Expatriate Forums in Cambodia

Holidays in Viet Nam

asiahotelbiz — Sat Nov 14, 2009 9:49 am

Author: asiahotelbiz

Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2009 9:49 am

We offer you a wide selection of attractive tour packages, resorts and boutique hotels at Vietnam. With a huge range of discounted hotels and motels, accommodation and resorts, you can choose the best one for you according to your pocket. Our list covers almost every destination of Vietnam. Some of the exotic destinations of Vietnam include Hanoi City, Sapa City, Phan Thiet City, Ha Long City, Hoi An City, Hue City, Da Nang City, Nha Trang City, Da Lat City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vung Tau City and so on.

The traveler can select or book the accommodation in advance and plan the vacation, accordingly. Selecting from 1-star hotel to luxurious 5- star hotels, you can choose the best accommodation for you. For your last minute holiday planning, we offer you instant bookings through online or 24 / 7 Live Support Help Center. Be relaxed, as locating a hotel in Vietnam is no longer considered as a time consuming task. From the comfort of home or office, you can quickly book accommodation for yourself from the comfort of your home or office.

Scenic beauty, highly rich culture and custom of Vietnam leave a deep impression on visitors. Apart from this, our clients can enjoy comfortable tour in Vietnam, as we can assure them full visa information, travel and hotel services.

We are a leader and a provider of travel information in Vietnam, Thailand, China, Cambodia, HongKong, Indonesia, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Taiwan, Japan, Brunei and South Korea.

Best Travel Destination in Asia

asiahotelbiz — Thu Oct 22, 2009 3:41 pm

Author: asiahotelbiz

Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2009 3:41 pm

Some of my friend have booked hotels at asiahotelbiz, they found that on asiahotelbiz have many hotels in Vietnam and Asia for they choose and asiahotelbiz are be guarantee with cheaper price than these other website. So, they have suggested me that if I want book hotels in Vietnam, book at: asiahotelbiz

Easy To Travel with Asiahotelbiz

sunflower99 — Thu Jul 09, 2009 11:30 am

Author: sunflower99

Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 11:30 am

Asiahotelbiz is market leader in Vietnam and Asia region for online hotel/ resort reservations. One of our strategies is the distribution of online hotel reservations through asiahotelbiz websites. We often set up partnerships utilizing the brand name of (local) Affiliate partners, without even showing the asiahotelbiz logo. This means that travelers book rooms with a company they know, like or trust and Asiahotelbiz simply takes care of the reservation processes, while the value of your brand name is maintained.
In Asiahotelbiz, you can easily find the hotel as for the trip, conference, seminar or tour freedom in Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia , Hongkong, Indonesia, Laos, Macau, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore ...
Asiahotelbiz will bid for you at the price lower than the price the hotel, particularly for hotels, resorts high standard 3 stars or more.
Asiahotelbiz
PS> We also offer tours throughout Vietnam , either by group bus or minibus, or by chauffeur-driven car. Ask us about those tours.

Explore Cambodia and its Neighbors On Line (Video + Stills)

IntrepidBerkeleyExplorer — Fri May 29, 2009 1:36 am

Author: IntrepidBerkeleyExplorer

Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 1:36 am

My film "Ho Asked Me to Go” presents an exciting trip to Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos. It features Bangkok, Angkor Wat, Cambodian court dancing, both north and south Vietnam, including Hanoi’s water puppet theater, the Great Sacred Stupa of Laos, and Luang Prabang with its dazzling Buddhist temples, plus much more.

The video can be seen on the web, if you have a high speed internet connection.

This is a free, non-commercial, streaming video on the Windows Media Player. No ads and no strings attached. I still sell absolutely nothing.

