A Pool Villa at Anantara Phuket.

by Julia Bainbridge on Travel Deals

Now that Continental Airlines has slashed fares to China and Japan, we're hoping somebody will slash fares to Thailand so we can take advantage of the early bird specials at some of the country's finest properties. For example:

*Get 7 nights for the price of 5 at the Anantara Phuket Resort & Spa, which is on Condé Nast Traveler's Hot List this year. You end up paying $336 per night (including taxes) for a private Pool Villa, instead of $471.
Bonus: If you book 30 days in advance, you get a free massage per person.
For travel through: July 31, 2009.

*Get your third night free at the Anantara Golden Triangle Resort & Spa, which made the Hot List in 2005, if you book more than 50 days in advance. You end up paying $169 per night (including taxes) for a Deluxe room, instead of $253.
Package includes: Daily buffet breakfast for two and 25% off restaurant meals and spa treatments.
Note: A minimum stay of three nights is required.
For travel through: December 12, 2009.

*Get your fourth night free at the Anantara Koh Samui Resort & Spa if you book more than 30 days ahead. You end up paying $146 per night (including taxes) for a Deluxe room, instead of $168.
Package includes: 25% off the resort's restaurants and spa treatments.
For travel through: July 15, 2009.

*Save up to 36% at the Metropolitan Bangkok if you travel before June 30, 2009, and if you stay a minimum of two nights. We found a City Room for $117 per night (including taxes), instead of the usual $182.
Note: The Web site currently says the deal is valid until April 30, but in actuality it's been extended through June 30. We're told the site will be updated shortly.

So if you hear of a fabulous airfare sale to Thailand, don't hesitate to let us know!

by Wendy Perrin

This question came in from andy10003:

"My 70-year-old mother is looking for a group tour of Southeast Asia. Do you know of any well-regarded Asia tour groups that cater to older women traveling alone?"

The first thought that pops into my head is Elderhostel. Its not-for-profit learning programs appeal to single travelers and seem to represent quite a value, as they don't charge the unreasonably high "single supplements" that so many tour companies do. 

Does anyone have another suggestion for andy10003?  Or does anyone who has taken an Elderhostel trip have input to share?  Thanks!

That's me in front of Angkor Wat on Monday, December 3, 2007.

by Brook Wilkinson

While I was on assignment in Cambodia earlier this month, I learned about a great organization that is working to preserve that country's cultural treasures: Heritage Watch. Started by archaeologist Dougald O'Reilly, Heritage Watch has spent the past five years campaigning against antiquities looting -- and, more recently, for responsible tourism. I was struck by the lack of guidance at Angkor Wat and the surrounding temples -- there are few signs telling you where to go or not go, what to touch or not touch. But as Dr. O'Reilly told me, their unrestricted access is one of the charming things about the sites, and "the onus is on the people visiting to be responsible themselves."

How can you help preserve Cambodia's relics? Read on to find out.

A novice at Yangon's Shwedagon Pagoda. Myanmar's 400,000 monks and nuns are outnumbered only by its armed forces.
Photo: Gentl & Hyers, Conde Nast Traveler

by Wendy Perrin

The U.S. State Department has issued a travel advisory for Myanmar (Burma) recommending that vacationers stay away, given the recent demonstrations.  Those of you who've read my columns for years know that I take State Department advisories with about a heaping teaspoon of salt, as influenced as they are by politics and diplomatic gamesmanship. They're a place to start your research, but by all means don't end it there.

I pay greater attention to the advisories issued by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs, since these tend to be less politicized and more timely. Interestingly, this time the United Kingdom and Australia -- typically less alarmist than the U.S. -- were both cautioning against travel to Myanmar before the State Department did.  Given the consensus by all three governments, it probably is indeed best for now to content yourself with armchair travel to this beautiful and enigmatic country.  Susan Hack's fascinating article "Shadowland: Inside Myanmar" in Conde Nast Traveler's October issue is a good start. There is also Deborah Dunn's investigation into Myanmar's endangered temples of Bagan in "20 Places to See Before They Die" (from our May issue).

I just walked down the hall to Debi Dunn's office to get her take on the Myanmar situation, as she was just there in January.  Debi pointed out the one -- and only one -- upside to the current violence: "The tremendous courage of the Burmese people is now front-page news," she said. "I can't help thinking about the monk I met on my first day in Burma. He was sitting outside Shwedagon Pagoda, the holiest temple in Yangon. He, unlike most everyone else I met, was unafraid to openly criticize the government.  He implored me to spread the word about the plight of the Burmese.  'We need international pressure,' he said.  'We can't do anything to oppose the government inside the country because we don't want to go to jail. When you go home, maybe you can tell your friends that we need help.' " 

Debi recommends The Irrawaddy as a good source for keeping up with the latest news out of Myanmar.

Neil Mandt, who wrote, directed, co-produced (with his brother Michael) and starred in "Last Stop for Paul," a charming travel film the likes of which you've never seen.

