Travel | Liz Ledden

Top 5: Favourite hotel experiences in Asia (part 1)

Liz / December 10, 2008 / 2 Comments

Sang Arun bungalows – the one on the far left was ours

A hotel is not always the focal point of a trip for me. I prefer to focus on absorbing the city/town/island/beach I’m visiting and all it has to offer. A luxurious or boutique hotel room is an added bonus, but if it’s really good it can become a holiday highlight.

On other occasions, accommodation serves as exactly that – somewhere clean and comfortable to rest your head while travelling (or in the case of my backpacking days – somewhere cheap but well-located). Sometimes these crashpads can be hidden gems, offering an amazing view or surroundings despite their basic facilities.

Over the next few days I’ll be posting my top 5 favourite accommodation experiences in Asia, from the luxurious to the cheap and cheerful (in no particular order), starting with:

Sang Arun Bungalows – White Sands Beach, Koh Chang, Thailand

I’m not sure if these bungalows are still there or not, but we stayed at Sang Arun for a memorable 10 days or so back in October, 2003. These basic beach huts had a mattress and mosquito net inside and a little balcony at the front with some wicker chairs. It was right on the sand with an uninterrupted view of a wide expanse of clear, calm ocean. The sea was literally a couple of metres from our doorstep so we could wake up in the morning and wade out into the water – it was the kind of blissful beach experience people pay thousands of dollars for in the Maldives or Bora Bora, but for around $7 a night. Beach bar Tiger Den was a few bungalows along, and at sunset they’d set up cushion strewn mats on the sand for happy hour cocktails (and evil Thai whiskey buckets). Before this sojourn I didn’t really think of myself as a beach person, but became easily seduced by island life on this trip.

Lost in Hanoi and karaoke in the rice paddies

Liz / November 20, 2008 / No Comments

Me and Zara at Hanoi’s beautiful Hoan Kiem Lake

We’ve spent the last week and a half travelling around (for S’s work) – from Hanoi to Hoi An to Hue.

Highlights – staying at the beautiful Life Resort in Hoi An (chic rooms, great pool, really nice staff), seeing our friend Quyen, walking around beautiful Hanoi (except when lost) and delicious meals at Hoi An’s Mango Rooms (a Mexican/Vietnamese fusion place).

Mango Rooms’ amazing food (so good!) – duck with mole sauce & sticky rice
with spiced tempura prawns in the background

Lowlights – getting drenched in torrential rain in Hoi An and getting lost (multiple times) in Hanoi! One wrong turn on the twisty windy streets and you can easily find yourself heading in the wrong direction and ending up far from touristville. Not that that’s a bad thing (of course!) but when it involves freeways and dusty roads past manky local hospitals it is, especially when you’re alone with a baby in a stroller – ridiculous!

Unplanned detours aside, Hanoi is such a beautiful city. The buildings and lakes are gorgeous, and in the early morning the cool temperature, misty air and sight of rugged up locals having coffee at local sidewalk cafes give the city a romantic and atmospheric feel. I’m happy to return to Hanoi again and again!

In Hoi An we visited our tailor friend Quyen at Hoi An Cloth Shop. We first met Quyen in 2003 on our first visit to Hoi An, and visited her again last year. This time, we were invited to lunch at her family’s house in the countryside (around 10kms outside Hoi An).

Behind a village and down some windy paths through waterlogged rice paddies, we ventured to her family’s welcoming home, a simple yet effective structure with a high ceiling, concrete walls, tiled floors and an open front that provided a surprisingly cool temperature due to its great design.

We feasted on chicken noodle soup with fresh herbs and had bananas fried in batter for dessert, all washed down with the local brew, Biere La Rue. The whole extended family turned up, family by family on their motorbikes, and mayhem ensued with babies and kids everywhere and their karaoke machine being given a workout by the whole family. There was an insane amount of chaos and noise, and miraculously little Zara managed to sleep for part of the time – she really is used to living in Asia!

The (almost) polished off soup, and Quyen with a banana fritter – they were
sweet, soft in parts, crispy in others and really tasty!

