Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Amazing Thailand Festival Aug 14-16 2009 (including recipes for Thai Desserts... yummy!)

The following are photos taken at the Amazing Thailand Festival, held Aug 14-16, 2009 at Mid-Valley Exhibition Center, Kuala Lumpur. I was there as one of the invited travel agents to promote Thailand tourism at Tourism Authority of Thailand's booth. Lots of good fun & good stuff at the Festival. Scroll down and try out the Thai Dessert recipes I posted.....





Synonymous with Chiang Mai, a dazzling display of paper umbrellas greets visitors at the entrance. A photography exhibition at a neighbouring exhibition hall, going on at the same time, sent hordes of photographers crowding around this display.







Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) booth, where Thai tourism officials and Malaysian travel agents were stationed.



TAT's booth had a live demonstration of making Thai desserts. The end results are captivating to both taste buds and to the eyes.



Fruit carving. (... that looks like a watermelon)



At one stage, the dessert makers were wearing Western influenced fashion that was popular during King Chulalongkorn's time (end 19th century, going into 20th century).






Thong Ek (Gold Foil Decorated Sweets)



Sanae Jun (Blended Flour and Nutmeg Powder in Coconut Syrup)




Kratong Tong (Golden Thai Pastry Cups)



Khanom Chan (Layered Cake)



Cho Muang (Steamed Flower shaped Dumpling with an Exotic Chicken filling)



Khanom Luk Choob (fruit shaped Sweet Beans dessert)

Recipe for Khanom Luk Choob:


Ingredients: 1 cup Mung Bean (500g), 2 1/2 cup sugar, 1 1/2 cup thick coconut milk


For gelatine: 2 tbsp Gelatine powder, 2 cups water, 1/4 cup sugar, food colouring




1. Leave the mung bean in water for 3 hours and then steam


2. Grind the mung bean well and mix it with the sugar and coconut milk


3. Heat it on medium heat until it dries out


4. Leave to cool


5. Once cooled, mould into fruit shapes


6. Use the food colouring to colour the fruit shapes


7. Dissolve the gelatine in boiling water and add all the sugar. Dip the fruit shapes in the gelatine a few times.


8. Leave them to dry and decorate with leaves if required





4 desserts here:


a) directly in front: Sampannee


b) behind left side: Khanom Ar Lor (Emerald Swirls)


c) behind right side: Kasorn Lam Jiak (Roast Pancake with Coconut stuffing)


d) in the middle: Woon Krob (Crispy Gelatin)


Recipe for Sampannee:
Ingredients: 1/2 cup wheat flour, 1/4 cup cassava flour, 2 cups coconut milk, 2 cups sugar




1. Mix coconut milk and sugar. Put in the jar pot for sugar include with coconut milk.


2. Put wheat flour in coconut milk. Stir up cassava flour and coconut milk until it is lump and lift down. Stir with paddle.


3. Dip up in plate with cassava flour and then lift down into a tray



4 desserts here:


a) golden coloured threads: Foi Thong (Sweet Shredded Egg Yolk)


b) lower level oval shapes: Khanom Met Khanoon (sweet dessert shaped like jackfruit seeds)


c) cup shaped desserts: Thong Yip (Sweet Egg Yolk Cup)


d) round shapes at the top: Thong Yod (Golden Rain Drops)


Recipe for Foi Thong:


Ingredients: Yolks from 10 duck's eggs and 5 hen's eggs, 3 cups sugar, 2 cups water scented with jasmine, 1 piece thin white cloth for filtering




1. Put all the yolk ono a piece of thin white cloth, fold it up, and squeeze the cloth to filter the yolk through it.


2. To make syrup, boil sugar in water scented with jasmine in a pot. When all the sugar dissolves, take the water to be filtered before continuing stewing it until bubbles appear all over the surface.


3. Pour the yolk through a narrow funnel which is placed over the pot of syrup so that the yolk will become golden threads in the syrup.


4. Use a long pointed piece of wood to stir the golden threads in the syrup until they become smooth. Then remove them from heat and wrap them around themselves so that they form the shape of a rectangle.


My friends, Mr. & Mrs. Tan waiting happily for their turn at the complimentary massage for visitors. No charge, just some some tipping into the tipping box.




