The magic of Bagan is so present, so tangible you could be forgiven thinking that in order to reach such a mystical destination a ride on a broomstick, a passage through a secret door or a step into the back of a wardrobe is required. Yet Bagan is both far more and far less accessible than any fictional land of equally immeasurable beauty. Located in the central west plains of  Burma it can be reached with a good sense of adventure and, like any mythic destination a willingness to ‘believe’.

Arriving by boat from Mandalay provides a gentle entry; hours spent on the broad reaches of the Irrawaddy lull the senses and can empty the mind for what lies ahead, although conveniently there is also air travel. Flights that leave Mandalay, Yangon and Heho arrive daily making it a brisk 45-minute journey from normality into the surreal.

The forty-two kilometer square area of the Bagan Plain is scattered with 3,000 temples – some with spires of gold, reaching heavenward. And although it inspires echoes of the poetry of Coleridge – “In Xanadu did Kublai Khan” – it was the Mongols of Kublai Khan who over ran the place in 1287, some two hundred years after its inception at the close of the rule of Thaton.

After centuries of neglect, and a creepy reputation as a place of ghosts and bandits, the British occupation of the area, that they called Pagan, opened it again as a place for the living rather than the dead.

Today the plains of Bagan are tranquil. Seen at dawn, dusk, high noon or midnight under a full moon they are a wonder to behold. They challenge for sheer beauty the Pyramids of Gaza, their whispering homage to spirituality a far cry from the clamor of Vatican City. They rival Angkor and in majesty are only surpassed by the natural highs of Himalayan peaks and the deep river gorges of Africa. The experience of Bagan is nothing short of intoxicating.

It is easy to spend days amongst the temples, the stupors and the spires, emerging only when hunger and sleep demands. On bicycle, on foot, by horse and cart the ways around the plain are open, easy and seemingly endless.

Intricate architecture, crumbling ruins, plain brick constructions and frosted white pagodas literally litter the paths. Entry to the temples is possible; climbing them is possible, even picnicking is possible in this garden of devotion.

Nooks and crannies are there to be discovered in the thousands of abandoned temples, and at the larger ones, like the Ananda Phato you can immerse yourself in one of the many temple festivals that takes place during the year. These gatherings involve people coming into Old Bagan from the surrounding areas to participate in colorful celebrations, markets and rituals, not unlike those of the camel fairs in India.

Adding a further sense of surreal to a Bagan visit has to be taking in the temples at dawn on a Balloons Over Bagan adventure. There was nothing that could have prepared us for this experience, apart from, maybe, some words from an opium influenced poet who could have explained to us that flying in balloons, rather than something to be feared, is to realize the true sense of flying.

With no resistance in the mind or body the imagination is set free upon the gentle winds that carry the balloons over the waking earth. Mists lift to reveal sights you feel are being seen for the very first time. At once explorer and adventurer, intrepid and brave you set sail under a billowing cloud of air to bear witness to the work of the ancestors, and as the sun crests over the curve of the earth the revelations that flood the mind are at once thrilling and sobering.

Around the temple plains the small towns of New and Old Bagan and Nyaung U are delightful, the cafes serve wonderful Bermese tea, make amazing guacamole and serve fresh food in many styles. The Moon in Old Bagan is friendly to animals as well as people and serves a full vegetarian menu. It’s hard to beat a chilled Mandalay Beer in The Sunset Garden, New Bagan as the setting sun shoots flames of gold from the nearby spires across the surface of the Irrawaddy, and for the evening’s entertainment The Typical Food House in New Bagan cannot be missed. The traditional performances from one of Burma’s most revered Nat dancers are as magical and strange as the surrounding plains.

Bagan provides an unforgettable destination for adventure during the months of October to March before the searing heat and the monsoons rains, it can be cool during December with night time temperatures around 10C.

As with most destinations in Burma it is not overly touristy, and although there are some very upmarket  ‘resorts’ along the river at Old Bagan, much of the accommodation is in friendly family style guest houses and locally run small hotels.

SPOTLIGHT ON BURMA

STATISTICS

Capital: Rangoon

Population: Around 50 million

Languages: There are 111 languages spoken. 80% of the populations speak in the country’s official language – Burmese.

Time: GMT + 6:30

Tourist visa: A valid Passport with Entry Visa is required of all visitors. A Tourist Visa allows a stay of 28 days, extendible for an additional 14 days.

Money: Kyat (MMK; symbol K) = 100 pyas. Notes are in denominations of K1,000, 500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10, 5 and 1. Kyat is pronounced like the English word ‘chat’. To combat the black market and limit the financial power of dissident groups, currency denominations are occasionally declared invalid without prior notice. Limited refunds are usually allowed for certain sectors of the population.

Credit/Debit Cards and ATMs

It is unlikely that credit or debit cards will be accepted; it is best to check with your card company prior to travel. There are no ATMs.

Traveler’s Cheques

Not currently accepted, although this may change. Check with your tour agency prior to travel, and bring plenty of US Dollars in cash.

Banking Hours

Mon-Fri 1000-1400.

Exchange Rate Indicators

WHEN TO GO:

The best time to visit Myanmar is from November to February. This is the time when both the rains and the heat are at their lowest, making it pleasant to explore the country with ease. March to May bring intense heat while June hails in the rainy season.

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Dangers & annoyances

Considering all the bad news that trickles out of Myanmar, it may sound like a rather unsafe country to visit. For the vast majority of visitors, the truth is quite the opposite.

Creepy crawlies

Mosquitoes, if allowed, can have a field day with you. Bring repellent from home, as the good stuff (other than mosquito coils) is hard to come by here. Also, some guesthouses and hotels don’t have mosquito nets.

Myanmar has one of the highest incidences of death from snakebite in the world. Watch your step in brush, forest and grasses.

Crime

Most travelers’ memories of locals grabbing their money are of someone chasing them down to return a K500 note they dropped. If someone grabs your bag at a bus station, it’s almost certainly just a trishaw driver hoping for a fare.

There are, however, occasional reports of street crime, particularly in Yangon, which include burglaries of some expats’ homes.

SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO?

You have to decide. We all know the military junta of Burma are a bunch of assholes so if you do decide to go make sure your money goes into the hands of the locals. Stay at independently run guest houses and hotels. Eat at local restaurants and at all times try to avoid trips and tours that might benefit the regime. Burma is an impoverished country. Your money can help a few of the people.

Contacts:

Balloons Over Bagan

balloons@myanmar.com.mm

www.balloonsoverbagan.com

Typical Food House

Pagoda View, New Bagan

06165348

The Moon

North of Ananda Temple

Old Bagan

Published by Traversing The Orient Magazine. You want to make an online travel business? Please go to www.web.com.

Bagan – A Land Lost in Time

Brief history of the clinic

In 2003, while on a trek through the Everest region, blissfully unaware of the conflict in the “hilly areas” and ignorant of the dire situation the inhabitants faced there, I accidentally walked into one of its most impoverished and troubled regions.  My trekking partner had fallen ill and decided to take the direct route back to the closest trailhead while I chose a seldom travelled route which passes through the Hongu river valley, homeland of the Kiranti Kulung Rai people.  Simple enough, I thought, to follow a river south, however I soon found myself off my map, in territory seemingly without trekking facilities.

A chance meeting with a young porter led to me staying a week at his family’s house in a small village where I shortly became aware of their economic, social and health problems.  One night, after urinating in the family garden, I realized that I had just desecrated the grave of one of my host’s dead children, an innocent mistake, but one which made me think deeply about how great the divide was between my privileged Canadian lifestyle and the reality that these villagers survive in.

Upon leaving the village, I asked my hosts what I could give them to compensate for their hospitality.  They simply requested that I send them some “Cetemol”, considered locally to be a panacea for all afflictions and perhaps some form of snakebite treatment.  However, I suspected that a simple pain reliever like Paracetemol would not even begin to address their needs and that I knew nothing of snakebite treatments.

On leaving the village, I gave my word that I would do something to help them and promised to meet Kirti, the young porter, at a different trailhead in two weeks time.  When I arrived safely back in the urban chaos of Kathmandu, I soon realized that I was almost completely ignorant of medicine, having not even had occasion to visit a doctor in the past 20 years.  I needed to educate myself… fast.

I discovered that Kathmandu bookstores had a wealth of books about wilderness medicine and that it would require only a modest amount of money to set up a rural health post; this encouraged me.  However, being at the end of my travels, I was hopelessly short of cash.  Another chance meeting with a wealthy young Chinese entrepreneur playgirl and notoriously bad gambler enabled me to work for a week as her translator.  My pay and a lucky bet at a local casino enabled me to buy enough health training manuals, equipment and medicine to start up a health post.

I hopped  a bus and, despite three days of window-smashing riots, roadside firefights, landmines planted on the highway and our driver’s insane night-time driving because of a curfew and road closure protests in the areas we passed through, along with the usual  mechanical breakdowns, somehow made it back just in time to meet Kirti.

