Botswana

BOTSWANA NOTES

Okavango Delta

Travel company – Wilderness Safari – more elite

Tobias (Gadara did not like his airplanes)

Kwando – another travel company, more casual

Travel to get there is via Jo’burg

Chobe – river park

Kasane – the town

Sanctuary Safari – Chobe Chiwera Lodge

Largest concentration of elephants

Kalahari Dessert might be a good option

For us b/c it’s very different from the Delta

Also use the same two companies

Luang Prabang, Laos

If you love all things French and Asia, then Luang Prabang is a great destination for you!

The best part about this town is that it's relatively "small" so you can just about walk to every single temple, tourist site, restaurant, museum, market, etc.

Definitely, the highlight is the 6.30am monks alms giving every morning.

I loved this for all three mornings we were there!

The problem with traveling there, is that there are no direct flights

from Singapore to Luang Prabang.

I think there are some very $$ options but still not direct.

The least expensive way I learned from my friend Geri.

You Jetstar to Bangkok, overnight and catch a Bangkok Airways

flight the next morning.  

I did learn from a Filipino waiter in LP that it's even

less expensive to reach LP via Vientiane on the local airlines.

There are tons of hotel options at or near the Bangkok Airport.

We always stay at the Premier Amarath

Suvarnabhumi Airport b/c it's convenient.

For Luang Prabang, I spent quite a bit of time reading trip 

adviser and decided on this boutique hotel:

Belle Rive

www.thebellerive.com

We loved the perfect location - close to everything but quiet and along

the Mekong River.  Breakfast was so peaceful overlooking the water.

Here's a photo of our bathroom sink - isn't it pretty?

I loved the local breakfast option at the hotel.

I tried a couple of massage places close to our hotel.

For a very LOCAL experience (basic) try

PENINSULA

Close to Xieng Thong Temple

Tel (020) 5675 282

Food was fantastic!

I thought it was really cool to see French baguette sandwiches

everywhere, and crepes stalls too.

We found this great French cafe with the BEST coconut

ice-cream I have ever eaten.  Not typical coconut

b/c it's made with YOUNG coconut.

Le Cafe Ban Vat Sene

Sakkarine Road, Ban Vat Sene, LP

Tel (71) 252 482

Another terrific French restaurant is l'Elephant

We loved it so much (see magret de canard - duck - photo below)

we ate there three times!

http://www.elephant-restau.com/

One last note, we did enjoy a day trip by car in the countryside to see

more temples.  The highlight was going to a local HMONG village

about 45 minutes outside of LP.  The kids seemed delighted

to meet foreigners.

SRI LANKA

We highly recommend this company if you need help organizing your trip.

We usually like to make our own arrangements but our friends recommended

Sri Lanka Tours so we used them to just book our hotels and organize driver/car.

SRI LANKA TOURS

Anil Pathmaperuma

www.srilankatours.webs.com

srilankatours@ymail.com

Anil was great at answering questions I had regarding

visas, money, weather etc.

It is very easy to get a visa online before your trip.

Electronic Travel Authorization.

 (http://www.eta.gov.lk/ (USD 20) per person.

We rented a large van for our group and kids loved

that there was a DVD player.  We felt like our

driver DUSHARA really made the trip special/enjoyable,

he was professional and was so nice to our family.

In Kandy, we stayed in Serene Grand Hotel.

This is NOT a fancy hotel, but we loved the location and view

of looking down on Kandy.  Staff were lovely!

SERENE GRAND

No. 113 Rajapiihilla Mawatha, Kandy

Tel 94 2205369

On the way to Kandy, we stopped at the 

Pinnawella Elephant Sanctuary. 

Despite it being WAY too touristy, it was

still a great experience to see all the elephants.

We spent four days in Kandy (three hour drive from airport) and we were busy every day.

Our favorite temple was the Tooth Temple in Kandy because

there were so many rooms to visit and various styles of architecture.

The grounds are lovely too.

 Another tacky tourist stop was the evening dance and fireshow.

Of all the dance shows we have seen around Asia, this one is by far much better because the dances were interesting and the whole program was only one hour, so totally kid-friendly.

