Cooking Class: Laos

As what you expect in most Asian destinations, there is an abundance of cooking schools to choose from. We based our choice off the actual restaurant itself that the cooking classes were attached to.

The restaurant was Tamarind  and the cooking class was called Tamarind Restaurant's Cooking School. Every time we walked past the restaurant it was always full and reservations were highly recommended. The day we put our deposit down for the cooking class we also put our name down for one of the last open spots during their dinner service.

The restaurant itself had a great atmosphere, attentive staff and delicious Laotian meals. If the cooking class was as this high a standard, then we were in for a treat. This restaurant was definitely a higher standard than  most that were in the area, but price-wise it was very reasonable and didn't break the bank.

The cooking class:

This cost us 280,000 KIP, which, back then, was equivalent to USD35. We did end up reserving our spot online first via their website, but required a deposit no later than a couple days out from the intended date. It looked like the max number in any group was about 12 to 15. We had 12 in our group. 

We were told to meet at the restaurant by a certain time. Here we paid the balance of our class and then was served Laos Iced Tea. We were then taken by tuk-tuk to the morning markets; the largest markets in Luang Prabang. They sold all sorts of things from vegetables and spices to toys and socket plugs. We were taken to certain stalls, ones that the restaurants directly deal with, and here there were explanations of what each spice, herb or vegetable was- how it could be used in cooking.  We were also introduced to local Laotian snacks and taken through the meat section where our chef explained how locals eat nearly all parts of the animal. For example, buffalo meat. They will eat the skin, all the meat and the insides. Typically, the meat is quite gamey but the insides (being the liver, kidneys etc) are fleshier, healthier and tastier and thereby are more expensive than the meat itself.

Once we were finished with the market, the actual location of the cooking school was another 15 to 20 minute drive away through local farm lands and fields. The set up is pretty brilliant and here they grow their own vegetables to use for the classes itself. The owner of the Tamarind empire, Joy, was actually on site with us, which I thought was very neat. The chef did majority of the explanations but Joy was there to help on the side. They also gave us a quick background as to who Joy was and how he came to start up the school and restaurant. It was a very humbling story.

The class consisted of us cooking 3 main Laos dishes: Buffalo mince, Lemongrass stuffed chicken and Tilapia wrapped in banana leaves. For dessert we made purple sticky rice. The whole process was very interactive and the chef was very helpful and hands on. It was all explained very well and I think everyone in our group had a great time. Also, I think everyone was able to cook all the dishes without any disasters and we were all very satisfied at the end, and our hunger satiated. 

We were told to meet at 830am at the restaurant and we got back around 3pm. A very long day but well worth the time and money.  They do also have a shorter option where it is their evening cooking classes and you just make one less dish.

http://www.tamarindlaos.com/cooking-school/

Batu Caves, Kuala Lumpur

One of the highlights and most visited sights in Kuala Lumpur are the Batu Caves. It is an easy tourist spot to get to as one of the train lines end right outside the gates of this attraction. As we were staying at Reggae Mansion the closest station to us was Masjid Jamek where we had to head to KL Sentral and transfer to get on the train heading to Batu Caves Komuter station. It may sound confusing but everything is easily sign-posted (in English) and all the transport staff were very helpful if you did need to ask a question.

Cost: Masjid Jamek - KL Sentral = 1.30 per person / KL Sentral - Batu Caves = 2.00 per person

Within one of the Hindu temples.

You purchase your entry ticket at the gates (3.00MYK fee) and the moment you step through there are different sized caves to your left and right. It was amazing! The statues and the colours are electric and the story they tell are so mesmerising you could easily spend 3 or more hours here. Even if it was just to sit down and take everything in; watch all the tourists, hawkers or locals interact, everything about this place seemed magical. The only gripe I had was that there were no English signs explaining what each little display meant but it made it more fun trying to come up with your own conclusions.

Within one of the Hindu temples.

A little walk to the right of the entrance is the main sight- the Batu Caves. This is apparently 400 million years old and has about 272 steps leading to the top. It is also home to many thieving monkeys that are very, very used to close human contact. While they aren't aggressive (if not provoked) just do be careful because they are still very wild.

Inside the Dark Cave

One thing that a lot of people miss as they don't advertise it wildly, is that about halfway to three-quarters of the way up the steps there is a mini cave to the left- the Dark Cave. Here they offer a 45 minute tour (35MYR) every 20 minutes. The groups are kept relatively small and you get given a torch and helmet before entering. The guides are very professional and informative. They give you a rundown about the history of the cave, it's exploration, foundation, the environment and it's habitants. Very interesting and very well worth the money. Also, it is a good reprieve from the hot and humid Malaysian weather.

Walking towards the main attraction.

The actual Batu Cave itself is pretty grand in size but unfortunately not in appearance. I didn't think it was well maintained and unfortunately they couldn't get rid of all the pigeons that must call this place home. Consequently, a large number of pigeons also meant a large amount of bird droppings all over the place- even on statues and carvings. I guess they don't really want to "modernise" or change the authenticity of the place, as it is very sacred to the community, but a little cleanup here and there wouldn't go amiss.

A truly wonderful sight.