A Thai fashion & cultural show kept visitors entertained and photographers busy with their cameras.







A exhibitor selling various decorative and aromatheraphy items, ... just what you need to set up your own Thai spa at home....



Coca restaurants group was there too...



Opposite my table was this Thai-made Wasabi sauce booth that gave out free food samplings for dipping with their wasabi sauce. Here the 'chef' is cooking instant roti canai.



JASPAL - the fashion line from Thailand



Free Lactasoy samplings here...



PAMA instant vermicelli .... these sold out very fast!



Some Thai-made seaweed snacks....



Tipco fruit juice line....



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Chand Baori Step-Well, Abhaneri, Rajasthan, India

These photos are from an email that has been circulating around. It's the awesome Chand Baori step-well (a 'tank' in local parlance), located in Abhaneri village, 95km from Jaipur city of Rajasthan state, India. With 13 levels, a total of 3500 steps and about 30m deep, it's a dazzling geometric work of architecture and possibly the deepest step-well in the world. Abhaneri is located in a very dry region of Rajasthan, which probably explains the need for such a depth. The steps are on 3 sides while the 4th side is a small palace with private bathrooms for the royals. Nearby is the Harshat Mata Temple. The Chand Baori and the Harshat Mata Temple were both built by King Chand, rule of Abhaneri and a Rajput from the Chahamana dynasty, around 8th-9th AD century.

Surfing the internet, I found more photos here:
http://www.wackyarchives.com/offbeat/the-amazing-chand-baori-well.html

Now... how to visit Chand Baori Step-Well ??

Easy... I have incorporated it in the 7D6N India Golden Triangle tour. So, besides the compulsory Delhi, Taj Mahal (in Agra) and Jaipur, you get to descend this great piece of architecture!

Tour details at: http://www.elsoltravel.com/IndiaGoldenTriangle7D6N.html



































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Wednesday, September 2, 2009

What's Special About These Tours...

Each time I travel, I will try to check out "NEW" ATTRACTIONS and "NEW" EXPERIENCES as much as possible. Once I'm back in office (http://www.elsoltravel.com), it will be time to sift through them to see which ones are suitable to be incorporated into a tour package. I also ensure an itinerary with tourist class hotels, meals, tour coaches, tour guides, etc.; so that you can enjoy a comfortable and enriching travel experience.

So the tours below may be a surprise for you as they include many "NEW" ATTRACTIONS and "NEW" EXPERIENCES which are not found in most tour packages offered by the majority of travel agents in Malaysia.


ANGKOR

I have been to Angkor Heritage Zone 3 times and each time, I never missed a sunrise experience at Angkor Wat temple. There's something 'magical' as you witness the sun rising from behind to uncloak the world's largest temple, from darkness into light, into full view...

Then there's is Kbal Spean, the carved rock riverbed, situated in a shady forest with a stream flowing through it. Building majestic temples was not the only creative and spiritual output of the ancient Khmer people.

Therefore, our tour package to Cambodia always include sunrise experience at Angkor Wat and a visit to Kbal Spean. We use a 3 day pass for Angkor Heritage Zone, more expensive than 1 day pass, but this UNESCO World Heritage site deserves more than 1 day's casual glance, don't you think so ??

ITINERARIES
Angkor 3D2N tour: http://www.elsoltravel.com/Angkor3D2N.htm
Angkor & Phnom Penh 5D4N tour: http://www.elsoltravel.com/Cambodia5D4N.htm

More photos here: http://www.elsoltravel.com/GALLERY_Cambodia_GMP.html



Sunrise over Angkor Wat




Kbal Spean, carved rock riverbed











GUANGXI: Guilin, Yangshuo & Longji Rice Terraces

Guangxi's official name is Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, meaning it has a significant number of Zhuang ethnic people. Hence during this tour, you will stay a night at a Zhuang village (Pingan Village), located on top of Longji Rice Terraces. Here you can interact with the Zhuang people and soak up the atmosphere of being up in the cool mountains surrounded by dazzling scenery of rice terraces. Most other tours will be a quick stop at Longji Rice Terraces (I have also heard complaints some tours don't even take you into Pingan village... so beware)

For Guilin city, the evening 4 lakes cruise with scenes of Guilin's bridges and buildings colourfully lighted up, is highly recommended. In Yangshuo, don't miss the 'Impressions of Liu San Jie' show, an outdoor show (with the mountains and the Li River as backdrop) blending captivating choreography, colourful traditional costumes with impressive light & sound techniques.