Kandy is still two hours away from the "historical triangle" where a lot of the major religious and historical sites of Sri Lanka were found.  We thought the hike up Sigiriya Rock was pretty awesome.  It has amazing palace and fort ruins on the grounds and on top.  It's 300 meters high, and I think it would take only 30 minutes to walk up if you had big kids, but it took us an hour b/c we had to carry little ones and there was rain and winds which added to the excitement.  On the same day trip we also saw the famous Dambullah Caves which we thought were worth a stop. 

After Kandy, we stayed at the beach for three nights.  We stayed at Jetwing Beach Hotel in Negombo.  It was a lovely resort, but I wouldn't recommend it because of location.  We chose Negombo because it is close to Colombo and we did not want to have too many hours in the car.  If you have done many Asia beach destinations, then the Negombo beaches are nothing special.  If we were to do it again, we would take the extra hours in the car (1.5 hours south of Colombo) to the Galle area where the beaches are supposedly more beautiful.  I noticed that the Jetwing Hotels have many locations around Sri Lanka so I'd definitely stay in their chain again.  

I think if I had more time, and if I had known that the kids would do so well traveling, I would DEFINITELY make a stop to the tea country of NUWARA ELIYA.  Friends who have traveled here say it is beautiful.  I'd like to return and see the stunning views of Ella Gap.

Phuket Thailand

CAR RENTAL
We rented from a former employee of Marriott so he's reliable and a good price plus it's supporting a local business which is always nice.
Aman Anda CarRent
56 M.1 T. Maikaw
A. Thalang, Phuket
Thailand
Tel 089 291 3195 or +6689 291 3195

We enjoy staying at the Marriott Vacation Club b/c they have two-bedroom villas w/ kitchens and a great kids club and a good variety of restaurants.  My favorite one is GINGA - Thai food on the beach front.

We rented a car and explored NORTH going to Phang Nga village.  From this area you can get on a boat and discover the gorgeous archipelago of the area.

We also enjoyed seeing Tan-Sai Waterfall in Khao Phra Thaeo National Park, there are other waterfalls on the island and I'm sure they are all lovely.

SungYi recommended this Thai restaurant near the hotel, we never tried it, but you can never go wrong with a Soug recommendation.

http://www.kindeerestaurant.com/

Mateo found this restaurant on a website - he said it may look like a simple place, but famous people fly here from Bangkok just to eat.  We were impressed with the signature dishes of slow-cooked caramelized braised pork and crabmeat in yellow curry over noodles.  It's in a great area to explore the Portuguese influenced buildings of Thalang Street in Old Town Phuket.

RAYA
Location: 48 New Dibuk Road, Phuket Old Town
Tel: 076 218 155, 076 232 236

Hong Kong

There are so many touristy things to see in HK but I didn't list them, I just have this email to a friend of things we used
to love, here you go:

For shopping, I would recommend going to Stanley Market.  You can catch a bus from the Star Ferry pier on HK side, I think it might be bus 260.  It is about a 40 minute bus ride from Central or faster by taxi.  Here you can buy lots of souvenirs, silk pajamas, pashminas, hip clothes, chinese costumes, ceramics.  

Make sure you make time for Victoria's Peak.  You can take the tram up and see a beautiful view of Hong Kong.  I would recommend going at dusk so you can watch the sun set and see the nightlights as well.  Lots of great restaurants, we used to like Café Deco but we went back and thought the food was OK, but view is great.

Typical markets everyone goes to: Wan Chai area markets and on Kowloon side Ladies market, but off the beaten bath is the tiny flower and bird markets on Kowloon side.  Old men “walk” their birds in bird cages around the neighborhood.

We used to love the restaurants in Lan Kwai Fong (LKF) b/c it’s a great place to go people watching.  At the back side is an outdoor eating area called RAT ALLEY – Indian food, local food, etc. eaten outdoor casual style.

A really great half-day or full day trip is going to see the Giant Buddha.  It's our favorite day trip outing for tourists.  The boat ride is like 40 minutes and the bus ride is like 45 minutes as well.  So, like I said, it takes awhile to get there, but it is a beautiful drive up the island hills and you climb up to the top of the Giant Buddha with many steps.  There is a little restaurant in the area for some food, very local Chinese noodles, and little asian cakes.

