The Central Ladprao Department Store (ห้างสรรพสินค้าเซ็นทรัล) opened its doors in 1982 and therefore is one of the oldest department stores in Bangkok, Thailand. Its the favorite mall for locals that don’t live near Bangkok downtown and has a total of 7 floors including a basement where’s a food court and a TOPS supermarket.
The capital city of Thailand, Bangkok has a lot of large shopping malls. Of course there are the main ones like Siam Paragon, MBK, Platinum Fashion Mall, Siam Discovery but also a “smaller and Thai” ones like Union Mall (ยูเนี่ยน มอลล์). Its exact location Lad Prao Soi 1 is strategically placed on the opposite of the always busy Central Ladprao, the union mall has an easy access point from the MRT Phahon Yothin station.
In the capital city of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur you can find Chinatown to be located on Petaling Street, its also better known as ‘Chee Cheong Kai’ (Starch Factory Street) in a reference to its roots as a tapioca-producing district. While the streets of Chinatown are a popular destination for backpackers and bargain hunters it has far more in store.
The streets of Chinatown have an distinctly oriental atmosphere, at night its main market area Petaling Street transforms into a vibrant night market which is filled with hundreds of street markets offering all sorts of goods from imitation clothing, toys, movies, watches to Chinese herbs. When shopping in Chinatown make sure to bring a good portion of bargaining. Some street vendors and/or stalls communicate together through walky talkies so be aware! Besides shopping it’s a good place for a Foot Massage & Reflexology by Chinese professionals.
Chinatown has a small nightlife scene which is about three bars including, Penny Lane, the Beatles club/bar (karaoke) and the Reggae bar. The Reggae bar is far by the most popular place on the market strip and usually filled with travelers that either like reggae music or just enjoy a game of pool in a crowded bar. If you are looking for a nightlife scene in Kuala Lumpur, head over to Jalan P. Ramlee for bars and discotheques. Of which Beach Club and Aloha are the most popular ones. Besides the few bars Chinatown also offers a couple open air restaurants where you can sit down to enjoy a beer or two, they are supposed to have good local foods on the menu with reasonable prices.
A couple of other ancient sightseeing’s in Chinatown include the Sri Mahamariamman Hindu Temple, Chan See Shu Yuen Temple and the Kuan Ti Temple. All by all Chinatown is worth a stop by when traveling to Malaysia, don’t forget that Kualu Lumpur has a lot more to offer than just Chinatown. Don’t limit yourself and navigate through the city, for example a trip to the famous Mid Valley Megamall.
The Mid Valley Megamall in Kuala Lumpur is your one stop shopping destination which fits for all needs of leisure, retail and entertainment. With a little under 500 shops and restaurants it’s definitely a mall you don’t want to miss. It’s located in between the Federal Highway and Jl Bangsar, during rush hour its hard to reach due to traffic. Nearby malls include Metro Jaya, Jusco and Carrefour.
The mall is setup in a circle with four sections and 3 floors divided by the Central Court, South Court, East Atrium and North Court. When exiting the Mid Valley Megamall through the west entrance there’s a boulevard with several office buildings. Any information can be gathered through the information center at the ground floor, the Mid Valley Mega Mall unlike many of the other Asian malls don’t have a lot of escalators to switch between floors. Most of the ATMs are located the ground floor.
in the Mid Valley Megamall any family member can get his groove on, whether you like fine dining at one of the four food courts or a specialized restaurant as Little Vietnam for a sampler plate of Vietnamese appetizers or a famous and delicious Malaysian “Nasi Lemak” at the North Court first floor Mama Kwam’s restaurant. Of course there’s availability for Malaysian souvenir shopping, fashion stores and many beauty stores.
Mixed in between the shops there’s a entertainment plaza at the third floor including a disco bowl center named Cosmic Bowl, for a game of pool join the Brewball Pool Club, enjoy a movie in the VIP cinemas of Golden Screen Cinemas and play a game of basketball or any other available at Holiday Planet. When traveling with babies and young children join MegaKids for their pleasure.
Once you’re done shopping, dining and/or had enough for the day head towards any of the exits for a taxi. If you’re a foreign the taxi guys waiting outside will most likely try to hassle you for a jacked up price, especially in rush hour traffic. Try to ask for a meter or if you’re having a hard time finding a taxi try meter plus 5 MYR. Another good tip is try stop a driving taxi. The taxi meter should start at 3 MYR, after 12 PM till 6 AM the meter will be raised by 50% at your final destination.
Originally known as Faifo, Hoi An is a small, antique and peaceful town on the coast of the south China sea in the south coast of Vietnam, it’s located in the Quảng Nam province and has approximately 120 thousand people living there as of latest count.
Although the city of Hoi An is not known as a tourist heaven, the friendly local people and the artistic atmosphere create an inviting environment. For those who like shopping and arts there’s shops selling made and custom artwork, right next door to the art shops they sell Vietnamese souvenir statues, antique bowls and ceramic plates. One of the most popular products bought by tourists are the quality garments tailor made silk.
The centre of Hoi An is small and pedestrianized, which means you will be walking around most of the time. It’s important to keep an eye out for motorcycles and bicycles as they are mixed within traffic in the most narrow alleys. Although it’s advised to walk through Hoi An it’s rather cheap and easy to hire a bicycle, taxi’s are available but need to be called by phone. Another noticeable quality that must be mentioned is the relative silence that lies over Hoi An.
Travelers to Hoi An need a valid passport and visa. US passport holders must have a valid passport and a visa is required. Travel in Vietnam is generally safe and violent crime is uncommon. The summer months are between May and September, though rain can be expected.
