Terrorist's last hideout a tourism boon to sleepy Indonesian town
Published in AFP on 28 December 2005
BATU, Indonesia - A huge banner points the way to Indonesia's latest tourist attraction: the shattered remains of the house where Azahari Husin, one of Asia's most-wanted terrorists, spent his last hours....more

Cambodia's golden-age architect looks back in wonder
Published in AFP on 11 May 2005
Much of Asia's architectural heritage is under threat as countries pursue rapid economic growth and often eschew preservation in favour of rapid modernisation. In Cambodia the threat is particularly acute, extending from the World Heritage-listed ancient temple complex of Angkor Wat to the buildings of the 1950s and '60s, when the newly independent kingdom began forging its own identity through a fantastic programme of public works....more

A packed weekend in Phnom Penh
Published in The Bangkok Post on 14 April 2005
It's rich with history, loaded with atmosphere and jammed with great restaurants and shops, but Phnom Penh is often overlooked by travellers in favour of Siem Reap, the launching point for Cambodia's famed Angkor Wat. A weekend trip to the capital however, is easily done from Bangkok and yields rich rewards....more

Cambodia maps out plan to lure tourists to Khmer Rouge sites
Published in AFP on 13 April 2005
The veranda has collapsed, a lone green typewriter sits unused on a dusty table and only two of the 27 staff are here. But Anlong Veng's tourism office has a grand plan to lure visitors to the final stronghold of Cambodia's infamous Khmer Rouge....more

Idling on islands
Published in The Bangkok Post on 7 April 2005
Life glides by slowly perched in a hammock overlooking the swirling Mekong River in Laos' Four Thousand Islands. Sipping a Beer Lao and watching the ever-changing colours of the river is meditation not just popular with locals but with an increasing number of independent travellers....more

Cambodia's beach resort gambles on international tourism boom
Published in AFP on 6 June 2004
With pristine beaches rivalling Asia's best holiday destinations, a five-star hotel, a reopened airport and a planned golf course, Cambodia's Sihanoukville is poised to jump into the global tourism arena....more

Thailand's new opium hall casts light on dark history
Published in AFP on 13 August 2003
CHIANG SAEN, Thailand - Nestled in the heart of Southeast Asia's infamous Golden Triangle region, a gleaming new museum portraying the chequered global history of opium is about to open its doors to the public....more

Venice of the East fights its own watery future
Published in AFP on 19 June 2002
The criss-crossing canals that once earned Bangkok the moniker "Venice of the East" have long gone, but the city still draws one comparison with its famed Italian cousin: it too is sinking....more

Japanese tourists taste real Thai bullets
Published in AFP on 12 June 2002
Japanese tourists have discovered that Thai holidays can be about more than just cheap shopping and snoozing on tropical beaches: shooting guns at Thai military ranges has become a popular new diversion....more

Peace, at Pimalai
Published in Living in Thailand on 1 January 2002
Take one long beach on a quiet tropical island, add a collection of low-key villas, each decorated with a modern take on Thai design, and mix well among lush, colourful gardens....more

Getaways from Bangkok: Hoi An
Published in thaifin.com on 2 June 2001
Historic Hoi An, one of Vietnam's most charming cities, has been a viable short-term holiday destination for Bangkokians since October 1999, when THAI began flying to central Vietnam's Danang. Previously accessible only to backpackers with more time on their hands, Hoi An is attracting increasing numbers of international travellers - and with its history, shopping and accessibility, it's easy to see why....more

Summer sales in Hong Kong
Published in thaifin.com on 2 June 2001
Being a tax-free zone for all goods except alcohol and tobacco has long made Hong Kong an attractive shopping destination. To make it even more seductive to people seeking serious retail therapy, shops have traditionally banded together to offer two mega-sales periods per year: from New Year to Chinese New Year, and throughout summer....more

Discount packages bring Australia closer
Published in The Bangkok Post on 21 May 2001
According to the Australian Tourist Commission, increasing numbers of Thais are heading to Australia for holidays - in 2000, 74,000 made a trip there, a nearly 20 per cent increase on the year before. The reasons? Thongchai Wibulsaksakul, country manager of the ATC in Thailand, says Australia is proving popular because it's the closest Western destination to Thailand. "It also offers a good combination of cities and nature, and has unique flora and animals."...more

Honeymoons in Thailand
Published in thaifin.com on 20 May 2001
With a weakening baht, newlyweds watching their cash would do well to recover from their wedding - and celebrate their new life together - by choosing a honeymoon destination in Thailand. There are plenty of great choices, so whether you're a sunny beach lover or are fond of forested mountains, you don't need to spend a fortune travelling to have a wonderful honeymoon....more

