Floating through Bangkok

One of the most importat tourist attractions of Bangkok, Thailand is its floating market. Located in Damnoen Saduak (about 109kms southwest of the city), any tourist interested to see a different kind of marketplace will be enthralled at the beauty and the quaintness of the place.



Tourists can arrange for special trips from Bangkok to the floating market (with a side trip in an elephant farm and zoo). Do sample the food Thai vendors sell in boats as you wade through the canals of the area. But be very careful about purchasing souvenir items as prices tend to skyrocket in this very touristy spot.

A budget traveler's guide to surviving SINGAPORE

Singapore is probably Southeast Asia’s cleanest and most disciplined country. Everything is timed and measured, and the feeling of security you get when you walk through even its unknown alleyways is different from when you venture out on your own in any other place this part of the planet.

Since it’s a small country (Manila, the capital of the Philippines, is bigger) with an obvious bias toward anything Western, it’s very easy to find your way with just a metro ticket and a tattered map. So you wanna visit Singapore? Get those backpacks ready as we say a big “Hello le!” to this wonderful city-state.

1. Pay attention. Do you remember the saying, “When in Rome, do what the Romans do”? It never gets any true-r than that when you’re in Singapore. If ever you’ve read that bit on a tourist being jailed for chewing gum or vandalizing, then you better pay attention and follow the rules. After all, it never hurts to wait for the pedestrian light to give the go signal, especially when you do your shopping along the famous Orchard Road, or to throw your trash in the proper containers.

2. Hear. Singaporeans speak Singlish, their own kind of English. The accent is a cross between Chinese, Malay and English, so people not accustomed to hearing other varieties of the language must be more patient in trying to understand what the locals are trying to say. To their credit, Singaporeans are very hospitable and would be more than willing to repeat what they have said if only to make you understand.

3. Get lost. In a country so orderly, getting lost seems to be a difficult task… which makes getting lost even more interesting! Try exploring places with minimal help from your city map: the small streets in Little India with its vast array of restaurants that serve curry and shops that sell spices, the quaint alleyways in Chinatown lined with souvenir shops, Chinese items and watering holes, and the bazaars in the Arab Quarters with their exotic perfumes, handicrafts and fabrics. Enter the numerous Buddhist and Hindu temples, and Moslem mosques that pepper the city. It’s an experience you will never forget.

4. Chomp. Since many cultures converge in this country, the place boasts of a wide array of cuisine to suit your palate. For adventure lovers, a plate of curry might make your day. You can also go for the honeyed chicken biryani that is served in the Arab Quarters, or some noodles and seafood in Chinatown. You can also go to Clark Quay where international restaurants abound, or simply opt for a McDonald’s or Burger King in one of the city’s many shopping malls.

5. Cruise. Singapore used to be a fishing village before Ruffles arrived in the country, so it’s no wonder that a river cuts across its central business district. Go for a 30-minute cruise for S$15 (if I remember it correctly). The best time to do so is at night when the skyscrapers are all lit up. The boat would even take you to the Merlion, Singapore’s most recognizable symbol, with a lavish hotel as its background, and the Esplanade, Singapore’s answer to the Sydney Opera.

Marlon’s Singapore Route (1-2): It’s a small city which can be explored easily, even without an itinerary. If you want to go to Sentosa, the country’s famed leisure resort, it’s best to reserve one whole day for that. During the summer months, the period from 1 to 4 PM is very hot, so you might want to squeeze in your visit to the shopping malls around that time to avoid the heat.

Marlon’s Budget Tip: Ask your hotel or hostel if they have any SG card to spare. It’s the transportation card you acquire at S$7 that allows you to travel throughout the island. The money serves as your deposit and will be returned to you once you surrender the card. To avoid the hassle of returning it to the metro office, some hostels have cards ready for their guests, which the guests would have to load themselves and return to the hostels when they check out.

A budget traveler's guide to surviving KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA

With the low-cost airline Air Asia making a lot of impact in the Southeast Asian travel scene, cities that are generally considered exotic are now within reach at an affordable price. Of course, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s capital city and main hub of Air Asia, has got a lion’s share of visitors from all over the world and is proving to be an exciting destination for people in search of Asian cultures in one compact site.

Whether as a stopover on your way to continental Southeast Asia or a visit done because of low fare rates, Kuala Lumpur (or KL among people in the know) may just be that very elusive hideaway that you are looking for. So wanna visit KL, Malaysia? Take out those passports and say a big “Halo! Apa khabar?”

1. Ride. Whether you’re in a low-cost flight or in a normal transnational airline, you would have to go to the KL International Airport that is about an hour and a half from the city center. Transport is incredibly easy since you could take a cab (about RM 80) or a bus (RM 9) that takes you to KL Central Station, depending on your budget. Whatever you choose to ride, it would be a wise move to have a lot of leeway in both time and money especially if you’re backpacking. Buses start their operations from the KL Central Station at 3:15 AM while the Metro starts at 6 AM.

2. Fall in line. KL’s main attraction for most tourists is the Petronas Twin Towers, which could be visited for free. About a thousand tickets are distributed daily for visits that start at 9 AM with a 15-minute interval for each visit. Do be there early (around 7:15 AM) if you don’t want to spend half a day in the queue. You may also want to visit Menara KL near the Petronas, but you have to pay for this one. The view is more spectacular here but if you only want to be in some tall building in KL and stare at the city, Petronas is more than enough.

