Farewell to Southeast Asia
January 27, 2010 | Location: Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand | 8 Comments
One hundred and forty-five days ago, Helene and I began our adventure around the world.
After a short layover in Japan, we headed down to Indonesia, to Denpasar and Ubud on the island of Bali. Relaxed but increasingly annoyed by the overgrown tourist industry of Ubud, we took the slow train across the island of Java, in the most exciting two weeks of our trip to date. We stopped in the towns and cities of Banyuwangyi, Probolinggo, Surabaya, Yogyakarta, all the way to Jakarta. From Jakarta, we flew to Singapore, where we spent an awesome two weeks with our friends Audran and Joëlle, discovering soup tulang, durian and amazing Indian food.
From Singapore, we rode the bus across Malaysia to Melaka, then to Kuala Lumpur, and from there flew to Bangkok, where we happily renewed with the city’s superb street food. We discovered our happy place in a small ocean bay to the south, then ventured forth to Vientiane, Laos, where we lost ourselves in the awesome French food. On the way back, we rediscovered the joy of traveling off the beaten path by exploring the cities of Isaan; specifically, Udon Thani and Nakhon Ratchasima made a strong impression.
After all this time, South-East Asia feels like home. In farewell to the region, here’s our very personal roundup of the high and low points of our adventures so far.
Best Street Meal: Nasi Goreng, Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia
We found this street stall not too far from the backpacker area by following our noses – no joke! The owner was so friendly and charming, I took to calling her my Indonesian auntie. The next evening, her granddaughter cooked our nasi goreng (fried rice) and soto ayam (chicken soup) in a wok over charcoal. The food was so amazing, it beat any fried rice I’ve had before – and I’ve lived three years in China.
Runner-up: The famous and fabulous noodle soup in Bangkok, Thailand
Best Upscale Meal: Yantra Restaurant, Singapore
When my friend Audran said he’d treat us to a fantastic Indian meal, he wasn’t kidding – Yantra’s menu was so exquisite, it makes my mouth water just thinking about it again! Yantra marked one of the first moments in our trip where we just knew we had to go to India next. Thanks again, Audran!
Runner-up: Le Vendôme’s superb French comfort food, in Vientiane, Laos
Best Drink: Java Joss, Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia
What happens when you take a boiling glass of sweet Javanese coffee, then dunk in a piece of glowing coal? Coffee heaven! We had to look hard to find this one, as it’s only available north of the train station after 6 PM, from a line of street stalls along the sidewalk. The caffeine kept me up all night – it was totally worth it.
Runner-up: The incredible avocado shake with chocolate syrup and condensed milk, in a flowery alley of Surabaya, Java, Indonesia
Worst Meal & Drink: Breakfast in Banyuwangyi, Java, Indonesia
After a string of amazing food in Denpasar, Bali, it came as quite a shock when we went out for the free breakfast of our local hotel in Banyuwangyi, on the Javanese side. The soto ayam (chicken soup) was barely recognizable, and filled us with sadness. Worst yet was the coffee – in an island known for its coffee beans, it’s shocking to find a cup of java that tastes like the inside of an intestine – no, really, it did.
Runner-up: Pad thai on the street in the Khaosan Road area of Bangkok, Thailand. I’ve had a better pad thai in a mall in Canada, and that says a lot.
Best Beer: Beerlao, Laos
More than just a beer, Laos’ Beerlao is a matter of national pride. You see its charmingly antiquated logo everywhere in Vientiane, making the beer near-ubiquitous in the Lao capital. It’s best enjoyed with ice, Lao-style, cooling down on a terrace.
Runner-up: Indonesia’s awesome Bintang beer
Best Accommodation: Bladok Losmen, Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia
An amazing city, super friendly and helpful staff, a pool(!!), a balcony… We could have moved into that room on the third floor of Bladok Losmen. We spent all our evenings sitting on the balcony gazing at the city and listening to the evening call to prayer (and then downing a Bintang or two), and even indulged in the fancy but entirely satisfying restaurant downstairs. At $15 USD a night, this was the absolute best value we found.
Runner-up: Souphaphone’s gorgeous rooms ($25 USD) and friendly staff, Vientiane, Laos
Worst Accommodation: Sama Sama Guesthouse, Melaka, Malaysia
I’ve never run away from a guesthouse after dark – until that night when one of us stepped on a fat cockroach in the dark of our room. Coupled with the crappy shared toilets and the flimsy bed that complained all night at my weight, we just couldn’t face another night there. In Sama Sama’s defense, though, the guy working there was an absolute gentleman about the entire thing.
Runner-up: Orchid Guesthouse and its lethargic staff, located down a burning garbage-ridden road in Surabaya, Java, Indonesia
Most Beautiful Place: Happy Place, Thailand
The sound of the ocean usually woke me up in the morning, and we spent our days strolling along the ocean front. We loved the place so much, as a matter of fact, that when I blogged about it, I didn’t dare reveal the name lest some Lonely Planet writer stumbled upon it and ‘discovered’ it. I’m still gonna keep it to myself, but feel free to ask me by email!