My video site is:

http://www.geocities.com/intrepidberkeleyexplorer/Video.html

With any modem you can view the new gallery of still pictures from this trip at:

http://www.geocities.com/intrepidberkeleyexplorer/Page18.html

There are over 30 of my other amateur travel videos on-line including trips to China, Russia, Antarctica, Italy, the UK, Australia, Bali, Japan, Africa, Greece, and Turkey; see lions, whales, elephants, or penguins.

The planet is yours, including my Home Page giant galaxy of still pictures at:

http://www.geocities.com/intrepidberkeleyexplorer/

The Intrepid Berkeley Explorer

flights pp ratanakiri banlung

soleilsoleil — Wed Aug 20, 2008 3:39 pm

Author: soleilsoleil

Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2008 3:39 pm

hello going to cambodia early november i have been told that flights from pp to banlung have been cancelled
quite a long time ago i cant find any new info
can anyone help ? ( getting a paying lift on a omg flight ? )
or similar

thanks a lot as really want to go to the ratanakiri province but dont want to spend hours on the road

Complete Map of Cambodia.

chuangt2u — Sat Jun 14, 2008 5:28 pm

Author: chuangt2u

Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 5:28 pm

The collection has now expanded to include 3 full map series and some large photogalleries.

Visit the above mentioned website to download the FREE ebook.

I'd love to post a direct link, but Allo Allo won't let me anymore??!

Phnom Penh Bag Snatching

Gina — Tue Jan 01, 2008 5:12 pm

Author: Gina

Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 5:12 pm

I reckon using the hands free mite be a tad safer these days. Tuck the phone in a bag.. least it cant be snatched away from your hand...But hey gotta be clutching on to the bag instead!

Btw Happy New Year all!

New Border Crossing Between Cambodia & Vietnam

steveatkins — Sun Dec 30, 2007 4:30 pm

Author: steveatkins

Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 4:30 pm

A new international border crossing between Vietnam and Cambodia has opened in Ratanakiri province. The crossing at O’Yadaw / Le Tanh leads into Vietnam’s Gia lai province. Cambodian on arrival visas are available for those entering from Vietnam, no Vietnamese visa is available. This is now the sixth international border crossing between the two countries.

Government of Cambodia declares Sarus Crane Reserve

steveatkins — Sun Nov 18, 2007 11:55 am

Author: steveatkins

Posted: Sun Nov 18, 2007 11:55 am

One of the most globally important sites for the South-east Asian race sharpii of Sarus Crane Grus antigone – the fastest declining of the three races of this Vulnerable species – has been declared a reserve after several years of active lobbying by the Wildlife Protection Office of the Forestry Administration in partnership with BirdLife International in Indochina. The Council of Ministers of the Government of Cambodia has now approved a proposal to protect nearly 9,000 hectares, comprising 919 ha of core area and 8,305 ha in total, of seasonally inundated grassland in Takeo Province in south-eastern Cambodia. The site is used by up to 300 Sarus Cranes, nearly 40% the global population of the race sharpii. The Sarus Cranes arrive in December and remain until February when the site dries-up. There are only three other sites regularly used by this sub-species during the non-breeding season. Of these two are in Cambodia and the third in Vietnam. All three of these sites are under conservation management but only two are currently protected by law. BirdLife and the Forestry Administration are now working to have the third Cambodian site at Kampong Trach, also protected by law.

Cambodia Plane Crash: Siem Reap - Sihanoukville

steveatkins — Tue Jun 26, 2007 11:42 am

Author: steveatkins

Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 11:42 am

AN aircraft carrying 13 South Koreans, three Czechs and four crew from Cambodia's famed Angkor Wat temples crashed in jungle-clad mountains in the coastal province of Kampot, officials said.
There was no word on survivors.

"The plane has crashed in the Kom Chhay mountain range. I've already sent four ambulances to the crash site," Kampot governor Thach Khorn told Reuters.

Officials had found the wreckage of the plane in a remote stretch of dense forest 130 km southwest of the Southeast Asian nation's capital, Phnom Penh.

