Ta Som Guesthouse - Siem Reap

While preparing itinerary for my Siem Reap trip, I came across this popular guesthouse. It boasts good review on the net thus; I immediately booked a single room with a/c for 12 USD per night with free and fast wifi and complimentary breakfast.

I emailed them the time of my arrival by Mekong bus from Phnom Penh; they sent Moori to fetch me from Siem Reap's bus station.

The guesthouse is located near the main road or National Highway 6 and around 100 meters away from the corner of Sivatha road. Because of this, it was pretty convenient for me to stroll up to Pub Street and Center Market during evening.

Upon check-in, I paid in cash and assisted with my luggage up to third floor. Prior to that, they offered me a welcome drink of fresh fruit juice while Moori, one of their tuk-tuk drivers who became my friend, showed me the posted transportation daily rates and schedule for temple hopping. By merely viewing on it, I got palpitation because I was a day away from setting foot in Angkor Wat, one of the great places in the world I dreamed of visiting.

Back to Ta Som, I was surprised and elated to see my room. I was expecting a single bed in a tiny room but I found a double bed inside a huge windowed and tiled room. Additionally, I have a personal ref and a daily supply of bottled water. Not to mention the fluppy towels and spacious and spotless T&B with hot water. By the way, a welcome fruit plate was also promptly delivered to my room by Moori after check-in. Considering these things; I knew that I would enjoy my stay in Siem Reap. Moreover, the cable TV was fantastic! I finished watching the second season of The Walking Dead.

The lobby area is like a typical living room with wooden furniture. There are 3 desktops that the guests can freely use at the lobby area. You can even buy cheap water, cola and beers from here. They also accept laundry job. Further, I noticed that all of the staff were barefooted inside the hotel thus I made it a point to remove my shoes also whenever I returned back to the hotel.

The al fresco style garden restaurant is located beside the entrance of the main building. There was a noisy parrot (?) at the corner. Some of the guests were trying to communicate with this parrot while waiting for their breakfast, LOL. They also offers affordable but tasty local dishes aside from breakfast menu. Actually, I loved to take my lunch here from time to time.

I have been longing to watch an actual Apsara dance since I step foot on Siem Reap. My original plan was to watch it at one of the bars in Pub Street. However, Moori informed me that Ta Som can book me an 8 USD dinner buffet while watching Apsara dance. I obliged and at 6 PM, Moori brought me to nearby covered place where an Apsara dance was being held regularly. I highly recommend to any Ta Som would-be guest to book your Apsara dance at Ta Som, trust me, the experience was great and the foods as well, drinks wasn't free though.

After I have woven Pub Street area during night time, I returned back to Ta Som for much needed rest. Sometimes, I stayed at the balcony and watched the surrounding area. Though nothing special can be seen, the ambiance and fresh air was so relaxing. It reminded me of our province in the Philippines. Night time in Ta Som was blissful due to being far from the town center and many meters away from the hi-way thus the place was absolutely quiet. Added treat was the firm but comfy bed and I can swear that it was bug free.

I believe this is family owned and run hotel. All of them were very nice and approachable. I extended my stay here for additional 3 nights because I enjoyed this cozy and laid back place so much. It was really convenient to stay here since they also arrange visa and tours not only within Siem Reap. In fact, I booked my Bangkok bus trip here for 8 USD.

I recommended this guesthouse to my colleague and he was also extremely satisfied with Ta Som. In fact, they even allowed him to pay his room after few days since his credit card was rejected by the system. When his wife arrived after few days, that was the time he was able to pay his hotel dues. Of course, Ta Som has been informed earlier by Moori that he was my colleague, LOL. He paid 15 USD for double room.

