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Spa-going for Men, Borneo

Mandara Spa at Sutera Resort, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

By Simon Ramsden

A visit to a spa has to be one of the most positive things you can do. Google the words “(spa OR massage) AND (side effects)” and you will find hardly any relevant results.

If you are especially delicate, you might be alarmed about the potential for increased sensitivity or irritation from oils. Otherwise, it is hard to find much to grumble about, especially if you are lucky enough to waltz into Sutera Resort’s beautiful Mandara spa, which lies on the edge of the resort’s impressive yachting harbour, beyond a green glass canopy that immediately softens the light and tone.

I have just finished a round of golf at the resort’s commendable course, but can’t justify a spa session due to excessive exercise, as all I’ve really done is to prop my paunch on a buggy between intermittent and embarrassingly erratic swipes at the occasional ball that was plonked in front of me. I’m not much of a golfer. If a hippo could stand he’d look more elegant with a golf club in his paws than I do. When I drive, the monkeys take cover. My putts are like slow-motion ricochets off the edges of the greens, backwards and forwards they go, yo-yo-esque, from edge to edge. I inch so infinitesimally slowly towards the hole that my golfing partners have been known to fly off back home for meetings while they await their turns. Despite my abysmal performance at golf I have had a thoroughly enjoyable round with some good friends and am in an excellent mood.

Inside the Mandara spa the mood is Moorish exotic. Think dark wood, black filigree ironwork and a discreetly tinkling square fountain. Pipe music plays.

My slender and gracious masseuse, Lina, leads me up to a balcony where she offers me not one but four choices of oil. I dither indecisively between Harmony (strengthening and rejuvenating mandarin, lavender and bergamot oils to balance body and mind), Island Spice (a mix of clove, ginger and nutmeg to revitalise and brighten the spirits), Mandara (sandalwood, patchouli, cananga and ylang-ylang), and Tranquillity (a stress-busting jetlag tonic mash-up of lavender, vetiver, ylang-ylang and cananga).

So you do not know what vetiver or cananga are? Join the club.

Vetiver is a grass with heavy, fibrous roots, used to distil an oil which has the scent of moist earth with woody undertones. Cananga is the tree from which ylang-ylang comes.

I love the smell of ylang-ylang which, in case you’ve never come across it, is rich and deep with notes of rubber and custard, and bright with hints of jasmine and neroli. I choose the signature Mandara blend because of its ylang-ylang content rather than its supposed uplifting, romantic flavour – not much point in getting romantic when my better third’s not around. I used to call her my better half, but then I expanded and she didn’t, so now “better third” is more accurate. I can’t say I’m too thrilled that that makes me into her “worse two-thirds”, but she doesn’t seem to hold my increased girth against me, bless her.

The subsequent massage is as diverse as the oil concoction I have chosen: a mix of Balinese, Swedish and shiatsu styles, with the Balinese style forming the core of the experience.

Intended to renew, strengthen and heal body and mind, it consists of stretching, long strokes, skin rolling and palm and thumb pressure techniques. Specifically aiming to relieve tension, it improves circulation and promotes euphoria. The euphoria was however in somewhat short supply when the masseuse seemed to attempt to touch my forehead with my toes, but thankfully she immediately desisted from more extreme forms of massage when I explained that they weren’t for me, as my toes have more chance of reaching the moon than my forehead.

Rigorous and luxurious. I feel smothered in relaxation from every direction and wallow in the experience. Applying a meditation technique I learned years ago, I concentrate on the sensation of air coming in and out of my nose. I watch different thoughts and emotions arise and mentally let each one go, attempting not to attach myself to them. After a while intuition has a chance to be heard and I suddenly realize that I’m not spending 60 hours a week at the office because I’m securing my family’s future (as I’ve been telling myself) but because I want to outshine my peers. This is not a new insight, my subconscious has been nagging me about this for a while.

With massage, for me, there’s usually an episode of embarrassment. Today the face-reddening started while I was undressing and realised that, under my shorts, I was wearing Speedos: it felt almost worse than being naked. The embarrassment factor was then increased considerably when I was asked to don a pair of skimpy disposable massage shorts that, whilst very practically affording unimpeded access to my gluteus maximus, to my eye resembled nothing so much as lady’s knickers. Thank God nobody had a camera, I’d have to resign immediately if pictures of this went round the office. Then there’s the even more unnerving thought of trapped wind. Initially, because of the embarrassment factor, any spa visit actually serves to make me more tense and nervous – all the more so because I am still a bit of a novice.