Now we’re in Hue but only for one night, not enough time to see or do much and it’s raining non-stop – time to order room service and watch Gossip Girl DVDs and maybe drink the Dalat wine (red wine made in Dalat, Vietnam) we’ve been given, though it smells not too good come to think of it, and I just saw a description on their website – sour and acrid!! Maybe not!

Singapore Fling: Little Arabia

Liz / November 6, 2008 / No Comments

The mosque by day…

And by night – when the streets took on an Arabian fairytale quality

One of the coolest neighbourhoods we visited in Singapore was Little Arabia. I think I loved it so much as it was something a little more unique, having visited many a Chinatown and several Indian neighbourhoods (and India!) before. With a huge mosque as its focal point, the area (known as ‘Kampong Glam’) had rows of streets lined with shophouses, with evocative street names like Kandahar, Muscat and Baghdad.

Similar to Singapore’s Chinatown, some streets seemed a little more ‘local’, like those lined with fabric stores, while others had a bit more of a contrived, touristy feel with ubiquitous souvenirs. Mostly though, the area was charming, particularly as the sun went down, the mosque was lit up, and we dined on delicious Muslim fare (at Sultan’s Cafe Corner) outdoors under palm trees and twinkling lights.

Delicious chicken murtabak

A highlight of the area was hip Haji Lane – aome to cute and highly unique clothing stores, Middle Eastern eateries, pokey stairways leading up to treasure troves of vintage goods, and pavements lined with mats and shisha pipes.

The lane seemed to attract photographers, black-clad arty looking guys, and even teens dressed like Harajuku girls – this was a Singapore a world away from its often conservative image.

The trip definitely opened my eyes to a side of Singapore some people don’t realise is there – one that’s not all about endless shopping malls and skyscrapers, but instead, unique and colourful neighbourhoods with pockets of quirky, cool places, like the Arab Quarter’s Haji Lane and Ann Siang Road in Chinatown. Overall – a great place for a weekend or mini-break!

Singapore Fling: Little India

Liz / October 29, 2008 / No Comments

Visiting Singapore’s Little India was like stepping into a scene straight from the sub-continent, with abundant colour, noise, crowds, chaos, lights, flowers, spices…the area was full of life and reminiscent of our explorations of India a few years back. It actually made me want to go back, despite my love/hate experience at the time.

Being a Sunday, the area was teeming with predominantly Indian (and Bangladeshi and Pakistani) men – supposedly the itinerant workers from the sub-continent head there on their one day off for a taste of home. The atmosphere was festive as it was Deepavali (or Diwali), the Indian festival of lights, so there were colourful banners and neon lights adorning the main streets.

We randomly picked a restaurant for one our all-time favourite dishes – dosais. The restaurant was called Sakunthala’s and was totally packed. It had a frenetic energy as staff buzzed around delivering plate-loads of tasty Indian fare served atop bright green banana leaves. Our masala dosais were suitably massive and very authentic, though a paper dosai (a crispy pancake minus the potato filling) may have been all that was needed to soak up the tasty chutney and sambal accompaniments.

Singapore Fling: Chinatown

Liz / October 26, 2008 / No Comments

During our Singapore long weekend we not only stayed in Chinatown but spent a bit of time exploring its colourful streets, checking out the shops, and of course, sampling the food. The area seemed to consist of several parts – the touristy part hawking souvenirs seen all over Asia (and every Chinatown around the world), the local area with great kitchenware shops and bustling restaurants, and the boutiquey area around and including Ann Siang Road.

Ann Siang Road was loaded with character – from Chinese clan houses to ornate tiles on the exterior of the buildings, to its mix of fashion boutiques and quirkier shops.

One of my favourite shops on Ann Siang Road was Asylum (at no. 22), selling magazines, travel books, lomo cameras and unique homewares. The other was a fantastic bookshop called Books Actually (at no. 5). Along with a great selection of books, the shop housed retro accessories, some cool photography (more lomo action) and there was even a little ‘cat viewing gallery’ – glass windows looking out to a teeny courtyard home to one very pampered looking cat.