OTHER CAMBODIA ATTRACTIONS:

SR - Photoshoot with Apsara Dancers
SR - Playing Pool at Kampong Khleang

SR - Wedding on Dry Season

SR - Temple Hopping (Introduction)
SR - Angkor Wat

PP - The Killing Fields

PP - S21 (Tuol Sleng)
PP - City of Lexus

Singapore - Haw Par Villa (The Tiger Balm Gardens)

This place was originally called "Tiger Balm Gardens" because it was built by brothers Aw Boon Haw and Aw Boon Par, the owner of the famous tiger balm. The brothers were known as Tiger Balm Kings in Yangon, Myanmar until they moved their business in Singapore. Actually, it was their father who invented the most famous and so-called cure-all cream or paste in the world.

Eventually, the Singapore Tourism Board took over the gardens and renamed it Haw Par Villa. The park is open for public and tourists for free.

I consider this place as one of the off beaten paths in Singapore and I bet most of you will not waste your time visiting this place since there are countless tourist spots in Singapore that will be on top of your list or itinerary. Even myself, my feet brought me here due to my ardent intention to kill time while wandering in Singapore during my monthly vacation since I have visited and seen most of Singapore's popular places.

Actually, I got lost when I tried to visit this place by bus so I didn't bother wasting my time anymore on my consecutive visits to Singapore. However, on my last visit to Singapore, I learned that the MRT's Circle Line has been opened and making it more convenient to visit How Par Villa. I took the opportunity and visited the weirdest theme park in Singapore, if I may say so.

As an ordinary tourist or visitor, you would be amazed due to more than 1000 thousands statues and more than 150 dioramas that depict different Chinese folklore, legends, values and Buddhist beliefs. Many statues were life-size while others were even bigger. Because of this, the whole park can be considered as sculpture park.

What initially catch my curiosity were the famous 10 courts of hell exhibit. This exhibit dramatizes the different punishments meted out to the soul of the sinners before they would be reincarnated. On the other hand, the good and virtuous will be led through golden and silver bridges until they reach paradise.

Trust me, the dioramas in this exhibit were gory and horrible thus it should be rated as restricted for kids since the utmost violence being depicted here can only be seen in hell, so to speak. I read stories on the web that some kids had nightmares after visiting this place.

SOME DIORAMAS INSIDE THE TEN COURTS OF HELL

AFTER THE PUNISHMENTS

There is a museum inside the park. I didn't bother visiting it because of the entrance fee. Further, I didn't remember seeing food vendors inside the park but you would find a few vending machines. I would advise that you bring an umbrella or hat to protect you from sun because there is very minimal sun shade or shelter inside the park. Insect or mosquito repellent would be an added protection.

OTHER SHOTS INSIDE

the Tiger Car

main road near the entrance

newly built diorama

inside the ten courts of hell

Circuit Hotel Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Agoda billed me 54 USD for 3 nights stay in standard single room with free breakfast and wifi. I stayed in this hotel from 27 Feb to 01 March 2012. Upon arrival at Phnom Penh city by bus, I asked the tuk-tuk driver to bring me to street 154 where Circuit hotel is located. I paid 2 USD for the trip.

 

Circuit hotel is conveniently located at the center of Phnom Penh city. It is 5 minutes walk from Sorya Mall and from this mall you need another 5 minutes to reach Central market. At the hotel's doorstep, you can easily find tuk-tuks, be aware though that you need to haggle when going to far places such as The Killing Fields and S21. For nearby places such as Royal Palace & Silver Pagoda or Sisowath Quay be ready to shell out at least 2 USD otherwise, it will take you around 45 minutes of walking.

My windowless tiled room was small while T&B was tiny as well. The shower and toilet share the same area thus the entire T&B gets wet whenever you take shower.

 

Upon entering my room, I was glad to see a small electronic safe and personal ref since I don't normally see them in some budget hotels. However, I found out later that both of them were not working, they were merely props, LOL. Additionally, beddings and towels have seen their days.

The plus sides, the wifi was fast inside my room and strong hot shower. The restaurant at the second floor serves several set menu for breakfast which includes local dishes such as rice noodles. I loved their local noodles and fried rice. Moreover, I used to take my dinner here since the price was cheap while food and presentation was great.

 

Since I was in DIY tour, I found the reception desk staffs very helpful in providing details and information about the different touristy places. I even booked my bus trip to Siem Reap from them.