I told him that, being the only person in his village to have a school leaving certificate and the ability to read Nepali, it was up to him to use the materials to teach himself and others medicine and start taking care of the health problems of his village and, by extension, the rest of the Hongu valley.  Yes – one medical worker for a valley of 10,000 tribal people, most of who had lifelong chronic illnesses and had not had access to medical care in over 10 years!

What other alternatives did they have?  It seemed to be that or nothing.   However, although they were used to having no medical treatment, my personal opinion is that it is a tragedy when a child does not at least grow up healthy and have a chance to lead a happy and fulfilling life and celebrate his culture.

Kulung Rai Culture and Community Development

The Kiranti Kulung Rai, an ancient wandering Mongolian tribe who speak a number of mutually unintelligible Sino-Tibetan dialects, migrated north from the Terai area of southern Nepal to settle in the Hongu river valley thousands of years ago.  Their geographic, political, cultural, linguistic and religious isolation has resulted in them remaining cut off from the country at large and also from accessing aid initiatives available to other, more integrated, Buddhist and Hindu tribes.

In the six years since we initiated this project I have come to realize through trial and error some of what works and what doesn’t and the reasons why, which are often economic or cultural.

To begin with, high altitude sedentary subsistence farmers are cash poor; they often prefer to barter their nutrient-poor high altitude millet and maize with the lowland Rai for supplemental foods such as rice and fruit.  This system has worked well for thousands of years.  The only way to obtain money to buy anything that they do not grow or manufacture locally or to amass enough money to pay for their children’s schooling and medical treatment is for men to go out of the valley to work as trekking porters or construction workers, leaving women to deal with raising children and farming.

Because of this trend, husbands, wives and children are separated for long periods of time which leads to serious social problems in the community.  Exposure to the wealth, materialism, consumerism and morals of urban society and trekking groups also has a negative effect on their culture.

Community development initiatives, even the most well-intentioned, if not carefully thought out, can have devastating results.  For example, high child mortality rates, though tragic, are the established norm. If even minimal health care is provided, more children survive, which means more mouths to feed, which necessitates growing more food, which means using more firewood, which requires clearing more land, which results in deforestation, which leads to landslides, which can destroy the village.

One solution is birth control, but men refuse to wear condoms or submit to sterilization, so it is the women who must be proactive.  Depo-Provera shots and birth control pills are expensive and need to be taken regularly and IUDs, contraceptive sponges, cervical caps and diaphragms, impractical because of a lack of basic hygiene, can lead to serious infections or death.  The only real alternatives are natural methods such as rhythm or standard-days which have failure rates of 25%, but require education and strict discipline as well as the cooperation of men.

Traditionally, the Kulung people have relied on local “dhami and jhakri” (shamans) to provide health and counselling services.  Initially, I was hopeful that they could act as outreach workers and that their traditional healing methods and knowledge of herbal treatments could be incorporated into our services.  However, this idea was rejected by both the shamans themselves and the villagers who, while still having faith in the fabled weather-changing, shape-shifting, spirit possession and anti-landslide powers of shamans, as well as their ability to recount the oral histories of the tribe, no longer believe in the effectiveness of their traditional ceremonies to heal critically ill children.

As well, there are few shamanist apprentices, these days, as the shamans, by and large, have fallen into disrepute due to an image of chronic alcoholism and a dominant and pervasive belief in the seemingly more powerful “magic” of western medicine.  However, their ceremonies and chanting do provide   psychological comfort and familiarity to frightened and critically ill patients which I believe is very beneficial to them in their healing process.

Shamanistic séances involve drumming and drinking herb-infused alcohol.  A shaman will invite the spirit of an animal to enter his body and begin rhythmically chanting and shaking.  When he enters a trance state he begins dancing around an altar of freshly cut bamboo and flowers.  Then the animal spirit sings and speaks to the audience to recount the history and legends of their ancestors.

Respiratory diseases are endemic in Kulung Rai areas because their houses have a centrally located, open fire pit without a chimney to direct the smoke and gases outside.  The fire serves a number of purposes in the home besides keeping it warm.  It dries out firewood placed on a platform just above the fire and the smoke dries and preserves food hanging from the rafters and the greasy soot serves to seal and protect the thatched roof from rain as well as drive out insects and vermin.

Even though villagers try to minimize exposure to smoke by sitting on floor mats just below the smoke level, because windows are closed against the dust, wind and cold, there is little ventilation and the smoke stays inside, causing eye and lung damage which significantly reduces quality of life and life expectancy.  And these are just a few examples of a myriad of problems.

Currently, we are receiving and treating 20 – 30 patients per day.  On village market days that number can rise to 100 or more.  We are seeing more and more patients arriving from outside the valley.  This is the inevitable consequence of offering cheap medical treatment in an area which has none. We have outgrown the small, simple house that was donated to us and have begun construction on a more modern, hygienic facility where we can keep seriously ill people for short-term observation and treatment.  We are installing a solar panel for lighting during night-time emergencies, but without an open pit fire or thatched roof, we have still not worked out how to keep our patients warm in the winter.

Without donations of money, equipment and medicine to keep things going, we no longer know how we will improve and expand on our services here, let alone continue to offer the barely adequate levels of service we have provided for the last six years in this remote and impoverished area of the Himalayas.  It seems that now we must concentrate efforts on two new income-generating projects – establishing women’s weaving co-operatives around the valley and marketing their traditional clothing in Kathmandu and abroad and encouraging the development of Bung Valley’s tourist infrastructure and use as an alternative trekking route to Everest/Sagarmatha National Park area.

This would include reviving and preserving Kulung Rai song and dance and other forms of their culture which have already began to disappear due to the cultural influence of more dominant Nepalese ethnic groups. With a little effort, luck and outside help, I believe that we will accomplish this in the next few years.

Kulung Rai people, despite their pristine natural environment, suffer from a wide range of the same maladies city people suffer from – migraines, brain cancer, ulcers, stomach cancer, pneumonia, eye and ear infections, deep cuts, crushed fingers and toes, dislocations, broken necks, snakebite, respiratory diseases, animal bites, rabies, skin rashes, insect bites, virulent warts, tooth abscesses, and lately SARS, H1N1 and STDs.  They often die if untreated.

The Shit Pig

In Kulung culture, nothing goes to waste, not even one’s own excrement.  My first night in the village, I asked where the toilet was.  I was given a flashlight and directed to the back of the house.  I found a rickety outhouse perched on stilts above a rock enclosure.  As soon as I sat down I began to hear a strange grunting noise from nearby.  They became louder and closer.  I shone the flashlight between my legs and to my horror I saw the huge jaws of an animal with a long protruding tongue and tusks, its hot breath steaming up through the hole.

I yelled in fright and ran back to the house where I excitedly mimed that there was a terrible monster under the outhouse.  The family laughed for an hour about it, making grunting noises.

So, embarrassed and not wanting to appear cowardly, I went back out and defecated directly into the monster’s mouth, allowing it to lick my ass clean as it squealed with delight.  The next morning they took me back to show me the biggest wild boar that I had ever seen.  Later, they killed it the traditional way by stabbing it in the heart with bamboo skewers so that its blood, which they consider to be sacred, did not touch the ground.  The boar slowly stopped moving and turned white.

The whole village came to share the meat.  It was the best-tasting pork that I have ever eaten.

A Wild Bear Attack

Bung Valley is right on the edge of Sagarmatha National Park, a protected refuge for many wild Himalayan animals.  As I came over a mountain pass and entered Bung Valley for the first time, I noticed a group of men walking fast up the trail toward us.  One of them was carrying a large basket.  As we came upon them I saw that there was coagulated blood dripping from the bottom of the basket.  I assumed that they had been hunting, but when Kirti asked them what was in the basket, they lifted the lid to expose a man covered in blood, smelling horribly and bleeding profusely from many deep gashes on his arms, legs and body.

He was a woodsman and had been chopping firewood for his family, illegally, in the park at night when a Himalayan bear had come up behind him and attacked.  These bears are small, but intensely territorial and will viciously attack any other animal on sight.  The bear clamped its jaws around the man’s head and began mauling him to death with its long claws.  The man took his kukri (machete) and slashed at the bear’s head, finally managing to fight it off.  He staggered back to his village and collapsed.  When his neighbours found him the next morning they decided to carry him to the nearest hospital – a five-day walk away.

They asked me what to do.  Seeing how serious his condition was and how much blood he was losing from his wounds, I told them that he would probably not make it to the hospital because of heavy blood loss and infection.  We took him back to his house and cleaned his wounds as best we could with a clean handkerchief and some disinfectant.  The man was unconscious.  I suggested they get a shaman to come and perform a healing ceremony and that they should all pray for him to survive.

I thought that if he died at least it would be with his family at his side comforting him.  One week later, as I was leaving the valley, I saw him again.  He was striding up the trail toward the forest to chop more wood, his wounds having healed completely.   That’s how resilient these people are with only minimal medical treatment.