Runner-up: Ubud, Bali, Indonesia – touristy but genuinely gorgeous for its numerous temples, flower offerings and startling rice fields
Scariest Moment: Hit and Run in Bangkok
You get used to the way Bangkok taxi drivers hustle in traffic. Then one day you climb aboard a cab with a driver who appears to be high-strung on amphetamines – allegedly, a common problem with taxis in Bangkok given how many hours they have to work in a day to make ends meet. Our driver proceeded to drive like a madman, and when he bumped a couple riding a motorcycle to the ground, he just sped away as Helene and I yelled our heads off at him. We opened the car doors to threaten damage to his cab if he didn’t stop, but that didn’t seem to scare him as much as the prospect of facing the cops. When the traffic in a side-alley forced him to stop, we took the cue – and jumped out of the cab.
Runner-up: Driving at high speed the curvy, narrow roads of Mount Bromo, Java, Indonesia; good thing we didn’t miss a curve – and plunge to a fiery death hundreds of meters below
Friendliest Place: Probolinggo, Java, Indonesia
“Welcome to Probolinggo!” grinned a young man, shaking my hand. This type of exhuberant display of friendliness was our first real contact with Java – and we fell in love with it. People asked us to pose for pictures with them, and a group of kids yelled at us enthusiastically from the other side of the busy boulevard. Helene ended up spending a long, merry hour talking to the girls, who gave her a rock star ovation when they saw her walk by the next day. We love Probolinggo!
Runner-up: The friendly and upbeat people of Nakhon Ratchasima, Isaan region, Thailand
Coolest Fellow Travelers: Kara and Damien
Kara and Damien, two Americans on a year trip, wrote me one day to discover the secret of our Happy Place. They asked nicely, so I relented. We hooked up for a street-side meal and a few drinks, and became fast friends. We gave them our Rough Guide to Thailand, and we inherited a cozy wool sweater given to them by friends in Jordan, an Indian SIM card, and plenty of advice on India and the Middle-East. Here’s to our next encounter on the road!
Runner-up: Beatrice, a cool German woman traveling independently at 62 for the first time in her life
Worst Fellow Traveler: Papa Bill
We call him “Papa Bill”. He latched unto us in Probolinggo, and just wouldn’t let go. Loud, disrespectful, narcissic and scatterbrained, he walked around with his younger Thai wife in tow, and through sheer inspired negligence ran into trouble faster than I could blink. When we boarded the train in Probolinggo, his presence and his numerous insults to the Indonesian people – spoken at loudspeaker volume – chilled the previously friendly atmosphere in seconds. He then proceeded to take pictures of workers outside the train, yelling “Yes! Yes! Yes!” to quell their protests. When the train came into the station in Surabaya, we didn’t think twice – we ran.
Runner-up: Any of the dozens of inconsiderate and condescending tourists that give us a bad name with the locals, especially around Khaosan Road
What Now?
It’s been in the cards a long time – we’re headed to India! Whether it was the vibrant lights of Deepavali in Singapore, or the street-side delights of a South Indian restaurant in Melaka, we’ve been craving a visit to the Indian subcontinent since the very first days of our trip.
On January 29 2010, we’re boarding a flight to Kolkata, in West Bengal. A new chapter begins for the Backpack Foodie!
Southeast Asia in Blog Posts
Indonesia
Singapore
Malaysia
Thailand – Bangkok and the South
Laos – Vientiane
Thailand – Isaan Region
Laos Astray
January 9, 2010 | Location: Laos | 6 Comments
We came to Laos with the best intentions. We meant to explore the countryside a bit, to stray from the well-beaten roads of Thailand and unto the dirt roads of an emerging country.
Maybe the lure of French food and coffee was too great; or perhaps we were just tired from three months on the road. Either way, our adventures ground to a halt for a few weeks.
Travel Fatigue
We were travel fatigued. I’ve lived abroad a long time before – three years in Shanghai, to be exact – but the rigors of long-term travel are still new to me. In Shanghai, I had an apartment, a steady job, and a growing circle of friends. These things go a long way towards helping you relax, even in the midst of culture shock.
But on the road, carrying your house on your back, and frequently running into shoddy guesthouses or unexpected difficulties, you don’t often have the luxury to let your guard down. And if you’re traveling in a pair, there are days when you crave the company of someone who hasn’t heard your stories a thousand times before.
And so, you retreat into the familiar. You no longer have the strength to sit at a street stall and point at the other tables. You waste your days in air-conditioned cafés, surfing the net.
It’s not to say we didn’t enjoy Vientiane. We walked around a great deal, and thanks to the friendly owner at Banlao restaurant, we found some culinary gems in the Lao-only portion of their menu. Near the Thai consulate, we enjoyed Laos’ take on the Vietnamese phở, and fell in love with Makphet, a restaurant staffed by ex-street kids, and whose profits go to help those still out there.