Another thing locals do is go to Lamma Island for lunch (this is the hippy island, i.e. granola type of people, healthy restaurants, etc) or Cheung Chau island for great seafood and to rent bikes.  This is only AFTER you do all the HK touristy stuff, and you have time leftover, which most people don't.

Go up the Bank of China Building and see the best view from this high building, it is free to go up the elevators.  Behind the Bank of China building is the Hong Kong Park and they have a beautiful aviary and gardens to see birds.  It is a lovely place to walk around.  Great with kids.

Our favorite place for Dim Sum (where women cart around trays on wheels of little dumplings, and siopaos) is at City Hall (by the Star Ferry Pier on HK side) and it is called Maxim's.  It is very busy and dim sum is served at a specific time, like 11am (lunch time).  It is so delicous!  You just point to what you want.  I think they have since moved location though.

If you have time, a week-end trip to Macau is great.  It's about an hour away by high speed ferry, and it is a small island with a lot of Portuguese influence.  We recommend going to Fernando's by Hacsa Beach for Portuguese food (BBQ meats, big Portuguese bread rolls etc).  This restaurant is half an hour away by taxi, but even easier is going to La Lorcha which is by the Amah Temple. It is fun to go walk around the Old Town by the Broken Church, and also to go up the tower.

CHANNING LIST

photo notes in red

Touristy:

• ***definitely take the Peak Tram (I'd go in the morning but then take a mini bus (16 seater) back down for a true local experience and $20 saving. They have buses in the transportation hub underneath the mall).
• Skip paying the extra to ride the escalators to the top and instead head to the Lion pagoda to shoot. Also worth hiking 10 minutes to be able to see the opposite of the island, especially to shoot sunset.
• ***Ride the Star Ferry. It can even be faster than taking the MTR to HK Island! You don’t need to take an expensive tour, just ride it across like a commuter--you’ll get the same view. Its like $1 or $2.
• you’ll be able to shoot the famous HK skyline anywhere along the entire pier
• ***eat Dim Sum. There's a reason why HK is famous for it. The difference between the famous places and the local ones isn’t big and definitely not worth the price/wait. Definitely try the hahgao (shrimp dumpling).
• Shop the street markets: there's pretty much a street for everything--Ladies Street and Flower Street sell clothes, souvenirs, knock-offs, etc; Tung Choi Street (Goldfish Street) sells a gajillion goldfish and other traditional Chinese pets and it is fun to walk down; Cat Street for antiques; there's a flower market too. Here's a pretty good guide: http://www.discoverhongkong.com/nz/shop/where-to-shop/street-markets-and-shopping-streets/index.jsp
• The goldfish market, bird market and the flower market are the most photogenic
• To shoot the famous neon sign, crazy busy district of Hong Kong head to Nathan Road in Mong Kok (near Lady Street). This sort of image: http://www.nileguide.com/destination/blog/hong-kong/files/2011/05/nathan-road-night-view.jpg
• ***Explore the MidLevels: filled with delicious cafes and trendy boutiques, the Midlevels are accessed by a super long escalator network and you'll discover something new every time you go. Think narrow cobblestone streets with a jumble of traditional architecture and modern additions. I've heard it compared to SoHo.
• Stanley and Repulse Bay are famous. Laid-back, European vibe. I recommend an afternoon exploring the market followed by some beach time and then dinner at a beachfront cafe as you watch the sunset. Take a double decker bus to get there, sit on the front row and take in HK from above (my personal favorite way to see the city). The IFC has a bus that goes there.
• another beautiful bay where you can see the outlying islands. Lots of Hong kongers come here to take wedding photos.
• I recommend a meal at the Inter-Continental in TST (high tea is a fun experience here or at the Peninsula). The food is delicious and the view is better! We like to do dinner there and catch the light show from the building furthest out on the peninsula. They also have a great international hotel buffet (and Asian buffets are a must! They make Vegas buffets look like child's play).
• See the Big Buddha on Lantau Island--fun hiking and a truly giant Buddha. Take the MRT to Tung Chung and then the cable car up to the Buddha. From there you can head to Tai O on a mini bus and take a boat and attempt to see the famous pink dolphins and console yourself with fresh seafood in the stilt village if you don’t manage to spot one.
• this is a great place to take photos of old-style Hong Kong life. The market has all sorts of interesting edible and inedible oceanic items and then the stilt houses/boats are beautiful. The scenery of the outlying islands is gorgeous too.