Nepal’s political background

In 2008, the Nepalese Maoist People’s Army, a diverse group composed of intellectuals, university students, trade unions, urban radicals and Indian advisors commanding an army of forcibly conscripted rural soldiers, many of them teenage girls, finally won an ugly ten-year guerrilla war and bombing campaign against the King and ruling Congress Party for the ironic honour of both proclaiming the world’s newest republic and forming the government of the world’s latest failed state.

Despite the obvious drawbacks of fiscal bankruptcy, lack and withdrawal of outside investment money and the generally sorry state of the country’s infrastructure, the new-found political stability has allowed some teachers and health workers among the approximately150,000 internally displaced refugees to return to their jobs in rural areas, allowing local populations some limited access to government and NGO education and health programs.

However, many of the more isolated mountainous tribal areas still remain almost completely without education and medical services because of continuing school and health post closures where, even before the war, services were tragically inadequate.  Nepal has a higher prevalence of disease, malnutrition and infant mortality than any other South Asian country, coming in at 140 out of 177 countries monitored by the UN.  To lend some perspective, this figure represents quite an improvement on their former position.

Published by Traversing The Orient Magazine. You want to make an online travel business? Please go to www.web.com.

A Himalayan Venture

I glance to the right side of the road where the sun glitters off the South China Sea and a line of small fishing boats like soup bowls strung together bobs in the distance. But a look left distracts me – a dangerous thing on a motorbike in Vietnam. I roll to a stop in the sandy shoulder as traffic goes honking past. Sand dunes rise away from the road, rippled like a puddle in a gust of wind, and colored a deep red as if transported from Mars.

A four-hour train ride from Saigon brought me a world away from the Vietnam of history textbooks and worn-out war movies. Farther along the coast the dunes fade suddenly to white and yellow interrupted here and there by unlikely green spaces – even some mangroves – and a few titanium mining operations. Tucked between desert-like dunes and the sea, Mui Ne and the coastline of its province of Binh Thuan go from “laidback” to “meditative” the deeper one explores.

Throughout human history celestial events have been seen as harbingers of big things to come. In the case of Mui Ne it was a solar eclipse that haled in tourism. On October 24, 1995, thousands came to the beach leading up to this southeastern fishing village. Travelers looked up for the eclipse but what lay beneath their feet didn’t go unnoticed. Light-colored sand and sizzling surf stretch for kilometers in either direction.

Fourteen years later what started as a small oasis for backpackers along this road between the provincial seat Phan Thiet and the village of Mui Ne has grown into a 10-kilometer tourist strip, with hotels, resorts and guesthouses on the beach side, and restaurants, souvenir shops and even some high-end jewelry dealers opposite. No buildings rise higher than the coconut palms interspersed between them so despite development something quaint remains about the place. The laidback backpacker vibe still dominates even as families with children, moneyed professionals and adventure travelers stroll along the strip at dinner time.

I decide to do Mui Ne in style and check into a smart bungalow at the four-star Blue Ocean Resort, a spacious property set at the edge of the beach and one of a few places that has a swimming pool. In the shade of a thatch umbrella I watch the waves break on the beach which runs from east to west, ideal for both sunrise and sunset.

Mui Ne’s proximity to Ho Chi Minh City is noteworthy, but what makes it ideal for a beach vacation is its microclimate. Being in the tropical south brings the perfect temperatures of course, and while the north often takes some daily rain during the monsoon season from May to as late as November, the combination of trade winds and rising dry heat off the dunes keep Mui Ne in sunshine even through most of June and July.

The nearly constant winds, in fact, fuel two of Mui Ne’s most popular recreation activities: windsurfing and kiteboarding. From where I sit I can see WindChimes next door, one of over 20 area wind-sport schools and outfitters. Out in the undulating blue and turquoise, kiteboarders crisscross with each other and the occasional fishing vessel while the outfitter’s “beach boys” (and girls) await them on the sand to assist with the kites when they return to shore. WindChimes gets as many CEOs as backpackers these days.

Those same waves stock the local menus. Mui Ne’s abundant seafood originates a stone’s throw from where it is being cooked at sidewalk grills or mom and pop restaurants. But contrast these eateries with the upscale sushi bar Snow and its glass-block bar backlit blue and air-conditioned seating and it seems Mui Ne is picking up a bit of chic. The uber-hip Sankara welcomes guests with torches and reflecting pools into an open-air lounge with sexy lighting and cabana-style cushioned sitting areas. Its two bars, lit up red, serve pricey cocktails as moody club music sets the tone.

Despite the tourists and the increased prices that come with them, local life carries on much as it was. Travelers refer to the entire strip as Mui Ne but in fact that is the name of an active fishing village. Colorful boats fill the harbor and bowl-shaped reed boats are turned over in the sand. The next day I take the motorbike down a rock-strewn street to the water where the men and women of the village inspect their nets and hack some more reeds to repair their boats. Back out on the main street, a woman navigates an old wooden cart pulled by two oxen. An impatient bus driver gives a blast of his horn but she doesn’t seem to notice or care. As I pass, children on the way home from school shout in unison as though rehearsed that morning, “Hellooooo!”

The next day, I leave Mui Ne to sample another side of Binh Thuan. About a half an hour south of Phan Thiet after passing through more dunes and brush, my taxi rounds a bend in the road and we are suddenly surrounded by dragon fruit farms and rice paddies at the entrance to Princess d’Annam Resort and Spa. One of Vietnam’s latest luxury resorts, the Princess shares a curving sandy bay with just a tiny fishing village. The property’s eight acres show a lush central ginger garden, reflecting pools, and a collection of villas that guests apparently have trouble getting out of.

Despite the area attractions – the 1897 French-built lighthouse on Ka Ge Island just 300 meters offshore, Takou Mountain and its enormous reclining Buddha, sailing and windsurfing right in front of the resort – guests are choosing to simply sit and enjoy a bit of pampering in a truly luxurious environment.

This took the resort’s general manager Jean-Philippe Beghin by surprise. “We were so paranoid about providing enough activities, but it turns out clients just want to take it easy.” Vietnam has long been a touring destination with travelers hitting all the highs across the country in a week or two. The Princess d’Annam takes the Mui Ne beach destination concept and adds five stars of meditative bliss. Touring has its challenges like anywhere – language barriers, the constant travel and changing of hotels. Many of the travelers who arrive at Princess d’Annam are looking for “a breathing space before they go out.” A two-story luxury spa overlooking the sea, a gourmet chef in the kitchen, and a wine list topping 100 vintages help make a very nice space indeed.

Binh Thuan is on the travel radar now, adding its own version of the Vietnamese experience. While somewhere in Hue or Danang tourists board another bus for the next attraction, I gather with the rest of the guests at the Princess’ seaside terrace to sip wine and watch the sun set over the dunes at the end of the bay.

Published by Traversing The Orient Magazine. You want to make an online travel business? Please go to www.web.com.

Binh Thuan – Vietnam’s Breathing Space

Photographs by Craig Lovell

On 26 December 2004, my world changed forever. Before the tsunami, I was working at a small eco-resort on the island of Koh Phra Thong in southern Thailand. Then the killer waves destroyed the resort and its surrounding communities. I happened to be in the United States at the time, but I came back to do what I could for the people I had come to love and respect.

In the first week of January, working with a mobile phone, a borrowed computer, some salvaged furniture and a small group of volunteers, we started a relief project that grew from simple fresh food delivery into a sustained effort of more than 120 projects in a dozen villages.

These poignant experiences led me to forming Andaman Discoveries.

One of our partner communities, Ban Talae Nok was devastated by the tsunami – the lower half of the village and school were swept away, with eight children and their teacher inside.  A government official sent to assess the situation said he could see no sign that humans had ever lived there. The only trace was a kids’ swing left swaying in the wind.

In the aftermath of this horror, many of our projects in Ban Talae Nok focused on education and income generation for women, a group previously discouraged from economic activity.  The tsunami also allowed for the unchecked growth of tourism. Thai communities would watch helplessly as investors bought up land and drained the benefits away from the villages.

The people of Ban Talae Nok and surrounding villages are determined see that tourism serves the goals of the community, allowing progress to coexist with the traditional fishing culture.  So far, they have been successful – community tourism has generated steady income and international recognition, while also supporting a children’s center, orchid conservation, and other community development projects.

The crucial element of Andaman Discoveries’ approach is that the communities themselves are the driving force behind the initiatives. Each community makes its own decisions about how they ‘do’ tourism. They are empowered to engage in tourism on their own terms. This means that holiday-makers, families, volunteers, and study groups can take part in distinct activities that are as special as the communities themselves.

