Cairns, Queensland, Australia (c) MadeByMark via flickr.com

Northern Queensland

Cairns and Port Douglas combine pleasant warm winter weather with the dry season. Temperatures are usually in the low to mid 20′s – so for some of us it might not be quite warm enough, while for others it may be perfect if you can’t handle true tropical heat.

Direct flights into Cairns is the usual starting point. It can get very busy though as direct flights bring in many Japanese tourists escaping their winter!

Price Point: Although the flights can be cheap, the cost of living is expensive given the strength of the Australian dollar. There are plenty of self-catering options, but then food does cost more in the Far North region as well.

Western Australia

Harder to get to than northern Queensland, Broome had better weather and is a lot more laid back than the tourist orientated towns of Far North Queensland. The trouble is that there is little competition on flights into Broome so airfares are sky-high. Most visitors are on a longer drive from Darwin or Perth – but at 3000km north of Perth, this is not a trip for the faint hearted, on the time poor.

If you make it though you’ll be rewarded with some of the most spectacular beaches and sunsets in Australia, if not the planet.

Price Point.

Expensive to be honest. Freight charges make living in the area expensive for everyone. That said the weather is perfect for a camping holiday, so bring your own vehicle is by far the most common. It’s also a long-haul from New Zealand or east coast Australia

Hawaii Beach House (c) imgdive via flickr.com

Pacific Islands

Off the radar for many Australians, New Zealanders grab flights direct to many Pacific Island hot spots in the winter. Popular choices include Fiji, Cook Islands and Samoa. There are now more connections to Hawaii – which although further away, combines the delights of traditional American shopping and big-city vibe with the laid-back Polynesian culture. Apart from Fiji and Hawaii this is very low-key tourism. In general the islands are small too. Stay for longer than a week and you will start finding the locals treating you as one of their own! English is widely spoken, and the Cook Islands uses New Zealand dollars as their own currency.

Price Point.

There are some very good deals on flights if you find the right deal. Routinely Cook Islands and Samoa are cheaper flights than Fiji. Samoa and Cook Islands are under four hour flight time from Auckland, six from Sydney. Direct flights from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Auckland. Once you arrive self-catering motels is the cheapest option in the Cooks, while beach fales with meals included is the budget option in Samoa. Fiji and Hawaii are more hotel and resort orientated and are more expensive. Hawaii is a much longer flight – about 8 hours from Auckland.

Read more on Pacific Islands on Havana Lion

Thailand

There are direct flights to southern Thailand from Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. Or a transfer via Singapore, Kuala Lumpur will give you a flight direct into Phuket or Krabi. Don’t make the mistake of adding unnecessary price and time by taking a connection via Bangkok, far to the north!

Australia’s winter is supposed to equate to Phuket’s monsoon season, but often this just involves a little rain for a few hours in the afternoon, if that. On the other hand you will definitely get great hotel deals with low-season rates. More remote islands may be more problematical but Koh Lanta and Phuket have lots and lots of options for winter sun, combined with the wonderful Thai cuisine.

Price Point.

Discount airlines including Jetstar and Air Asia gives you plenty of cheap flight options, and once you arrive the cost of living is a great deal lower than Australia or New Zealand. Going upmarket can be particularly good value for money, just remember to not over-pay in tourist orientated restaurants but find the real street food.

Malacca Old Town (c) spot_on via flickr.com

Malaysia and Singapore

Even closer than southern Thailand Singapore and Malaysia have options including the vibrant cities of KL and Singapore, the east-coast beaches of Langkawi and the southern islands of Tioman and Singapore’s Bintang Island. Probably the best option if you want to combine a beach break with actually seeing some interesting cultural and historical sites. Malacca is a stand-out destination in southern Malaysia. Transport is quick, easy and cheap with excellent bus services everywhere. English is very widely spoken particularly in Singapore where it’s one of the official languages.

Price Point
The cost of living is higher, particularly in Singpapore but then the flight is shorter. If cheap booze is high on your holiday wish-list then Thailand will be a better options for you.

Winter Snow Escape

Of course you could always embrace the weather and head for the ski fields. If that’s your decision then picking Queenstown is the easy decision. Not one, but four downhill ski fields, plus skating and cross-country skiing options are available between Queenstown and Wanaka. The snow is reliable as is the weather. Because the fields are spread over a number of mountains, there is always at least one that’s open.

Read more on Queenstown on Havana Lion

Whatever your choice for a southern hemisphere winter break, I think I’ve included something for most people. As always it’s always worth checking when school holidays fall in New Zealand and the eastern Australian states, and trying to travel outside those dates for the best deals.

The post Best Winter Desitnations – For Australians and New Zealanders appeared first on Havana Lion.

If you are visiting the country, this list of must try Cambodian food should give you some starting points on how best to get acquainted with this notable cuisine. For those of you who are lucky to have a Khmer restaurant in your local area, hopefully some of these dishes will be on the menu, allowing you to experience great Cambodian food without travelling halfway round the world.

Amok! – Photo Credit: Kelly (Flickr)

1. Amok ហហ្មុក

Amok is usually described as the national dish of Cambodia and unsurprisingly you can find it pretty much anywhere in the realm. Amok comes in many different varieties, but for the most part it is based around a curry steam cooked in banana leaves.

The key ingredients are considered to be its thick coconut cream curry and the use of galangal, from the ginger family, although it can be served with many different ingredients. The most popular version in Cambodia is Amok Trey which features steamed curried fish. However, for those who aren’t big fans of fish curries, there are also chicken, tofu and egg versions to name but a few.

If you are in Siem Reap, the Amok Restaurant is a good place to try the many variations on this delicious dish.

Kuy Teav – Photo Credit: Soda (Flickr)

2. Kuy Teav គុយទាវ

Kuy Teav is also popular around the region thanks to its Chinese origins but is eaten widely in Cambodia. Those familiar with Thai food might recognise the name, as it is similar to kuai tiao, a dish popular in Thailand which closely resembles this one. However, while the Thai dish is more of a stir-fry featuring thick rice noodles, pork and greens, here the Kuy Teav has evolved to become a soup dish that is most widely eaten at breakfast, although many visitors to the country prefer to order this dish for dinner rather facing it first thing in the morning.

The main ingredients that are used to produce this refreshing and fresh-tasting soup dish are the rice noodles and the pork stock, although many other ingredients are added to the concoction when available. Pork mince is a popular staple of this dish, while it is not uncommon to see pork belly, seafood and even duck used in Kuy Teav.

Whatever time you choose to order this dish, you will receive a refreshing noodle soup whose taste can be tweaked to suit your palate thanks to the herbs and condiments that are served alongside Kuy Teav. This is one must-try Cambodian dish that you will be glad you experienced during your visit.

Khmer Red Curry – Photo Credit: Brewer (Flickr)

3. Khmer Red Curry ការី

This dish can be likened to the red curries served in Thailand thanks to the often liberal use of coconut which is used to make up the sauce. However, unlike most of the best Thai dishes, Khmer food doesn’t generally rely on the heavy use of chillies. In fact, the spiciness that is the trademark of almost all Thai food never really took a foothold here, even though chilli was introduced to the country by the French and Portuguese as far back as the 16^th century.