For some more local flavor:

• Explore some of the outlying islands: Cheung Chau island has a "pirate" cave you can hike through, Lamma has fun biking and hiking, Sai Kung is fabulous for surfing, hiking and beaching too.
• the Sai Kung area has by far the most interesting nature, especially along the MacLehose trail--spectacular rock formations, reservoirs, isolated beaches and waterfalls http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/see-do/great-outdoors/hikes/sai-kung-peninsula-hike.jsp
• The Argyle Centre (旺角中心): located in the heart of Mong Kok (Nathan Road) by the MTR, this is where the teenage locals come to shop (Mong Kok is a shopping destination for them as well). This three story center is usually crowded (think street market moved indoors) and offers a dizzying array of low-priced (Asian style) clothing, jewelry, shoes and toys. Best place to buy authentic HK fashions and fun, non-kitschy souvenirs. They also have HK teenage snack foods: the noodles in a plastic bag are fun and so are the elaborate tapioca ball drinks. 83 Argyle Street, Mong Kok; MTR exit D2.
• ***The Ritz Carlton: go to Ozone, a bar on the 118th floor (highest bar in the world), they always have good local DJs, overpriced drinks and the best views around. We found that the chocolate cafe on the 103rd floor is also lovely although more touristed and the raspberry-chocolate souffle was divine. Last year they opened the Sky100 in the same building and it is getting pretty good reviews on TripAdvisor.
• This is a fun view of the famous HK skyline from way, way above
• Noah’s Ark: for something uniquely Asia and hilarious, check out a life-size Noah’s Ark and accompanying theme park on an outlying island. This is one of the big hits with Chinese tourists these days and I couldn’t stop laughing the entire time. The view and ride there are beautiful.
• Put on black and rush around with the business people in the WanChai district. You’ll see the most famous skyscrapers up close.
• I’m biased because these are some of my favorite buildings architecturally (love the HSBC and IFC), but this is really fun place to shoot architecture and urban settings a la http://www.flickr.com/photos/hleung/1277003497/

Outdoorsy: this blog is a great resource: http://hikehongkong.blogspot.sg/

• Stanley can be quite touristy but there are some fun side trips to add on. For example, you could hike the Dragon's Back trail there. http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/see-do/great-outdoors/hikes/dragons-back-hiking-tour.jsp
• Tai O isn't the best beach, but it is a fun beach town with the stilt houses and great seafood. The best beach near there is actually on the road into town, you can't miss it.
• Sai Kung is a relaxed seaside town with great seafood and great hiking. The MacLehose trail section 2 to Long Ke beach or Tai Long Wan is great. http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/see-do/great-outdoors/hikes/geological-landscapes.jsp and http://travel.cnn.com/hong-kong/play/hiking-hong-kong-141663. I've never seen anyone else on those beaches when I've hiked the trail.
• Lion Rock (獅子山): this is fun to do to watch sunrise over the Hong Kong skyline. http://hikehongkong.blogspot.sg/2011/11/lion-rock.html
• Brides Pool: not the prettiest waterfall but it does have the distinction of being the only one in Hong Kong. A favorite of missionaries who would wade as deep as possible before actually swimming :)  http://hikehongkong.blogspot.sg/2012/04/brides-pool.html
• Tai Lum Chung County Park reportedly has good mountain biking.
• The outlying islands are also fun: I'd recommend Cheung Chau or Lamma, if you have time.