Here is a sampling of possible experiences:

Eco Tours: Jungle hiking, uninhabited islands, snorkeling trips, mangrove exploration, orchid conservation, relaxing by a waterfall, and cycling

Hands-On Fun: Traditional fishing with local fishermen, rubber tapping, roasting cashew nuts, beach clearance, language exchange with local guides, conservation work, and piloting new tourist activities.

Cultural Exchange: Interactive workshops with the women’s handicraft groups, weaving palm roofs, riding in a long-tail boat, a puppet show with a local youth group, and Thai cooking lessons.

Long-Term Volunteering: We offer placements at special needs schools, as well as teaching English at the Burmese Learning Center at Kuraburi Pier. We also arrange study and service tours for groups.

The beauty of Andaman Discoveries is that many activities just happen naturally as the guests become part of village life. Guests may find themselves roasting cashew nuts, fruit harvesting or even weaving fishing nets, always with a translator and local guide on hand. The homestay experience is strongly recommended to appreciate the genuine warmth and kindness of villagers, which is something that cannot be replicated otherwise.

Andaman Discoveries specially designed comprehensive support material, Phrasebook, and bilingual staff allow people to make the most of their time in the village. Our translators allow guests to really engage with the villagers, to assist the local guide when highlighting points of interest and explaining the region’s fascinating eco-systems. Beyond the village setting, Andaman Discoveries arranges stays at top-notch eco-resorts and world-class snorkeling getaways. Experiences are designed for everybody, regardless of age or ability, including mature and single travelers.

With the increasing popularity of responsible tourism, eco-tourism and community based tourism, many organizations, tour operators and communities are realizing its potential to generate positive change.  However, it’s important to realize that community-based tourism is not a quick fix solution. It requires more than simply deciding which houses will serve as homestays and which community members will be the guides. It takes time, dedication, training and cross-cultural sensitivity on the part of both the communities and their supporters.

Andaman Discoveries’ relationships with the communities are open and transparent.  Monthly meetings and one-on-one discussions with community members ensure that all voices are heard and any issues addressed. The role of Andaman Discoveries is that of advisor and facilitator. It serves as the link between the village and the guests. This village-led approach is crucial to the success of community-based tourism; without it the initiatives would have a reduced chance of success and long-term sustainability.

Andaman Discoveries is receiving increasing recognition for its role as a leader in sustainable tourism.  Recently, the group was named as a finalist in the BBC’s World Challenge 2009 and received the “Best Green Tour Operator” award from the Tourism authority of Thailand.

Honors in 2008 included the Global Vision Award from Travel + Leisure Magazine, and the 2008 SEED Initiative, awarded by the United Nations to innovative, locally-led solutions to the global challenges of sustainable development.  In both 2007 and 2008, Andaman Discoveries was recognized by the Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards (the foremost in the world) for Best Preservation of Cultural Heritage and as finalists in the Wild Asia Responsible Tourism Awards.

In the last three years, community-based tourism (CBT) has generated more than $100,000 USD in additional income for the communities which Andaman Discoveries works with. This supplementary income has helped to reduce the pressure on local natural resources, such as ever-decreasing fish stocks, as well as contributing to community development.

In addition, all guests make a mandatory 20% donation to the community fund to support in-village projects such as recycling, waste management, mangrove conservation, environmental education, vocational training and scholarships for 120 children.  The new opportunities are also helping to change conservative attitudes. Parents now see how a daughter’s income can contribute to their recovery and future well-being.

When we started work back in January of 2005, we thought of Andaman Discoveries as a small-scale effort that would help with short-term, emergency needs.  Never did we dream that it would become the central catalyst in helping so many villages recover from the tsunami, empowering them to move from relief to self-reliance.

To learn more about visiting the Andaman Coast, you can visit www.AndamanDiscoveries.com, or email info@andamandiscoveries.com.

Published by Traversing The Orient Magazine. You want to make an online travel business? Please go to www.web.com.

Discovering unseen Thailand

Traditionally, some of us like to go where the snow is, where it’s bloody freezing and where Santa has no troubles wearing ultra-thick clothes. Others choose to follow the sun, to seek out places where kids can play on white sand beaches and swim in the warm sea. Places where adults can go shopping dressed in Hawaiian shirts and straw hats without being laughed at by their mates.

Thailand is one of these places.

Unwind and enjoy the festive break on one of Thailand’s numerous beaches and islands. The following are a few recommendations from us.

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The Understated: Cha Um

Cha-am is a little like Vientiane, upon first arriving you wonder what the draw is and why people stay there…then the enchantment sets in. The natural beauty of this small traditional Thai town on the beach combines with the warmth of its people to create a world of carefree relaxation. Experience all Cha-Am has to offer in a chic yet understated style at the best little guest house in town, Cha-Am Inn@Cha-Am.

Stay: Putting the boot in Boutique, Cha-am Inn offers the best value for money, with bamboo mats over polished cement floors, tasteful bathrooms with either balcony or window seating, its rooms are modern and minimalist with just the right touch of elegance (ca. 1200 THB/night) http://www.cha-inn.com, Tel: +66 (0)3247 1879

Do: Wake up looking over the beachfront promenade, hire a bike and cycle to the fisherman’s village, buy the fresh catch of the day and bring it back for the Cha-Am Inn guest house kitchen to cook-up, offering a festive feast on the beach.

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The Family Celebration: Hua Hin

For those needing action, care and attention from the moment they wake up until the moment the head hits the pillow – and we are referring to all ages from 6 months to 86 years – Baan Laksasubha is the family resort to check-in. We can even let the grown ups into a secret – children will find Santa here on vacation too! Seriously….he will be on the beach reading Christmas stories to the children, handing out gifts and may even join you for the Christmas lunch and carol singing. Rumour has it he can’t get enough of the place!

Stay: Enjoy a truly unique family Christmas celebration in the beautiful resort of Baan Laksasubha and with their Costenara restaurant being the only direct beachfront dining space in Hua Hin, an alfresco Christmas Eve or fun filled Christmas Day on the beach doesn’t get much better than this.

Do: In the true spirit of fun and festive giving, there will be games on the beach, entry is at a small donation request from participants with proceeds going towards building a library for the Hueng Pueng School, which is located on the remote hills of Hua Hin. Last year, Baan Laksasubha already started funding the building with a contribution from the United Nations Women’s Club.

www.baanlaksasubha.com

53/7 Naresdamri Rd., Hua Hin, Prachuab Khirikhan 77110. T +66 2261 5551  F +66 2258 7347

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The Escape Artist: Koh Jam

A hidden jewel nestled off the coast from Krabi, Koh Jam (often spelt Koh Jum for confusion and to keep the masses at bay) is the ultimate island holiday experience for the escape artist looking to get away from it all.

Stay in comfort in one of the guesthouses offering bungalows on the beach and wake to the soothing rhythms of waves lapping the shore. Ho-ho–ho only crosses your mind when you think of the madness in the shopping malls that you have escaped. It’s just you, the beach, and a few other like-minded travelers in the know, relaxing in this bliss of exquisite oasis amongst lush forests, long secluded beaches and a never-ending ocean.

It isn’t that Christmas is cancelled here, there is bound to be a smattering of tinsel somewhere, but the island makes wishes come true from October until April every year. Be sure to tick off the days to departure on the calendar, it’s the kind of place you can just lose yourself in and forget to leave at all!

Stay: Koh Jum Lodge www.kohjumlodge.com for an ecolodge with style amongst the horticulture of tropical grounds and white sand on the doorstep. For the minimalist, Siboya Bungalows has a bed with your name on it – www.siboyabungalows.com – and you will find they have a verdandah and a hammock waiting too.

Getting there: Boats between Krabi and Ko Lanta drop travelers off at Ko Jam for 450 THB. The island can also be accessed by boat from Ban Laem Kruat, a village just 30km from Krabi for just 100 THB.

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The Thrill Seeker: Phuket

Fire your imagination and revive your spirit with all the fascinating wonders around Phuket. Travel in comfort on a luxury yacht to the islands; explore an abundance of stunning islands, including the Racha and Coral islands; snorkel or dive and be surrounded by schools of tropical marine fish and fauna or simply lay back and cruise the seascape of the Phang Nga Bay. At the close of a full day, return to a 5 star resort and spa such as Anantara Phuket.

The Minor Affair, a Sunseeker Manhattan 60 packed with charm and sophistication, offers intimate cruising options for up to eight guests seeking island hopping and overnight adventures. Discover a breathtaking diversity of exotic beaches and pristine waters in the beautiful Andaman Sea from the privacy of a luxury yacht. Rates for a full day charter including lunch are 205,000 THB plus tax and service charge.

Stay: Anantara Phuket Resort & Spa is an ideal setting for a Christmas story you’ll tell forever. Located on the island’s secluded northern sunset coast, a collection of 83 expansive villas all benefit from a private pool, outdoor terrazzo tub and an array of luxurious facilities.