We ate dinner at a nearby food centre (like a hawker centre – but a small version) called Tion Shian Eating House. The seafood with crispy noodles we tried was delicious yet the sauce quickly turned the noodles from crispy to soupy. The highlight was a plate of chicken wings accompanied by a red hot chilli dipping sauce and a small lime to suck afterwards if the heat got too much (according to the vendor). The wings were some of the best I’d ever tasted – crispy on the outside with tender meat – and all for the sum of a few dollars.

Singapore Fling

Liz / October 23, 2008 / 2 Comments

We ate, we shopped, we saw…Singapore! So after asking in a post ‘Is Singapore really boring?’ I’ve decided it’s not – well at least not for a long weekend, it could be a different story if you live there and have seen and done the cool areas to death.

For our four day Singapore fling we stayed in Chinatown at Hotel 1929. A series of old shophouses restored and converted into a boutique hotel, it was definitely cute but was not without its flaws – the rooms are TINY (though we came prepared for that) and the building is in need of some serious soundproofing – all night we heard the roar of cars hooning past and people yelling, screaming and partying literally til the sun came up!

That aside, the decor was retro modern, with a great chair collection in the lobby. The location was also fantastic – the street was lined with brightly painted shophouses and we could walk to other parts of Chinatown, including Ann Siang Road (perhaps my favourite spot of the trip)…

Siem Reap’s Hotel de la Paix

Liz / August 10, 2008 / No Comments

Our room – complete with bed for baby

This was all ours – so relaxing!

Earlier in the week we paid a flying visit to Siem Reap and were fortunate enough to stay at the ultra chic Hotel de la Paix. What can I say but…wow! And no, they’re not paying me to say this!

Designed by the brains behind Bangkok’s Bed Supperclub, the hotel combines art deco style with Khmer touches, creating a unique and highly stylish look and feel. Our room was a two-level loft with a spiral staircase leading up to two massage tables for in-room spa treatments, with doors leading out to a private terrace complete with outdoor bathtub. The room itself had a rainforrest shower, iPod and speakers, WiFi, the most comfortable pillows ever and a spacious lounge area.

Beyond the room was an amazing pool with art-deco inspired columns and so many nooks and crannies to swim around and into. It was surrounded by lush tropical foliage like frangipani trees and traveller’s palms, with loungey day beds to chill out on. So blissful, even if our baby had to sit in a stroller poolside while we had a quick swim (things aren’t as simple as they once were!).

We also decided to finally dine at Meric, the hotel’s chic restaurant, after hearing good things about it for ages but for some reason never quite making it. It was worth the wait. While there is a set menu of innovative takes on Khmer food, we opted for the gourmet European menu and indulged in spice crusted beef tenderloin and sea scallops with cauliflower puree and citrus and licorice sauces. For dessert we shared a flourless chocolate cake with a runny centre (delicious) and bitter chocolate sorbet.The lighting, the decor and the atmosphere created a sophisticated vibe, and the food was excellent. Meric is a true culinary gem in Siem Reap and I highly recommend it!

Is Singapore really boring?!

Liz / August 5, 2008 / 3 Comments

We’re going to Singapore for 3 nights in October to meet our friends Rob and Stef who will be passing through. Surprisingly, it’ll our first time there despite all our previous travels around Asia. I’m really looking forward to it, though am a little surprised that so many friends claim it’s a boring, soulless place. Sure, it sounds very modern and sanitised, especially compared to other Southeast Asian cities, but with its cultural mix, food scene and abundance of shopping opportunities how could it possibly be boring?!!!

From the research I’ve done, the city’s Chinatown area sounds pretty cool (as do the boutique hotels – we’re planning to stay at Hotel 1929 though haven’t booked it yet), and the streets Haji Lane and Bali Lane and surrounds sound like really amazing, boutiquey little areas with great shopping and cafes – this area is definitely high on my Singapore agenda.

If you have any insights into essential Singapore must-dos (particular unique/interesting shopping spots and great cafes and restaurants) I’d love to hear from you!