Why SEA Zoos Are Fun

For people who both have a personal and professional or scientific interest in southeast asian wildlife, there's no better place to go than a zoo. You can spend days, weeks in the jungle, and you will still never see most of the animals at the average zoo in Vietnam, Thailand or Cambodia (the latter pictured here). The other fun but risky element is that zoos in the region tend to be virtual "petting zoos." There are usually no guard rails to keep visitors away from cages, and voids in the fence are usually more than big enough for animals to reach outside, and visitors inside. Touching wild animals does come with serious risks however, including the transmission of deadly forms of Herpes, Hepatitis, Rabies, as well as the opportunity to lose fingers, cameras and gain serious injury. Having professional zoo experience under my belt, and a few years working hands-on with apes all helps me to avoid mishap most of the time, but not 100% of the time...







Otters may be cute but they can deliver a nasty bite...

Samantha Brown in Saigon and Hanoi

Just found out Samantha Brown was shooting a new series in Vietnam this month. Presumably this will be called "Passport to Asia," following the patter of her other series. Oddly enough, I was apparently in Saigon while she was filming but nobody seemed to be aware she was in town. Follow her tweets at http://twitter.com/Samtravels. I don't know who her local guide/fixer was for the show, but I have it on good authority that it was a Vietnamese person and not an expat.

Notes From Mui Ne's Streets

My friends tell me there continue to be numerous fatal motorbike/automobile accidents in Mui Ne and Phan Thiet, including some decapitations recently.

A friend of mine is a motorbike taxi driver in Mui Ne. He recently gave a ride to a Vietnamese person from Saigon, who was visiting Mui Ne. The passenger acted strangely and instructed him to go to an uninhabited area in the countryside. Fortunately my friend knew something was wrong, and instead dropped the passenger off and went immediately to the police station. Surprisingly, the police actually responded and went and picked the guy up and searched him. They found on him a knife, pair of gloves, and drugs. They concluded that he intended to kill my friend, rob him and steal the motorbike. Lesson learned: don't give rides to strangers.

Kinda Gross

This was so nasty I just had to post it. It's a sign out in front of a hospital in Cambodia. It appears to be a photo montage of various serious health ailments, combined into a single "person." I blurred out a key graphic element... still pretty nasty!

And I Thought They Were Bad in My Town...

How many Cambodian police does it take to fleece a driver?

I've not even been in Cambodia 2 weeks and already the police and border guards have given me a shake-down 3 times. Thank goodness I understand what it's all about--fake fees for coffee money, and so they can be haggled with. They start at $5 or $10 but most can be reduced to $1 or $2. The maddening thing is why a tourist should have to pay extortion money to a cop at all. The worst place in Cambodia for this is Sihanoukville, where the cops are waiting for tourists on many street corners. C-o-r-r-u-p-t-i-o-n...

Guidebooking Blues in Thailand

From a friend in response to the previous post:

"The first time I went to Thailand, I got SO tired of people trying to rip me off. I went to a TAT (Tourism Authority of Thailand) office to get some tour information. They were the BIGGEST rip off. What pissed me off was, they are a government office, at least in part, set up to protect tourists from being ripped off. I just don't understand what it is with S.E. Asia and ripping off. What was it that I said about the VN boarder, that I felt that even in inanimate objects (trees, shade, wind) were trying to rip me off?"

"Also, every travel company posts "TAT Authorized" in their window. I'm not sure if the signs are even real, they could easily be fakes. But either way, it's meaningless. TAT is useless. Tourists should not use it as a sign of a legit place with a good reputation. In face, it's often the most dishonest places that display the "TAT Authorized" signage. And, like I said, the official offices are the biggest rip-off."

TAT: Why Guidebook Writing Can Be Frustrating Sometimes...

Below is a correspondence with TAT, the government-run Tourism Authority of Thailand...
****************************************************************************
October 11 (Me):

Greetings!