Do: Add to the adventure by chartering the yacht for an extended cruise from 2 days to the Similan Islands where whale sharks have been spotted, up to 8 days to Mergui Archipelago in Burma.

http://phuket.anantara.com

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The Upgraded Backpacker: Koh Samui

Don’t you just love it when the upgrade comes naturally? Once the backpackers pilgrimage, Koh Samui island has undergone some serious nip and tuck treatment to welcome back yesterday’s backpacker returning with family and friends in tow.

The extraordinary landscape encompasses mountains, verdant valleys and the beautiful waters and beaches around the coastline, accessible from the 100km ring road around the island. From the picturesque fishing village in Bo Phut to the waterfall at Nam Tok na Muang, this remarkable island will enchant and amaze.

Stay: Bandara Resort and Spa, in pure Asian style where imaginative design has combined with nature for a sanctuary of solace. Take a day trip to see some of the local sites of Bophut Beach, visit Big Buddha, local markets, shopping areas and the bustle of Chaweng. Return for a sumptuous seafood dinner at the beach side restaurant to the backdrop of gentle lapping waves on the beach and a thousand stars above.

www.bandarasamui.com/
178/2 Moo 1, Tambol Bophut, Koh Samui,

Surat Thani 84320 THAILAND

Tel: +66 (0)7724 5795

Fax: +66 (0)7742 7340

samuisales@bandarasamui.com

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Hideaway for Couples: Yao Noi

If you always thought Christmas was meant to be spent in a private infinity-edged pool villa, in a Hilltop Reserve, with a private sundeck and comes with a personal villa team who is trained to anticipate every whim, then surrender yourself to complete tranquility in this idyllic haven called Six Senses Yao Noi. Its where soft, white sand meets sparkling azure ocean in the perfect location for you to rest and rejuvenate your mind, body and spirit.

This exclusive space is guaranteed to satisfy your every desire with private villas, seductive spa treatments and extensive health facilities.
You will leave wondering if Christmas was ever spent any other way.

Stay: Six Senses Hideaway Yao Noi is located on the island of Yao Noi, situated midway between Phuket and Krabi, among the awe-inspiring limestone pinnacles of Phang Nga. The resort can be accessed from both Phuket airport and Krabi airport. A quick drive and boat ride will bring you to the resort, or to arrive in style, try the helicopter option!

http://www.sixsenses.com

Six Senses Hideaway Yao Noi

56 Moo 5, Tambol Koh Yao Noi, Amphur Koh Yao, Phang-Nga 82160, Thailand

Tel: +66 (0) 76 418 500, Fax: +66 (0) 76 418 518

E-mail : reservations-yaonoi@sixsenses.com

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Published by Traversing The Orient Magazine. You want to make an online travel business? Please go to www.web.com.

Thailand’s Coastal Christmas

Photos: Aroon Thaewchatturat

Camels, snake charmers, gurus and tigers – India is back on the tourist map. With a 30% increase of foreign arrivals in 2005, the subcontinent is once again deemed a safe, attractive and affordable travel destination.

The states of Rajasthan and Goa attract the bulk of visiting foreigners; the former for its famed lake palaces, national parks and deserts, inhabited by nomads, camels and elephants; the latter for its beaches and five hundred years of Portuguese colonial heritage.

What’s more, India is finally shaking its long held reputation for unreliable transport and crummy accommodation. Budget airlines now whisk visitors from state to state and the last decade has seen a profusion of newly opened heritage hotels suiting all budgets.

In 1947, when India gained independence from the British, the maharajas – the local rulers of India – had mostly gone to seed, following a hundred years of indulgence by their foreign masters. Their land and privileges gone, unable to find a new role in India’s burgeoning democracy, the former kings soon ran out of cash to maintain their vast properties and extravagant lifestyles, and the rich heritage of India’s Rajput rulers was threatened by bankruptcy and ruin.

But in the late 1950s, the Maharaja Mahan Singh of Jaipur, the Rajasthani state capital, and the Maharana Bhagwat Singh of Udaipur, famed city of palaces and lakes, took an audacious and life-saving decision and opened their royal properties as luxury hotels.

Tourists could now go beyond the museum experience and partake in the lifestyle of the richest kings in the world.  And impoverished monarchs could hang on to their palaces and vices and undertake much needed renovations of these architectural treasures.

The decision proved initially controversial – many fellow royals decried these business ventures as beneath their exulted dignity and preferred to drink themselves into oblivion and the Indian government showed few signs of support. Forty years later and Rajasthan boasts more than 150 heritage properties.

While some heritage properties are managed and owned by large hotel chains, many former palaces are still run by the royal families who have owned the buildings for generations. Where else in the world do tourists get an opportunity to experience a country’s vibrant culture at the table of the heirs to its former ruling elite?

Or, as Maharaj Arjun Singh, brother of the late Maharana of Udaipur, puts it, “We Rajputs aren’t much good at anything these days. But we are good at running hotels and the tourist industry in Rajasthan and beyond was practically invented by us.”

The rest of the country is not far behind Rajasthan and many more heritage hotels are now opening all over the subcontinent.

Tom Vater and Aroon Thaewchatturat present an exclusive selection of heritage properties – from old stalwarts to flashy newcomers, from budget palaces to luxury forts, from urban havelis – grand townhouses – to opulent former British residences.

These five properties reflect the splendor of a by-gone age, infused with the business savvy, history, taste and eccentricities of India’s former rulers.

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1) Garden Splendor in the Desert State Capital

The Diggi Palace – Jaipur, Rajasthan

Located just outside the city gates of Jaipur, the Diggi Palace is a delightful budget hotel, which offers backpackers and mid-range travellers stylish accommodation in a sprawling royal compound. The property, a maze of courtyards and well-restored two-story buildings set in a lush garden area, is still run by the Thakur (Rajasthan nobility) family who built this haveli in 1860.

Inside the garden compound, the hustle and bustle of Jaipur fades into a quiet murmur.

The hotel offers Internet access and owner Shakti Singh is a mine of information on Jaipur and beyond, “We pride ourselves on being an unprofessional hotel. We don’t aim to provide accommodation for package groups, but we do offer authentic charm and a break from the hectic city.”

The Diggi Palace has 44 rooms – the larger ones are beautifully restored and contain period furniture, A/C and TV. The owners keep polo horses on the property and biogas is used as cooking fuel, generated with cow dung.  A rooftop restaurant offers a wide selection of Indian, Chinese and continental cuisine. The vegetables are grown in the hotel’s own organic garden. The tandoor dishes and the ice cream are especially recommended.

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2) One thousand and one nights are not enough

The Deogarh Mahal, Deogarh, Rajasthan

Chivalry, romance, desert rogues and veiled beauties – the spirit of Rajasthan comes alive nowhere more so than at the Deogarh Mahal, an imposing 17^th century fort palace, transformed in 1994 into a luxury hotel. It is hard to fault this property. The rooms are spotless and guests may choose between authentic Rajput ambience – suites with period furniture and ancient cracked walls covered in priceless miniature paintings – and recently renovated ultra-modern suites for those travellers so jaded they want to stay in a heritage hotel but need 21^st century aesthetics.

The 21 suites have expansive verandas, a couple even feature Jacuzzis. The four royal suites are breathtaking examples of Rajput splendor. The mini bar is stocked with French wines. 30 or so plain but well-kept rooms cater to passing tour groups.

A swimming pool, a gym, a pool table, an Ayurvedic massage center and, from the imposing ramparts, some great desert views, complete the picture.

Dinner is served in the central courtyard, accompanied by traditional dance performances. An international restaurant has just opened within the property, offering Indian, Continental and Thai dishes. All this in the middle of nowhere.

The mission is clear. Veerbhadra Singh, a man with fading movie star looks and an unearthly light in his eyes runs the Deogarh Mahal in order to indulge in the royal lifestyle he feels he has a birthright to – hence a sense of elegance, exuberance and decadence is happily shared with the guests. Formality, so often associated with hotels of this class, is entirely absent.

The Singh Saghar, a satellite of the Deogarh Mahal, is a remote retreat set in a recently restored fort on the shores of a small lake. Squarely aimed at people with too much money, just four suites offer 21^st century luxury, funky décor, international cuisine and best of all, absolute privacy. The rate for the entire property is 1000$ a night.

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3)  Rajput Chic

Sardargarh Fort, Sardargarh

The Sardargarh Fort, which lies half way between Udaipur and the spectacular Jain temples of Ranakpur, rises out of the dusty plains of southern Rajasthan with all the romance a medieval fort should have. Built in the first half of the 18^th century and enclosed by massive ramparts, this gigantic fort overlooks a picturesque village and a lake (in the years it rains).

Inside the fort, the tenth generation descendants of Sardar Singh, the fort’s founder, have opened a wonderfully luxurious boutique heritage hotel in 2006, featuring just 21 spacious A/C rooms clustered around a wide court-yard with a marble chomka (pavilion) in its centre.

The original structure of the fort has been left entirely intact which makes each room slightly different from the next. The best three rooms crown the ramparts.