3. Savor. What’s KL without its yummy delights? If you’re big on spices and flavors, KL may just be the right place to splurge. There are many self-serve canteens in the city where you could have your binge (and I mean, scoop to your heart’s content) and then the waiter gives you the bill; alternatively, you could just sit and have someone take your order if you totally cannot relate with the procedure. Do try the curries (ask for the least spicy if you can’t stand the heat), and seafood. And please do yourself a favor and drink Malaysian coffee (plain or with milk, hot or cold), the best coffee there is.

4. Shop. Malaysia seems to be placing a lot of emphasis on shopping. Now most people prefer to go to Jalan Petaling in Chinatown to shop for souvenirs, imitation bags, sneakers, belts and electronics, or even to the Saturday night market in Little India. I personally recommend, however, going to the Central Market instead. The items may be a bit pricier but you get to shop in an airconditioned place, something which would prove to be valuable on KL’s intensely hot days.

5. Revere. Malaysia breaks the stereotype most people have on Moslem nations for its being very tolerant toward a lot of faiths. Go to the Masjid Negara (National Mosque) to see how Moslems do it, then to any Buddhist temple especially on a Saturday to see people offering incenses and food. In the outskirts of KL you could visit the Batu Caves, a stronghold of the Hindu religion in the city. There’s a bus that goes there for RM 2 (which could take a lifetime). What I did was to take the Kelana Jaya Line of the Metro to Terminal Putra (about RM 2) and then a cab to the Batu Caves (RM 10). After climbing its 270 steps and ogling at the monkey-filled shrines, I took the bus toward the city center.

Marlon’s Kuala Lumpur Route (1-2 days): Start with Petronas. Then walk toward Menara KL either for a pic or a climb. Then off to the Batu Caves. The period from 1PM to 5PM is hot so either do your shopping in Central Market or the KL Shopping Mall, or eat and relax in Jalan Petaling. Try visiting the National Mosque and taking a pic in the nearby Old Train Station. And then go back around 8PM to the Petronas area to see the Twin Towers all magnificently lit up.

Marlon’s Budget Tip: It’s tempting to think that KL doesn’t have to be a budget destination because it’s budget in itself. But please don’t get too excited with the shiny and sparkly things you see in the bazaars or the insanely low prices for watches and the like. Look for quality and for something which you *really* need.

Eat, shop and see in ZARAGOZA, SPAIN

You might be in Zaragoza on a package tour to visit the Virgin of the Pillar and some R&R, but that doesn't mean that you have to suffer following your tour guide all day, right?

• Eat. Buffet restaurants are hard to find in Spain, which is why I was so happy to find out that there is one in Zaragoza and it's near the Basilica del Pillar. Called the Restaurante Las Palomas, it boasts of a delectable array of veggies, meats, seafood, fish rice, pasta and desserts. It was priced at 12 euros some two years ago, so I'm guessing that they've raised their prices a bit. Budget tip: buy your drinks elsewhere and bring 'em to the restaurant.
• Shop. Most souvenir shops in Zaragoza are near the Church and the majority of what they sell are religious items, although the staples of Spanish tourism like the mantón, fans, castanets, etc., are also sold here but can be very expensive. A very cheap and emblematic alternaive that could be bought in bulk and easily transported back home is a ribbon the size of the actual image of the Virgin of the Pillar. It's obtained in the sacristy of the Church (at the right-hand side if you're facing the image of the Pillar) and you get it with a one-euro donation per ribbon.
• See. Don't enter all the Roman archaeological sites in Zaragoza (you could see some even without entering... the Roman Theatre, for example). Just go to the one right at the Plaza del Pilar (entrance near the Seo) since it's the most developed and equipped for tourists, plus you save precious time. And oh, do see the World War II bomb meant to destroy the Basilica of the Virgin but didn't inside her Basilica.

Eat, shop and see in FLORENCE, ITALY

Let's cut the crap, shall we? While most travel guides provide their readers the standard, sponsorship-driven tips, W.A.M. inaugurates its newest section, Eat, shop and see, to help readers find their way in the city of their choice. And what better way is there to kick off this section than to start in Florence, Italy.

• Eat. Other than the usual finds of gelato and bistecca fiorentina, three things in Florence are worth sampling. For cheap but filling pasta and gnocchi, I strongly recommend La Cantinella on Via Borgo San Lorenzo (Tel nº: 055-213-525). Do go downstairs in the tavern to have an extraordinary Florentine gastronomic experience. Then if you're on Via Isole delle Stinche go to the salumería in front of the gelateria Vívoli and sample the shop's herbed cheese in olive oil. Simply divine! And of course, go to the revered lampredotto store in the Mercato Nuovo.
• Shop. If you're looking for something to bring home, try the Enoteca Lombardi inside the Mercato Centrale. Their sun-dried tomatoes are yummy and hold well during long trips. The lady who speaks impeccable English is very accommodating and suggests products you could take home.
• See. In the area of the Ponte Vecchio in an obscure corner near the opening of the bridge is a metal stand teeming with padlocks. Tourists from the world over are just dying to come back. Who wouldn't?