Issue No.11 Country by Country - Thailand

The King of Thailand, Bhomibol Adulyadei

The King of Thailand, Bhomibol Adulyadei, has ruled since 1950 making him the world’s longest reigning monarch.  He recently celebrated his 86th birthday on the 5^th December, when he called for unity amongst his people after days of violent protests in Bangkok.

Most of us are familiar with the key attractions of Thailand, particularly the beautiful beaches and fantastic tropical islands that surround the mainland.  But are there some things that we ought to know about this wonderful spot before we decide to go?  Well, in short the answer is yes.  Corruption is wide spread and civil unrest is currently on-going in Bangkok.  The Foreign Office is currently stating:

“A number of political demonstrations have taken place in parts of Bangkok and elsewhere in Thailand since the start of November 2013.  Some of these were violent and resulted in casualties.  Further protests may take place with little warning.

On 25^th November the authorities in Thailand implemented the Internal Security Act in all districts in Bangkok and Nonthaburi as well as the Bang Phli district of Samut Prakan and the Lat Lum Kaeo district of Pathum Thani, which will lead to an increased security presence and possible disruption to traffic.”

Recent protests in Bangkok

However, they are not restricting travel to most parts of the country (apart from the Malaysian border) but do suggest avoiding all political protests.

It is also worth knowing that of the 800,000 British travellers to Thailand last year, most visits were trouble free.

This all seems rather gloomy doesn’t it?  Well political instability is pretty standard for Thailand and whilst this does seem rather alarming, I have travelled there on numerous occasions and have never encountered anything but lovely, polite, charming people.

If all this has not put you off travelling to this beautiful country, and it really shouldn’t, then here are a few of my  top Thai travel secrets.

Don’t just head for the islands, whilst these are truly gorgeous, you would be missing out if you didn’t take a couple of days in Bangkok either on arrival or on departure.  We find that after 10 days lazing on the beach recovering from jet lag we're ready to hit the shops, sites and smells of Bangkok for a couple of days before coming home.  Here are some of the things I like to do in Bangkok.

Chatuchak

Shopping in Bangkok is amazing, and it's difficult to know where to go first.  My advice is to visit the vast Chatuchak weekend market.  I’m guessing that you should be able to find something you want at one of the 6000 stalls.  However, get there early before the crowds and the heat kick in and give yourself enough time to cool off with a nice swim back at the hotel in the afternoon.  Be warned though, it's very easy to get carried away here, everything is so cheap you end up buying 10 of everything and then having to buy another suitcase to get everything home!  Like many other places in Thailand don’t expect anything to be genuine though.

Lumphini Park

Lumphini Park is a tranquil idyll in the middle of frenetic Bangkok and if the jet lag is still causing you to wake up at ridiculously early times of the morning, then a visit to Lumphini at around 7.00am can reward you with hundreds of locals doing their Tai Chi around the park.  You can take the morning air and look out for the 6 foot long monitor lizards lazing by the lake or watch the turtles playing on floating logs.  This all ends on the dot of 8.00am with the national anthem.  If you stand to observe the national anthem, you will be rewarded by the smiles of locals acknowledging your mark of respect.  Then in the evening take a walk through the park, pass the zoo to the night market where you can be fed and entertained, massaged and sold too all in one place, I love it.

Eating in Thailand is a bit of an adventure, it is one of the most diverse cuisine’s in the world, so you should find something to your taste.  My husband loves his chillies, so he is in absolute heaven here, whereas, I only like a little bit of spice in comparison.  I still manage to find something to eat, somewhere along the line and out in the islands, you can find everything from Thai, Chinese, Seafood, Brazilian, Italian, McDonalds and Starbucks so no one ever goes hungry.  My advice is to give something a try though, it is normally really cheap, so if you don’t like it, it’s no great shakes.

The Thai’s drive on the same side of the road as us Brits, so I really recommend hiring a car when you are visiting the beach resorts, as there are often hidden gems just around the corner.  We have come across deserted beaches, wonderful temples, authentic food and local markets that we would not have seen had we just stayed in the resort.  However, driving at night can be really hairy though, as street lights and road markings are not widespread.