Photo: courtesy of Mandt Brothers Productions

by Stephan Wilkinson

Ever been curious what your kids were up to when they did that post-college backpacking thing?  Be sure to see the delightful pseudo-documentary Last Stop for Paul.  Well, maybe you shouldn't, particularly if you're old enough to remember Mondo Cane or assume your daughter's still a virgin. 

This excellent comedy is a combination of that cultish Italian "shockumentary" of the early '60s, with a dash of Girls Gone Wild and a heaping bowl of every buddy film you've ever watched.  (Did I mention that I loved it?)  Last Stop for Paul will be "theatrically released" in October and presumably on DVD 20 minutes later, but you can also watch at least some of it in chapters right now on the film's website.

That's all you need to know, but if you want more...  (Oh, and did I mention that I want to go on their next road trip?)

The ruins at Bagan, Myanmar, are being shoddily restored by the country's ruling military junta.
Photo: Conde Nast Traveler

by Brook Wilkinson

To go or not to go: When it comes to Burma, that is the question. Many in the U.K. and U.S. support a ban on tourism there until the military junta that has been in power since 1962 makes way for an elected government. One issue is the house arrest of opposition leader, and boycott supporter, Aung San Suu Kyi. The government in Myanmar (as the junta has renamed Burma) has just extended her sentence by at least another year, according to the Economist.

If you're feeling conflicted yourself, here are a few sources to turn to: The Times of London recently published a point-counterpoint on the issue (thanks for the link, World Hum), and Conde Nast Traveler did its own in-depth piece about the pros and cons of travel to Burma in "Good to Go?"  If you do decide to go, you can also read about one not-to-be-missed sight in our May article, "20 Places to See Before They Die."

Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok, Thailand, where the
departure tax for international flights is 500 baht (about $15).

By Wendy Perrin

When several hundred press releases inundate your email InBox weekly, you stop opening them altogether. Yesterday, however, I actually clicked on one announcing that Viator had named its Top 10 Hottest Spring Break Destinations for 2007.

I clicked on this WHY? Not because I'm looking to party in Cancun. Not because I need to know more about Viator -- an online travel agency that books all manner of day tours, excursions, and activities in more than 450 cities worldwide. Not even because Viator has a cool blog. No, I clicked on it because it reminded me of a funny phone call.

The other day Viator's founder, the charming and well-traveled Rod Cuthbert (who hails from Tasmania!), was in my office when his cell phone rang. One of his sons was calling from the Bangkok airport because he didn't have the cash to pay Thailand's departure tax . . . which meant he couldn't leave the country.

By Wendy Perrin

Question from a reader:

"What is the best airline for flying from Portland, Oregon, to Thailand if you must fly in coach?  Thank you."

Singapore Airlines has the best seats, entertainment, food, and service in coach.  But you'd need to take 3 flights: Portland-Los Angeles-Singapore-Bangkok. Cathay Pacific is a good second choice but, again, 3 flights are required: Portland-Los Angeles-Hong Kong-Bangkok.

Your cheapest and most convenient option is probably Delta from Portland to Tokyo and Thai Airways from Tokyo to Bangkok . . .

Mekong Delta villager, Vietnam, Oct 1, 2006.   Photos: Mary Munn Laronge

By Wendy Perrin

I took today off from work so I could spend a few hours with my favorite travel buddy, Mary Munn Laronge, who was passing through between trips.  Mary, a tour director for educational tours run by museums and universities, arrived from Bangkok at 9:00 pm last night and left for Malta at 5:00 pm today. In between she slept at my house so we could catch up and swap travel stories.

Mary just spent two weeks in Vietnam and Cambodia, leading a "Magnificent Mekong" tour co-sponsored by The American Museum of Natural History and the World Affairs Council and designed by High Country Passage.  After 3 nights in Hanoi and 2 in Saigon, the group boarded the M.V. Mekong for 7 nights on the river. They explored lesser-known river villages and then disembarked at Siem Reap, Cambodia, where the tour concluded with 2 nights at Angkor Wat.


The ferry landing at Chong Koh, a Khmer village on the Mekong, Oct 4, 2006

Tips from Mary's trip:

The Rama VIII Bridge, as seen from a ferry crossing Bangkok's Chao Phraya River
Photo: Brigitte Lacombe, Conde Nast Traveler

By Wendy Perrin

An A.P. article today says that the military coup in Thailand two days ago has caused "a flurry of cancellations by would-be tourists" and that "the U.S. State Department urged Americans to reconsider travel to Thailand."

Excuse me?!?  The State Department issued a Public Announcement, not a Travel Warning!  Travel Warnings recommend that Americans avoid a country. Public Announcements warn about short-term risks, caused by geopolitical incidents or natural disasters, that visitors should be aware of and vigilant about but that are no reason to cancel a trip.  Public Announcements are so par-for-the-course that there is currently one for the entire world!