Luxury Travel Review
With video – Koh Samui, Thailand canopy ride offered off the beaten track fun
By Elena del Valle
The Canopy Adventures office
On a recent visit to the island of Koh Samui in Thailand I went on a canopy ride. The mid morning ride provided an off the beaten track activity and a pretty bird’s eye view of the local greenery including a waterfall. At my request after seeing the activity listed among the hotel tour offerings, the hotel staff at the Hansar Samui, my beachfront hotel on the northern coast of the island, coordinated the outing. The hotel sorted out reservations and provided transportation to the canopy ride site.
Canopy Adventures
From the paved road a few minute’s drive from the hotel we followed a bumpy dirt road that made me glad we were in a four by four vehicle. When the road ended we found a steep uphill path. At the top of the path there was a small thatched roof hut where three staff welcomed us. Since only two of us were scheduled at that hour we were able to begin quickly. We signed in, promised not to sue them in case of an accident and proceeded with the tour. Minutes later we donned canopy gear and thick gloves (mine smelled awful) and continued up a hilly path to a training spot in the company of two of the friendly staff members.
Ladders to the canopy
A sea of mosquitoes greeted us while we listened to their explanations in thickly accented English. Additional climbing led us to the first of several treetop platforms. Although it was harder than it looked when the guides showed us and required upper body strength to slow down and stop while moving down the line, it looked very safe. Soon we were zipping along the trees and screaming delightedly. The heat and humidity were high even though the sky was mostly overcast. Sweat dripped from our faces and my sunglasses fogged up so much they became useless so I let them hang around my neck.
The secret falls
When we arrived at the last zip line we felt small rain drops. We rushed back to the starting point just in time to miss the pouring rain. While the next group of tourists waited for the rain to stop we wolfed down a plateful of sweet watermelon they offered us and pondered how the ride had gone by so quickly. A short while later the rain slowed down. We took advantage of the lull to say good bye and made our way back down the steep path to the car.
After cleaning our hands with refresher towels in the vehicle we headed back to the hotel in air conditioned comfort, drinking bottled water to quench our thirst while planning our next adventure. Canopy Adventure (Thailand) Co Ltd, PO Box 28, Meanam, Koh Samui, Suratthani, Thailand 84330, Phone + 66 077 414 151, www.canopyadventuresthailand.com, info@canopyadventurethailand.com
Happy New Year
We wish you a wonderful, healthy and prosperous 2011!
Le Grand restaurant offered romantic, refined dining in Siem Reap, Cambodia
Doorman at the hotel wearing traditional Khmer costume
One of our team members was recently in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Among the places she visited was Le Grand restaurant, the gourmet restaurant of the Raffles Hotel in that city. The quiet restaurant in the lobby of the historic hotel was known locally for its wine collection, Royal Khmer cuisine, and romantic setting. Visit Simonandbaker.com for more about Siem Reap and Restaurant Le Grand.
A day trip visit to a Cambodian lake, bird sanctuary and floating village
Article and photos by Elena del Valle
A young boy in a tiny boat floats through the village
During a recent trip to Siem Reap, Cambodia I had an opportunity to spend time in a conservation area and bird reserve near the city. Although the conservation area we visited was only 90 minutes by car and boat from the central urban area where my hotel was it was vastly different from the hustle and bustle of the city. Spending time in an area visited by only 150 bird and conservation enthusiasts a year was special. As the word spreads about the eight conservation areas that it is possible to visit in Cambodia and tourism to the region continues to grow the number of visitors to the reserve will likely grow as well. For now, it is still a pleasure of serene lake and birding panoramas.
Most of the village floated on the water
Nick Butler, the coordinator of the Sam Veasna Center for Wildlife Conservation, and Sophoan Sanh, a senior tour guide with five years of experience with the Center, escorted me on a day long Bird Reserve and Floating Village Day Trip on Tonle Sap Lake. To take advantage of the weather and avoid rain as much as possible we set out at 6 a.m. on a weekday morning. We drove from my hotel in central Siem Reap through the countryside to the shores of Tonle Sap Lake, the home of, and an important source of livelihood for, many Cambodians; where we boarded a 10 meter wood motorboat with a 110 horsepower engine, curtains (in case of rain) and an upper deck (we were quite thankful for the curtains and cover when it rained) to traverse the lake in a west southwest direction to our destination, the Prek Toal Bird Sancuary and the nearby village of Prek Toal.
