Guide Updates

The Asia for Visitors guide to Siem Reap and Angkor Wat has been completely updated.

The guide to Angkor Wat covers over 30 monuments, including off the beaten track sights such as Beng Melea and Kbal Spean. Information about the historical background of places and what to see is complemented by high quality photographs and in some cases satellite images of the ancient temples.

New information on Siem Reap includes a short list of recommended restaurants, shopping suggestions and guidelines on how to be a responsible tourist.

I’ve finally sorted through the thousand or so pictures I took in and around Siem Reap. I’ve uploaded the good ones to a new Angkor Wat photo album here. Updates to my travel guide should be done soon.

Yet another new section has been added to the large and popular Chatuchak weekend market in Bangkok. The new “JJ Mall” is a large, indoor, air-conditioned market. Yes, you read that right, there’s now an air-conditioned section of the market.

JJ Mall has three floors, most of which are divided into small stalls very similar to the layout of the outdoor market. The merchandise on offer is largely similar to the rest of the market, although you can also expect to find jewelry, mobile phone and computer-related products here. In addition, there is a food court on the second floor as well as several restaurants on the first floor. Unlike the outdoor area, which only operates on Saturday and Sunday, JJ Mall is open every day from 10:00 to 21:00.

While I wouldn’t skip the rest of the market to see JJ Mall, the new venue will undoubtedly prove to be a welcome addition, where you can cool off after a few hours in the heat of the market.

Our on-line guide to Chatuchak Market has been updated to include information on the new mall, as well as its location relative to the other parts of the market.

As we’re approaching the end of another year, I thought it’d be a good idea to find out more about the people who visit my sites, to better plan what needs doing in the year to come. So, I’d like to invite you to take my first annual Southeast Asia Travel Survey. The survey is designed to find out more about the people who read this site, as well as my other on-line travel guides, to find out where you’ve been, where you want to go, and a little about how you plan to get there.

The survey is quite short. There are less than 20 questions, and it should take only about five minutes to complete. The survey is complete anonymous, as no identifying questions are asked.

The survey will run until the end of March 2007. I’ll definitely be posting some of the results to share with you.

Okay, so I haven’t been posting much lately. I promise to get back to my usual posting once a week or so. One of the reasons I haven’t been posting is that I’ve been busy starting yet another web site. The site is now up and running, and is called Traveling Chili.

Despite the name, Traveling Chili is not another travel site, or at least not exactly. Over the years, as part of my other work, I’ve come across some interesting stories about the origins of the foods we eat. You see, many of the fruits, vegetables and spices that we may associate with a certain place actually don’t originate there. Take the chili pepper for example. Where would Thai food be today without hot chilies? But the plants aren’t native to Thailand, or even to Asia. How they got here and what things were like before they arrived can be interesting stories, and that’s the basis of Traveling Chili.