Rescuers at the site, which is outside mobile phone network coverage, had no word on possible survivors, he said.

The AN-24, operated by Phnom Penh-based carrier PMT Air, was on a flight from the central town of Siem Reap to the seaside resort of Sihanoukville when it disappeared in the late morning, airport officials said.

Air services between Siem Reap, home to the 800-year-old Angkor Wat temple complex, and Sihanoukville reopened in January 2007 after a prolonged hiatus during Cambodia's civil war.

The resumption of the internal route was touted as another sign of the former French colony's accelerating recovery from the destruction wrought by Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge during their four years in power from 1975 to 1979.

Cambodia attracted more than 1.7 million tourists last year, most of them drawn to Angkor Wat.
South Korea's Foreign Ministry confirmed 13 South Koreans were on the flight, but did not release any names.

Flights from Siem Reap to Sihanoukville

steveatkins — Mon Jun 18, 2007 8:21 pm

Author: steveatkins

Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2007 8:21 pm

It is now possible to fly between Siem Reap and Sihanoukville, there are daily flights departing Siem Reap at 16:00 and departing Sihanoukville at 17:30, flying time is 1 hour. So now after a few days extensive exploration of the temples you can easily access the relaxing beaches of Sihanoukville, no need for a long days drive via Phnom Penh.

Han Tien Border Crossing Now Open

steveatkins — Mon Jun 18, 2007 8:19 pm

Author: steveatkins

Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2007 8:19 pm

At long last the Han Tien (Vietnam / Cambodia) border crossing is open to international travelers. Thus it is now possible to follow the coast all the way from Thailand to Vietnam, without having to travel inland. Vietnam visas are also available in Sihanoukville, so no need to travel up to Phnom Penh for a visa either.

Recommendation on travel

Odina — Wed Dec 06, 2006 11:09 pm

Author: Odina

Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2006 11:09 pm

Vivath Chhim, a very bright tour guide in Siem Reap! His service is beyond my expectation, with very reasonable charge. As I am from Malaysia [can't spent like westerner ], I was looking for cheap but good package. Here. on this web site , I came across this young man, whom I make friend with even before I arrive Siem Reap.
His package is highly recommended. He can arrange for U to C even real APSARA.
His all contacts are here:
http://www.aangkortourguide.com/english/tour-guide.htm

Travel magazines for Asia

Petra Bachhuber — Tue Jul 04, 2006 6:44 pm

Author: Petra Bachhuber

Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 6:44 pm

Hello,

can anyone help me?
I am German and I moved to Cambodia this spring. As I want to know as much as possible of South-Easter Asia I want to travel there this Summer. I want to travel there on my own, individually or with a tour operator.
For that reason I'm searching for magazines which are dedicated especially to expatriates concerning the regions, lifestyle etc of (South-Eastern)Asia. I'm searching for german, french or english magazines because I cannot or only a few read the chinese language.

If you could give me any other suggestions concerning interesting magazines or websites for expatriates please write.

Thanx a lot

World Cup Mania in DPRK (North Korea)

Kimtravel — Tue Jun 27, 2006 5:38 pm

Author: Kimtravel

Posted: Tue Jun 27, 2006 5:38 pm

I have just come back from the best holiday of my entire life and had to tell everyone about it - a trip to North Korea! It's really not too far away so I recommend anyone who wants to do somewhere a little different try this.

Here is my travelogue...

Ok, so I hadn’t really wanted to go away during the World Cup – particularly not to a country where I wouldn’t be able to see any of the matches but, this once-in-a-lifetime trip just happened to coincide with the long-awaited tournament and I wasn’t going to give the opportunity up – even for football!