The property features small court-yards, containing well maintained gardens, populated by wild civet cats, parrots and other local wildlife. One courtyard contains a wonderful marble pool.

The views from the castle walls are stunning and service is prompt and extremely friendly. All the staff employed at Sardargarh Fort come from the village below the property and the former rulers appear to enjoy an exceptionally good relationship with their former subjects.

Food is served on a wide marble terrace by candlelight, while local musicians provide entertainment. For sheer size and drama, Sadargarh Fort is unbeatable, while the intimate size of the hotel itself makes for an exclusive stay.

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4) Rajput Lakeside Splendor

The Shiv Niwas Hotel, Udaipur

The Shiv Niwas, a crescent shaped building on the banks of Lake Pichola and adjacent to the City Palace, dates back to the early 20^th century and used to be the royal guest house. These days it functions as a palace hotel, offering large rooms and two enormous Imperial Suites with period furniture chandeliers, and priceless art collections on the walls.

The courtyard is dominated by a pleasant marble pool and the restaurant is one of the best in Udaipur – especially the sumptuous North Indian cuisine is recommended.

A perfectly relaxed stay is assured on this magical property, but for guests seeking more than just stunning views and pampering, a billiards room, squash courts, musical performances, boat tours and a bar will help the time pass quickly.

The current Maharana of Udaipur is very much involved in the business of running one of the best palace hotels in India and the royal touch is felt everywhere. While the property is luxurious, it does not aim to compete with ‘chrome and glass palaces’, as HH pointed out. At the Shiv Niwas, the past of the Mewars, the former rulers of Udaipur, is celebrated and guests are made to feel just like the guests who have always visited this former royal guest house – except that today, one has to pay for such a sublime experience.

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5) Jaipur’s Urban Palace

The Raj Palace – Jaipur, Rajasthan

The Raj Palace was the first haveli to be constructed in Jaipur. Built in 1727, it has been a heritage hotel since 1996. Located in the heart of the Pink City, the Raj Palace is hardly ten minutes walk from the City Palace and Jaipur’s main attractions.

Yet within the building’s courtyards, a quiet, seriously subdued ambience prevails – accentuated by silently bubbling fountains and a placid pool with a large lawn area around.

45 well-appointed rooms and suites offer all modern amenities, though any authentic feeling of old world Rajput decadence is absent in the standard rooms. The more expensive rooms exude real period flair, with carefully selected antique furniture, wall hangings and weapons, complimented by luxuriously designed bathrooms. The highlight of the Raj Palace is the Durbar Suite, an absurdly ostentatious self-contained complex of two master bedrooms and a throne hall that bristles with enough priceless gems to rival the crown jewels. It might take a king or a strong aspirant to enjoy this amount of splendor.

Jevendra Kumari, the last heir to the building, has been involved in the restoration of the Raj Palace for nine years. Her husband explains the vision behind the property, “We want to offer guests the kind of life a maharaja would lead in the 21^st century. Our furniture is either antique or bought from outlets that supply only palaces. We go back to the original building techniques, using lime plaster and vegetable colors We employ a small army of artisans to figure out what the palace used to look like and how we can make it look like that again.”

The Raj Palace is a favorite with package tourists and the food, though not cheap, is excellent. The breakfast is rather average. Service is superb, for those who like courtly formality and nightly puppet shows. Internet access is provided for guests.

Published by Traversing The Orient Magazine. You want to make an online travel business? Please go to www.web.com.

The Heritage Hotels of India

Walking along Phra Sumen Road towards the old fort on the corner, which was whitewashed with sunlight, I stopped in front of my old residence, the KC Guesthouse, to find that it had been completely rebuilt and gentrified.

Popular with backpackers, the KC was also home to a cast of crazies back in the early to mid-90s that would rival any lunatic asylum. For instance, my next door neighbour for about six months was a long-haired, 40ish chainsaw logger from Oregon, who had received a massive payoff because (I shit you not) a tree had fallen on his head.

He brought his 14-year-old son to stay with him, and the two would go drinking together at go-go bars on Patpong Road. But the father soon got jealous because the son did not have to pay for sexual favours, and he did. So dad would lock him in the room at night.

Through the dirty cream partition, which had pretensions of being a wall and was decorated with the old guesthouse ‘art’ of brown smudges that had once been cockroaches, I would hear the son plead, “Can I come to Patpong too, Dad?”

“Nope. I’m lockin’ ya in the room again ‘cause ya don’t know how to spot a ladyboy and ya don’t know how to wear a dick-wrapper.”

Soon enough, Papa sent the spawn of his loins back to the US and had a Thai bargirl move in with him. Then I had to listen to him give her regular spankings with a broom while educating her about proper etiquette. “Say please when ya want somethin’, goddamnit.” Whack! Whack! Whack!

Another neighbour was a very amiable young African guy with a swampy accent who claimed to be studying computers in Bangkok. Can’t say I ever saw him with a textbook, though, but I did see him hanging around a lot of bars on Khaosan Road and talking with shifty dudes who looked as if they’d had very unhappy childhoods.

From time to time, there were police raids in the guesthouse – usually on weekends around 6 or 7am. One time, Bangkok’s finest busted a backpacker in a room upstairs. He had three kilos of ganja under his bed.

I can’t say enough good things about the kindly Thai woman who ran the place, however. She often served as a surrogate mother for all of us lost souls, and would let us run up our room and restaurant bills for a month or two at a time.

One of the stranger occurrences in the KC – strange being a relative term in this nuthouse – was the sound of thumping in one of the upstairs rooms. Nearly every night the thumps and bangs would repeat for about an hour. For a while – maybe it was all the Mekong Whiskey – I thought it might be a poltergeist. Then I thought it must be some guy with admirable sexual stamina and a very willing partner, or perhaps a demented masochist who got off on throwing himself against the wall while giving ‘Mr. Perky’ a long and loving spit-polish.

As it turned out, it was the middle-aged Irishman who lived upstairs and taught at the Nature Method School of English. He owned one pair of beige trousers with cuffs that waved at his ankles in the distance, and he rarely spoke to anyone. An ex-soldier for many years, Kevin hated Thai people so much that he would walk down crowded streets, deliberately bumping into them.

From what I heard, every night he put one of his mattresses up against the wall. Outlined on the mattress with a felt marker was a human body with X’s marking those vulnerable areas where you could kill a man with one punch. So the thumps and bangs came when Kevin practiced his deathblows.

Then there was a Slavic loon from Tasmania known, because of his pharmaceutical fetish, as the “Valium Kid”. When Davor would hibernate in his room for days on end, if somebody telephoned for him, the surly Thai maid would bang on his door, rattle the door knob, scream through the window, “You! You!” and even – I’m guessing here – mutter some incantation for a local spirit to rouse him from his slumber. All to no avail. In his drugged state, Davor would’ve slept through The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. But he did finally put a note on his door when he wanted to visit lullaby land, which read, “Davor mai sabai today,” meaning that he wasn’t well. Unfortunately, the maid did not read English and kept up her door-storming tactics.

It’s too bad Ken Kesey passed away a few years ago because if he wanted to write a sequel to One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest I would’ve had plenty of material for him.

Published by Traversing The Orient Magazine. You want to make an online travel business? Please go to www.web.com.

One Crash-landed in the Cuckoo’s Guesthouse

Before getting to the bottle is the first impression of Village Farm – an exotic Asian para­dise with a French infusion somewhere in the middle be­tween a Muslim influenced southern Thailand and a Chi­nese persuasion in the north. Think Monet landscape, in­dulgent sensory vinotherapy spa treatments together with the bottled poetry in Village Farm’s wine and you will be excused for altogether forget­ting you are in Thailand!

Village Farm and Winery is located on the eastern slopes of Khao Yai National Park in Wang Nam Keow. De­pending on the traffic and weather, its just two or three hours by car from Bangkok’s new airport but a world away from the bustling city. While this is no great dis­tance from the big city, current infrastructure hinders the convenience of a day-trip visit. This is one reason why owner Viri­vat Cholvanich has worked hard to develop the estate as a tourist des­tination. French provincial, Alpine architecture and Thai hospitality combine to offer a wide range of accommodation, a large and well ap­pointed countryside restaurant, a sauna and spa, reading rooms, jog­ging tracks and mountain biking.

Khun Virivat is an engineer by trade and this is evident in the me­ticulous care and attention gone into every aspect of the resort, ensur­ing everything functions efficiently while retaining a natural finesse. Located in Nakhorn Ratchasima province, after the initial minutes soaking in the atmosphere, breathing the fresh air and marvelling the jewel you have arrived upon, you may begin to wonder if Monet didn’t carry out his brush magic here too. This romantic hideaway experi­ence is intimate; just 30 rustic but comfortable accommodation rooms and suites at Village Farm offer guests panoramic views across acres of vineyards.