My wife tried for years to initiate me into spa therapies before recently succeeding. I had always thought of the whole thing as slightly suspect and had insisted that I couldn’t possibly do something so effete as go to a spa. Ridiculously and completely immaturely, I viewed anything that was not actively bad for my health as slightly unmanly. Every Monday at the office I would positively boast about all the toxic trash I had managed to ingest over the weekend: waffles and syrup, black beer, cigars, Chunky Monkey ice cream… no wonder men live less long than women. Thankfully and thanks to my lovely wife Fon’s necessarily persistent persuasion I eventually gave up most of this foolishness.

Of the variety of jobs I’ve had in my career, running my new company is one of the most stressful. When I walked into the Mandara spa an hour ago I couldn’t imagine any oil on the planet being able to do much to diminish my rampant hypertension, but the ylang-ylang appears to prove me wrong. Afterwards I left floating on air and feeling as if I could skim across the waves like a hovercraft or walk on water like Jesus. I remembered to pay a visit to what seems to be KK’s only beach, just a stroll from the entrance. It is all the more alluring for being tiny and fenced off with a shark-net and is the ideal spot to shift down yet another gear - if that’s humanly possible.

When in Thailand, why not visit one of the country’s currently best three beach destinations:

Koh Lao Liang: http://www.andamanadventures.com/kohlaoliang.shtml

Ao Nang: http://www.andamanadventures.com/ao_nang.shtml

Railay/Tonsai: http://www.andamanadventures.com/railay-tonsai.shtml

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About the Author

The author runs Andaman Sky Co., Ltd, specialising in climbing and diving trips to Thailand’s best beach destinations.

Lao Air Show 2008#3


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I purchased tickets on Lao Airlines at their website. I got email on reservation but no e-ticket. is this ok

Lao Air email has reservation number and "confirmed". The email at bottom says, "You will be receiving an e-Ticket Itinerary within 72 hours once the e-ticket is issues". Anyway the confirming email is the only thing I have at this point and it has been several weeks.

You can call their customer hotline, I'm sure it's written somewhere on the E-mail or their website.

Arrival - Lao Airlines ATR72 Vientiane to Luang Prabang


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Borneo - the Wild Heart of Se Asian Adventure Travel

Borneo - The Wild Heart of SE Asian Adventure

Borneo is the third largest island in the world, located east of Singapore. The Borneo jungles are not only magnificently spectacular, but they are also relatively untouched. When one finds oneself amongst the many segregated worlds of lush vegetation that Borneo has to offer, one can only wonder … "How could an exotic land that offers so many species of wild life have escaped mass tourism?"

In the modern age, when tourism has a tendency to develop and then envelop any place of beauty, Borneo has so far escaped this fate. This is an extra benefit that heightens Borneo's natural and unspoiled charm and which will, we hope, continue to enhance Borneo's majestic splendour through the years. So remote is Borneo that one of its many superlatives, the world's largest and most overwhelming cave system, the Mulu, was only discovered by the West in the latter half of the twentieth century.

About the size of Texas, Borneo is the third largest island in the world. Most of it belongs to Indonesia, but the northern provinces of Sarawak and Sabah, former British colonies which are now part of Malaysia, draw most of Borneo’s visitors.

The primitive image of Borneo which we held in the last century is out of date. Malaysian Borneo is civilised; Kuching and Kota Kinabalu are modern, bustling little cities, plus the island has a reasonably effective tourist infrastructure. The blend of old and new in Borneo is nicely summed up by a sign in the Limbang airport that sternly prohibits the carrying of blowguns aboard aircraft.

Because of its great variety of attractions, Borneo trips tend to be smorgasbord-style affairs. You may be climbing 13,455-foot Mount Kinabalu one day (no technical skills required, but nevertheless a stiff hike) and sleeping in a longhouse with Iban tribesmen the next. Although headhunting is now outlawed, you may meet some folks who remember it—or may even have practised it in the ‘good’ old days. Jungle treks and cave explorations in Mulu National Park, visits to Sepilok orangutan sanctuary, white-water rafting trips and scuba diving along the 3,000-foot sea wall just off Sipadan Island are also popular Borneo diversions. Whatever you do, it’s virtually certain you’ll ride in a boat at some point—Borneo is so mountainous and densely forested that roads exist only along the coastline. In the interior, rivers are the only highways.