The day before the tour left, the group met at the Koryo Tours office for a pre-tour briefing. There were only 14 of us travelling together and from what I could tell, despite being a mix of ages and nationalities, we all had a single strong interest which would bond us together – travel to North Korea, quite possibly the least visited country in the world and certainly one of the most difficult to get a visa for. For most of the group it was the opportunity to see for ourselves at least one version of North Korea. We knew it would be the polished side of Korea – perhaps a Potemkin sanitised version, what we did not know was that we would also get access to another side – a genuine contact with a people who know as little about us as we do them, and it was quite simply stunning.

After the meeting I actually got a glimmer of hope that my week in DPRK would not be as football-free as I had feared. We were shown a film made by Nick Bonner (director of Koryo Tours, the company we were travelling with) about the 1966 World Cup. It was certainly a story that I had never heard before – that of the North Korean team who travelled to England to compete in the World Cup and who ended up beating the Italians! It was a great story and taught me that perhaps football really is trans-national and loved by absolutely everyone. However, would the North Koreans be interested in this World Cup even though their team hadn’t qualified….?

The following morning we made our way to the airport together and after the obligatory time-wasting in the departure lounge we boarded our Air Koryo flight at the exact time it said on the ticket – take-off was just as punctual. Being on that old Russian plane made me feel like I was going back in time. A few people were a little nervous about the reliability but I had been assured it would be fine – and it was. No turbulence, a smooth take-off and landing, impeccably dressed air hostesses who never seemed to sit down and greeted us with ‘Good Morning’ as they handed us the Pyongyang Times.

Landing at the vast airport (apparently big enough to accommodate any size of aircraft) we were herded onto buses which drove us the 30m to the terminal where we got through customs and met our guides. Each tour group that goes, regardless of size, is accompanied by 2 tour guides and a driver. Our Korean guides were not the robotic, de-humanised people we had expected – contrary to our preconceptions. Our guides spoke fantastic English and showed no hesitation in cracking jokes with us which put us all at ease. They were very interested in us and asked lots of questions. To my surprise, one of the first questions they asked me was how I thought England would do in the World Cup. This led to a discussion amongst our group about the World Cup in which we found out that our guides actually knew much more than I thought they would. It turns out that the North Koreans were all supporting the South Korean team – despite being 2 countries they see themselves as 1 people and in events such as this they support each other. I suspected our guides were much more knowledgeable about and interested in the World Cup than most North Koreans were, but during the course of the trip I was to be proved wrong. It seemed that everybody had World Cup fever.

Before checking in at the hotel we did a brief city tour. Pyongyang is filled with monuments to the Party, to the Great and Dear Leaders and to the Korean War. Almost all of the buildings have been constructed since the Korean War ended as the city was practically flattened during that time. Our first stop was at the Arch of Triumph – an almost identical replica to its Parisien counterpart, only slightly taller and dedicated to a very different cause – Kim Il Sung’s victorious struggle against Japanese rule in the early 20th century. Near the Arch was a large expanse of concrete where hundreds of children and young adults seemed to be practising callisthenics. Our guides told us it was rehearsals for the Arirang Mass Games which will be held in Pyongyang from August to October. I could hardly believe it when they told us that 100,000 people take part in this event simultaneously which is shown 6 nights a week for 2 months. Throughout our tour we saw many practices for the games – if the level of the practice is anything to go by the actual performance is going to be mind-blowing! On one longish bus journey the guides showed us a video of the 2002 games – the female guide actually took part in the games herself. One of the other guys in our group said he had seen another film made by Nick about the mass games and said it was fantastic – I have since seen it and can vouch for that.

Our hotel was on an islet in the Taedong River which runs through the city. It was practically the only area we were allowed to wander around without our guides... Dinner was in the hotel in the revolving restaurant right at the top. This afforded us a great view of the city as it got dark – I have never known a capital to have such little lighting at night. After dinner we gathered for drinks in the hotel bar where we were to sample the hotel’s very own brew – as we were to find out, home brew is pretty common in DPRK – even the railway station at Sinuiju (on the DPRK/China border) has its own which is poured from a kettle!

