March 5, 2010 – 4:23 pm
We have added some scheduled, join-in departures for this great mountain bike ride through the volcanic island of Flores, eastern Indonesia. We have also managed to keep the costs down so no change from last year.
See here for update, or here for some pics from Tim Peterson & Louise Nielsen from California who completed the ride late last year.
February 13, 2010 – 2:06 pm
The Angkor Butterfly Centre (ABC) is an interactive butterfly exhibit located 25 km north of Siem Reap, home to Cambodia’s famous Angkor Wat, on the road to the Landmine Museum and Bantey Srei temple.
The exhibit consists of a netted tropical garden with hundreds of free-flying butterflies, all of which are native species to Cambodia.
The enclosure is South East Asia’s largest butterfly exhibit and provides residents and tourists with an eco-friendly environment to learn about butterflies.
At ABC it is possible to experience butterflies feeding and flying very close at hand and to witness the complete life cycle of many species. The butterflies (in pupae form) are farmed sustainably by people from villages in the Siem Reap Province.
January 29, 2010 – 4:07 pm
Asia Divers Summer Special
Book 10 nights unlimited dive package at El Galleon, Puerto Galera, and get 3 more nights free.
Book 13 nights and get 7 free.
Both offers include accommodation, breakfast and diving.
Click here for Dive Packages at El Galleon with Asia Divers
January 27, 2010 – 3:22 pm
Manolo Serapio Jr., Reuters
Thu Jan 21, 2010 10:23pm EST
MANILA (Reuters) – Revenue from a small hydropower plant that cost little more than a supercar to build, will help preserve 2,000-year-old Philippine rice terraces dubbed the “Eighth Wonder of the World,” conservationists say.
Visit the stunning rice terraces of northern Philippines Cordillera yourself: Trekking in the Land of the Ifugao
January 27, 2010 – 2:46 pm
By THOMAS FULLER
Published in The New York Times: January 18, 2010
SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA — Bullet by bullet, workers removed the detritus of Cambodia’s past. They pulled 300 land mines and 30,000 rounds of ammunition from the red dirt and then laid down a thick layer of asphalt. Today, what would pass for a very ordinary road in wealthier parts of the world is precious pavement for a country motoring toward prosperity and trying to leave its bloody past behind.
This was the original route for Symbiosis Expedition Planning’s Bangkok to Saigon Cycle Challenge which first took place in 2000. Each year we have to resurvey to find new trails that keep us away from the main roads which, even if they are not busy, are hot and dull to cycle.
This year’s Bangkok to Saigon Cycle Challenge will be the 10th and last – fortunately there are still a few routes that show you the rural beauty of Cambodia. Dates: 6-23 November 2010.
January 18, 2010 – 9:54 pm
Here are the first pictures in from Tim Peterson’s and Lousie Neilson’s moutain bike ride through the stunning Indonesian island of Flores.
Here is what they had to say about it…
Hi Christopher, Indonesia was fantastic. The trip went off without a hitch. The people, the cycling, the diving, the boat, all perfect! For us, this year looks like Eastern Europe, Slovenia and Croatia but Northern Vietnam to Northern Laos is on our short list!
Bena, outside Bajawa
She wove the baskets and is taming the chicken
Tim in Ruteng
Flying Foxes in Riung
Banana groves outside Sikka
On the Road
Jackfruit
Spiders' Web Rice Terraces of Ruteng
The Moana
Dining on the Moana
Komodo Dragon
Paradise
Cooling Off!
More about the Flores by Mountain Bike adventure organised by Symbiosis Expedition Planning.
January 9, 2010 – 5:37 pm
Jakarta, Indonesia – Camera traps deep in the Sumatran jungle have captured first-time images of a rare female tiger and her cubs, giving researchers unique insight into the elusive tiger’s behaviour. Read more on the WWF website on this story.
January 8, 2010 – 7:59 pm
The Apsara Authority (AA), who run the Angkor temples, have announced that the upper level access to Angkor Wat will re-open from 15 January 2010. This access has been closed since October 2007 whilst restoration work was on-going.
The AA have put certain conditions in place such as only 100 people can gain access to the upper level at one time, and for a period of 20-30 minutes only, depending on the time of day.
They demand all visitors dress respectfully, no under 12s are allowed and only English-speaking guides will be allowed. After 1 month they will review the success of the visitor controls they have put in place.
And because of the visitor numbers to Angkor Wat these days, those who wish to reach the top will certainly have to queue to get a place.
October 22, 2009 – 5:36 pm
M/Y Spirit of Niugini – Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea
Full Boat Charter: 13 Paid, 3 more go free
Plus, FREE NITROX
Half Boat Charter: 7 Paid , 1 extra for free
Plus, FREE NITROX
+ Guaranteed Departure!
7 Night itineraries – Starting at: $2,380 based on double occupancy
Package Includes: Deluxe accommodations, all meals and beverages (except sodas & alcohol beverages), airport transfers and 4-5 dives per day. Not included: Port fees, Reef & Chamber fees, fuel surcharges and any person purchases.
Contact Symbiosis Expedition Planning for more info.
October 22, 2009 – 12:25 pm
Cambodia is amazing for exploring on a mountain bike, whether you are an experienced biker or not. This is mainly because it is still very underdeveloped with few black-top roads… extremely rural in a way that makes Thailand look like a shopping mall. And… flat! But it is changing quickly as the country races to catch up with with its more affluent neighbours.
The Mekong River trail from the Laos border to Phnom Penh and then on down into Vietnam’s Mekong Delta area is perhaps one of my favourite routes – numerous simple villages, wonderful river views. sandy tracks and trails… Amazing!