There are currently 30 acres dedicated to growing wine at the Village Farm resort. This is also the public showcase and where Khun Viravat stages his famous midnight-harvest­ing parties in March. In mid-November the resort hosts a wine festival launching the new vintage, and December revealing the
bi-annual precious drop, “Le Fleur”.

Of course friends have helped Khun Viravat along the way – he admits he would never have attempted serious wine-making without the expert help of French winemaker Jacques Bacou, the hereditary proprietor of the Chateau du Roc estate in Corbieres. Thanks to Jacques’ expert help, in­ternational connoisseurs claim this vineyard now produces some of Thailand’s finest quality wine. The house ‘Château des Brumes’ is a smooth, shiraz & cabernet sauvignon blend grown on volcanic earth that is rich in minerals that encourage the vine to improve with each March harvest. Gradually wine lovers are becoming wise to this gem of a drop. So much so that the vineyard is beginning to receive worldwide  recognition  receiving  increasing global recognition.

The  lifestyle destination you see at present  evolved  through  several
periods  of  development  over  the last 15 years. Today,  the  estate is both a farm and a  tranquil  resort for those wishing to experience a taste of Thai country life, partake of fine food and wine and work it of with a pinch of wellness. Just 18 km from  the  farm  is  their “Village Cellar” – a 1000 acre estate. Guests are invited  to wander or cycle along 40 km’s of paths  that weave  their way through a stunning landscape of vineyards, orange orchards, coffee and olive plantations as well as flower meadows offering a truly breathtaking experience. For those who had too much wine the night before, fear not of faking out halfway round as shorter trails are interwoven.

Every Saturday at 5:30pm guests begin the evening with a lesson in wine tasting and the art of wine appreciation. This is followed by a scrumptious three-course meal created to compliment the house wines; fresh salads, muscles, salmon, beef and ox steaks or racks of lamb served with country vegetables ensure an unforgettable experience – no matter how many bottles you drink!

A tour of the winery, wine tasting, evening meal and also breakfast bufet is included in the room price ranging from 800 – 4,000 Baht per night for two people (prices vary from low to high season). Not only does this excellent package deliver barrels of quality, the resort is uniquely designed to offer various pockets of delight throughout. Numerous areas within meters of each other tempt guests along a different path of escapism in the mind, from bamboo chairs under a canopy of banyan trees to benches in the park and reading/writing tables in shady spots. Even when running at full occupancy of 80 guests, places of tranquility within the grounds are easy to find.

Vinotherapy
For many, Vinotherapy starts with a bottle and involves just a corkscrew and a glass. However, the world’s first official wine spa opened in the Bordeaux region of France in 1999, since then vineyards around  the world have  followed  suit. Another Frenchman, Louis Pasteur,  is  among  the  greatest benefactors of humanity; he solved the mysteries of rabies, anthrax…and is also known to have said “wine is the most healthful and most hygienic of beverages.”

Back in 1948, Professor Jacques Masquelier of the University of Bor­deaux found that the grape was high in proanthocyanidins (PCOs) and a remarkable force in fighting free radicals. The revelation that antioxidant factors could help fight the negative effects of aging led to topical application experiments over the years with grape harvest remnants, first tested in 1993 using the seeds and skins as a valu­able source of PCOs. Soon after, the luxurious brand Caudalie was born and is today an internationally known product sold around the world.

The trend of grape and wine therapy is a growing one and people are visiting wine spas in increasing numbers to partake in a little decadence as well as anti-aging. Since Masquelier’s milestone discovery, wine lovers have long applauded the idea that a glass a day keeps the doctor away. Indulging in epicurean delights is certain­ly a “feel-good factor” high on the list for any great escape; when combined with an unexpected location it becomes all the more enticing!

This increasing trend of grape and wine therapy also hasn’t gone
unnoticed by the owners of Village Farm and Winery. In keeping with the country theme, their Cliff Cottage Spa offers a simple yet focused menu and a signature red wine hydrotherapy treatment.

While some may consider pouring a decanter of red delight into a bubbling tub of liquid a waste of a good drop or two, indulging in a vinotherapeutic bath while gazing across the landscape is a relaxing and rejuvenating experience. A European style tub is filled with a combination of blue mineral water, natural oils of lavender, rose­mary, eucalyptus and chamomile – and, of course, red wine from the winery.

Cliff Cottage Spa also offers grape-seed body scrub treatments, us­ing creams made from in-house grape extracts, as well as a variety of massages.

For more information:
Village Farm & Winery
103, Moo 7, Tambon Thai Samakkee, Am­phur Wang Nam Keow,
Nakhorn Ratchisma, 30370 Thailand.
Tel/Fax: +66 (0)44 228 407-9
Email: contact@villagefarm.co.th
www.villagefarm.co.th

The best route from Bangkok:

Take  the  Rama  9  express  way to  Chonburi motorway,  and  exit at Cha Cherng Sao  (ca. 80km). Turn right to Phanom Sara Kham and go all the way to Kabin Buri Junction (ca. 90km). At the junction, go straight and the road will take  you  to  Wang  Ngam  Keow (ca.  60km).  From  there  Village Farm road signs will lead the way to a  turning  left up  the winery’s driveway.

Published by Traversing The Orient Magazine. You want to make an online travel business? Please go to www.web.com.

Roll Out The Barrel

“Life is chaos, the world is chaos. The only constant is change. I like chaos and the way you position yourself in it. Where do we come from? What are we doing here and where are we going? We need to answer these questions to be free, to find our way. That’s what I’m doing in my tea garden.”

Not the sort of introduction one would expect from a tea plan­tation owner in the Darjeeling hills. But then, Rajah Baner­jee is not an ordinary man. The green revolution brings high dividends and attracts thousands of visitors a year.

Darjeeling, once under the rule of the Rajahs of Sikkim, be­came a British hill station in the 1840s. The forested ravines, the cool climate and friendly population made Darjeeling a summer retreat for the colo­nial gentry, escaping from the heat of the Bengali plains and the swelter­ing colonial capital Calcutta. In the latter half of the 19th century, the small mountain village in the foothills of the eastern Himalayas quickly grew into a sizable town crammed with sanitariums and hotels. In the past two dec­ades, Darjeeling, synonymous with tea the world over, has become a popular tourist destination, not least for its magnificent Himalayan views and the plantations.

In the 1870s, the first tea plantations were founded in the area. The British plantation owners employed large numbers of Nepa­lese workers and Nepali remains the first language in the area. The Darjeeling hills have the perfect sub-tropical climate for tea. A quarter of the country’s crop is grown here and today more than 40,000 people are di­rectly employed in the industry. Almost half a million people are looking at Darjeeling tea for an income.

Rajah Banerjee is revolutionizing the tea business with a holistic approach towards his business – a happy management, work­force and environment all contribute to the tea quality -while catapulting the Makaibari brand right to the cutting edge of the global market. He is also keen to be accountable for his methods and therefore asks research­ers, both professionals and laymen/women to visit the estates in order to witness his green revolution first hand.

“I run the first internationally certified or­ganic tea garden in Darjeeling. There are about 60 tea plantations in the district in all. Around ten of them are organic, but we were the first to switch. Our plantation covers 670
hectares of steep hillsides, 270 are covered with tea, the rest with forest. Thirteen leopards and two tigers live on the estate. And our doors are wide open to everyone who wants to experience the unique ambience of the region.”

Rajiv Mitra, owner of the Tea Emporium, one of Darjeeling’s most success­ful tea wholesalers, confirms this splendid isolation, “Because of inefficient management, many tea estates have become dangerous. When we show tourists or clients the tea gardens we choose one close to the city. Those further in the hills are not safe and robberies are common. Makaibari is the exception and receives visitors all year. If you want to see how the legendary tea of Darjeeling is grown, Makaibari is the safest place in the district to do so.”

The Makaibari Estate is the only tea business in the region with no union representation amongst its workers, no strikes and little violence. While oth­er tea estate owners prefer to employ managers to deal with the workforce, Rajah Banerjee and his employees have founded a forum, the Joint Body, where problems can be voiced.

Tea dealer Rajiv Mitra agrees, “Makaibari has great organic tea, but it is out­standing for a different, simple reason – the work force is happy because their boss knows them personally and takes part in their lives.”

Mr. Gosh, one of Darjeeling’s old school, tough-talking managers, joined Makaibari two years ago, “We invite visitors to attend our meetings. We talk about marriage disputes and education issues. If the workers feel like they have a stake in the company, life is peaceful. Part of my job here is to convey our philosophy to outsiders.”

Many of the visitors to the estate stay at Mr Gosh’s house, a beautiful British built Chalet, where comfortable rooms, a garden and home cooking welcome weary travelers. Bunga­lows in the tea garden’s villages offer a more intimate view of life in the hills of Darjeel­ing.