I am a guidebook writer for AA Keyguides. I will be coming to Thailand this month to update their country guide (http://shop.theaa.com/store/key-guides/thailand-aa-key-guides-paperback). Can you tell me if Thailand's Tourism Authority has any special programs or resources to assist someone like me? Particularly I am curious about
assistance with visas and extensions, receiving credentials from the Tourism
Authority, discounts on travel services or accommodations, and assistance with itinerary or transportation. Any assistance or information you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Kind Regards,
Adam Bray
****************************************************************************
October 20, (TAT):

Dear Adam Bray,

As your e-mail, I would like to recommend you to contact TAT Vietnam Office via e-mail address as below

E-mail address: tathcm@tat.or.th

Yours sincerely,
International Public Relations Division
Tourism Authority of Thailand
1600 Phetchaburi Road, Makkasan, Ratchathewi Bangkok 10400, Thailand.
Website: www.tatnews.org
****************************************************************************
October 20, (Me):

Thank you but I am no longer in Vietnam and will be in Thailand in a couple of days. Any advice you can offer would be kindly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Adam Bray
***************************************************************************
Dear Adam Bray,

I am sorry to tell you that you have to contact with TAT Vietnam Office only way since you base on Vietnam and you have to pass the process for discussing and approval about what you request from them

Sincerely yours,
X
International Public Relations Division
Tourism Authority of Thailand
***************************************************************************
Thank you for your response. I'm disappointed to hear that the Tourism Authority of Thailand is unwilling to assist me as a guidebook writer covering their country. As I am not residing in Vietnam at this time, nor am I a Vietnamese citizen, and I will be in Thailand tomorrow, obviously contacting an office in Vietnam would be pointless. As I currently represent AA Publishing, and often write guidebooks for other publishers like Thomas Cook, DK Eyewitness and Insight Guides, it will also make my work more difficult covering your country for those publishers well, if I am asked to contribute to their guides to Thailand in the future, as I have for Vietnam and Cambodia.

Kind Regards,

Adam Bray

Adventure Travel Has Its Disappointments

Sometimes as a travel writer I arrive in places that are real dumps, and sore disappointments, such as Koh Kong, Cambodia today, on the border with Thailand. I can relate to Alec Guinness here in this "lost scene" from Star Wars (warning, R-rated for language).

Vietnam Purges Expat Community

The following comes from Vietnam News Agency. I don't normally like reposting things, but this item was so telling of the current situation and I'm afraid it might be taken down at some point. First are letters from two expats echoing the concerns of many, followed by a response from the editor.
*********************************************************************************

Dear Viet Nam News,

The main topic of conversation amongst the expatriate community at the moment concerns the sudden withdrawal by the immigration department of the six- month business visa. This visa is what 90 per cent of the expats living here use and now only being able to get a one month visa extension will make life here quite difficult. Apart from the cost, there is the difficulty in being unable to travel, go to the bank, etc., because we won’t have our passports for one week for every month. Also we will have to register every month with the local People’s Committee. Why has it been withdrawn? Why is the expat community being treated like this? Does the Government no longer appreciate the wealth of experience, and to not mention money, that this group of people bring to Viet Nam? Are there any plans for the State to return to the six-month visa policy?

David Wood Nha Trang.
***********************************************************************************
Dear Sir,

I had a visa from the Vietnamese embassy in the UK for one month. I had several of these. Then I had a one-year visa, then I could only get a six-month visa. Now we can only get one month visas that are single entry.

I have lived in Viet Nam since November 2008 and find that the B3 visa is now so restricted that it is of great concern. This rule also applies to foreigners who have been here five or 10 years.

Does the Vietnamese Government not want the British, Europeans and Americans to live, work and pay relevant taxes in Viet Nam?

Kind Regards,
Mark Tu
************************************************************************************
Dear Viet Nam News readers,

Above are letters from two readers, who wrote to the newspaper expressing their concerns about recently approved visa procedures, which have stopped the issuing of six-month visas. Regarding these issues, we have talked to the Deputy Director of the Immigration Management Department, Le Thanh Dung, to seek answers.

Dung confirmed that the regulation on visas in Viet Nam, approved since 2000, has not changed. The only difference that was made since the passing of Decree 34 pertained to the recruitment and management of foreign employees, which happened last year.

According to the decree, all foreigners, except for diplomats, staying in Viet Nam for over three months will have to get a work permit to stay in the country. Within the next three months, if they do not get a work permit, they will be sent back to their countries.

Details about Decree 34 can be found at the website of the Ministry of Justice:

http://vbqppl.moj.gov.vn/law/en/2001_to_2010/2008/200803/200803250001_en

The Decree is part of the efforts to reorganise the foreign labour market in Viet Nam in order to attract skilful workers to the country.

Regarding the concerns of tourists, Dung explained that the Government encouraged the development of tourism and wanted to attract more and more overseas tourists to Viet Nam. However, with regards to national security and social stability, this was the way the Government had acted in order to ensure expats’ equality as a Vietnamese citizen, while they are living in Viet Nam.