If you’re visiting Bangkok, Patpong is one of the places you must have seen. Patpong was founded late 1960s when a number of bars were opened to serve the US serviceman who were enjoying time off from the Vietnam battlefields, nowadays its one of the most exciting areas of Bangkok nightlife. Patpong is located on Silom Road or Suriwong Roadd BTS (Skytrain) Sala Daeng in Bangkok.
Halong Bay consists of thousands little islands in the north east of Vietnam. The islands are located in a bay in the Gulf of Tonkin. Halong Bay means literally translated Bay of Descending Dragons, probably referring to the scenic rock formations. Halong Bay belongs to different districts of Vietnam and is listed as a World Heritage Site of UNECO.
Halong Bay has two kinds of islands, limestone and schist. There are 1.969 limestone karsts and islets, 989 of them have names. The limestone in the bay has gone through 500 million years of formation. The islands will give you a feeling of magic and mystic, although you do have to forget about the tourist boats. The highly concentrated zone of stone islands form the center of Halong Bay. It is a natural wonder and inspiring place with beaches, caves and grottoes.
Most tourists reach Halong Bay by tour, pre-purchased in Hanoi or other cities in the region. The prices vary depending on the quality of the boat, crew, food and additional activities. It is better to deal directly with a tourist company that sells the tickets to Halong Bay. Most tours include overnight stays at a junk or hotel on Cat Ba Island. Halong Bay offers many activities, such as fishing, swimming and kayaking.
Travelers to Halong Bay need a valid passport and visa. If you don’t want to take the boat, you could make use of a helicopter charter service on Saturday. These services departure from Gia Lam Airport in Hanoi.
Calbayog City is a first class city in the Philippines in the region of Eastern Visayas. This region has land boundaries with other regions. Calbayog is located on the western part of the island of Samar in the province of Samar. It lies along the coastal region of the province. Calbayog started as one of the small settlements of the Jesuit missionaries in the 17th century. However it was officially founded in 1948.
Calbayog and its surroundings has been sited by the World Wildlife Fund as a global 200 Ecoregion. The region has many natural attractions. It has a plant diversity with 2.400 species of flowering plants. Tourists can enjoy beautiful waterfalls, caves and beaches. Most of these attractions are an hour drive from Calbayog The most famous beach is Malajog Looc Beach. The only museum is the Samar Archeological Museum. The city of Calbayog can be the perfect place to relax and enjoy nature. There are a few pension houses for accommodation, but you can also just pitch your tent on some interesting spots.
Calbayog city has many industries to gain money from. The land is generally divided into agriculture and forest areas. Agriculture takes about 64% of the area. Major products are amongst others abaca, rice, vegetables, corn and fruits. Some 36% of the area are forest lands with products as rattan, cogon and bamboo. Most of the forest lands are gone however and concerned agencies are now in motion to save forest resource with reforestation and tree planting.
Travelers to Calbayog must have a valid passport, visa and return ticket. You need to follow general Philippine requirements. American citizens can stay for up to 21 days without a visa. Calbayog City can be reached by an overnight boat trip from Cebu or by a flight or bus from Manila.
Banlung is a small town in the north east of Cambodia. It is the capital of Ratanakiri Province. The city has a population of 17 thousand people, but it is still growing. Its surroundings are heavily forested. The city is an important commercial center. Many people from neighboring villages sell their goods on the market of Banlung.
Banlung itself isn’t very spectacular. The town is growing however and many roads are being built. In the center there are two story buildings, a monument, a market and a few newly paved roads. Banlung is however a very good base to visit the undiscovered parts of the Ratanakiri Province. This province is heavily forested. People are active in plantation agriculture, for rubber, cashews and oil palms. There are also gem mines.
The surroundings of Banlung offer several spectacular natural attractions, including waterfalls, lakes and natural parks. Worth a visit is the 700 thousand year old Yeak Laom Volcanic Lake, 3 miles from the town centre. Spectacular waterfalls are Cha Ong, Kan Chang and Ka Tieng. You will come across rubber plantations on your way up. Active possibilities are rafting, kayaking and dirt bike rides.
Travelers to Banlung require a valid passport and visa. American citizens will receive a visa upon arrival valid for 30 days in exchange for $20.00 US. There’s also an exit fee of $25.00 US when leaving the country. Banlung and its environment is home to 12 ethnic groups. Respect their culture and remember that many taboos exist.
Sihanoukville is a port city in the south of Cambodia and overlooks the Gulf of Thailand. The city is named after King Father Sihanouk, but it also known as Kompong Som. Sihanoukville suffered from war and it was the place of the last official battle in the Vietnam War. These days the city attracts tourists with its fine beaches and laid back atmosphere. The city also attracts foreign and national investors. It has a population of some 18 thousand people.
Sihanoukville was founded in 1960 after Cambodia became independent from France. French-Cambodian people carved a camp out of the jungle in 1955. They began building the first, and only, deep-sea port in order to communicate with international trade. During the Vietnam War the port was used by the Vietcong and later by the American army. The last ten years the city has been picking up the pieces. The Independence Hotel is up and running again and more and more Khmer people are running bars and restaurants.
Sihanoukville has some good beaches for relaxation. The popular beaches are Ochheuteal, Sokha, Otres, Independence and Victory Beach. Some beaches have there own beach resorts. There are more than a dozen islands to hop around. You can take water taxis to go scuba diving, snorkeling and swimming. Be aware that the beaches can be covered in more rubbish than you might be used to. There are businesses that tried to dump their waste into the city.
Travelers to Sihanoukville require a valid passport and visa. American citizens will receive a visa upon arrival valid for 30 days in exchange for $20.00 US. There’s also an exit fee of $25.00 US when leaving the country.