For that reason, the Khmer Red Curry isn’t anything as spicy as the curries found in Thailand, such as the green and the yellow varieties and while the red curries of Thailand are some of their least spicy soups, they are still hotter than the Cambodian red curry.

This is might not be particularly pleasing to hear for those in search of the hottest curries from around the world; but for those with a low tolerance to chillies this is good news as they can now enjoy these sumptuous, flavoursome dishes without the risk of suffering second degree burns. This dish can be found served with a number of meats so whatever your preference, you will probably be able to order it from a Cambodian restaurant.

One place that is well-known as a good source of Khmer red curry is the Red Piano restaurant in Siem Reap.

Lok Lak – Photo Credit: Liang C. (Flickr)

4. Lok Lak ឡុកឡាក់

This is traditionally a beef dish and it is one that is very popular throughout Cambodia. The beef for the Lok Lak is cut into cubes and marinated before being stir-fried to Khmer perfection. Like most dishes that are served in restaurants in Cambodia, the beef can be exchanged for other ingredients such as chicken, fish or tofu to suit the diner’s taste.

When visiting the about the Cambodian cities such as Phnom Penh and Siem Reap as well as the other areas popular with foreign visitors, it is not uncommon to find special versions of Lok Lak devised to appeal to tourists such as the Lok Lak English or American dishes. These are usually served with a fried egg and chips as opposed to the more traditional pairing of rice. While these western versions might sound like sacrilege, they do taste rather good and make a nice change from the plain white rice that comes with almost all Khmer dishes.

If you want to try this dish in its natural habitat, try the Father’s Restaurant in Siem Reap.

5. Khmer Beef Salad / Lap Khmer

Cambodians prefer to eat this refreshing salad dish with raw beef but more often than not you will find restaurants using grilled beef. While there is nothing wrong with eating raw beef that has been cut into thin slices and marinated in lime juice, not all visitors to Cambodia relish the prospect of dining on raw meat. Their loss is your gain if you can find a restaurant serving the uncooked, marinated variety of this dish, but if not, don’t worry as it’s just as nice with grilled meat.

Although it’s not a papaya salad, the Khmer beef salad is reminiscent of the Thai classic Som Tam salad, thanks to its use of crisp and fresh ingredients such as peppers and beans. The liberal use of fish sauce, another staple sauce ubiquitous in Thailand gives this essential Khmer dish a tangy, zesty finish that is best mopped up with a side serving of sticky rice.

Cambodian Cookery Class – Photo Credit: Uncornered (Flickr)

Learn to Cook like a Khmer

If these dishes have whetted your appetite and simply eating them is not enough for you, you can now take part in a Cambodian cookery course while visiting this amazing country. Here are the most popular Khmer cooking courses on offer in the Kingdom:

• Cambodian Cooking Class: this cooking school in Siem Reap offers half day morning and afternoon lessons or a full day class. The class takes place in a small rural village and everybody gets their own personal cooking station. It’s a fully hands on experience and at the end of the lesson you will have personally cooked a range of authentic Khmer dishes such as Fish Amok, Cambodian Curry and Fresh Spring Rolls. To find out more and book your place, visit the Cambodian Cooking Class website today.

• Traditional Khmer Cookery Classes: Opened in 2005, this Sihanoukville cookery school has been providing a welcome distraction from the beach activities at this popular resort for many years. Classes are offered as half day, full day and full day with wine and beer so there should be something to suit most itineraries, budgets and preferences. You can even take a three course for full immersion in this delicious cuisine. For more information visit the Traditional Khmer Cookery Classes website now.

• Cambodia Cooking Class: this is one of the best Khmer cooking classes available and despite similarity in names, it not related the Cambodian Cooking Class featured earlier. The fully hands on classes will introduce students to the authentic Khmer recipes and the ingredients and traditional cooking methods to help convey the art of cooking Cambodian-style. There are half and full day courses and involved a trip to the market to select the fresh ingredients for the dishes. On completion of the course, participants will be presented with a 16-page colour recipe book to help them recreate the dishes at home.

Hopefully this article has helped introduce you to some of the best dishes on offer in Cambodia. There are many more dishes available in Cambodia that are just as nice as these, but now you should at least have a starting point for exploring the Khmer cuisine. 

The post 5 Dishes from Cambodia You Have to Try appeared first on Havana Lion.

Seminyak has a reputation of being the “Beverly Hills” of Bali. With more class than Kuta and less hippies than Ubud, Seminyak is where the beautiful people go to be seen, with exclusive beach clubs and cocktail bars on every street.

Seminyak is Bali’s premier shopping destination, with hundreds of exclusive clothing and home wares boutiques. The abundance of 5-star accommodation also makes it popular as a couple’s getaway. But Seminyak is also a surprisingly family-friendly destination and many expat families choose to base themselves here.

Where to eat

Photo credit: olaxvx (flickr)

Seminyak has plenty of eating options that will please even the pickiest little ones, from traditional Indonesian warung food, to pizza, burgers and chips.

Grocer and Grind is a coffee shop that makes a great place to go for breakfast and has a small shop offering imported treats that keep the Australian expats happy. While the grownups enjoy their espressos and deli sandwiches, the kids will be delighted with the babycinos, cupcakes and sausage rolls. There are highchairs available for babies and a box of toys to keep toddlers occupied.

Sea Circus is a favourite with expats and tourists of all ages and kids will love the brightly coloured interior. Kids can get a taste from home with toast with jam, peanut butter or vegemite and drink options include hot chocolate and fresh juices

Biku is actually located in neighbouring Petitenget but is easily reachable by foot from north Seminyak. Biku is located in an antique Javanese teak joglo and is famous for its afternoon teas and is very popular, so booking is recommended. Kids are provided with highchairs, toys and colouring sheets and the menu will keep the whole family happy.

Shopping for kids

Seminyak is famous for its boutique shopping and there are lots of beautiful labels for kids from Bali and beyond. Jalan Raya Kerobokan is home to some shops selling beautiful books for kids and handmade wooden toys and furniture.

Coco & Ginger is one of Bali’s best known and loved kids clothing brands for little girls. Think gypsy-inspired kaftans, hand-embroidered, Mexican style dresses and bright accessories to match. You can find the newly opened Coco and Ginger flagship store at No. 88 Jalan Batu Belig.

Indigo Kids is another home-grown kids label and you can find their brightly coloured clothes for girls and boys all over Bali. Find them on Jalan Laksmana in Seminyak.

For a touch of European style, head to Dandelion on Jalan Raya Basangkasa. Dandelion offers clothes for babies, boys and girls with a distinctly French flavour, handmade in Bali.

Enchanted books on Jalan Raya Kerobokan has a great selection of kids books and toys, with an emphasis on make-believe play. You’ll find picture books, dressing-up clothes and accessories and plenty to keep the little ones occupied whether you’re here on holiday or planning a longer stay.

Rosada is any little girl’s dream, stocked full of dream doll houses and furniture. Dolls houses can be made to order and they also have a lovely selection of kids’ bedroom furniture.

Activities and entertainment

Your kids won’t be short of things to do in Seminyak. As well as the beach, which will keep most kids happy for hours, there are plenty of kids clubs, indoor play parks and other organized entertainment.

