Guide Updates

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.

I've added a few new pages to the Bangkok guide, as well as updating a few existing pages:

• While many look forward to a vacation from diets and exercise, some of us like to stay in shape while we're traveling.  If you're one of the latter, then check out the new page on Health and Fitness in Bangkok.  I've listed a couple of the international fitness center chains with branches in Bangkok, as well as some of the hotels with better than average fitness centers.
• The French-based hotel chain Accor has a huge presence in Bangkok, with nearly a dozen properties under management in the Big Mango.  With some great locations in their portfolio, I thought they deserved inclusion in our business hotels section, but there are so many that I gave them their own page of Accor Hotels in Bangkok.

Many more pages have been updated, including new information on admission fees and upgrades to implement the new "My Currency" feature.  See the Bangkok Travel Guide for more information.

I just did a quick update of the Singapore guide, which includes the following new or updated pages:

• Updated Singapore hotels with new review of the Meritus Mandarin on Orchard Road.
• Revised information on Sentosa.  This island playground is in the middle of a multi-billion dollar rennovation.
• I've also added a brief page on safety and security in Singapore.  There's really no cause for concern when visiting Singapore.  It's one of the safest places in Asia these days.

Many other pages have been updated.