a grand stab at futurology, would you care to speculate on whether any Asian melting pots are going to use their multicultural heritage to become global players? Seems like an advantage but so often it becomes the fault line for disintegration.”
Very interesting topic. Malaysia was founded on its multicultural base. After World War II, British set cooperation as a requirement for releasing the country from colonialism to independence. The National Museum celebrates multi-ethnicity. At the political level, Read more
Grand Palace, Bangkok, photo
at Grand Palace
The Beach, a novel
I read a novel, The Beach by Alex Garland. I had previously seen the movie with Leonardo DiCaprio. It is an easy, fun read, good for a long airplane ride. What struck me is that I followed the same route from Bangkok to the islands. Train, pickup, ferry. The characterizations of the travelers were all too familiar.
Bang Rajan, movie
Watched the movie, Bang Rajan, subtitled The Legend of the Village Warriors. The movie, in Thai with English subtitles, tells the story of rural resistance to Burmese forces in 1765. Two separate armies of 100,000 each were dispatched to attack then Siamese capital, Ayutthaya. In American English, we would say it was a “B movie.” The historical context was interesting.
Malaysia summary
Malaysia appropriately celebrates its multiethnic character. It’s a lively melting pot of Malay, Chinese, Indian and European cultures. Georgetown and Malaka were particularly interesting in this respect, especially their food dishes. Both have recently been recognized as World Heritage Sites to reflect their history and uniqueness.
Tioman Island was a special treat. The Cameron Highlands were refreshingly cool and picturesque with the tea plantations.
Hellfire, photo
A Buddhist monk walks through Hellfire Pass. I visited Hellfire Pass Memorial Museum. The museum and this walk commemorate the deaths and suffering of Allied prisoners of war while building the Siam-Burma Railway (aka Death Railway) for the Japanese military. The name Hellfire comes from the glow of lanterns at night.
Thailand summary
For me, a highlight of my visit was seeing a friend from college days. As a bonus, I traveled with him in his car throughout western Thailand and visited his wife’s family. I visited temples and monasteries, mountain vistas, rivers, reservoirs and many popular tourist sites. The hustle, bustle and congestion of Bangkok and its river life were interesting.
Some observations:
Photographs of the king are everywhere. The king is now Read more
Singapore summary
I stayed downtown, walked around Chinatown, Little India and the Colonial Area. I visited many museums and took a harbor cruise. Everything is very clean, neat and organized, maybe too organized. Crime is low, water potable and English is widely spoken.
seAsia Summary
I visited peninsular Asia during January and February 2009. I spent a week in Singapore, four weeks in Thailand and three weeks in Malaysia. The weather was uniformly hot (35C/95F). I alternated between touring cities and visiting island beaches.
Route: I flew into Singapore (US to Tokyo to Singapore) and spent a week recuperating from the flight, eating good food and visiting museums. Singapore is neat, clean, easy to get around and very organized.
From there, I flew to Bangkok and visited a friend from college days. He was kind enough to show me around Bangkok and provide a tour of western Read more
Singapore, goodbye
Only had a day in Singapore. Went to Ft. Canning Park and visited the Battle Box; they did a good job re-creating the situation leading to the British surrender to the Japanese during World War II. Then visited the Chinese Cultural Center which faithfully recreates the immigrant experience. Ate again at the Popitiam on Bencoolen Street for wonderful Asian fusion food.
Logistics–took the ferry from Penuba Bay to Mersing, then a bus to Jalor Bahru (JB) and another bus through immigrations to Singapore.
Lodging–stayed again at the Strand Hotel, our reliable stand-by. The last night, stayed at the Crowne Plaza located in the airort to easily catch an early morning flight. Very contemporary, upscale hotel.
Pulau Tioman
Penumba Bay is so nice, I forget that I am a traveler and slip into a relaxed vacation mode. My days are spent snorkeling, hiking, walking the beach, collecting shells, watching the tides of the South China Sea and wondering about the weather.
There’s a lot of hype about Tioman–one of the ten best island and location for movie, South Pacific. It’s well-deserved. We avoided the eastern coast of Malaysia until the end of our trip because of the northeastern monsoon season. It typically Read more
Mersing
The only reason to go to Mersing is to catch the ferry to Pulau Tioman. We traveled from Melaka by bus for four-and-a-half hours and arrived at twelve-thirty. The last ferry left at twelve noon; the schedule is dependent on the tides. We caught the two hour ferry to Tioman the next morning.
Lodging–Accommodations in Mersing are relatively expensive and low-quality. Our room at the Country Hotel was above the dried fish store.
Last day
Last day in seAsia. Aboard Singapore double decker.
black shirt
No black shirt
in Temple
No shoes on feet
No soles forward
No smoking
No spitting
No cameras
Light incense
Make donation
Gain merit
No black shirt
Melaka
Melaka is a quaint town with lots of history and tourists. Somehow it manages to keep its authenticity despite the large number of tour buses. Town square, Chinatown, the shopping mall, night bazaar and neighborhoods are all interesting. Visited the Maritime Museum, People’s Museum and fort.