Cubbyhouse Kids Club is located within the Semara resort and spa, but open for everyone to enjoy. There are plenty of books, toys and dressing up outfits on offer and kids can read, paint or play to their heart’s content. Prices start at 100,000rp for 2 hours play.

Lollipops Playland is an indoor play park, perfect for letting your kids burn off some steam. There’s a toddler play area, ball pool, climbing area, outdoor water play area and lots more. You’ll probably have a hard time convincing your kids it’s time to go home! Kids up to the age of 15 can enter for 90,000rp, with a reduced fee for under-2s.

The Beachwalk mall is located in Kuta, but can be easily reached by a quick taxi ride and is definitely worth a look if you have kids. The third floor of this shopping mall is dedicated to kids, with shops including Early Learning Centre, Mothercare and Gingersnaps. The main attraction however, is Miniapolis – a play area for kids including Crick’s Hideout (for climbing and exploring) and Crick’s Lagoon water park, with fountains and water slides. There is also a branch of Little Monkeys daycare here so you can drop the kids off for a couple of hours while you shop.

Hotels and villas

The Balinese love children and you’ll probably find that wherever you choose to stay, the staff will go out of their way to make sure you have everything you need and that your kids are happy.

At our last stay in Seminyak we stayed at Puri Cendana Resort which is a lovely mid-range traditional style hotel, right next to Seminyak beach. There’s a kids pool and even a little play park with swings and a slide. This was the main attraction for my 2-year-old, who pretty much didn’t want to leave the hotel during our stay.

The aforementioned Semara resort is also probably worth a look due to the excellent kids club located on-site. Located in the heart of Seminyak’s eating and entertainment district, on Jalan Petitenget, it’s really handy for eating out and shopping.

There are plenty of family-friendly villas to choose from in Seminyak. Here are a couple to get you started:

Lataliana villas offers a TV room with plenty of DVDs (helpful for those tropical downpours), a Sony Playstation and a shallow kids area in the swimming pool. Babysitters can be hired and equipment such as pool fences, cots and highchairs are available.

Villa Luna comes complete with a cot, highchair, car seat, bottle sterilizer, Nintendo Wii, bunk-beds and membership to the exclusive Canggu Club for swimming and playing for both kids and their parents!

The post A Family-friendly Weekend in Seminyak appeared first on Havana Lion.

(c) Matt Philips via flickr.com

Europe is exciting, exotic, but can also be exhausting. Most first-time visitors try to cram too much into too short a time. Remember, you will almost certainly be back! You do NOT need to see it all this time!

When planning your trip I suggest you do the following

Open-Jaw Your Long-Haul Flights

You don’t need to fly into and out of the same city. Fly into Rome and out of London; into Frankfurt out of Madrid – there are lots of options, that save you an unnecessary round trip.

Consider spending a night on a train to save some time and the night’s hotel accommodation.

Intra-European Connections

Plan a trip that makes the most of your time. Remember that flying between cities can actually take longer, once you count the transit time taken getting to airports and checking in, compared to taking a high-speed train. London-Paris via the Chunnel and train is about 2.5 hours, you’ll waste that time just waiting to check in at Gatwick, and the train will take from central London to central Paris, not a remote airport!

Remember that although buses (coaches) can be a good deal cheaper than trains, a bus out of a major-city during rush hour can add many hours to a trip.

St Pancras Station, London end of the high-speed train to Paris (c) Alan Cleaver via flickr.com

Jet Lag On Arrival

Jet lag gets some of us worse than others, if you can arrange a late night arrival that’s ideal, you go to bed ,wake up whenever and hopefully start adapting to the new time zone  If you arrive early in the day then it’s good if you can stay awake until something close to a normal bed time – easier said than done though if you had little sleep on the flight over! Whatever you do don’t over-schedule the first few days, give your body a chance to adapt.

Closed Days and other Timing Issues

Museums  often close Monday or sometimes Tuesdays. Other days they will be free, when they can be very busy. Shops often close at midday on a Saturday and are closed all day Sunday. Paris is deserted by the locals in August. Europe can be busy, very, very busy, so consider using your jet lag to get out and about early to beat the crowds.

During the summer you will have very long days to enjoy – it can be light until 11pm in Scotland and Scandinavia in the summer, take advantage of those long evenings.

Crowds in the Louvre, Paris (c)designbykari via flickr.com

It’s Tuesday It Must Be Rome

Many first-time visitors to Europe get over-ambitious when they plan an itinerary two days in each of London, Rome, Paris and Barcelona, is just silly. To begin with Europe doesn’t have Star Trek’s teleportation device! It takes at least 1/2 day to travel between any of these cities, even flying. Plus, these are really LARGE cities. Would you cover New York in 1.5 days? Frankly I wouldn’t do less than three nights, four full days in a major city, and that’s just for the highlights.

Don’t forget about the countryside.

The other problem is that too many itineraries focus just on the cities. That’s a shame because although Europe has some beautiful cities, it also has some amazing countryside  The Danube River, the Swiss Alps, the French Loire Valley, England’s Lake District. In fact for some countries, including Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Finland and Norway, the spectacular part of the country IS the country not the cities.

A good compromise is to make use a city as a base and then take day trips to nearby locations: Oxford, Canterbury, Stonehenge, Stratford-on-Avon can all be seen from London as day trips. Chartres is an easy train trip from Paris, and so on.

Lake District, England (c) Andrea_44 via flickr.com

Europe Is Incredibly Varied.

If you want to experience the variation of Europe – don’t stick to the same old trio of London, Paris, Rome. Although they all have much to offer in terms of Renaissance culture and history and shopping, that’s not what many of us are interested in.

For The Political Junkie

Consider the former Eastern bloc countries: starting with Berlin but also Prague, Warsaw, Romania. Something a bit different check out Albania, which was isolated even from the Eastern bloc, or Moscow, which is still a different world

For the Nature Lover

The west coast of Ireland is stunning. The Alps from either the Swiss or French side are postcard-perfect. The fjords of Norway or the Scottish highlands will take your breath away. Not a large city to be found.

For the Modern Art and Architecture Fiend

Spain particularly Barcelona and Madrid would have to be highlight on your list. London and Paris have art galleries full of modern art – it’s just maybe a little less publicised than the “Grand Masters”. In terms of architecture it’s hard not to go past Barcelona  the only place in the world with a Gothic cathedral still under construction.

Sagrada Familia, Barcelona (c) Ernst Moeksis via flickr.com

For the Beach Lover

You may want to avoid the beach in August when many of the locals also go to the beach, but between the Greek Islands and the Adriatic islands off-shore from the former Yugoslavian countries, there are plenty of beaches and beach bars to keep you entertained. Avoid the infamously over-developed Costa del Sol in Spain there are still plenty of Spanish and Portuguese beaches to work on the tan. Or get off shore to Cyprus or Malta, Sardinia or Mallorca

Don’t Burn Out in Europe

Over the years I’ve met plenty of first time visitors who think that Europe is only about museums and famous attractions. That’s a shame, if you don’t enjoy going to museums every day at home, why would you want to spend your vacation doing it? Instead I’d suggest look a bit deeper, find some of the parts of Europe that genuinely interest you and have a much more enjoyable trip.