Map of Cambodia
Along the way Nick, a native of the United Kingdom, and Sophoan, a Cambodian, shared information about the lake and its importance for the local communities, the birds in the area and the environment while we munched on the goodies from the breakfast boxes they had brought along. Although there was plenty of space in the shady comfort of the boat we climbed onto the upper deck to better view the lake and the birds. On our way through the conservation area to one of the main floating villages we stopped at an observation point, a tree where Center staff spent time to monitor and protect the bird nesting areas (sometimes the fishermen were drawn to them because of the excellent fishing they offered). From the canopy of the tree we could see for miles around the lake, including approaching rain clouds. It was a beautiful sight. Although there was a seemingly infinite variety of insects that rained on us when we brushed the trees as we motored around the reserve I saw not a single mosquito and for that I was thankful.
Boats of many descriptions were the core of local transport
At the Prek Toal floating village we picked up a representative of the Cambodian parks and made a restroom stop (although there was a toilet on the boat it was tiny and without toilet paper) before heading to a local house for lunch. The village was a lively place with residents going about their everyday lives in their floating homes and businesses or making their way from one location to another by boat. Lunch, prepared by a village family who had received special training, was delicious.
A non floating temple in the floating village
After lunch, a teenage member of the family showed us around the village in a small rowboat. I particularly enjoyed the water level view we had on the boat that allowed us to see the inhabitants, their homes and businesses close up. Some came to their door to look at us with curiosity; at times children waived shyly and adults smiled when we waved back. After that we crossed the lake to reach our car for the short drive back to Siem Reap, arriving at my hotel in the late afternoon. The day trip remains one of my favorite memories of Cambodia.
Visit Simonandbaker.com for additional information about Siem Reap and my tour with the Sam Veasna Center for Wildlife Conservation.
A message from our award partners
As Media Partners of the World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) 2011 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards we share this message from the 2011 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards organizers that we think may interest you:
Apply today!
Only one week to go until the 10 December deadline for applications for the World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) 2011 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards.
WTTC invites tourism businesses and destinations worldwide to enter in one of the four categories: Global Tourism Business, Conservation, Community Benefit and Destination Stewardship, showcasing best practice in sustainable tourism. Applications may be submitted online on www.tourismfortomorrow.com/Apply/.
The Global Tourism Business award is the leadership recognition in best practices in sustainable tourism at a large company level with at least 500 full-time employees and operating in more than one country
WTTC’s foremost awards, which include an international panel of expert judges and a rigorous on-site evaluation process, recognise and celebrate these advances in sustainable best practices. Finalists and winners will receive worldwide exposure, setting the standard for sustainable practices and projects.
Due to a three-step stringent judging process, the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards have achieved growing levels of respect among key audiences – the industry, governments and the international media. Winners and Finalists will be publicly recognised during a special ceremony at the 11th Global Travel & Tourism Summit held from 17-19 May 2011 in Las Vegas, USA, in the presence of government and industry leaders. For additional information visit www.globaltraveltourism.com
Cambodian silversmith shares his life experiences, pain through jewelry
Article and photos by Elena del Valle
Cambodian silversmith Ly Pisith in his shop
As I sat across from him early one evening in the boutique I noticed his calm demeanor in between the constant interruptions of customers. I sensed kindness, a certain sadness and a quiet strength. Beyond that it was impossible to guess what the welcoming and handsome man was thinking. We spoke easily, switching between languages and topics as the ebb and flow of customers allowed.
At first I didn’t know what stirred disquiet within me. The store was a labor of love filed with distinctive locally inspired pieces on display. Every one of them was a part of a story, his story, I discovered later as we spoke.
His shop is located in the heart of Siem Reap, Cambodia
Ly Pisith lived a harrowing childhood in Cambodia. After escaping the Khmer Rouge, the despotic regime that killed everyone in his family and forcibly recruited him, he grew up on the streets of the capital city. From the urban center of the country he walked miles upon miles to the border with Thailand where he was taken to a French Red Cross camp.