Banerjee is keen for guests to immerse themselves in the life of the plantation, “Visitors to Makaibari can experience a hands-on environmental approach to tea growing. For example, we built biogas chambers behind the worker’s houses so they could utilize cow manure to generate gas for cooking. 50% of the houses now have this system installed. It saves chopping down forests for firewood. This in turn limits erosion and keeps our beautiful forests intact. We employ 13 rangers to watch for poachers and protect the wildlife.”

Rajah Banerjee is an enthusiastic host, “We receive 50,000 day visitors a year, tourists, both Indian and foreign, potential clients, environmentalists and researchers all come to see the tea gardens or study and end up staying far longer than they planned because they can get an insight into the culture of the district and the tea industry. And because the place is laid-back, a respite from the road, a world away even from the crowded lanes of Darjeeling.”

Growing up in Darjeeling in the 1960s, the young Rajah had little interest in his father’s business or tourism and thought only of escape. As soon as he’d finished school, Rajah Banerjee left the foothills of the eastern Himalayas for the heart of swinging London.

“It was like a dream. I became President of the Student Union of London University. On the back of an excellent engineering degree, I got very rich when I was in my twen­ties but, as you know, the ego feeds on money and power and I was seduced like everyone else. I wanted to own the world. I never thought of running the tea estate.”

A brief visit to the plantation in 1970 proved to be a life changing experience. Rajah Banerjee recalls the trip viv­idly, “After three years abroad I came back to Makaibari on a holiday and I experienced what I call a CIP – a ‘critical ig­nition point’ – one of those moments that change your life completely. I was riding my horse through the plantation when a wild boar crossed my path and I fell. I saw a flash of white light and the next thing I remember were the work­ers trying to wake me up. At that moment, I experienced a revelation – we are nothing but stewards, caretakers, not owners of this world. I had to stay and take over the tea estate to preserve my family’s property and offer the tea workers a better life.”

Every day, Rajah Banerjee walks through his plantation for four hours, talks to workers and checks both cash crop and ecology. Visitors are welcome to accompany the plantation owner on his rounds, getting a first hand experience of all aspects of life on the estate.

“The reason why I am here is simple -making great tea is a craft, not an industry. In fact it is an art and a cup of Silver Tips is like a Picasso, it is totally unique. Makaibari is totally unique. This tea garden has negative population growth, women empowerment and operates within an environmentally friendly agricultural system that sustains more than 1500 people. Makaibari provides sufficient jungle cover for the greatest land predators in the world. The scenery is stunning, visitors have total access to my property and can enjoy traditional lifestyles and extensive guided tours. Come and have a look.”

Getting there
Makaibari Tea Estates in Darjeeling District/West Bengal are best reached from Darjeeling or Calcutta. From Darjeeling regular jeep taxis take 90 min­utes to the factory gates. From Calcutta, the closest international airport, an overnight train or a one hour flight to Siliguri and a 90 minute jeep ride make the tea garden easily accessible.

Rooms at a colonial chalet cost 1000 Rupees (25US$) incl. Breakfast. Accommodation in the villages costs 100 Rupees (2.5 US$)
E-Mail in advance at www.makaibari.com

Published by Traversing The Orient Magazine. You want to make an online travel business? Please go to www.web.com.

Tea Total in Darjeeling

The creation of the Little Ease was a stroke of cruel genius. A small cage not big enough for the incarcerated person to lie-down or stand up in the Little Ease does exactly what it says on the tin. There is no rest for its inhabitant as they are kept continually in a crouching posi­tion, unable to comfortably stretch out.

It was a very effective form of torture in mediaeval Europe. The British anti-Royalist, plotter Guy Fawkes, who tried to blow up the English Parliament 400 years ago, cracked after less than a month in a Little Ease revealing his co­conspirators in the Gunpowder Plot. Today behind nondescript shop fronts in Vietnam there are rooms packed full of these cages -stacked on top of each other.

Their inhabitants have to spend all of their lives in them, from the age around one-year-old to when they die. Intelligent and playful creatures, whose natural habitat in Southeast Asia are the rainforests, Asiatic black bears are kept throughout Vietnam and China for their bile in conditions akin to torture. Many are captured as cubs in the forests of Laos, China and Vietnam, their sad, depressed eyes stare out of the barren cages.

Some bears – seemly driven mad their long stimulationless incarceration – have rubbed the fur away from parts of their bodies while the metal bars they stand on cause untold damage to their paws. But that is just the begin­ning of their suffering as their bile is harvested to be sold to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners.

To get to the bears’ bile the ‘farmers’ use a variety of methods. In China a tube is inserted into a bear’s gall bladder to continually drip bile which is col­lected and sold. In Vietnam harvesters use modern ultra-sound techniques to pierce the gall bladder to get at the animal’s bile used by mammals to di­gest fats and in TCM to treat a variety of ailments – from tumors to arthritis and even to attempt to improve failing eyesight.

The practice of TCM stretches back over a thousand years and many peo­ple in Asia will turn to their TCM practitioner rather than a western-style doctor. It uses a variety of techniques from herbs to acupuncture but most controversially for animal-lovers products are used from a variety of species including seahorses, snakes and bears.

It is against this deeply entrenched culture that the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WPSA) is working as it tries to slowly eradicates the farms. The organization has decided to take the long road and it is a road WSPA vet Jan Schmidt-Burbach is committed to walk down – especially af­ter witnessing the suffering of these intelligent creatures first hand.

To bring about its demise WPSA is working with the Vietnamese govern­ment to try to make it a dying industry and stop any new cubs being cap­tured and incarcerated rather than shut down the farms immediately.

“We eventually want to stop the industry, we do have the agreement of Viet­namese government on that,” Jan Schmidt-Burbach said.

In a Kafkaesque ruling bear farmers are still allowed to keep and cage the animals in Vietnam – they just can’t farm them for bile or capture new cubs but if WPSA’s long-term work goes according to plan thousands of Asiatic black bears will be saved from cruelties of the bile industry.

Jan said: “In Vietnam people are allowed to keep the bears but they are not allowed to extract bile from the bears or to get new bears in – that is why we have micro-chipped the bears and check them regularly.”

To help in that process Jan travels to Vietnam on a regular bases, visiting farms and witnessing their horrifying plight – a deeply emotional journey for him.

He said: “I consider myself a rather tough person, but going to the bear farms can be really depressing.

“The farmers keep varying amounts of bears in these small farms. Some just have five bears or so while some have more – up to 100. There are around 4,000 bears on farms in Vietnam.

“They are in villages and towns – some just in a normal house where you don’t expect them to have any bears, but you walk into the backyard and they have a couple of cages. “People don’t even have to have a lot of space as every cage is on average two meters by one meter. They stack the cages or cram them all together.

In the wild the Asiatic Black Bear – with its distinctive half-moon creamy crest on its chest – can live to as old as 25, foraging for food like nuts, berries and bamboo as well as small rodents. In the cages their life span is greatly reduced to just five years as they fall prey horrific diseases and tumors.

“Bears are all kept in horrible conditions in these tiny cag­es, some unable to turn around in the cages.

“The bears are in these barren cages for all their life. As bears are really clever animals they suffer massively with psychological problems, but they also suffer with physi­cal problems. They have to lie down on the metal grids. It is pretty much the worse you can imagine for many of them.”

In the wild the Asiatic Black Bear -with its distinctive half-moon creamy crest on its chest – can live to as old as 25 foraging for food like nuts, berries and bamboo as well as small rodents.

In the cages their life span is greatly reduced as they fall prey horrific diseases and tumors. Apart from the strong cultural link to the medical benefits of bear bile, another reason why the bear bile farming is so hard to eradicate in Vietnam is the large amounts of cash people can make from the animals.

“There is lots of money involved. Bear bile is used in many TCM areas,” explained Jan. In a country where the average worker’s wage is $45 the cash cow of bear bile is strong lure for people to keep the animals. Bear farming can es­sentially function as a cottage industry.

WSPA is working across Asia to protect the animals -which range from the western Himalayas to Japan and Ko­rea. This leads Jan to also travel to Pakistan in his work to save these creatures which are on the World Conservation Union’s Red List of Threatened Animals as their natural habitats are increasingly threatened.

In Pakistan the animals are used for bear baiting and fight­ing and while in Southeast Asia a seismic cultural shift is needed to stop the trade in bile WSPA has a very useful ally in Pakistan – the Koran.

“Bear baiting will hopefully get sorted out quicker in Pa­kistan because we are making really good progress there,” he said. “There’s no big money in bear baiting – it’s more like a reputation thing for the bear owners – so we do lots of work through religious networks.

“The Koran is quite clear about animal rights and quite clearly states that animals should have the same rights as humans. We visit a couple of thousand mosques a year and talk to the Imans and they introduce the message into their Friday prayers that animal welfare is important. We have a number of official statements by Muslim religious leaders who support our cause and who have given us proof in signed documents.

Published by Traversing The Orient Magazine. You want to make an online travel business? Please go to www.web.com.

The Asiatic Black Bear Caged For Its Bile