Travel–took a bus from KL (Puduraya station) to Melaka; Read more
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur, commonly referred to as “K.L.,” has the old and new. The colonial area, Meredeka Square and Chinatown are interesting. The new includes Petronas Towers (once the tallest buildings in the world), and KL Tower (still in the top three tallest towers). We visited the National Museum, National Mosque, Islamic Arts Museum, Bukit Benang and KL Sentral neighborhoods, and rode the monorail.
A couple of annoyances. Read more
Pulau Pangkor
Malaysia is famous for its islands on the east coast, but it is northeast monsoon season now. Pangkor is on the west coast, so it is unaffected. It is a small, sleepy place where fishing is more important than tourism. I spent several days at Nipah Beach swimming, snorkeling, kayaking and hiking. The place was empty and quiet. Aside from a limited choice of restaurants, it was a wonderful place to relax.
Unfortunately, a monkey took my camera. It was in a Read more
Cameron Highlands
A cool, mountainous resort, a welcome relief from the heat. Tana Rata, a tourist town is the center. It’s fun hiking, visiting tea plantations and observing high-tech strawberry horticulture.
Travel–took mini-van from Georgetown directly to hotel in Tana Rata.
Lodging–The Cameronian had good home made scones, but otherwise nothing special.
Petronis Tower
Petronis Tower taken and sent from KL Tower.
Penang
Penang is a fun place to visit and a great place to eat. Five centuries of colonialism plus Chinese, Indian and Muslim influence on traditional Malay culture have created a diverse multi-cultural society–and good food.
Char kway teow–big rice noodles Read more
Women sweep
Women sweep
leaves from road
White sun rises
Misty hills
Pink lanterns
red and blue.
Island Hopping
Took a speedboat with five big Honda 225 outboards to Ko Lipe. Took a longtail to get on the island. Then took a long tail to get off the island to another speedboat to Pulau Langkawi where I went through immigration into Malaysia. The following day, I took a “Super Fast” Ferry to Georgetown, Pulau Penang
Ko Lipe
Spent an afternoon at Ko Lipe. It is more laid-back and hip than Ko Samui–no tailors asking if you want a new suit (the kind with a tie and shirt, not a bathing suit). If you like the scene, there are plenty of restaurants, bars, dive shops and cute places to stay and hang out. Me, I really liked Ko Tarutao.
on leaving Tarutao National Park
On the way to Ko Tarutao National Park, I met a German who said he went to Ko Lipe, one of the islands, five years ago. He planned to stay five days, but stayed five weeks. He has visited every year since, but now stays two months. We stayed in a duplex bungalow on Ko Tarutao and met a young Swedish woman. 
She said she had been “here” for five weeks. I asked if she meant in Thailand; she responded “here” as in that bungalow. It was her second year spending five weeks. I met a senior Belgian man with an inflatable kayak; he said he has been visiting these islands for twenty years.
By the end of six nights, I understood Read more
Tarutao National Park
A marine park with multiple islands, the largest being Ko Tarutao, this is a great place to relax and kick back. We first stayed at Au Phante Malaca, where the ferry stops at the pier. Then we moved four kilometers to Ao Moelae. Both bungalows were spacious and comfortable. The one at Moelae was right on the beach. One day 
we took a longtail taxi boat to a coral site on the northestern side of the island; it was top-notch. Another day, we took kayaks along the sea cliffs and snorkeled among the rocks. Another day we hiked through the jungle to a beach and snorkeled there. The food isn’t fancy, but the overall experience is wonderful. A tropical paradise with few people and lots of fish, crabs, monkeys, birds and a few wild pigs.
to Ko Tarutao
Getting there. Left Ko Samui using the tourist highway, which is well-organized and convenient in Thailand. Destination: Tarutao National Park on the Andaman Sea, southwest Thailand. We bought tickets to Trang and assumed we could get from there to Pak Bara Pier where we could catch a ferry to the park.
A mini-van picked us up at out hotel at 6 a.m. and drove us to the other side of Ko Samui where we transferred to a large bus. The bus drove to the ferry pier and into the ferry. We disembarked at Don Sak, took the same bus to Surat Thani, took a tuk-tuk to the bus station and traveled by air-conditioned mini-van, arriving at Trang at 2:30 p.m., right on time. Read more
Resting after kayak, snorkel, sun
Resting after kayak, snorkel, sun. No Internet access here on Ko Tarutao.
video update
Here’s my video update after three weeks of travel. I hope your bandwidth is better than mine at the Bunpa Internet Cafe.
Bangkok to Ko Samui
Visited the Grand Palace built in 1782. The Royal Monastery of the Emerald Buddha is very impressive in its architecture, craftsmanship and artistry. The golden chedi is also remarkable. Ate dinner in Chinatown for Chinese New Year. Had a good-bye seafood dinner beside the Chao Phraya River. It was sad 
to be leaving Brian and Siripan after spending so many fun days traveling together.
We took the Thai Railway Southern Line to Surat Thani. It took eight hours, Read more
ferry to Ko Samui
Taking ferry to Koh Samui for some beach time.
