The makeover of Bangkok's main shopping district is nearly completed, now that Central World - formerly the World Trade Center - officially reopened last week.  Since work began on Siam Paragon nearly three years ago, most of the shopping centers in the Siam Square area of Bangkok undertook major rennovations to compete with the new luxury shopping center, which officially opened in December 2005.  Most centers managed to remain open during their rennovations, but Central World effectively closed in March 2006 while major work was done on its facade.  Only the Isetan department store and the duty free shop remained open.

The reworking of Central World was quite a bit more radical than that of other shopping centers in the area, since it was combined with new additions that in all have nearly doubled the floor space inside the mall.  As a result of all the changes, the shopping mall finally has a main entrance, which is off of Rama I Road and connects to the elevated walkway which runs under the Skytrain.  This means that Central World is now just a short walk away from Siam Paragon and the other Siam Square malls.

The new entry definitely makes a statement.  Where the "old" Central World really had no main entry, and was rather dim inside with no natural light, the new entry is quite grand, as is the light filled shopping street ot open onto.  Inside the new entrance, which sits between the old part of the shopping center and the newer office building completed last year, you find yourself in a long atrium space that soars four stories up to a glass roof.  Either side is lined with shops, many of which are appearing in Bangkok for the first time.

While Central World officially re-opened on 21 July, many of the shops inside have not completed their own rennovations.  Only about 50% were ready as of this date, and the Zen department store at the south end of the old mall is not scheduled to re-open until December 2006.

Our guide to Seam Reap and the temples around Angkor Wat has been updated.  The most notable changes are the addition of maps of the area as well as Seam Reap town.  We've also expanded the descriptions of the temples and added more information for other temples we've visited.

Something that came to my attention after the updated was completed, but which I want to draw special attention to:  There's a very special hotel in Seam Reap called Shinta Mani.  What's so special about it?  Well, in addition to being a charming boutique styled hotel with only 18 rooms, Shinta Mani is also a hospitality institute that provides vocational training to poor young people, free of charge (in fact, Shinta Mani pays the student to study there).  So a stay at Shinta Mani will not only be pleasant, but will allow you to feel good knowing that your vacation is having a direct positive effect on the community.  If you'd like to do even more, the hotel offers several opportunities to get directly involved in improving the lives of poor people in the community.  You can check out the hotel's web site for more information.

The guide to the old Vietnamese imperial capital of Hue has been updated.  Notable additions are a map of the city and updates to our list of recommended hotels.

Our online guide to Chaing Mai has been updated with all the information collected from the recent trip described here.  Changes include updated hotel reccommendations, restaurants and shopping tips.  Also added are new pages on medical services and where to find internet access.

Still in Chiang Mai.  Today I dropped in on the recently opened Chedi Hotel.  The hotel sits right on the river, not far from the night bazaar.  In fact, it's just a stone's throw from the Anusarn night market.

From the street, the hotel appears rather severe, consisting of a big white box.  Teak slats fixed to the upper floors soften its features a bit, but not much.  However, once you enter the open-air lobby it becomes clear that the imposing exterior is designed to maximize the open space on the inside.

The main building of the hotel is roughly "U" shaped, with the open end facing the river.  The building encloses a very lush green courtyard.  The white and teak them is carried through on the inside of the hotel, joined by lots of green plants and water.  The lobby has sunked conversation pits and the biggest couch you'll ever see.  It strongly suggests the idea of throwing a pajama party.

In the courtyard, a single story building houses the Chedi's trademark spa.  Between the spa and the river is a large swimming pool. It's very long and narrow, making it one of the few hotel pools I've ever seen that is suitable for swimming laps.

Sharing the courtyard with the spa is an old house.  Built around 1912, it was originally used for many years as the British Consulate.  Now fully restored, the house serves as the hotel's restaurant, serving Thai, European and Indian food.  A local reviewer rates the food, and the view, very highly.

I also finally went to see the Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi Hotel, opened just around two years ago.  The phrase "over the top" is always the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about this hotel.  It was designed to look like a collection of traditional northern Thai temples and royal buildings.  It mixes styles from various Thai cultures but somehow manages to work together as a whole.  There was a bit of an uproar when it first opened, as some people objected to what they saw as the appropriation of religeous architecture for commercial purposes, but all that seems to have died down now.

There is a small collection of boutiques near the main entrance of the hotel, making it a reasonalble place to stop, especially if on a tour of the factories at Borsang.  If making a special trip, be sure to arrange for a taxi or tuk-tuk to take you there and back, since there aren't any taxis hanging around that area.