It is worth mentioning that in front of this hotel is a mini shopping and leisure area where you can find many small shops and restaurants. I found this place safe even at night and teeming with tuk-tuk drivers waiting for tourists. There is food court at the middle of this area; it becomes alive during night time. You'll find eateries, bars and karaoke around the food court.

I stayed in this hotel on last days of February 2012. At that time, construction was on-going nearby thus you would hear some hammering or thud sounds during daytime. I remember seeing a western couple hurriedly leaving the hotel due to the noise; they just arrived in the hotel. When night time comes; it is a different story, I used to view the city from the small balcony at the end of the hallway. The city view was stunning since there were less skyscrapers yet in Phnom Penh city

Vietnam - The HCM city riders

When my wife and I visited Ho Chi Minh City few months back, we were surprised to note the multitude of motorcycles in all its city roads. You would see ladies in heels, families, deliveries and so on using the motorbikes. In fact, you will seldom meet HCMC people who haven't got involved in any motorbike accident according to our tour guide. Moreover, both parties who were involved in the accident always tried to fix the problem themselves because it would be too expensive for them if police would get involved.

I am not exaggerating when I say that there are more motorcycles in HCMC than in entire Philippines. According to a recent local news report, there are 3.7 million motorcycles in Philippines whereas there are 4 million motorcycles in HCMC alone according to our tour guide. That corresponds to 40% of HCMC population owning motorbike. The main reason for this according to him was the lower per-capita income of the people thus it was easier for them to acquire motorbike than any 4 wheels vehicle.

Can you just imagine how many motorbikes are there in the whole Vietnam? According to our guide, there are more than 10 million motorbikes in the whole Vietnam.

Because of this, we found it difficult to cross any road due to presence of countless motorbikes running in different speed; sometimes the road was too wide making it more difficult for any new comer in HCMC to reach the other side of the road. Hence, we preferred to cross the intersection where traffic lights were installed.

It was in this light that our tour guide gave us tip on how to cross the road safely. While on zebra crossing, we can confidently close our eyes and start crossing the road slowly. The bikers, all of them would give us some space until we reach the other side of the road. However, he cautioned us that we should never go back when we started crossing the road otherwise, we would be in trouble. We tried to follow his advice but without closing our eyes, it was effective. We agreed that he wasn't joking.

In addition, along the main roads or high way, we have noticed that there were dedicated motorbike lanes to prevent them from mingling with 4 wheels vehicles running at higher speed. This was possible due to wide road network in HCMC and less vehicular traffic unlike in Manila.

heels on wheels 1

heels on wheels 2

family on wheels

business on wheels

Thailand - Bangkok Temple Hopping 3 - Wat Arun

Wat Arun is a Buddhist temple located at the Thonburi side or west bank of Chao Phraya River. The full name of the temple according to wiki is Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchawaramahawihan, named after Aruna, the Indian God of Dawn. Needless to say, don't bother memorizing the complete name since you can easily locate the temple using its shortened name because it is one of the most visited temples in Bangkok.

What makes Wat Arun unique and special among Bangkok's other famous temples is The Khmer style main pagoda encrusted by fragments of colorful porcelains while the four corner and smaller pagodas are decorated by seashells and bits of porcelains; they are also supported by demons and monkeys. Moreover, from the peak terrace of Wat Arun, you can easily pinpoint the location of other famous Bangkok's temple due to its locator or arrow showing the direction of each temple.

grand palace and wat pho at the back

I visited this temple when I was in Nappark hostel within Khao San area. It took me around 45 minutes of walking until I reached Tha Tien pier. This pier is located within a hundred meters away from both Grand Palace and Wat Pho temple. There are two berthing stations at Tha Tien pier, one is for Chao Phraya boats and the other is dedicated for crossing the river. I paid 3 Baht to cross the river.

Entrance fee for foreigner is 50 Baht while locals are free. Quite cheap isn't it? The temple is open from 8 to 5 pm. There are several eateries and souvenir shops around the temple. However, take extra precaution when climbing the uppermost terrace of the main pagoda since the stairs are very steep and narrow; they could be slippery when wet.