ITINERARY
Guilin, Yangshuo & Longji Rice Terraces 5D4N tour:
http://www.elsoltravel.com/GuilinYangshuoLongji5D4N.html

More photos here:
http://www.elsoltravel.com/images/GALLERY_ChinaGuilin.html
http://www.elsoltravel.com/images/GALLERY_ChinaYangshuo.html
http://www.elsoltravel.com/images/GALLERY_ChinaLongji.html




Guilin viewed atop Folded Brocade Hill.


Guilin's Elephant Trunk hill

Guilin's Camel Hill


Inside Guilin's Reed Flute Cave


Silver & Gold Pagodas during Guilin 4 Lakes Cruise


Snapshot from Impressions of Liu San Jie show


Scenery nearby Yangshou


Black Zhuang musicians, Shangri-La Cultural Theme Park


Pingan Village, Longji Rice Terraces




White Zhuang cultural show, Pingan Village




LAOS: Vang Vieng

I simply LOVE this place (been there 3 times already!)... a quiet scenic getaway in the middle of nowhere (in between Vientiane and Luang Prabang), yet fun and adventure easily available if you don't want to laze around. Most tour packages to Vientiane don't include Vang Vieng, opting instead for the uninspiring Ngam Ngum dam visit. But Vang Vieng is THE PLACE to be... so don't miss it!


ITINERARY
Vientiane & Vang Vieng 4D3N tour & Vientiane, Vang Vieng & Luang Prabang 5D4N tour:













Slow & easy tubing down the river...


Tubing through a cave stream...


Kayaking on the river...


Daredevil swinging yourself off into the river!




PHILIPPINES: Manila, Pagsanjan Falls, Tagaytay & Taal Volcano

Philippines is such a wonderful destination that I would like to kick myself for not visiting it much earlier. My first trip was to Manila in 1994 on a job assignment (as a computer programmer), so I basically stayed within Manila (to be specific within area surrounding Nikko hotel in Makati) and did not tour around much. I didn't return until in 2008. After 2 trips, I'm all fired up to explore more of this country of 7,107 islands!! If you are interested to join me, I'm going to Cebu & Bohol next year...

The Manila, Pagsanjan Falls, Tagaytay and Taal Volcano tour is what I recommend for first timers to the Philippines. You get to see the main attractions of Manila and 2 of popular attractions outside of Manila: Pagsanjan Falls and Taal Volcano. How this tour is different is you get to take the boat and horse ride right up to the edge of Taal Volcano (most tour packages just take you to view Taal Volcano from a distance at Tagaytay.... that's no fun!).

And you get to spend a night at Tagaytay (which is about 2,500 feet above sea level) in a hotel overlooking the lake and volcano. Most ordinary tour packages make 2 separate day trips out to Pagsanjan and Tagaytay, meaning traveling out of Manila through traffic jams twice .... our tour you get out of Manila only once, visit Pagsanjan, stay a night in Tagaytay complete with lakeside views and as bonus visit Taal Volcano too.

ITINERARY
Manila, Pagsanjan Falls & Taal Volcano (1 night Tagaytay) 4D3N tour:

More photos here:
Manila:
Pagsanjan Falls & Taal Volcano Lake:


Manila Cathedral

Gate at Fort Santiago, Manila


Paddling to Pagsanjan Falls


At Pagsanjan Falls - for the daring, a raft to go near the waterfall


A motorised 'bangka' boat to Taal Volcano


On horseback to the edge of Taal Volcano


Taal Volcano lake



THAILAND: LOY KRATHONG FESTIVAL in Chiang Mai and Sukhothai

This tour is organized for Oct 31-Nov 3, 2009 in conjunction with the Loy Krathong Festival in Chiang Mai and Sukhothai. Below are 'retro' photos of my wonderful time at Loy Krathong festival in Sukhothai in 2002 ('retro' because it was taken back in 2002 with an already outdated non-digital camera i.e. film... my apologies for the blurry photos).