Dung also said that this was an effort by the Government to attach responsibility to the Vietnamese companies and offices that hire foreigners.

He said that under the regulations, issuing visas would be based on the purpose of the individual entering Viet Nam. Companies that recruit overseas labour would have to take legal and social responsibility for the safety and social rights of these workers while they are living in Viet Nam.

For individuals who are coming to the country to work, they should have long-term contracts with a legal entity in Viet Nam. They can also get a temporary residence card, for one to five years, in accordance with their work contract and passport duration.

As the conditions for each case are unique and with the agencies possibly trying to extort foreigners, Dung suggested that individuals work directly with local immigration departments in order to follow the exact procedure. In the event that an individual is pestered by a bureaucratic staff member, he/she can directly contact the Department of Immigration Management Department and Ministry of the Public Security by post at 40A Hang Bai Street, Ha Noi or contact them at vnimm@hn.vnn.vn by email.

Dung confirmed that if foreigners had been living in Viet Nam with clear purposes, and had documents to prove their skills then their visas will be approved without any difficulties. An individual that had been living in the country for years legally should be able to get a visa extension.

He also added that the department would strengthen their enforcement in the near future. The issuance of one-month visas would also be reviewed. Individuals who had stayed in Viet Nam for a long time, but had failed to find reliable sources to state their reasons for why they are here, would be dismissed from the country.

Therefore, our advice to those concerned is to quickly contact the nearest immigration departments. In case they still have difficulties with the procedures, please provide us with specific information about their job, employer name and living location in Viet Nam, and we will try to help find a solution.

Best wishes,
The Editor
*****************************************************************************

My favorite paragraph:

"Regarding the concerns of tourists, Dung explained that the Government encouraged the development of tourism and wanted to attract more and more overseas tourists to Viet Nam. However, with regards to national security and social stability, this was the way the Government had acted in order to ensure expats’ equality as a Vietnamese citizen, while they are living in Viet Nam."

These references to ntnl scrty and scl stblty are a little bit alarming. Exactly how are the average expats a threat to this? Can we expect crackdowns in other new areas as well?

As regards "equality as a Vietnamese citizen." LOL. Will I be given the right to vote? Right to travel freely? Own property? Not in a million years... But would I also lose some rights that I already have?...

Dinner at Snow

I had a fantastic dinner at "Snow" in Mui Ne Saturday night. They had their first python-themed dinner, with 5 different dished made of snake flesh. They also sell a lot of beautiful python (and crocodile) apparel and hand bags.

I've eaten snake before, but never python (which comes from a farm is Saigon). I was a little squeamish about the idea to be honest. For me snake has been hit-or-miss (or rather, like a snake bite)... sometimes OK, sometimes not...

This I must say, was absolutely fantastic. I had the dumplings with sour cream, and the fillet with rosemary sauce. The dumplings were large, tender and delicious. The meat was somewhat like ground pork or chicken in taste and texture. The fillets were chewy, but not in a bad way--they tasted so good that I wanted to keep them in my mouth and relish the flavor as long as possible before swallowing.

A+ for snow. Thanks for a wonderful meal. I look forward to the next banquet!

Flooding and Destruction in Kon Tum

Below are photos sent from a friend who runs an orphanage in Kon Tum.


Rooftops of Bahnar minority houses sticking out above the flood waters.






Flooded street at the bottom of the hill cuts the village off from access to the city where locals need to go to get food and other resources.

Would you like to help an orphanage located in this area? Click here for more information about the orphanage in our blog.

Expat Discovers Second Ancient Cham Temple in Binh Thuan Province

A second undocumented Cham Temple site was discovered this weekend in Binh Thuan Province, Vietnam by resident expat, Adam Bray (myself), while exploring the countryside. The site, like other ruins in the province, may date from the 8th-9th centuries.

The temple sits on a mound in the middle of crop fields, and appears to support the remains of 4 structures, thought to have once been towers. The largest of the 4 still has 3 standing walls, though they are hidden among trees and vines. Weathered red bricks lay scattered about, along with the lintel of the temple entrance, though no statuary or decorative elements are immediately visible.


The Cham once dominated most of south and central Vietnam, and were contemporary adversaries of the Kingdom of Angkor in Cambodia. Today the Cham now heavily populate Binh Thuan and Ninh Thuan Provinces of south-central Vietnam, with a thriving matriarchal, Hindu-descended culture. They are known for their beautiful hand-woven textiles, pottery made on a stationary wheel (the craftswomen circles the table, walking backwards as they work) , the white robes, turban and red tassels worn by Cham men, and bizarre burial rituals that include exhuming a corpse on the anniversary of death.