Once you get into the Delta, navigation becomes a challenge as you search for bridges and ferry crossings to leap the latticework of waterways. Again, narrow trails winding through rural villages (many still without electricity), rice paddies and fruit orchards, using monkey bridges and mini ferry boats to hop over canals. Brilliant!
October 9, 2009 – 8:28 pm
Kuala Lumpur’s historical hotel Carcosa Seri Negara will close its doors at the end of the year to begin a renovation and redevelopment program.
Originally built in 1904 as the official residence of the highest British representative to the Malay States, Carcosa Seri Negara is a hallmark of Malaysia’s national heritage. Restored to its former glory, it reopened as a hotel in August 2004 and has since won an enviable list of prestigious awards.
Set amid 16 hectares of lush landscaping, the hotel is located atop a hill overlooking the city’s famous Lake Gardens just 15 minutes from downtown Kuala Lumpur and offers all suite accommodation and a selection of award winning restaurants. The hotel currently features 13 elegant Victorian-styled suites overlooking the landscaped gardens with the larger suites boasting sizeable terraces and private dining rooms.
Throughout the hotel, rich and luxurious interiors are furnishings of teak, marble, gold and silk whilst antique paintings, hand-woven carpets and Malaysian artifacts complement the nostalgic ambience of the property.
Until December 26, 2009, Carcosa Seri Negara is offering visitors to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysa, one last chance to stay in this prestigious boutique hotel before the curtain falls.
Located in the Carcosa Mansion, The Dining Room serves French cuisine in a majestic dining room overlooking the veranda and gardens beyond. Also in the Carcosa Mansion is The Bar featuring cane chairs, ceiling fans and cigar humidors to add to its colonial charm for evening drinks and cocktails.
Special deals are available for stays between now and the time it is due to shut up doors. so if you you are nostalgic for the days of British colonial grandure, contact symbiosis for info.
October 1, 2009 – 5:45 pm
A massive clean up is continuing across Indochina after typhoon Ketsana left a destructive path through central Vietnam and Cambodia.
The storm destroyed or damaged nearly 170,000 homes and flattened crops in six Vietnamese provinces, officials said, while more than 350,000 people were evacuated from the typhoon’s path.
The coastal resort town of Da Nang was hardest hit, with hundreds of people injured and thousands of homes destroyed. Flooding was also reported in the port town of Hoi An, another popular tourist spot.
Floodwaters rose and mudslides buried houses in Vietnam while storm winds flattened houses in Cambodia.
The storm, which first struck the Philippines on the weekend, killing 246 people and leaving 42 missing, cut through Vietnam and Cambodia as it made its way into Laos and Thailand.
Vietnamese government officials said it could confirm that 66 people were killed during the storm, some by landslides and some by falling trees.
Cambodian authorities put the death toll there at 11.
October 1, 2009 – 5:42 pm
PADANG – A big search is underway in Sumatra to rescue victims of yesterday’s strong earthquake.
A second quake hit Sumatra at 8.52am local time this morning, hampering rescue efforts.
Indonesian authorities fear that the death toll will surge amid the ruins of scores of buildings.
At least 200 people are confirmed dead and thousands are trapped under rubble.
The coastal city of Padang, capital of West Sumatra province, is among the areas hardest hit. It has a population of 900,000.
Authorities last night reported about 200 guests at Hotel Ambacang are still unaccounted for, and are assumed to be trapped under the hotel’s ruins.
Priyadi Kardono, a spokesman for Indonesia’s National Disaster Agency, said some 100 to 200 people had died in Padang and more than 500 houses and buildings had collapsed.
Buildings, including at least two hospitals, were brought down by the 7.6 magnitude quake, centred off the coast of Sumatra. The quake struck just after 5pm local time.
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A tsunami watch issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in the wake of the Indonesian quake has been lifted.
Indonesia’s vice president Jusuf Kalla, quoted by AFP news agency, said, “People are trapped, hotels have collapsed, schools have collapsed, houses have collapsed and electricity has been cut off.”
Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari said the quake was one of the biggest in Indonesia in recent years.
“This is a high-scale disaster, more powerful than the earthquake in Yogyakarta in 2006 when more than 3,000 people died,” he said.
Reports said the shaking could be felt in high buildings in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, and was also felt in Singapore and Malaysia.
The quake was along the same fault line that spawned the 2004 Asian tsunami that killed more than 230,000 people in a dozen countries.
September 29, 2009 – 9:37 pm
The central coast of Vietnam was struck by Typhoon Ketsana this afternoon, Tuesday 29 September, with strong winds of up to 150km/h (93mph) and heavy rain causing some damage. The airports in Danang and Hue were closed today, however, they are expected to reopen tomorrow and resume normal service. This tropical storm has already caused extensive flooding and several deaths in the Philippines as you will have heard on the news.
The reports we have received from the coastal cities of Danang and Hue is that there has been flooding and power cuts. Some beach resorts have been affected in Danang, including The Nam Hai and Victoria resort which will remain closed over the next few days.
In Hoi An town, the resorts are not as badly affected, although there has been minor flooding.
In Hue, the La Residence resort experienced some flooding on the ground floor areas, however, guests have not been affected and the hotel remains operational.
The city centre also has minor flooding, although transport is still able to enter the streets and accessibility to hotels and restaurants remains open.
Weather forecasters are predicting more heavy rain later this week. Here in Cambodia it is raining lightly, but we are expecting it to get heavier over the next few hours, perhaps causing more flooding in the eastern and coastal areas.
September 28, 2009 – 1:42 pm
Tasik Personal Discover Experience
Price: GBP 499/person, double occupancy (normal price: GBP 665/person)
Conditions:
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