Some of my favorite stores:

• MUJI: this is a Japanese lifestyle store. The Japanese translates to without brand; functionally this means museum-like stores, lots of clean design and the most fabulous pens and paper products! They have a MUJI at HarbourCity, the airport, and a few other locations. NYT on the store here, here and here.
• LOG-ON (by CitySuper): I decided they basically collect everything that is cool and made in Asia and put it all in this store! Great place for interesting gifts. They have one at HarbourCity and Festival Walk.
• CitySuper: the best thing about Hong Kong is that because they don't produce anything there themselves they import the best of everything from all over the world! CitySuper is a grocery store (with a bit of everything else thrown in too) where you have the best imported foods and ingredients from all over the world. And you'll never find a prettier grocery store! They have a great deli and I’ll often grab something from there before getting on a ferry elsewhere.
• Goods of Desire (GOD): this store is fabulous. They collect unique HK items from boutiques and designers and house them all. They have GOD at the Peak Galleria, TST, in Central and Causeway Bay.

My favorite high-end malls are:

• Festival Walk (at the Kowloon Tong MTR station...if you go to the temple, you'll go to the stop, just take a different exit to get to the mall). Located at a major transit hub. Lots of designer stores mixed with lower-end (think H&M).
• IFC Mall (Hong Kong MTR station). This is the newest mall at the International Finance Center (tall building featured in The Dark Knight) right along the waterfront and ferry pier on HK island. A lot of designer clothes, gorgeous views and delicious food! If we’re taking a ferry anywhere, we always stop here and grab breakfast/lunch for the ride. I love grabbing lunch at Open Kitchen and then heading up to the roof garden to eat and enjoy the view of the harbor.
• HarbourCity (either TST MTR station). This mall is massive! It spans about a gazillion city blocks. Again, it is generally higher end but not quite as nice as the IFC. The food here isn't as good either but it can be fun to eat on the roof and watch the cruise ships and ferries.
• TimesSquare. Another massive, glitzy designer mall. (at the Causeway Bay MTR).

Accommodations:

In terms of areas to stay, you pretty much have 3 options:

• Hong Kong Island - pretty much anywhere you stay there will be convenient. The MTR there is very convenient and will link you to the whole island. I'd stay between Sheung Wan and Causeway Bay--those are the busiest parts of the Island--the "downtown" area, if you will. Some of my favorite hotels:
• I've heard great things about this place but never tried it myself: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g294217-d1969654-Reviews-The_T_Hotel-Hong_Kong.html
• I've always dreamed of staying in a suite here, so if you're feeling like splurging... The Upper House http://www.upperhouse.com/en/default.aspx
• Tsim Sha Tsui: everyone calls this TST in English. This is the peninsula that faces toward Hong Kong island and is where the museums, the Asian walk of stars, and the view of the light show is. There are great
• Hotel Icon: this is a great value for the price. It is like a cheaper W with a great location in TST. http://www.hotel-icon.com/
• For a more budget accommodation that still has great harbor views, try the  Salisbury (which is run by YMCA but is more like a Courtyard Marriott) http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g294217-d305913-Reviews-The_Salisbury_YMCA_of_Hong_Kong-Hong_Kong.html
• And for old world grace and elegance, the way to go is The Peninsula. http://www.peninsula.com/Hong_Kong/en/default.aspx
• Inner(ish) Kowloon: this is a good area just outside of TST. Mong Kok is the main shopping area and there are a range of hotels there, from classy hourly places to high-end. Then there is another up-and-coming area named Austin where the Ritz and the W are. My recommendations:
• Ritz Carlton: I think I mentioned this elsewhere. The hotel lobby is up on the 108th floor and the whole hotel is really fun. Explore all the restaurants for their decor.
• W Hong Kong. Other than the W Barcelona, this is my favorite W I've ever been to. http://www.starwoodhotels.com/whotels/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=1965

Macau

• I would definitely head to Macau for a day! It is fun to oogle at the grandiosity of the Casinos (I think the Venetian and Galaxy are the biggest, newest and most interesting). Some of the best people watching ever. The Galaxy is made by Chinese for the Chinese and is just about covered in gold and the canals at the Venetian make Vegas look puny.
• You don’t need transportation in Macau--all the casinos provide free buses all over the island.
• The shows are great. The Cirque du Soleil-esq House of Dancing Waters is the best reviewed.
• The historical sites and town square area are beautiful: more Europe with an Asian twist than the other way around. Go see:
• Largo de Senado: the main square with amazing black and white tiled pavement
• St. Paul’s ruins: one dramatic facade left from a church that burned down
• The Floating Casino: not as pretty as in Skyfall, but still a lot of fun