The TIME TABLE for this year's Loy Krathong celebration is here:

ITINERARY
Oct 31-Nov 3, 2009 Loy Krathong Festival Tour (Chiang Mai, Phitsanulok & Sukhothai):



At entrance of UNESCO World Heritage Sukhothai Historical Park


Thai girls in traditional costumes welcome you to the dinner & show event


Dinner is open air in traditional Khantoke style format, on the lawn in front of the Wat Mahathat temple where the show will be staged.


The traditional orchestra providing music as you dine


The Loy Krathong show complete with a fireworks grand finale!


I'm floating my Krathong away !


UNESCO World Heritage Sukhothai Historical Park





Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat, Phitsanulok


THAILAND: Mae Hong Son SUNFLOWER SEASON tour
This is our 3rd time organizing this annual special tour which takes you to view Bua Tong flowers (Mexican Sunflowers) in full bloom during mid Nov to mid Dec season. Included are of course the many attractions of Mae Hong Son province like Tham Lod cave, Fish Cave, Long Neck Karen ethnic people, elephant rides, a Chinese Kuomintang descendants village and an overnight stay in Pai. Includes 1 night in Chiang Mai.


PLEASE CHOOSE YOUR DEPARTURE DATES from Nov 7 to Nov 30 period.

ITINERARY
Mae Hong Son SUNFLOWER SEASON 5D4N tour:


More photos here:









Tham Lod cave


Mae Hong Son town lake and temples: daytime (above) and at night (below)




THAILAND & MYANMAR: Ranong, Kawthoung & St. Luke Island
I have crossed over into Myanmar at the 4 official border points between these 2 countries; 1) Mae Sai/Tachilek, 2) Mae Sot/Myawadi, 3) Sangkhlaburi/Payathonzu and 4) Ranong/Kawthoung. Of these, I find the last the most interesting because Kawthoung is a port town located at the southern most tip of Myanmar and relatively busy due to trade with neighbouring Ranong town in Thailand. Offshore are islands of the Mergui Archipelago, pristine and excellent snorkeling / diving spots. So I devised this tour to take in the best of both countries starting from Phuket to cover Ranong, Kawthoung and St. Luke island.


ITINERARIES

Ranong, Kawthoung & St. Luke Island 3D2N Tour:


Ranong's famous hotspring


Ranong's market which is filled with Myanmar workers


Kawthoung's seafront


Statue of Burmese King Bayinnaung who had invaded Thailand in the past.


A pagoda in a temple, Kawthoung




Photos of islands of Mergui Archipelago, Myanmar








VIETNAM: UNSEEN North Vietnam

Firstly, the word 'UNSEEN' is relates to most Malaysian tourists because the majority only visit Hanoi & Halong Bay as far as North Vietnam is concerned. This tour is recommended for those who have already visited Hanoi & Halong Bay but wish to return to see more of North Vietnam. First timers to Hanoi can always add this tour as extension after they complete Halong Bay.
Vietnam has many ethnic peoples and here you get to visit the Muong, Dzao and White Thai peoples. In fact, we have a wonderful home-stay experience arranged for you with a White Thai family in Mai Chau. Then we take you to Perfume Pagoda, an important pilgrimage site for the Vietnamese. While you get to experience the similar boat ride throught karst & rice fields scenery as in Tam Coc, at Perfume Pagoda, you get to take cable car over scenic hills, explore the many temple complexes located in the hills and most importantly, visit the cave shrine that is the center of pilgrimage. Lastly, visit the architectural wonders like Phat Diem Cathedral, Keo Pagoda and Dong Xam temple.


ITINERARY
UNSEEN North Vietnam 4D3N tour:


More photos here:
Mai Chau:
Perfume Pagoda:


Hire a bike and cycle around scenic Mai Chau

Mai Chau Valley


Home stay with White Thai family


Home cooked meals by your White Thai host family


Paddling to Perfume Pagoda


Cable car to Perfume Pagoda


Main temple at Perfume Pagoda


Descend to the cave shrine of Perfume Pagoda, the center of religious pilgrimage


Phat Diem Cathedral, a Catholic church with Vietnamese influenced design
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