Adam Bray and a friend found another temple site buried in the jungle earlier in the week (Click Here For The Story), also in the general vicinity. Even more astonishing, locals have suggested a third undocumented temple site is also located in the area, though Mr. Bray did not have time to investigate yet.


The discovery of several ancient Cham sites in the same locality in Binh Thuan Province is an exciting development because the Champa kingdom was not known to have large settlements in the area. Other temple sites, such as Thap Po Sha Nu, Thap Po Dam, and the recently-discovered temple at Thuan Hoa, all date from the 8th-9th centuries. If these new temples also date from the same time period, it suggests a much more significant settlement at that period than previously thought, and could change our understanding of Cham history overall.

Adam Bray first arrived in Vietnam in 2003 and bases himself in Phan Thiet, Vietnam. He is fluent in Vietnamese and speaks basic Cham. He is also one of only a small group of foreigners who can read Cham script, based on ancient Sanskrit. Adam has contributed to more than 15 guidebooks to Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand, for publishers including DK Eyewitness, Insight Guides, Thomas Cook, ThingsAsian, Berlitz and Time Out.

Typhoon Devastation in Kon Tum

From a friend, Teresa, in Kon Tum concerning the recent Typhoon:

"After the previous big rains, many things are lost and everything is very difficult. There is no rice and no Manioc and many other things. Now everyone in my village is hungry and my family--we have lost two hectares of manioc and five hectares of rice is gone too. The manioc and rice for the village is also gone.

At the moment i wish many peoples from many countries can come to help. The parents of many children in the village have not yet paid school for them. They sell manioc and sugarcane then they normally pay for their children but now everything is gone. Most of the people in my minority--they have no jobs--they just wait for some things they grow and then sell them so they can take care of their children so they can go to school. What will they do now? How can we find a way? Many people need more to help."

(I've edited this to correct some spelling and grammar)

Click here to read more about the orphanage Teresa and her sisters run in Kon Tum, and how you can help.

Highlights of the Mid-Autumn Festival

Below are highlights from Phan Thiet's Mid-Autumn Festival (Trung Thu). The evening parade is the highlight of festivities, held at 5:30pm (last Friday evening).

Vignettes of the Mid-Autumn Festival

Mr. Hung from the Forest Restaurant volunteers as a motorbike usher for the festival.

Nothing says Happy Mid-Autumn Festival to Vietnamese Children like a big AK-47

Evolution of a Mid-Autumn Festival Float: Dove

Evolution of a Mid-Autumn Festival Float: Water Buffalo

Quang Ngai Typhoon Destruction

Below are photos of the destruction in Quang Ngai, due to the recent typhoon. These are sent from a friend who said the destruction and flooding is widespread.

Typhoon Destruction in Quang Ngai, Vietnam

From a Vietnamese friend in Quang Ngai:

"I have been witness to a very violent storm and flood which came over to our area like never before. It was on Sept 28th-29th, 2009, during 2 days and 1 night. It was so terrible, so strong with level 12, 13 and effected most of the houses here (most of the tile-roof were taken away...and the water came in the houses made everything wet in the house, even food). The crops also suffered damage because of the water-logging. Some Enthic Minority houses were completely collapsed and they are now sleeping under tarps and have no food. My house was affected by that storm, too. Our area was overwhelmed by water for 1 day and 1 night."

A Note from Jon at the Hot Rock Regarding Fabrizio's Death

Good afternoon, Tragic to hear of the recent fatal accident involving the owner of Good Morning Vietnam. We and our staff send our prayers to his family, friends and staff. Just as tragic is the deaths of so many others on the roads of Mui Ne. In the years that i have lived in Mui Ne i have seen and even tried to help numerous fatalities along this road and i have had enough of it. When are the local traffic police going to do their job in a constructive manor? We are well aware that Binh Thuan has access to portable speed cameras. WHY DON'T YOU USE THEM? You can make money from them while reducing this disgraceful continuing road toll that is ruining peoples lives as well as the tourism industry in Mui Ne. Buses, trucks, cars and surely taxis are serious offenders with regard to THE 30 KM/HR SPEED LIMIT on this road. What company they belong to should make no difference. Just start to fine them and see just how quickly they will slow down!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do something serious before my own family is next. Regards, Jon Tuck.