Thai massage

Finally, find a good place to have a massage, going to Thailand and not having a massage is like going to Paris and not having crepes.  Don’t expect an easy ride though, a proper Thai massage is more like a sports massage than one you are likely to get down the local spa in England.  It may hurt a bit at the time but it will leave you feeling great.

If you’ve been to Thailand, let us know your favourite spots and travel tips.

Thanks for reading, see you next week, don't forget that you can get everything you need for your trip to Thailand online from: LotusTravelEssentials.co.uk happy & safe travelling.

Issue No. 7 - Country by Country – France

Just a twenty minute train ride from the UK, France is our closest neighbour, the butt of many a joke, France has long since been the country we have loved to hate, but I wonder if the joke might actually be on us?  The reason I say this is because, for me France just about has it all: spectacular mountains, wonderful countryside, chic city life, and stylish beach resorts.  And if that’s not enough, the roads are practically empty and the food is superlative.  If you don't believe me, you'll just have to try it out for yourself...

So where to go in France?  The answer is just about anywhere!  Put a pin in a map of France and away you go.  We did just that a couple of years ago and the pin landed on Limoges in the Auvergne region, so we booked a cheap flight and hired a car from the airport.  Equipped with just a map and a ‘Where to stay’ guidebook, we proceeded to get lost in France (Didn’t Bonnie Tyler do a song about that?)

Uzerche

Medieval Town of Uzerche

First stop was the medieval town of Uzerche, looking like an out-take from a Harry Potter movie, this Hogwarthian village nestled on the top of a small hill is absolutely charming.  

Having searched high and low for somewhere to eat, we wandered past what looked like the open doors of a small bar, thinking we might get a drink and ask for somewhere where we might be able to get something to eat we walked in and found that it was a veritable tardis of a place, which served the most delightful of local dishes whilst we sat on their balcony looking down at the river passing by below.  A few glasses of excellent table wine later we sauntered back to our hotel for a good night's sleep.

Tulle

Day two took us to Tulle, home of the famous lace, we dropped down into the town early before anything much was open, as a result we found ourselves looking around the cemetery – I know, its a very strange activity, but we often find ourselves doing this on holiday, it's amazing how much you can learn about a place by spending a couple of hours wandering around their cemetry.  Tulle's cemetry turned out to be something of a find however, as it is known as the Martyrs Cemetery.  On the 9^th June 1944, 99 men were killed by the Nazis and strung up around the city from lamp posts and balconies in retaliation for a number of German soliders having been killed.  Apparently a further 149 civillians were also sent to Germany as slave labour, of which, 101 never returned. The town has produced a fitting memorial to those who died in this terrible event. 

Oradour-sur-Glane

For an even more harrowing experience along these lines, you might like to visit Oradour-sur-Glane which is just north of Limoges airport.  This is the site of a much larger massacre taking place just one day after the Tulle massacre.  Here a whole village was rounded up and killed.  642 men, women and children were killed by the German SS and the ruined village now stands as a visitor centre and memorial to those who died.  Be warned. I left sobbing… Don't say I didn't warn you.

Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne

Beaulieu sur Dordogne

Day three took us to Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne, this village is absolutely charming, set unsurprisingly on the Dordogne, there is a veritable cornucopia of activities to delight everyone and which is why we stayed here more than one night.  Whether you like messing about on the water, camping walking or just plain eating, everything here will delight you.  We spent a lively couple of hours watching the locals play boules in the Market place and I wouldn't have needed much persuasion to join in.

Carcassonne

Carcassonne

Back on the road after again, we headed for Carcassonne another fortified medieval town, which has been occupied by man since the 6^th century B.C, so there is plenty here for the history buff. Carcassonne is now a designated world heritage site. Surrounded by the Canal du midi there are plenty of ways for boat lovers to sample the delights of this region too.

The Hotel La Chapelle St-Martin 

The Hotel La Chapelle St-Martin

Finally we headed back towards Limoges and found a beautiful chateau just a ten minute drive from the airport.  The Hotel La Chapelle St-Martin was extremely tolerant of us turning up out of the blue having just kayaked around a local lake and thus looking a little frayed around the edges.  