Malta Harbour (c) praktyczny.przewodnik via flickr.com

If it all starts to blend together and look the same, then slow down. You are moving too fast, and burning yourself out. The first 12th century cathedral may have been amazing, but it’s the rare visitor who will find the 24th equally fascinating!

If you have a week – restrict yourself to one or two cities, or one country combining a large city with a rural area. Check the distances, you can see a lot of Ireland in a week, but France or Germany – not so much!

Remember you can’t see it all, Europe has been around for a couple of thousand years, it will still be there for you to return to!

The post How To Plan Your First European Trip – Europe For Beginners appeared first on Havana Lion.

There are a multitude of things to do in KL with your little ones ranging from outdoor mega-waterparks to indoor climbing not to mention swinging through the trees or just chilling out at a mother and baby playgroup.

Hopefully you will find something on this list to keep everyone in your family happy and entertained during their time in Kuala Lumpur.

KL Bird Park – Photo Credit: Chee Hong (Flickr)

1. KL Bird Park

I must confess that when we went to this bird park in the city we hadn’t yet had our kids. However, there were plenty of children in the park who seemed to be having a great time, and from our perspective, as adults living and travelling through Southeast Asia; this was a really fun day out.

From the moment you enter the park, which is known as the world’s largest free-flight walk-in aviary, you will be pleased or horrified, depending on your feelings towards our flapping feathered friends, to discover that there are no cages here and most of the birds are free to come and go as they please.

This can make this public aviary in Kuala Lumpur a real hoot for the kids and as long as you keep them close by, chances are they will be fine. Some of the enclosures were a little bit precarious at times once the bird keepers got the feed out, but overall it was a great day out with lots of terrific photo opportunities along the way.

We definitely have plans to return to this park, this time with our kids in tow, and let them get up close and personal with some stunning birds from the region and further afield.

2. Sunway Lagoon Waterpark

If your kids are anything like mine then a trip to a water park is probably their idea of the perfect day out. Sunway Lagoon Waterpark makes it on to our list of the best things to do in KL with kids thanks to the sheer size of the place and the number of rides on offer.

Despite opening in 1993, it has since been upgraded and renovated as recently as 2008. Apparently this KL waterpark features the world’s largest wave pool which is no mean feat considering the competition.

There are things to do at this waterpark aplenty ranging from the world’s largest man made surf beach featuring a flow rider surfing facility to some of the biggest waterslides you probably have ever seen. If you are planning on spending the day here there are numerous on-site opportunities to buy food and drink from the kiosks or you can opt to visit the Light House Beach Bistro restaurant for local and western style food.

This waterpark is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm although re-entry is not permitted so don’t forget anything! Children less than 90 cm tall are admitted for free so it’s a good deal for families with toddlers in tow.

Aquaria KLCC – Photo Credit: Phalinn O. (Flickr)

3. Aquaria KLCC

Tropical fish and aquariums are always a safe bet for keeping kids entertained and the Aquaria KLCC is no exception. This one is part of the Kuala Lumpur City Centre development area so it easy to find and get to. This aquarium has all the modern features you would expect from a world class centre of underwater discovery including a 300 ft. long underwater tunnel, allowing you and your kids a chance to ‘walk under the sea’.

There are over 250 species of land and aquatic animals housed here so  there is a good chance your little ones will see something here they’ve never laid eyes on before. Just be warned, the Aquaria KLCC is also home to a 5,000 sq. ft. themed retail area so keep your wallets away from your kids!  For the bigger kids, i.e. mum and dad, there is the chance to do a spot of diving here and get up close and personal with some of the impressive sea creatures that live here including the many sharks.

Overall this is a great day out in the centre of the city that will give you and your family a break from the heat and the shops, while taking in some amazing sights from the underwater kingdom.

Gymboree – Photo Credit: Roberto V. (Flickr)

4. Gymboree in Kuala Lumpur

If you just want your kids to have an opportunity to blow off some steam while you are in KL then visiting a local Gymboree is one highly recommended way to do so. If you are here for a while then joining up is well worth it. However, for those that are in town for a short time only, you can usually get a free class pass from their website. With two outlets in the city, there is a good chance one of them will be close enough for a visit and you could even try both of them to maximise your free class passes.

5. Gate-crash an IBU Playgroup

We don’t mean that literally of course! But even if you aren’t a KL resident, I’m sure the good people at the ibu family resource group of KL will welcome you with open arms at one of their regular meet-ups or playgroups. This can be a great way to let your toddler play in a safe environment with other children and families, without the sensory overload of some of the theme parks and attractions in the city. Check out their website for upcoming events and schedule play dates.

6. Indoor Climbing at Camp 5 Climbing Gym

Indoor climbing is the perfect way to spend a day if you want to introduce your kids to a new activity and ensure they burn off some energy in the process. This KL climbing gym is located on the fifth floor of the 1 Utama Shopping Centre in Bandar Utama, and despite being 15 km from the centre of KL it is still well worth visiting. If both parents don’t fancy joining their kids on the rocks, the rest of the shopping mall, with its 650 plus shops, is there to be conquered.

7. Skytrex Adventure

Take to the sky, or at least the trees at this outdoor adventure playground in the forest. The smallest part of the centre is the Little Adventure circuit and children must be over 1.1 metres tall and kids under eight must be accompanied by an adult, with a ratio of one adult to two kids.

There are two more advanced courses for bigger kids and their parents, so no matter your fitness levels and proclivity for swinging through the tress there should be something for you here. Although the maximum weight for all three circuits is 100kg (15.7 stone) so bear that in mind to avoid a wasted journey.

Kids Cooking at KidZania – Photo Credit: Takaaki N. (Flickr)

8. KidZania

Chances are there is a KidZania where you are coming from but even so they make for a great day out for kids, and children of all ages are welcome, provided they pay up to enter (that includes adults too). If you want your kids to be able to roam free in their own world, built especially for them then KidZania KL is the perfect outlet for their creativity and provides a great opportunity to let their imaginations run wild. Opening times vary so be sure to check their website for up-to-date information.

9. Kid’s E World

Kid’s E World is one of the many soft play areas in KL but always gets good reviews from friends visiting the capital. All the favourite attractions are here from ball pools, mega slides and padded rooms not to mention family friendly food. Just don’t forget your socks!

10. Bakelab by Teamo

A family that cooks together, stays together or at least eats together. If you and your little ones want to have a fun day and pick up a useful skill then head on down to the Bakelab for one of their regular sessions. Kids do have to be four years old or older to join a class but they do offer walk-in sessions and free trials so those that are here for a few days can still have a fun day out and make some tasty treats. You can find out more about this pretty unique service at their website.

Hopefully this list of 10 things to do with children in Kuala Lumpur will give you some inspiration for your family days out and show that there is more to this fabulous city than shopping malls and more shopping malls. If we’ve missed any of your favourites out, please leave a comment below.

The post Top 10 Ways to Keep Kids Entertained in KL appeared first on Havana Lion.

Photo credit: jbobo7 (flickr)

Bali is not just a beach holiday destination. Known as the “Island of Gods” and “Island of A Thousand Temples”, thousands of people every year are also drawn to Bali for its spiritual energy.