The bettering of Bangkok
Published in thingsasian.com on 9 April 2001
Think of Bangkok and you'll probably think of sex tourism: the neon of Nana Plaza, the pingpong shows of Patpong, and the sleaziness of Soi Cowboy. But these are merely three modest strips in a massive city maturing as the most cosmopolitan centre of Southeast Asia, a megalopolis that's gradually donning more of an intellectual mantle. Bangkok is evolving into a destination worthy of the adoration of more than just the tourist seeking tacky souvenirs and a cheap package holiday. I live here, and I'm watching the transformation with glee....more

Krabi getaways for any budget
Published in The Bangkok Post on 2 April 2001
Since its airport opened in mid-1999, Krabi has been accessible to hardworking Bangkokians wanting to get away for a weekend. While the beauty of Krabi is quite indisputable, judge for yourself whether the cost of a trip away is worthwhile with this breakdown of what you'll need to spend for a getaway in Railay, one of Krabi's most spectacular locations....more

Gardens for the soul
Published in The Nation on 10 March 2001
It's quite surreal, driving up this sweeping road in the near black of night. Every ten metres or so torches bearing large naked flames sway in the slight breeze. It seems as if a massive gothic castle should be awaiting us at the summit, with drawbridge down and armoured men standing to attention, waiting to welcome us....more

A moment to relax, Thai-style
Published in The Nation on 24 February 2001
The small wooden boat bobs around precariously as the three of us clamour aboard. The engine is revved, we each sit back on our little flat bench and we're off, exploring the narrow khlongs of Samut Songkhram in search of the resident fireflies....more

A graceful sport: The Phuket King's Cup Regatta
Published in Expression on 1 February 2001
There really is something eternally graceful about the wind filling the sails of a yacht and carrying it along the ocean's surface. Forget your mobile phone and the only noise you'll hear might be the flap of a sail, the call of one crew member to another, the sound of the yacht's hull slicing through the waves… It's an essentially peaceful and calming activity....more

Thai me up, Thai me down
Published in planetexpat.com on 10 September 2000
When I first arrived in Bangkok, I hated it. It was as if a black-and-white film of the post-industrial age was screening in front of my eyes and I wasn’t allowed to leave. I was overwhelmed by the traffic, the people, the noise. Slowly, I learned to see the colour. Unexpected beauty was everywhere if I paused to look, to listen, to smell. And now it’s home....more

Only the murder was missing
Published in The Nation on 2 September 2000
It was swish, smart and sumptuous. The Eastern and Oriental Express’ inaugural dinner journey from Bangkok’s Hualampong Station and back – the destination was hardly the point – was an extravagant, ostentatious affair. ...more

Bangkok district guide
Published in wcities.com on 1 August 2000
To put it simply, Bangkok can seem like a nightmare to the uninitiated. Sprawling expressways and overpasses, the huge new Sky Train and crowded streets full of vendors give the city a distinct Blade Runneresque feel. To confuse matters further, there’s no true ‘centre’ to the city, with various districts famed for different reasons being dotted right across town. On the positive side, the Sky Train has made it much easier to get around, and taxis, tuk-tuks, buses and motorcycle taxis are plentiful. Get your bearings by reading the following and it won’t take long for you to be seduced by the glorious chaos and charm of the City of Angels....more

Bangkok dining and drinking guide
Published in wcities.com on 1 August 2000
Thais take their food very seriously. Combine this fact with Bangkok’s vibrant cosmopolitanism and you have a city that will consistently keep your taste buds singing. You might dine in a traditional Thai house serving the finest of Thai cuisine, or find yourself tucked away in a French restaurant able to compete with the best of Parisian kitchens. You can try the latest in Pacific Rim fusion food, or grab a serving of pasta that an Italian would be proud of. Or if it’s simply noodles at 3am you’re keen on, Bangkok’s streets will keep you sated....more

Mighty Mekong
Published in The Herald Sun on 2 July 2000
We’re sitting on the second floor verandah of the guesthouse, a perfect point from which to watch the traffic on the Mekong pick up in a rush to beat the falling darkness. Speedboats, a vivid mix of banana yellow and blood red, skip along the river, reaching speeds of up to eighty kilometres an hour. Their mosquito-like drone almost drowns the soft grumble of the wooden slowboats ploughing along more determinedly....more

Golden weekend escape
Published in The Nation on 1 July 2000
If you think about it, the perfect tropical island can't really be reviewed in any lengthy way. There'll be white sand, coconut palms, turquoise water - anything beyond that is really just 'development', right? And that can't possibly good for our perfect island…...more

Scaling new heights
Published in The Nation on 10 June 2000
When we were kids, we believed there was a guest book hidden at the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge to sign your name in if you managed to make the illegal climb up. ...more