You may check my Bangkok temple hopping posts:

- Bangkok Temple Hopping 1 - Wat Po (Temple of The Reclining Buddha)
- Bangkok Temple Hopping 2 - Wat Saket (Temple of Golden Mount)
- Bangkok Temple Hopping 3 - Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn)
- Bangkok Temple Hopping 4 - Wat Ratchanatdaram (Loha Prasat)
- Bangkok Temple Hopping 5 - Wat Traimit (Temple of the Golden Buddha)

Happy Stripes - a concept born during my wandering

Due to travel ban imposed by our government to the country where I've been working, I was left with no choice but to wander in several Asian countries during my monthly vacation for more than a year. Because of this, I took the opportunity to find ways on how to transform my vacation away from home into something worthwhile, aside from blogging.

Few months back, before summer vacation, I learned from my wife that my daughter was planning to put up an online shop with her high school friends. They were planning to sell ladies accessories and later on signature shirts. They wanted to source their merchandise from Divisoria, a flea and bargain market in Manila. It was a good idea to be busy during summer vacation while earning at the same time. However, it seemed that they run out of steam; the online shop didn't materialize.

When my wife together with my daughter and youngest kid visited me in Bangkok, I asked my daughter if she was interested to put up an online shop but instead of her friends, her mother and I will be her partner. She readily agreed thus Happy Stripes was born.

Since they were already in Bangkok, I brought my wife and daughter to its different shopping Mecca. Moreover, I provided a seed capital of few hundred USD so they can jump-start Happy Stripes. They started buying ladies apparel in Platinum mall, Pratunam and Chatuchak markets and even scouted Khao San road night market. Trust me; it was like a merry-go-round for my wife and daughter. Sometimes I just sat with my youngest kid in a corner while the two continued to shop for hours as if they've been drinking energy drink every hour.

After few days, my wife and 2 kids returned back to Manila with my DSLR. I never thought that my DSLR will be required to make Happy Stripes merchandise appealing to its online clients. I was caught unprepared and can't refuse. I can forego with a few hundred dollars but not with my DSLR. I haven't completed my temple hopping yet in Bangkok. Anyway, there was no sense in arguing with these two ladies, I gave in.

In short, in just a matter of few weeks, Happy Stripes' first Bangkok collection was almost completely sold. The first collection was a success and profit was acceptable. We need to prepare for Happy Stripes future collections and a bigger capital I told my wife and daughter. Fortunately, some of my daughter's friends also contributed for Happy Stripes initial success.

After the travel ban to Yemen has been lifted by our government, finally, I was able to spend my vacation at home. I arrived in our home in June. One week after my arrival, my wife and I flew to Bangkok for Happy Stripes second and future collections armed with countless pictures and snapshots carefully prepared by our daughter as our guide.



As the saying goes, the rest is history.

Happy Stripes sells 100% personally handpicked ladies apparel from Bangkok. Hence, the quality is better than most of those being sold cheaply in Divisoria and tiangge. Further, the quantity for each item and color is limited thus Happy Stripes' clients can have that exclusive feel whenever they wear Happy Stripes products. Moreover, my daughter is always researching the latest fashion trend for her age group thus; Happy Stripes' main market is the collegiate ladies.

Nonetheless, though Happy Stripes can't compete in terms of volume with other online shop, its pricing is quite competitive because we used to purchase in wholesale quantity thus we were able to avail good discount from the shops. Aside from that, Happy Stripes' main objective is to give hands-on business experience to my daughter who is now in her 3rd year college in UP Diliman taking up Business Administration.

In this regard, I have told my daughter that I would be satisfied even if we'd break even in Happy Stripes' future collections as long as running this online shop will not affect her grades. Otherwise, Happy Stripes will close shop. We had a deal

I hope she'll be able to sustain her drive and motivation in running Happy Stripes. If that will be the case, I have big plans coming for Happy Stripes.

Perhaps, I'll buy additional mannequins, LOL.


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