After the success of the book and movie, Eat, Pray, Love, women flocked to Bali, hoping to recreate Elizabeth Gilbert’s spiritual adventure and find themselves through yoga classes, meditation in the jungle and consultations with medicine men.

Ubud is Bali’s mecca for yoga enthusiasts and those in search of spiritual healing, but experiences exist all over the island for those wanting to take a journey than involves more than just sun and sea.

Here’s our mini-guide for enlightenment-seekers in Bali:

Yoga

Photo credit: adhiwus.com photography (flickr)

You’ll find the highest concentration of yoga classes in Ubud, where it seems every other person is carrying a yoga mat or on their way to an early morning class.

The Yoga Barn is one of the most well known studios and offers daily classes, several times a day at levels from beginner to advanced. There are also yoga teacher training courses run here several times a year and for those who prefer something a little different, there are other classes too – Tibetan bowl meditation or ecstatic dance anyone?

Taksu is another popular option and also has an attached spa offering Ayurveda and healing treatments and a healthy restaurant based around raw food dishes.

Other yoga studios worth looking into are Intuitive Flow, Radiantly Alive and Ubud Bodyworks. Several villas and hotels also hold yoga retreats and private lessons.

Outside of Ubud, there are still plenty of options, ranging from classy polished spas in Seminyak to hippy-style bamboo shacks on the black sand beaches of Lovina. In fact pretty much every town that attracts tourists in Bali has at least one yoga studio, so you’re pretty spoiled for choice.

Ashrams

Photo credit: joachim & co (flickr)

If you want to fully immerse yourself in the practice of yoga and meditation and surround yourself with others who are doing the same, there are also several ashrams in Bali.

The Ratu Bagus Ashram in the small village of Muncan offers a spiritual retreat led by the charismatic Ratu Bagus (whose name means ‘good king’). The Ratu Bagus ashram specializes in “Bio-energy meditation” or “Shaking”. I’m guessing this is something you have to experience to understand…

Another famous ashram is the Gedong Gandhi Ashram in the coastal village of Candidasa. Days at the ashram are focused around yoga practice, daily prayer and a vegetarian diet.

Spiritual and traditional healers

Photo credit: stevendj (flickr)

The Balinese have always used traditional healers, or Balians, for treatments for everything from headaches to broken bones to black magic curses. There are many different types of Balians you can visit, depending on the kind of healing you seek.

Bali’s most famous Balian is probably Ketut Liyer, who is now known all over the world due to his appearance in Eat Pray Love. You can easily visit Ketut Liyer at his home just outside Ubud and have a palm reading, although I’ve had it on good authority that he pretty much gives everyone the same fortune.

Some Balians act as a channel between the human and spirit world and are used by the Balinese to communicate with dead ancestors, ask advice on offerings and ceremonies and to dissipate black magic. These Balians do normally not deal with non-Balinese people.

Another kind of traditional healer is the massage Balian who performs deep tissue massage to help with ailments such as back pain and even broken bones. I’ve personally visited this kind of Balian after spraining my ankle and I was amazed at the results. I went from not being able to put any weight on my ankle at all to walking with no support within 24 hours.

If you wish to visit a Balian during your stay in Bali, it’s best to ask the advice of the locals. There are many people quick to call themselves ‘healers’ in order to make a quick buck out of tourists.

The real Balians used by the Balinese never ask for money but are instead paid in the form of an offering with a small monetary donation tucked inside.

Ceremonies and temples

Photo credit: Karthnik Dwarakaman (flickr)

There is no shortage of temples in Bali and in fact the description “Island of A Thousand Temples” is incorrect as there are many thousands of temples on the island.

Non-Balinese are welcome to visit temples and pray, as long as proper etiquette and cultural guidelines are followed. Read my article on how to pray in a Balinese temple for more information.

The holy water temple of Tirta Empul is one of the most interesting temples in Bali to visit and you can undergo a cleansing ritual in the holy springs while you are there. The water is said to have healing properties and is particularly potent on the day of the full moon and other days with special religious significance.

Ceremonies are held in Bali every day and can be a real spectacle. If you’re lucky enough to attend a temple during a ceremony, it can be a truly spiritual experience. Purnama or full moon ceremony is held every month and is a great time to visit any temple. The biggest ceremonies are Galungan and Kuningan, held every 210 days, along with Nyepi, or Balinese New Year, which is every 420 days.

Part of the Balinese religion is making daily offerings of leaves, flowers and food, which are placed around the compound every day. You can learn how to make some of these offerings in a class that will teach you how to weave the palm fronds into baskets or just ask any women you see making them, who will normally be delighted to show you.

The post A Spiritual Adventure in Bali – Yoga Retreats, Ashrams and More appeared first on Havana Lion.

While arriving at a new destination for the first time, with no prior knowledge of the area can be exciting and provide you with a blank canvas upon which to paint your observations and experiences, there is a lot to be said for reading up on its history, culture and stories, in order to help you quickly get a better understanding of your new surroundings.

With that in mind, here are some of my favourite books written about, set in, or featuring Southeast Asia and its many countries. If you are looking for some travel reading that is entertaining as well as, in most cases, informative about where you are travelling in Southeast Asia, then there should be something for you on this list.

The Work of Paul Theroux – Photo Credit: Joe M. (Flickr)

1. Ghost Train to the Eastern Star – Paul Theroux

Apart from a few Bill Bryson books, this was my first travelogue, as well as being my first introduction to Paul Theroux, the American travel writer and novelist. In Ghost Train to the Eastern Star the author follows a similar route as he did in a book he wrote 33 years before, taking in how the countries and people have changed over the years.

The trail takes him overland from London and back again via Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Japan to name but a few. While the author has the ability to rub his readers up the wrong way with his often outspoken and at times cynical views, he is the best contemporary travel writer I have read so far and really makes the effort to get under the skin of his host country.

When I visit a country featured in the book I always make sure I re-read the corresponding chapters in Ghost Train to the Eastern Star to compare my views on the place with that of the author.  While my views and experiences are very different to his, it still makes for enjoyable reading. Although it hasn’t done anything to persuade me to the ride the Trans-Siberian Railway!

Travelling Overland – Photo Credit: Gustavo P. (Flickr)

2. A Fortune Teller Told Me – Tiziano Terzani

This book written by the late Italian journalist Tiziano Terzani, follows a year in his life while he travels around Asia and Europe, avoiding air travel on the advice of the eponymous fortune teller. His work as a foreign correspondent takes him to many places, and along the way he gets in contact with a range of fortune tellers as his interests in this area grows.

While this might not seem like the best premise for a book, the author’s first-rate writing abilities allows him to describe his travels in great detail and is both informative and entertaining. Don’t think of this as a book about fortune tellers and superstition, but more of a slow travel journal covering Asia and beyond.

3. The Damage Done: Twelve Years of Hell In A Bangkok Prison – Warren Fellows

While this isn’t going to win any literary awards, this autobiography of an Australian drug trafficker who gets a life sentence in the notorious jails of Bangkok, serves as a cautionary tale to any travellers who might be tempted to try their hand at making some seemingly easy money, or even just enjoying a night out, slightly bending any of the laws of the land. It also gives a good insight into the Thai justice system and the world of international drug smuggling and is the perfect page turner you won’t be able to put down, making it ideal for a relaxing beach holiday.