At dinner, the waiter steered me diplomatically away from the local delicacy ‘eel’ and on to safer territory for British tastes, but if you want to be a little more adventurous, you will certainly find something interesting on the menu.  

As we checked out, I noted a letter from Hillary Clinton’s security staff thanking the hotel for their hospitality.  Well if it's good enough for Mrs Clinton, it’s probably good enough for me...

I know that this should have been an article on the whole of France but I think it's just impossible without writting a book.  So much has already been written about the key tourist areas, that I’m not convinced that I would be able to add much of value to the discussion.   However, if you really do want a list of must do’s to tick off, here are a few more for you:

A weekend in Paris – TimeOut will help you plan your weekend: 

http://www.timeout.com/paris/en/things-to-do/your-perfect-weekend-in-paris

A walk around the walled town of St Malo – The Independent will help you plan your activities. http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/48-hours-in/48-hours-in-stmalo-1973058.html

People watch in St Tropez – Cool Hunting will give you the down and low on all things cool in St Tropez:http://www.coolhunting.com/travel/word-of-mouth-saint-tropez.php

Pose in Cannes at the Film festival – visit the official website for details:

http://www.festival-cannes.fr/en.html

Camp in the Vendée – for more information visit:

http://www.holidays-in-vendee.com/Tourism/Vendee_Tourist_Information.htm

Visit the amphitheatre in Nimes – for more information on the history of this amazing site visit:http://www.historvius.com/nimes-arena-1335/

Thanks for reading, see you next week and in the meantime, I hope that you can take sometime to check out LotusTravelEssentials.co.uk happy & safe travelling.

Issue No. 2 Country by Country: Norway is number 1

Country by Country: Norway is number 1.

You may be wondering why I’m starting my country by country virtual tour with Norway.  Well Lotus Travel Essentials is all about finding the best of everything travel related and according to the 2013 Human Development Report commissioned by the United Nations Development Programme, Norway is the best place to live in all of the 196 UN recognised States.  And if you’re looking for some comparison, the UK ranks 26th and the United States of America ranks 3rd just after Australia.

According to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Norway has a population of around 5 million, that’s just 16 people per square kilometre, compared to the UK’s 262.  This means that you can expects lots of spectacular countryside to explore.

With just a short two hour flight from the UK what else can we expect if we visit Norway? Well, sharing the same latitude as Siberia, Alaska and Greenland, we’re not going to be expecting tropical weather anytime soon but according to www.visitnorway.com  temperatures in July and August can surprisingly reach 25-30°C and sea temperatures can reach 18°C making swimming a popular pastime, so don’t forget your swimsuit.

Borgund Stave Church , Lærdal.

So what is there to do in Norway?  Well, the staggeringly beautiful countryside suggests that activities should be kept firmly outside and skiing, hiking, cycling and kayaking are all here for your enjoyment.  But if you want to take things at a more leisurely pace, why not take a coastal cruise of the fjords.   Or for a more spiritual experience, why not visit the medieval Borgund Stave Church located in Borgund, Lærdal. (photo right).

I think that we would be remiss if we didn’t mention that Norway’s national sport is skiing with alpine ski resorts and cross country skiing throughout the country.  The ski season here, lasts from November to the end of April and even into early May so if you visit Norway in the winter months you must give skiing a go.

If you are looking for something a little different, why not visit the Nordic Light festival held annually in Kristiansund.  Attracting some of the most famous photographers from across the world, this is surely not to be missed if you are a keen photographer.

In April 2012, the Earth Institute,
Columbia University, published the World Happiness Report, commissioned for the United Nations Conference on Happiness. According to the report the third happiest country in the world was Norway.  The report stated that political instability and civil disturbances has a major influence on the happiness of a country.  No surprise then that according to the Economist Intelligence Unit, Norway rated 165th out of 165 for political instability.

Perhaps then, Norway is worth a visit to see what all the fuss is about…?

Thanksfor reading, see you next week and in the meantime, I hope that you can take sometime to check out LotusTravelEssentials.co.uk happy & safe travelling.