All in all, the Dark Cave was definitely my highlight here at this place but overall it is a great tourist attraction and definitely an iconic landmark for Kuala Lumpur or Malaysia in general.

Wai Wai Place / Wai Wai Bed and Breakfast

I just wanted to show some quick love towards this property as this was one place that I will never forget. Wai Wai, the owner, is incredibly hospitable, generous and absolutely lovely. She has recently opened up another house to accommodate all the extra people that are lining up wanting to stay at her house. She is also an incredible chef and will happily host dinners for her guests without wanting anything in return just because she loves cooking! She makes sure your stay in her city is comfortable, exciting and fun. She gives great recommendations on what to see and where to eat. I wish we could have stayed here longer as she made our stay in Myanmar so special.

I truly recommend anyone going to Yangon to stay at Wai Wai Place. You will never want to leave!

Wai Wai's Place- website

Wai Wai and us

Shwedagon Pagoda

Kuang Si Waterfalls

This was hands down one of my favourite places in Luang Prabang. It is a major tourist attraction so the biggest tip I can give is to go there early. If you want to feel like you have the place to yourself for a little while before your photos get overtaken by tourists then head there about 8am; the mornings are still warm enough that you'll enjoy taking a cool dip in the pools.

There is a small entry fee into the park but it's no big deal. Also, they have a pretty sweet rehabilitation centre for hurt or mistreated Asian bears within the park which you can walk by and view the enclosures on the way to the pools.

The hostel we stayed at offered a driver to take us there, but at certain times only as it was a group deal. We were able to find another tuktuk driver on the way to the night markets who gave us an awesome price for the 3 of us, and also arranged a van instead to pick us up the next day at the time we wanted. The van was a much better idea than taking a tuktuk as there is a bit of uphill travel and the van definitely navigated the windy, beaten roads a lot more comfortably than a motorbike would.

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Bagan, Myanmar

My travel buddies and I decided to splurge for our time in Bagan. We did have a budget we were trying to stick to but there was one accommodation that we couldn’t pass on. Accommodation prices for Myanmar are relatively expensive compared to the rest of Asia, so we decided to pay that $10-$20 more to get something that was better quality than the others we were looking to book with. We definitely made the right decision, too. We were going to Myanmar in April, which is one of their hottest seasons. Bagan is pretty much a desert. Around midday the heat can get so unbearable you do have to be very careful with your water intake and getting shade, as there is a very high chance of heat stroke. We luckily had booked into a hotel that had AC (that actually worked!) and a (clean) pool to cool us down. If you do head to Bagan, especially around this time, I do recommend having AirCon and a pool high on your list when choosing where to stay. It really does help because you won’t understand how hot it gets there until you arrive. The best times to go out are either very early in the morning and later in the evening when the sun is going down. In between it’s best to stay back at your hotel/hostel. The only time we were out during midday was when we hired a taxi for the day to drive us around to certain sites.

The place we stayed at was called Blue Bird Hotel. It is a small property therefore only a few rooms so best to book this one in advance. The staff were so great and the facilities were immaculate. Also, they have amazing waterfall showers in their rooms. These were the best showers I have had in my life! You’ll understand when you stay there =)

Anyway, that’s enough about the awesome place we stayed in. I just had to give them the credit they deserve. This post was about my top three temples to see amongst the vast amount of temples sprawled all over Old Bagan.

In no particular order:

1)      Dhamma Yan Gyi

The largest temple in Bagan. It’s 9 stories high, however, shortly after construction some of the higher levels weren’t as well supported as they initially thought so many areas were closed off soon after opening. You are able to climb to the second level and there are still great views from there.

2)      Shwe San Daw

While not the most elegant temple, it is a very popular spot to see the sunrise and sunset. Also, it is the one of the best spots to see a panoramic view of Old Bagan .

3)      Ananda

Said to be the most beautiful temple in Bagan and they aren’t wrong. It is also the most intricate with many beautiful old stone carvings and paintings within. It survived a major earthquake in 1975 however it was still badly damaged. When we were there a lot of renovations were happening and they even had some landscaping going on. Once everything is all finished, I’m sure this is going to be one grand place.

The two best ways to see these temples are:

1)      Electric Bikes

I have a love hate relationship with these things. They are awesome but they are a bit hit and miss when it comes to the quality. You can rent these usually from the accommodation itself. They are a great way to get around and are a lot of fun however, just like normal bikes, they are hard to handle when you’re driving through soft dirt or uphill.

2)      Taxi

If you’re with one or two more people, this is an inexpensive and comfortable way to get around. Plus you can get to temples that are further away and, if you’re stuck on time, you can go during the hottest part of the day. You can request a driver that speaks some English where you can ask them for recommendations on which temple to see. Otherwise, if you already know where you want to go and have a map then all you need to do is point and they will drive.

FYI: As you enter Bagan the bus will stop where they will request all foreigners to pay a $15 USD entry fee, which then you will be given a Bagan Archaeological Zone card. It is best to carry this around with you whenever you sightsee as some temples will ask you to see this card to confirm you have paid.