Practically speaking Borneo is not an easy place to see on your own. Attractions are widely scattered and require a variety of transportation. Many cool spots are reachable only by longboat or small aircraft, which require advance planning. On the major rivers such as the Baram and Rajang, however, there are fast, cheap express boat services (if you have the bottle to ride them). These incredibly sleek, speedy and claustrophobic craft look much like wingless jet airliners—the drivers even paint on fake cockpit windows to further the illusion—and have a terrible safety record. Local tour operators in the main towns of Kuching and Kota Kinabalu offer Kinabalu climbs and visits to Iban longhouses. The downside, of course, is that, almost by definition, any outing that’s easy to arrange on the spot is going to be more crowded with tourists.

Simple guesthouses in the larger towns go for $10-$20 a night, while Western-style hotels run in the $40-50 range. Jungle lodge prices are in the same range.

And don’t worry about the leeches. The pesky little critters usually manage to get through any protective clothing, but you won’t even notice that they’re sucking your blood because they first inject you with a local anaesthetic. It doesn’t hurt a bit, but it can be a bit of a jolt when you remove your shoes and find blood-soaked socks. But unless you’re seriously squeamish or a haemophobe, Borneo leeches are not that big a deal. Really.

Whilst in Thailand, why not visit one of the country’s currently best three beach destinations:

Koh Lao Liang: http://www.andamanadventures.com/kohlaoliang.shtml

Ao Nang: http://www.andamanadventures.com/ao_nang.shtml

Railay/Tonsai: http://www.andamanadventures.com/railay-tonsai.shtml

?

About the Author

Runs Andaman Sky Co., Ltd, specialising in climbing and diving trips to Thailand’s best beach destinations.

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Welcome to Cambodia!

Its constant upgrading and improvements are in keeping with the country's growing popularity as a tourist destination.

As a nation that is rich in culture, history and heritage, Cambodia is fast becoming a popular tourist destination. Set towards the Southern end of Asia, Cambodia lies in the shape of a heart and is engulfed by Thailand on one end, Vietnam on another and Laos on the other end. This geographical position itself has resulted in giving Cambodia much of its diverse culture. Religiously speaking, Hinduism and Buddhism play vital roles within the country and thus have interesting attractions associated with these religious places of worship.

 

When visiting the country to view and experience all these attractions, one will no doubt have to touch down at the Phnom Penh International Airport. Situated in the country's capital, the namesake airport was originally named Pochentong International Airport. However the Royal Government of Cambodia in 1995 signed over a 20 year concession agreement with a private Company to upgrade, modernise, and manage the national airport, at which time the name change has taken place.

 

The Phnom Penh airport lies 7 Km away from the nation's capital itself and is situated on 16'000 square meters and is at an altitude of 12 meters above sea level. The airport has a single runway with an asphalt surface. The airport has both an international as well as domestic flight terminal and can cater to a total of 2 million passengers at a time. Duty Free shops, VIP lounges, and adequate parking are also available. The opening of the Dairy Queen outlet inside the airport premises marks the first international franchise to be opened within Phnom Penh International Airport.

 

Some of the airport's regular flight service providers include Angkor Airlines, Royal Khmer Airlines, President Airlines, AirAsia, Malaysia Airlines, Dragonair, Bangkok Airways, Cathay Pacific, Jetstar Asia, Shanghai Airlines, Korean Air, Vietnam Airlines as well as Singapore Airlines.

 

Travellers touching down at Phnom Penh International Airport may be looking for a conveniently located hotel in Phnom Penh from which to base themselves. If so, the Raffles Hotel Le Royal with its state-of-the-art facilities and luxurious atmosphere is an ideal Phnom Penh hotel for all your accommodation needs.

About the Author

Pushpitha Wijesinghe is an experienced independent freelance writer. He specializes in providing a wide variety of content and articles related to the travel hospitality industry.

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Cambodia At It’s Best - The Angkor Wat Temple Complex, Mondulkiri & Ratanakiri

Cambodia tourism is a testament to the resilience, warmth and pragmatism of the people from the Kingdom of Cambodia, formerly known as Kampuchea.

A tragic civil war of Orwellian proportions, and severe disruption and damage from the Vietnam war, left Cambodia as one of the last places that anyone would to visit in South East Asia.

However, today, it is possible to visit more places in Cambodia than any other time in its history. Many of the national highways have recently been upgraded with assistance from other countries.