Kanchanaburi
Drove from Thong Pha Phum to Kanchanaburi. Visited Hellfire Pass Memorial Museum. The museum and walk commemorate the deaths and suffering of Allied prisoners of war while building the Siam-Burma Railway (aka Death Railway) for the Japanese military.
Also visited Muang Sing Historical Park, home to Khmer ruins from the 13th and 14th centuries. An earlier burial site is from the Bronze Age.
Thailand travel
I hooked up with my friend and college classmate, Brian. We visited sites in Bangkok. He has a car and graciously took us on a tour west of Bangkok to Kanchanaburi Province. His sweetheart, Siripan is from Nong Pru. We stopped to visit Siripan’s friends who operate a fish farm. Then we visited her mother and brother who live on a farm. Nong Pruis a small town with one hotel. 
As a day trip, we visited Tham Than Lot (Chaloem Rattanakosin) National Park and a wat at the top of the mountain. An unusual limestone bridge with several large holes in it is the highlight. There are also caves and waterfalls.
From Nom Pleu, we drove to Thong Pha Phum where we rented bungalows on the shore of Khao Laem Reservoir. It is quiet with lots of kingfishers and other birds. At dusk, fishermen make their way to fishing Read more
Bangkok, water
Bangkok is actually built upon a marsh. Klongs or canals define reclaimed land. I took a water taxi through some neighborhoods. Everyone lives on the water. The Chao Phraya provides transportation. In addition to normal water taxis, an organized ferry system acts much like a subway with scheduled stops and even express boats. Boats run both upstream/downstream and across river.
Lodging–P&R Residence Hotel provides friendly, clean and secure lodging near the Sheraton and Chao Phraya River.
Watching Obama on Thai TV at midnight in
Watching Obama on Thai TV at midnight in Nong Pru with Columbia classmate, Brian.
Chao Phraya River in Bangkok
Chao Phraya River in Bangkok. Take boats everywhere.
Singapore sights
While in Singapore, I visited several museums, took the harbor tour and ate at Little India and Chinatown. I visited Funan Digital Life, a six story shopping mall devoted to electronics of all kins–a veritable Fry’s on steroids.
Asia Civilisations Museum–A perfect introduction for my trip. One gallery detailed the history of Singapore while the main exhibit described the culture of each major civilization in Asia including the Middle East, India, China, Japan and Siam, Vietnam and Laos. An exhibit, Asians in Monochrome displayed large format photographic portraits from around the turn of the (last) century. The clothing and props were outrageous. See www.acm.org.sg. A short exhibit of Mao’s Propoganda Machine included a large portrait of Mao. The light of the museum’s windows bounced off the portrait.
The National Museum of Singapore was Read more
Singapore
Singapore is very easy to visit–clean, orderly and interesting. The airport, Changi, is probably the nicest airport I’ve ever visited. Customs was a breeze; if you have nothing to declare, walk under the green arrow and you are outside security.
I haven’t seen a beggar or panhandler. There is no garbage on the streets. The city seems prosperous with lots of new construction and many contemporary buildings. The culture is a multi-ethnic brew that has been bubbling for centuries — Malay, Chinese, Indian, Arabian, Portuguese and British. 
The food is Asian fusion and delicious. The food courts hold so-called “hawker stalls” with abundant, cheap and tasty food. The food is an art form with its own exhibit at the National Museum.
Lodging–The Strand Hotel has good accommodations with a great location right by the Art Museum and Singapore Museum. It is in walking distance to Chinatown and Little India.
Next stop: SE Asia
I fly to Singapore in a few days. Plan to visit. Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and maybe other countries.
Map of southeast Asia
site maintenance complete
I made the following upgrades:
- wordpress version upgrade
- flickr plug-in upgrade
- added twitter functionality
- added video capability
- added mobile content capability
- added past and future post navigation
- custom favicon
- changed my theme.
Thailand
A unified Thai kingdom was established in the mid-14th century. Known as Siam until 1939, Thailand is the only Southeast Asian country never to have been taken over by a European power. A bloodless revolution in 1932 led to a constitutional monarchy. In alliance with Japan during World War II, Thailand became a US ally following the conflict.
Malaysia
During the late 18th and 19th centuries, Great Britain established colonies and protectorates in the area of current Malaysia; these were occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945. In 1948, the British-ruled territories on the Malay Peninsula formed the Federation of Malaya, which became independent in 1957. Malaysia was formed in 1963 when the former British colonies of Singapore and the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak on the northern coast of Borneo joined the Federation. The first several years of the country’s history were marred by a Communist insurgency, Indonesian confrontation with Malaysia, Philippine claims to Sabah, and Singapore’s secession from the Federation in 1965. During the 22-year term of Prime Minister MAHATHIR bin Mohamad (1981-2003), Malaysia was successful in diversifying its economy from dependence on exports of raw materials to expansion in manufacturing, services, and tourism.
Singapore
Singapore was founded as a British trading colony in 1819. It joined the Malaysian Federation in 1963 but separated two years later and became independent. Singapore subsequently became one of the world’s most prosperous countries with strong international trading links (its port is one of the world’s busiest in terms of tonnage handled) and with per capita GDP equal to that of the leading nations of Western Europe.