Also, they have only just started to learn how to really restore all their historic temples. Many have been ruined when they thought it was a good idea to cover all faded paintings with ugly, white paint and cover the floors with kitchen tiles. One temple was so bad that it made us really upset we just had to leave. Luckily, they have stopped doing this.

Lastly, just remember the more popular or modern the temple the more pushy and persistent the vendors will be. Be strong and you can say no!

Enjoy your Bagan adventure =)

Beijing - Taxi Scam

Operating scams are very common in tourist areas; some which are very obvious and others which slip right by you. This is one that we unfortunately encountered while in Beijing.  Sadly, we only realised we were being scammed towards the end of the experience. It was only confirmed once we did a little online search and saw the different scams that operate in China. It’s not one that happens regularly. We normally were very aware for signs of a scam, but I admit that day we were a little carefree and thereby the right targets for this operation. 

When trying to find out about taxi scams in China there weren’t too many posts about it, so I just wanted to share my knowledge about this particular scam to hopefully make more tourists aware of what could happen to them.

The Taxi Scam

There are fake taxis that drive around China and they generally try to pick up travellers mainly near Tiananmen Square/Forbidden city, or other touristy areas. They look very much like regular taxis so you have to look for the subtle differences that will set them apart. See this link for more info: Real vs Fake Taxi Cab.

Sign 1:  There were many, many taxis picking up tourists from this area. It was very difficult hailing one, so when this taxi drove directly to us we were so happy and relieved we didn’t have to walk anymore. Be a little suspicious of those drivers that make a beeline towards you, ignoring all others standing by (especially if they are local). From our observation and what we experienced most taxi drivers would rather pick up locals so they don’t have to make the effort to speak English with us.

Sign 2: The driver was very annoyed with having another passenger sitting in the front with him. He tried everything to make it uncomfortable for that person to sit there. When my friend tried to re-adjust the seat he got angry and refused to drive unless he moved to the back. Without having anyone at the front it gives the driver more chance to get away with the scam.

Sign 3: The taxi meter was increasing a lot faster than ‘real’ taxis. We noticed this but we weren’t too sure if it was something to question.

Sign 4: Without realising it until towards the end of the drive we noticed both doors at the back were locked and the window handles were removed. There was no way for us to get out unless the driver unlocked it for us.

Sign 5: Nearing the destination the driver rounded off a figure for us to pay and would start asking for payment. We had near the exact amount but he would only accept 100 RMB or would just keep asking for 100RMB notes only. We unenthusiastically agreed.

What would happen next is that he would hold on to the 100 note for a bit. Then, after a couple of minutes, would start asking, “Is this real?” “Where did you get it?” Then argue “No, it’s no good. Not real. Give me another one”. Unwittingly, we gave over another 100 to try quieting him. Same thing, same question, same arguments.  This happened about four or five times. Our frustration and anger were rising. Finally, after a lot of yelling, he gave us the change we needed and let us out of the car. Once all the emotions had subsided everything became very clear to us and we knew that we had been scammed.

We were dropped off at an amazing, famous seven level Peking duck restaurant and with free Wi-Fi in hand we did a little Google search. Sure enough there were a couple of blog posts about this particular scam. The objective is swapping your notes for fake bills. With us sitting at the back, angry and frustrated, we missed him putting his hand into his pocket to swap the bills before arguing that they weren’t real.

We tried to enjoy our meal as much as we could before we could focus on what just happened to us. Upon leaving we decided to check our notes with the cashier staff. Nearly every shop in China has a bill counter, and I guess we now know why: to check for fake bills. Yes, it is that common!  Sure enough, the four or five or six 100 RMB bills that were handed back to us by the driver were all counterfeit. The staff that could speak English and understand our situation were very sorry and upset for us, which we thought was very sweet of them. We decided we’d try our luck at the police station and report the events but it didn’t get very far as we had limited to no information about the driver and his cab. On the bright side, while we were about 100 - 150 NZD out of pocket, there were 3 of us to share that amount with.

I guess the main things to do to save your skin just in case you’re stuck in a situation like this is to firstly check that you are in a legitimate taxi cab, and also ALWAYS ask for a receipt. If they are an official taxi then they will happily hand this over. We stupidly didn’t do this. In the heat of the moment we were too angry at what the driver was doing it distracted us from common sense.  On this receipt you’ll also have the driver’s or company’s information on there should you need it to give to the police or your insurance company.

2014 Asia trip

I've been a bit slack this year with my posts. But here is my itinerary that I travelled on this year. I'll try add a few posts soon about a few of my experiences on this trip.

SEOUL - KUALA LUMPUR - SIEM REAP - LUANG PRABANG - NONG KHIAW (via bus) - LUANG PRABANG (via bus) - CHIANG MAI (via boat on the Mekong) - AYUTTHAYA (via train) - BANGKOK (via train) - SINGAPORE - BANGKOK - KUNMING - DALI (via bus) - SHAXI (via bus) - DALI (via bus) - KUNMING (via bus)  - XI'AN - BEIJING (via train) - SHANGHAI (via train) - ATLANTA (roadtrip: New York - Buffalo - Vermont - Maine - Washington DC - Georgia) - AUCKLAND

Ah, the memories =)