Lush and lovely spot in Penang
Published in The Nation on 13 May 2000
Quiet, lush and teeming with plant varieties from around the globe - and monkeys - Penang's 29-hectare Botanical Gardens are worth going out of your way to visit; no other such well-stocked public gardens exist in Malaysia....more

Vang Vieng awakes
Published in Backpacker Essentials on 1 May 2000
In 1994 the Song river flowed sedately through Vang Vieng, a small village-town just off Route 13 in Vientiane province, Lao PDR. Local women washed their hair in the river’s shallow waters, men pushed their bicycles across the smooth pebbles lining its bed and children pointed and cried when they saw some of the first western backpackers arrive to visit. ...more

Slurp up the cultural soup
Published in The Nation on 11 April 2000
Whether you’re a farang needing to kill a couple of days waiting for a visa or just a tourist wanting to immerse yourself in another culture for a few days, Georgetown is a gem of a destination....more

Phetburi
Published in Bangkok Metro Magazine on 1 April 2000
Need to hire a motorcycle assassin? If you pay attention to the press, Phetburi is the place to go for some of the best. We didn’t notice any hanging around advertising their wares, but that’s not what we went to Phetburi for… ...more

Chanthaburi
Published in Bangkok Metro Magazine on 1 March 2000
At only three hours drive out of Bangkok, Chantaburi makes a good weekend getaway if you’re keen on doing a bit of exploring. But let me be honest: none of the individual sites in Chantaburi are worth the trip alone. ...more

Finding paradise
Published in The Nation on 11 February 2000
It’s a short bridge across to the island; two hundred years ago people used to make the journey by elephant-back. The spoke-like rows of rubber trees rhythmically passing by in a car today are immediately hypnotic. Upright as sentries and organised as if for parade, the trees create a canopy that looks cool and inviting. Spiky fields of squatting pineapples, almost bleached colourless by the sun, provide a sharp contrast every now and again, and great gaping red wounds of earth holding puddles of water, a legacy of the island’s marriage to tin, are also surprising....more

Take time to unwind at Tamarind Springs
Published in The Nation on 5 February 2000
Going on a holiday? Feeling torpid, exhausted, lethargic or just plain lazy? If you’re heading to Ko Samui, the doctor would definitely prescribe a half-day treatment at Tamarind Springs, a boutique day herbal steam and massage spa. ...more

Waterways
Published in Thailand and Indochina Traveller on 1 April 1999
Situated on a hill rising dramatically at the intersection of two rivers, Luang Prabang has for centuries enchanted those who arrive by boat - still probably one of the best ways to first see the former royal capital of Laos. This town dominated by wats of unspeakable beauty is somnambulent, peaceful and languid, masking a fascinating history of conquest and recapture, and only hinting at an intricate culture and complex traditions. And at designated times of year, the town springs to a life that is unique....more

Tha Khaek: Throw away your guidebook
Published in Thailand and Indochina Traveller on 1 October 1998
While the guidebook says it’s called Sikhot Hotel, the sign out the front says it’s Soksoomboon Guesthouse. While the guidebook says it’s housed in a former police station from the French era, the guesthouse manager insists the building was formerly used by petty government officials. We’ve just arrived in Tha Khaek, the capital of Laos’s Khammuan Province – and we’re throwing away our guidebook. ...more

Lak Sao: Road to nowhere
Published in Thailand and Indochina Traveller on 1 June 1998
If the world was flat, this town would surely be at the very edge of it. A tumbleweed or two blowing past wouldn’t be out of place, while a bar with wagon wheels adorning the facade would fit right in. It’s dusty and blisteringly hot; it’s full of ancient trucks, noisy tuktuks and disabled buses; the folorn thatched shops skirting the main square sell meagre odds and ends; and there’s a kid spraying a chicken to death with insect repellant right under my nose. This is Lak Sao. We console ourselves with the impressive limestone mountains in the distance....more

A quiet corner of paradise
Published in Thailand and Indochina Traveller on 1 June 1998
When I saw the height of the winding red dirt track we were going to have to traverse, I threw down my pack in despair. ...more

Huay Xai: Gateway to northern Laos
Published in Thailand and Indochina Traveller on 1 April 1998
Crossing the Mekong at Thailand’s Chiang Kong to Huay Xai, Bokeo province Laos, is a casual experience. Checkout of Thailand, hand 20 baht to the sampan pilot, putter across, and check into Laos. It’s hard to believe you’ve also just made it through two international customs points. ...more

The occidental tourist
Published in Travel Vacations on 1 March 1998
'Quaint' is the adjective travellers most frequently come up with when struggling to describe the small town of Hoi An in central Vietnam. Yes, the old trading town of Hoi An is quaint. And as Vietnam extends a welcome to more tourists, it is becoming one of the most popular stops on the easy-to-navigate mini-bus route from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City....more

All material copyright Samantha Brown 1997-2005