George Orwell’s House in Burma – Photo Credit: Poida S. (Flickr)

3. Burmese Days – George Orwell

Despite being published in 1934 and set in the 1920s, when Burma was still in the hands of the British Empire, this novel by George Orwell is still relevant today, thanks to its themes and depiction of expat life. The story follows a short period in the life of the books main character, John Flory, a merchant disillusioned with the expat lifestyle and the community he finds himself a part of.

Even though the tale is getting on for 80 years old, it still manages to parallel modern day expat life very well with characters that are sick of their new home but have been there too long to ever go back. The story manages to interweave strands of romance, political intrigue as well as providing a historical glimpse into the colonial past of this amazing country.

The author, George Orwell spent five years in the 1920s working in Burma as a police officer in the Indian Imperial Police force and used his time in the colony as material for this scathing critique of imperialism and the ruling structures which you can see as laying the foundations his later novels, 1984 and Animal Farm.

4. Bangkok 8 – John Burdett

This is the first in a series of novels set in Bangkok by expat writer John Burdett, featuring a fictional Thai police officer as the main character. Each novel tackles a different crime that takes place in Bangkok, drawing on the local environment, with plenty of name dropping and social commentary thrown in for good nature.

Despite the sometimes cheesy situations and characters, Bangkok 8 and the other novels in the series manage to do an entertaining job of illustrating how different the western way of life is to that of the Thais. While there are countless books set in Bangkok and Thailand written by expat authors, this is probably the best of the bunch.

The Killing Fields – Photo Credit: Rev S. (Flickr)

5. The Killing Fields – Christopher Hudson

This is book of the film of the same name, tells the stories of an American journalist and his Cambodian counterpart and their time in the country up to and during the Khmer Rouge regime of 1975 to 1979. While Sydney Schanberg the American journalist makes it out of the country before the Khmer Rouge take over, his friend Dith Pran is not so fortunate. The book then charts Pran’s experiences of life in the forced labour camps of the communist regime that took over his country.

If you plan on visiting Cambodia, this book provides an entertaining way to learn about the troubled past of the country of which many of the main locations can be visited today, where they serve as memorials to the recent past.

6. When China Rules the World – Martin Jacques

This hefty tome delivers a fascinating insight into not only the past of China but its expected future role as leader of a new global order. The book explains why a modern China will look very different to the modern West and what impact these differences will mean when China is the world’s leading nation, with the biggest influence and say in international affairs.

Even if you aren’t going into China on your travels, this book will appeal to anyone visiting or travelling through Southeast Asia, or the rest of the world for that matter, and who come into contact with the Chinese diaspora.  In fact, I’d say it is essential reading for everyone!

8. Lost on Planet China – J. Maarten Troost

Wherever you go in Southeast Asia it is very likely you will encounter strong Chinese influences; whether it be the food, people, culture or just the cheap plastic goods that are so in demand. So whether you reach China or not on your travels, you should be able to relate to this book and its full title: Lost on Planet China: One Man’s Attempt to Understand the World’s Most Mystifying Nation.

The author sets off on a voyage of discovery in an attempt to get to know the world’s most populous nation, which is becoming increasingly more influential on our daily lives. You feel like the author really tries his best to understand and embrace what he is confronted with but despite his efforts, he can’t quite manage it. This often results in almost hilarious encounters and observations providing a light hearted glimpse behind the great wall interspersed with serious points and facts along the way to break up the fun.

9. An Idiot Abroad: The Travel Diaries of Karl Pilkington – Karl Pilkington

You might have seen the TV show but now you can read along with Karl and the gang as they take in the Seven Wonders of the World with stop offs in China, India and Bangkok to name but a few. While you probably won’t learn much from this idiot’s adventures, you can’t help but laugh at his childlike intellect and observations.

Driving in China – Photo Credit: Beijing P. (Flickr)

10. Country Driving: A Journey Through China from Farm to Factory – Peter Hessler

Despite not yet venturing into mainland China you can probably see from this list that I have quite an interest in the country. This is another well written and entertaining book that gives a unique insight into China.

After living in the country for a few years and learning the language, the author acquires a Chinese driving license, which is a story in itself and sets out on the open road in a hired car. The book is in three parts and in the first he tracks the Great Wall in his rental car as far as he can go.

In the second part he moves to a small rural village for five years and gradually integrates himself with the local community as best he can. Finally he moves to a new factory city that is in its early stages of development, like hundreds all over China, and spends two years tracking the city’s progress and the stories of its migrant population.

Its fascinating stuff and the three parts of the book give a wide reaching view of the country and the changes being wrought on it by development and the race to modernisation and urbanisation.

Hopefully this list of the best travel writing about Southeast Asia will give you some ideas for your holiday reading list. If you’ve got any other recommendations, please leave a comment below.

The post The 10 Best Travel Books Featuring Southeast Asia appeared first on Havana Lion.

Photo credit: CollegeDegrees360 (flickr)

Once you start the adventure of a lifetime and begin travelling, it’s almost guaranteed that you won’t want to stop. However, unless you’re lucky enough to have rich parents to support you or another income source to rely on such as rental from a property, your savings will one day run out.

Don’t just pack your bags and catch the next flight home when your money runs out though. Don’t give up that easily! This is the era of the digital nomad and it is fairly easy for anyone to make money, wherever they are in the world.

If you’ve never worked for yourself before, you may not have a clue of where to begin, so here are a few ideas to get you started:

1. Become a travel writer

You travel to far away and exotic places, see amazing sights and have fantastic experiences. If you’re good at expressing these adventures through the written word, there are many publications willing to pay you to write about your experiences. You could write for a travel blog, submit articles to a travel community site like Matador or pitch for work at a travel magazine. There are loads of opportunities out there, so get writing!

2. Sell your photographs

Photo credit: Gwenael Plaser (flickr)

Your travels are likely to have provided you with some great photo opportunities and you can profit from this by selling your images to stock photography sites like istockphoto. If you’re really good at photography, you could also try sending your work to travel magazines and other publications for review.

3. Freelance

It’s so easy these days to make a living for yourself by finding work through sites like elance and odesk. Everyone has a skill that makes them employable, whether it’s copywriting, design, data entry or admin support. You can work as much or as little as you like and even mix and match between different types of work. For more creative jobs it always helps to have a portfolio and you may need to take some lower paid jobs at first to get some feedback for your profile and help get your started.

4. Write an e-book

Photo credit: JPott (flickr)

It seems like everyone these days has jumped on the e-books bandwagon. The fact is the barriers to publishing have effectively been removed thanks to the internet and it’s now unbelievably easy to write a book and sell it through amazon or smashwords. What you write about is up to you but I bet you’ve got a good story or two from your travels to sell.

5. Make money from your blog

If you’ve not started a travel blog yet, do it now! Blogging can be a great way to earn a bit of cash while you’re travelling and it’s fun too. You can make money through affiliate marketing, advertising and sponsored posts. It can take a lot of time and effort to build a profitable travel blog but the results are worth the effort.