After two misses, our guesthouse, the Souphaphone, was a fantastic place to crash and relax. The staff is super-friendly and helpful, the rooms impeccably clean and tastefully decorated. In fact, if you’re in Vientiane and the place is in your budget, you could do much worse than give them your business.
Back on the Road
And one day, we picked up our courage and hit the road again.
Sitting in the mall next to the bus station, I was already dreaming of our next adventures: first the Thai province of Isaan, still firmly off the beaten path. Then, a stop in Bangkok for visa applications, and off to India we go.
It’s not you, Laos; it’s me. I needed a break from permanent travel, and your tranquil capital obliged. I hope one day I can explore the rest of the countryside.
But first, Isaan awaits.
Where to Go
When we first stumbled upon Makphet, they sounded too good to be true. Fortunately, they’re the real deal: founded by Friends International, the restaurant serves as a training ground for street children who learn valuable skills to help them escape poverty. Plus, the food is an amazing, fresh take on traditional Lao dishes. What’s not to like? They’re located on Thanon Setthathirat.
Banlao Restaurant is a small, open-air terrace with the requisite foreign food, but a surprising Lao-only page at the back featuring fantastically spicy local specialties. My pick: the Luang Prabang pork sausage, served with raw garlic. They’re on rue François Ngin.
Souphaphone Guesthouse opened in late 2008, and still hasn’t made it into guidebooks. It’s one of the cleanest, nicest places I’ve stayed in, and the staff is absolutely wonderful. They’re on Thanon Setthathirat, near François Ngin.
The Spirits of Indochina
December 12, 2009 | Location: Laos | Leave a Comment
On the terrace of Vista Wi-Fi Café in central Vientiane stands a dark red spirit house. The Vista owners follow the ancient belief, prevalent throughout Thailand, Cambodia and Laos, that they should build a residence to host the celestial spirits whenever they erect a new building. As per tradition, they place a daily offering to the spirits in the house, to attract the protection of the spirits on their business.
This being Vientiane, the Vista Café leave two croissants and a cup of coffee for the resident spirits.
If the spirits of Indochina can have croissants and espresso for the petit déjeuner, why should I deny myself the same pleasure?
Colonial Echoes
Even today, there’s no denying the French influence on the Laos capital. All government departments, and many small commerces, carry signs in French and in Lao, and it’s easier in some areas of town to find an espresso than a laap (Lao meat salad.) The French themselves have returned to Laos since the day of La sale guerre, the First Indochina War. They show the quiet respect of a divorcee learning to be friends with his ex-wife.
As with Vietnam, French colonialism has left its imprint on the local food culture. Cafés are everywhere, with atmospheric French names such as Le croissant d’or or Café Indochine. Most of the coffee on offer is grown on the Bolaven Plateau, in the south of Laos, where French settlers first planted the bean. Roasted dark, it yields an espresso with a modest foam and a bittersweet aftertaste, best enjoyed with a croissant au beurre or fresh baguette.
South by Southeast Asia
With its French clientele and its promise of $3 USD steak au poivre at lunchtime, Le Vendôme in central Vientiane has lured Helene and me on many occasions. After three months on the road in Southeast Asia, we grew to like the restaurant’s mostly expatriate crowd, and found its menu an effective antidote to homesickness.
The owner hails from the south of France, which helps explain the many bullfighting posters on display on the walls. His restaurant is a Vientiane institution, having stood on the same spot for the last fifteen years. Here, we rub shoulders with VIPs from Laos and elsewhere, NGO workers, and the occasional tourist looking for the balm of a glass of French wine. Besides steak, Le Vendôme offers a variety of soufflés, gratins and meat-rich salads that would sit proudly on a bistro table in Paris, at a fraction of the price.
As we sit on the terrace at Vendôme, the French patrons, often in the sing-song accent of the South, fill the air with their love of argument and their good humor.
Our restless spirits sated, at least for the time being, we return to our guesthouse, wondering what other offerings Vientiane will have for us next.
Where to Go
Cafés are plentiful in central Vientiane, and restaurants without an espresso machine are surprisingly rare. Many businesses sell the fair trade, organic Lao Mountain Coffee. They claim to be the only fair trade co-op in Laos, though many other coffee vendors claim fair trade practices as well. You should be aware that the lack of fair trade certification does not mean this claim is false; if possible, you should ask the vendor for details on the grower’s practices, and base your judgement on more than a certification sticker.
The best espresso and croissant in town, in my opinion, can be found at the tiny café inside Phimphone Market, on Setthathirath Road. The Market also sells Lao Mountain Coffee.
JoMa Bakery Café, right next door on Setthathirath Road, makes a great espresso as well, and they do offer free wifi, though I would be hard-pressed to recommend their croissants.
Vista Wi-Fi Café and its spirit house can be found on Rue François Ngin.
Le Vendôme can be found on the east-west street on the south side of Wat Impeng (Impeng Temple.) Their lunch specials, including a superb steak au poivre vert at 25,000 kip ($3 USD), stands in my mind as the best steak value for money anywhere in the world.