From there things improved. Eventually he moved to France where he attended school. He studied at the Institut Universitaire de Technologie in Bordeaux and took courses in graphic art and decoration at the Beaux Art de Paris. In time he became successful designing eye wear at Alain Mikkli and Stark, he told me softly in French. But the ghosts of his past haunted him, driving him to return to the land where he lost everything and suffered so profoundly in search of peace and a respite. He believes the path to what he seeks is in Siem Reap, Cambodia confronting the past that is no longer.
The Garden of Desire displays were locally inspired and made with local artifacts
“I have always a passion in jewelery design. I started young but the designs were for myself and close friends only. It was only two years back when I decided to pursue jewelery design, open up a gallery and made a new career move,” he said.
In 2008, he opened Garden of Desire, a silver jewelry boutique in the heart of Siem Reap near the central market. In the well lit shop decorated with local materials including wood and art based on the designs of the nearby world famous Angkor Temples he sells art as jewelry in contemporary designs. An executive at my hotel recommended the shop after explaining that it was the only jeweler in town he trusted to be reputable due to the many fake precious stones being sold as the real thing even in high end stores. Almost everyone I asked echoed those sentiments. When I asked the shop owner about the situation he agreed it was a widespread problem and the reason he only worked with semi-precious stones.
His designs are wearable art with elements of storytelling; made to be comfortable to wear and stylish. His art is “about encasements of personal stories and reflections.” Cages are a repetitive feature in his work, he explained, because so much of his life is associated with being constrained in some way. Even at the Red Cross camp where he found help he was imprisoned since he was not allowed to leave.
An intricate silver necklace, one of the Caged designs
“The jewelry doesn’t have to be nice. It’s about their personality. They find the right something that tells you something perfectly takes over you. It really has to be something that brings out you. This is my conception of jewelry; and jewelry has a feel, a look,” he said, explaining that it is not necessary for jewelry to make the wearer feel good or nice; he seeks to provide items his customer identify with immediately.
He went on to say that jewelry can express feelings of pain, anguish, and the anxiety of feeling boxed in; his customers browse through the store and find the item they identify with right away. He shares his feelings and his experiences in his jewelry and his customers find the ones that resonate with them.
A couple purchased a ring while I was at the store. They walked around and waited two hours while it was sized rather than give up on the purchase. He sees that desire and that determination often among his customers, he told me when I asked how customers respond to his jewelry.
Sculpture as jewelry
“I am always most willing to explain my works to my customers who are keen in my creations. After hearing about the ideas behind their purchase, they are often surprised and value the pieces even more. But my creations can be appreciated on different levels; from the designs to forms,” said the Cambodian artist who was partly self taught in France.
“I am always curious about working with new materials and often I learned from books and through experimentation. I also work with Cambodian artisans. It is a two way learning journey for us. We come up with our own methods,” he said when asked how he learned his trade.
Intricate and thought provoking designs
Some of his series include Weather, about the environment including clouds, rain, organisms and the ozone; Cage which consists of two necklaces. The first speaks of humans trying to control or take over nature. The second necklace illustrates nature overpowering humans and resisting interventions. Series 1 Can You Hear Me? is an abstract image of a land mine victim. Series 2 Can You Hear Me? is also an abstract portrait of a land mine victim. Here the inner voice is expressed through the facial expression, a silent scream.
“Upon seeing the victims and knowing their personal stories, I was intrigued to create a piece of jewelry. This piece shows the figure of the victim. Standing on only one good leg and hand reaching out,” he said.
Out of the ordinary star earrings
“Having lived in France for most of my life and traveling around the globe, Cambodia and especially Siem Reap is still close to my heart. I was born in Phnom Penh and travel(ed) to France after the war. Siem Reap is such a charming place with the temples where I can seek peace. I lead a simple yet meaningful life creating my works. I do miss a little the city buzz from time to time where you have everything,” Ly said, explaining that in the future he plans to continue experimenting with new materials beyond silver. Garden of Desire, The Passage-Old Market Area, Siem Reap, Kingdom of Cambodia, +855 12 319116, www.gardenofdesire.wordpress.com, gardenofdesire@ymail.com