6. Teach English

Photo credit: Hostelling International Bolivia

So many countries around the world are desperate for native English teachers and it can be a great way of making some money while giving back to the community and making new friends at the same time. You will often find that you need TEFL certification to get a job as an English teacher but you can easily complete a TEFL course online. You could also try teaching private English lessons or teaching over Skype.

7. Get creative on Fiverr

Fiverr is a website offering a range of weird and whacky services that people are willing to provide for $5 at a time. Just have a little think about what you can do that would be worth $5 and have a look around the other offers on the site for inspiration. If you’re staying in an exotic location, maybe you can offer to film a video with a stunning backdrop, or take a photo of someone’s name that you’ve written in the sand on a tropical beach. $5 isn’t a lot but it adds up and if you keep your budget to a minimum, your Fiverr gigs could come in very handy

8. Crowdfund your travels

You’ve probably heard of crowdfunding sites like kickstarter and IndieGoGo, but have you thought of crowdfunding as a way of paying for your travels? You can offer a range of incentives to people crowdfunding your travels. Maybe a postcard, your travel book (when you finish writing it!), a souvenir or just a thank you on your blog – you’re only limited by your imagination!

The post How to Fund Your Travelling Lifestyle: 8 Ways of Making Money While You’re on the Road appeared first on Havana Lion.

(c) vl8189 via flickr.com

If you are heading to Europe this summer – what should you be packing?

My best advice is to lay out everything you absolutely MUST take with you: and then take half of it! Seriously, the last thing you need while hoping off and on European trains, and negotiating plenty of flights of stairs (hostels in Europe are always on the top floor), you REALLY don’t want to be carrying more than you need.

Plus if you travel on a  budget you will soon discover not only are hotel rooms often up plenty of  flights of stairs, but when you get there the rooms are small.

In fact if you are only going for a few weeks, or even a couple of months over summer, you don’t need to take more than a carry on bag. If you are flying within Europe this will save you a small fortune on luggage fees, and save the annoying wait at the luggage carousel.

Really, I can travel year around with only a carry on, but in summer it’s particularly easy. The trick is quite simple, take nothing “just in case”, and remember the golden rule; there are shops in Europe!

Florence, Italy, (c)Chi King via flickr.com

Dress For The Climate

European summers range from hot and dry near the Mediterranean e.g. south of France, Spain, Italy, Greece, to mild and wet in the north e.g. Ireland, UK, Scandinavia. You won’t get snow but you may well get wet if you are travelling in the north.

Packing List For Women

Base everything on three basic outfit:

• 3 bottoms (skirts, shorts, trousers)
• 3-5 tops (shirts wash and dry faster than t-shirts, and are cooler)
• a light-weight waterproof jacket if heading north
• a thin, light jersey if heading north
• comfortable pair of shoes that you can walk everywhere with
• a pair of more dress up sandals if you must
• a sarong, for those times that a the shower is down the corridor, or you need to cover your head or shoulders in a church or mosque
• a sunhat
• underwear
• swimwear (which can double as underwear if a bikini, and evening wear with a little creativity)

Packing List For Men

A man’s packing list is same as the women’s (minus the skirt unless you are particularly trendy…) However if you are going to dine in fine restaurants you may well need to make sure you have a pair of good, not sports, shoes, socks and a collared shirt.

Yes, that’s right, men actually need more space devoted to clothing than women! You can’t travel with three sets of clothing? Of course you can: the trick is making sure that you can do a little laundry every second day. Almost all hotels, even those without an ensuite, have a basin, so that’s not hard. A compact travel clothes line, plus some shampoo to use as laundry soap will do. A universal plug is very useful too, as sink stoppers do seem to be missing more often than not.

Every top needs to go with every bottom, one basic colour, and make sure it’s not white!

Scotland Castle on Loch (c) Moyan_Brann via flickr.com

Toiletries for Carry On

Less is more here too, make sure. You can’t carry on any liquid in a larger than 100ml/3.3oz bottle. If you are staying in better hotels then toiletries will be provided. If you are on a budget, I usually take deodorant, suntan lotion, moisturiser in smaller sizes, and buy shampoo on arrival.

First Aid Kit

I very small first aid kit is optional in my view, travel health insurance is not. Carry some Panadol or similar, maybe some plasters for blisters if you haven’t broken in your shoes properly. Again, everything is available in Europe.

If you do have regular medication make sure you have enough for the trip and a doctor’s note if you have to carry syringes. If you take life-saving medication, have a copy of your condition and prescription from your doctor if you need to seek medical help.

Technology for Carry On Travel

Most people will take a camera to Europe, make sure you have a battery that will last and LOTS of storage cards! If your camera takes a specialist battery it may be worth having a backup battery, plus a charger.

I’ve already talked about tach for travel here and here. It’s perfectly possible to fit a netbook in a carry on bag (I do), though a tablet is probably a better option these days. Remember it’s not just the main unit:

• bag/cover/protection
• earphones and mike (speakers)
• plug Adaptor
• cables
• Additional storage cards
• Additional external storage

That’s it. Really, the more I travel light, the more I wonder just what most people drag around Europe in their over-stuffed bags. The short answer is, dirty washing! For me a little washing is a small price to pay for the convenience of being able to just pick up your bag and go.

The post How To Pack For Europe: European Summer Packing List appeared first on Havana Lion.

But as the saying goes, all work and no play, makes Jack/Jane a dull boy/girl, so this post should give you some inspiration and pointers on how you can enjoy your time here in the best ways possible. If golf and Thai boxing aren’t your thing, there are still plenty of fun activities to do in and around the City of Angels.

Bangkok Water Sport Options

If you love the open water and getting wet and wild, inland Bangkok might not seem the obvious choice for taking up this type of activity but this isn’t the case. In Thailand, having fun, or sanuk as the locals call it is a top priority and for this reason there are plenty of ways to blow off steam in the Thai capital with a fair few water based activities amongst them. Here are some of our favourites and the best places to indulge in them.

Wakeboarding – Photo Credit: Mike V. (Flickr)

Wakeboarding in Bangkok

There are a couple of wakeboarding parks in Bangkok so if you’ve yet to try this fun water sport then this is the opportunity you have been waiting for! If you are unfamiliar with wakeboarding, it is the practice of being pulled long on a rope or cable, while standing on something that resembles a snowboard, while gliding across the water.

The cable or rope can either be attached to a boat like water-skiing or, as is the case with the Bangkok wake parks, pulled along by an aerial cable pulley system. Ramps and jumps are added to the course to allow you to grab some air and perform impressive aerial stunts and manoeuvres. If you still aren’t clear on exactly what it entails, check out this video:

Its all pretty crazy stuff and it seems to be popular here in Thailand hence the presence of two separate wake parks in Bangkok. Here is some info on the places you can go wakeboarding in Bangkok:

Lake Taco

This is the older of the two wake parks in Bangkok and its set on a lake, or freshwater pond, with a mechanised cable circuit to pull you around. Its about 45 minutes in a taxi from central Bangkok but it feels like a world away. Sitting around the lake is relaxing enough and the place makes for a great day out when combined with a spot of wake or kneeboarding.