From Phnom Penh, the capital, full paved, and sealed, roads take you to Siem Reap, in northern Cambodia, and the modern day entry town to the Angkor Wat temple and city complex.

Similarly paved roads also take you to Sisophon, and Sihanoukville, in the south east, and home of the best beaches in Cambodia, and also to Sisophon, in the north west, and an excellent place to start your journey to of Banteay Chhmar and Banteay Top Angkorian temples.

Any visit to Cambodia as a tourist should include going to the Angor Wat temple complex. In addition to the highway from Phnom Penh, importantly, Siem Reap, airport city code of KH, is well served by airlines arriving at its international airport, airport code of REP.

These airlines include arrivals from Singapore (SIN) with Silk Air, airline code of MI, and Singapore Airlines (SQ), Bangkok (BKK) with Bangkok Airways (PG), Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) with Vietnam Airlines (VN), and other international airlines including those arriving from Phnom Penh, Taipei, Guangzhou, Hanoi, and Seoul

The Angkor Wat temple complex is made up of a number of sites, including Angkor Wat itself, and the nearby ancient Khmer capital of Angkor Thom nearby. Other major temple sites include the Little Circuit, taken from the French "Le Petit Circuit", the Big Circuit, from the French Le Grand Circuit, the Roluos group of temples.

If you do want to visit the other temple sites apart from Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom, it is important to know that the complex is situated more than four hundred square kilometers, and sometimes can be difficult to get to, especially in the rainy season. And just reference, four hundred square kilometers compares to small islands such as Barbados, and even Andorra in Europe.

Interestingly, a recent radar survey, published in 2007, now suggests that the Khmer settlements and the Angkor temple and city sites could have covered more than three thousand square kilometers, which is about the size of Metro Bangkok. The survey also found the sites of seventy four more temples and a far more complex irrigation system not known before.

If you are planning to visit a few of the Angkor sites, you will need to spend a few days at nearby Siem Reap. The town has an excellent range of accommodation, including luxury air-con hotels near the airport, and also, for me, by far and away the best places to stay, many interesting guesthouses, mainly near the Wat Bo road area of Siem Reap.

Most guesthouses will arrange for a car you to take you to some cool, inexpensive, eateries around the town. Or just grab a tuk-tuk and enjoy!

What if you want to explore some hidden gems of Cambodia.? Then head back to Phnom Penh, and go to see the natural beauty of Mondulkiri and Ratanakiri provinces. Ratanakiri borders on Laos to the north, and Vietnam in the east, and Mondulkiri province to the south.


You will need to go to a travel agent in Pnom Penh in order to organize a tour to these beautiful provinces located in the north eastern part of Cambodia. There are no national highways or airlines servicing this relatively unknown part of the country.

Just as a heads-up notice to those of you planning to go to this region, and to the owners of Cambodia tourism websites, there are no flights to Ratanakiri airport.

Once you are in Mondulkiri, your local guide will take you to some of the most remote, spectacular, scenery in South East Asia. Jungle, forests, hill tribes, and waterfalls, including the beautiful Boura, all await you here.

And then on to Ratanakiri. This may well be the highlight of your visit to Cambodia, and the area is just outstanding, ranging from, again, waterfalls, to the spectacular volcanic lake of Yak Laom, and seeing the indigenous people of the hill tribes.

Try staying at the Terres Rouges Lodge, situated on the Banlung lake. Banlung is the capital of Ratanakiri province, and is a busting small town of around seventeen thousand people, and where the hill tribe people come to sell their goods.

The original lodge was the home of a former the governor of Ratanakiri province, and has a wealth of history. Today, you will find some of the best services and food in all of Cambodia at Terres Rouge. Just check out the croissants and baguettes that have aroma that you will only find in the cafes of provincial France! Well, maybe there are still a few similar eateries in Pnom Penh!

Sadly, you will have to say au revoir to Ratanakiri and Mondulkiri at some point. I wish you bon voyage back to your home!

And finally, and as usual, a big hello to all my friends at the Thailand Web Zone, www.thailandwebzone.com, which is a new Thai social networking and Thailand community site. Share information in Thai forums and Thailand articles, meet people, share photos, music and video, find & submit information on Thailand travel. Make new friends from all over the world! For those readers who have not visited TWZ, go have a look now!

asean_al

About the Author

Allan C. Batten

LAO AIRLINES FROM LUANG PRABANG TO VIENTIANE


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