That night, when I got to my room I switched on the television expecting to find some old war movie or the news, but instead I got Poland vs Ecuador! I was stunned, had I had one beer too many? It turns out the hotel had satellite so I had access to all the World Cup matches (as well as BBC News and a Russian Channel). What surprised me even more was that the following day, I saw a repeat of that same match on the Korean channel – this happened throughout the trip, I couldn’t get away from the football!

The 5 day trip went incredibly quickly – we were up early every day and had a full day’s sightseeing. Places we visited included the Demilitarised Zone at Panmunjom where we were able to enter a hut guarded by soldiers which actually straddled the North-South border (couldn’t get out the other side though!), we asked the colonel who took us around what he thought about the football. He said as a youth he was a goalkeeper – guarding the security of the country – without a brilliant goalkeeper the team cannot achieve victory. “But now the north and south of our country have good relations and soon we will have one team – and when that day comes we are sure to win the World Cup.”
Other highlights were the International Friendship Exhibition where 2 huge buildings with hundreds of rooms house the thousands of gifts that people from all over the world have presented to the Kims (the football from Pele grabbed my attention), a ride on the Pyongyang metro with its amazing mosaics and kitsch light-fittings, the sombre Korean War Museum (the official name of which is the ‘Victorious Fatherland Liberation War’), and much more.

One of the highlights of my trip was the afternoon spent walking on Moran Hill followed by a visit to the nearby funfair. We got more contact with the locals than I could have ever imagined. They invited us to sit down with them, share their kimchee, have a glass of beer (or in some cases soju) and join in their dancing. Although there was an obvious language barrier we communicated though actions and through the odd bit of interpreting from the guides. Most importantly, we enjoyed being with them and vice versa – it was a genuinely happy occasion. As for the funfair, the rides were excellent – the rollercoaster over the cabbage patch, the ‘wheel of death’ which starts off like a centrifuge but then does some pretty unexpected things and the ‘hamster wheel of death’ which made me laugh so much my stomach hurt. I think for the locals in the fair, us group of foreigners were as much as attraction for them as the rides themselves were. The afternoon was an incredible experience that I never thought would have happened, in a country where there is so much control and organisation we were able to break through and enjoy the time with the Korean people.

Another highlight for me was simply getting to know the guides. They were far better than any guidebook you can get on the country. As well as telling us so much about each place we visited they were also more than happy to talk about their families, daily life, and their interests, which for me gave a far greater insight into this fascinating and mysterious place. It was possible to laugh and joke with them, and the more we got to know them, the more happy they were to let us do things that were not ‘on the itinerary’. Granted, there were times we were only allowed to see something provided we left our cameras on the bus, but photos aren’t everything and I am more than happy to give up a photo opportunity if it means I get to see something a little different.

I wouldn’t say that the trip was relaxing by any means – early starts and late nights (the latter largely due to the abundance of the local beer!!) but I can safely say it was the best trip of my life. It was so enriching being able to visit the country about which all we ever hear in the West is negative things – stories of nuclear weapons, counterfeit currencies, famine, etc – and see that the people there are human beings just like you and me. I have got so many good memories (and some great pictures too) and I didn’t even have to go without my beloved football. It is hard to fully get across the experience of going there in words so I strongly recommend going there in person – you won’t be disappointed. I also strongly recommend going with the company that I went with – Koryo Tours. They have been running trips there for about 13 years and are real experts on the place. It was great having them there with us to give a different perspective on things and to make sure that everything went smoothly. Well done guys – I’ll definitely be back to watch the mass games!

For more details please visit:

www.koryogroup.com info@koryogroup.com (the website for actually visiting North Korea)

www.thegameoftheirlives.com (the story of the greatest shock in World Cup history – North Korea beating the Italians and turning the hostile English crowd from the enemy to their home supporters)

www.astateofmind.co.uk (award winning documentary on the DPRK Mass games and an incredible insight into North Korean society).