Even if your not planning on taking to the water here, and just coming with friends who are, its a nice way to spend a day and the onsite restaurant serves up fresh Thai food at street food prices, as well as beers and soft drinks.

Once you’ve paid your 300 baht for a two hour session or 500 baht for all day entrance, you can then use the basic wakeboards and knee boards here as well as the life jackets and helmets as part of the entrance fee.

If you fancy using more professional gear you can hire that for about 200 baht a day, but for beginners, the basic equipment is fine considering you will spend most of your time swimming back to the pier rather than skimming across the water! That is because wakeboarding is hard! To take to the water you must stand on the wooden pier with your feet strapped into the board, holding the cable, waiting for it to catch the hook on the overhead pulley system and yank you off dry land, onto the water.

This is as far as most people get on their first time at the park but don’t give up and you will eventually workout how to take to the water like a duck and head off around the circuit. That is at least until you reach the first 90 degree corner and end up faceplanting the water. Thankfully the water here is warm so the swim back to shore isn’t too much of a pain, provided you keep out of the path of oncoming boarders.

Its best to visit Lake Taco during the week or as soon as it opens on the weekend, as it does get pretty crowded here. If you are not very good, you will spend most of your time queuing up, getting yanked into the water, swimming to shore and then joining the queue again. Once you can master the launch, you can spend as long as you like going around the circuit, or attempt a few of the ramps and practice swimming back to shore with a wakeboard attached to your feet.

To get to the lake your best bet is to catch a taxi or take the BTS to Udomsuk and take a shorter taxi ride from there. It can be hard to find Lake Taco the first time as you are looking for a small sign of a water skier on the road which will indicate the turn. If you miss it, it means doing a u-turn on the high way for another attempt, much like wakeboarding itself.

To get to Lake Taco:

Club Taco is located at 175/1, km 13 Bangna-Trad Road, Moo 12, Bangplee-Yai. The easiest way to get there is by driving down the Bangna-Trad Highway (direction Chonburi). After passing the exit to the new Airport, you continue about 2 km and take the next U-Turn. After passing Panasonic and the Green Valley Golf Course, you will see a large pile of shipping containers on the left side. After passing the containers and a fly-over, turn left at the next soi. Make sure you don’t miss this small soi, otherwise you will regret it…. around 200 m inside the soi you will see a small entrance gate to soi on the right, marked with the a water ski sign. From there just follow directions to the lake.

Taken from: http://www.cablewake.com/club-taco-wakeboard-cable-park/

If the taxi driver has no clue where you are, try calling the guys at the Lake on 02 316 7809 or 02 316 7810 for directions.

Opening hours: 10am to 6pm on weekends and 12pm to 6pm on weekdays.

Visit the website for more information: http://www.tacolake.com/

Not as Easy as it Looks! – Photo Credit: Henning L. (Flickr)

Thai Wake Park

The Thai Wake Park is a more upmarket affair than the rustic Lake Taco. The jumps and ramps are bigger here and the riders are brasher. For spectators this makes Thai Wake Park a better proposition but for beginner riders who are taking their first tentative steps into the sport, it can be an intimidating experience. However, if you ignore the big jumps and pro-wake boarders, you can still have a great day out here, getting wet and learning a new skill in Bangkok.

Whereas Lake Taco uses a four cornered pulley system, the Thai Wake Park has five corners making the turns less harsh and more forgiving for beginners, this is great if you want to reduce the amount of time you spend swimming back to shore. They’ve also installed an island in the middle of the lake to try and eliminate some of the choppy water conditions that can occur on a busy day. They’’ll even come and pick you up when you get to shore, rather than making you do the walk of shame back to the pier, saving you time and energy.

To be honest, Thai Lake Park is the more polished of the two options in Bangkok and for this you must pay the price. A two hour ticket is 850 baht with an all day pass costing 1,250 baht making it more than twice the price of Lake Taco. When you add in equipment rental which could come to an extra 500 baht, its not a cheap day out.

How to get to Thai Wake Park: like Lake Taco, this park is about 45 minutes from the centre of Bangkok in a taxi. There is a printable map on their website which should make it easy enough for the taxi driver to find the place. The park is located on the connecting roads between Rangsit-Nakorn Nayok Road and Lamlukka Road which can be reached by using the Ramintra – LumLukka Expressway.

If the journey starts going wrong, give the park a call on 02 904 7722 to get back on track.

For more info check the website at http://www.thaiwakepark.com/

Other Wake Parks Near Bangkok

Lakeland Water Cable Ski: about two hours from Bangkok in Pattaya, this lake offers cable water skiing as well as wakeboarding so makes a great day out for riders of all persuasions. You can find out more on this website.

Wake Boarding Thailand: this opportunity to try out wake boarding and water skiing is in Hua Hin, about two and a half hours drive from Bangkok. Here you can experience boat pulled boarding rather than the mechanical cable type that is found in Bangkok, offering a different experience to more proficient riders.

Sailing on the Open Sea – Photo Credit: Eoghan O. (Flickr)

Yachting & Sailing

If you want to try your hand at this graceful water based activity, one which is often the preserve of the rich and famous, then just a two hour driving from Bangkok, to sunny Pattaya, is the Royal Varuna Yacht Club. Situated in a secluded cove between Pattaya and Jomtien beaches, presumably to keep the riff raff out, this club offers sailing lessons to those of all abilities on a range of vessels.

They also run trips to the nearby islands and its a great way to get out of Sin City if you happen to be staying here for any amount of time. You can even choose to stay onsite in the basic accommodation.

If you want to give sailing a go or just come and see some impressive yachts then a trip to the Royal Varuna Yacht Club in Pattaya is well worth a visit.

Swim with Sharks – Photo Credit: Fauxen (Flickr)

Swimming with Sharks

Despite Bangkok being inland, this is the city where you can pretty do anything you can think of, providing you have the money, and swimming with sharks is no exception! The Dive with Sharks programme on offer the Siam Ocean World Aquarium at the Paragon shopping mall in central Bangkok is a great way to make this dream of yours come true, or just kill a few hours in the city if you’ve run out of things to do.

The experience is run by Planet Scuba and although I’ve not done it personally, I know people who have and it comes highly recommend it. The aquarium is world class and was designed by an Australian outfit so there is no need to worry about cramped tanks and poor animal welfare you find at other animal attractions in Thailand

Bangkok Waterparks

If you want to cool down in the water in Bangkok without too much physical exertion and less of the sportyness of the above activities, some of the city’s waterparks might be more up your street. Here are a couple of suggestions for those who would rather ride slides than swim with sharks:

• Fantasia Lagoon: located on the roof of The Mall Bang Khae, this waterpark has everything you need for a great day out for kids and adults alike. Be prepared to be the only farang here and don’t forget a bathing cap, its the rules! You can even do a bit of shopping in the mall underneath when you are done.
• Siam Park City: this amusement park has lots of rides and all the fun of the fair including a massive water park. Its seen better days but for those with time on their hands and low expectations, it makes an interesting day out.

As you can see there are lots of great things to do in Bangkok for those with the time and a bit of spare cash. Taking advantage of the relatively low cost of living and the extra mile your money from back home can take you in Thailand is a great way to try some new sports, experiences or hobbies you might not get the opportunity to enjoy back home.

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