Asia Memories with Destination Asia
A monthly newsletter documenting our resident Asia expert Sophia’s favorite things pulled from her experience living and traveling around the region.
This month’s newsletter covers Indigo dyeing in the northern provinces of Thailand, road trips around Malaysian Borneo, a stay at the Maison Polanka hotel in Siem Reap, Cambodia and a guest entry by another Asia aficionado, David Kartagener, on a visit to Pu Luong Nature Reserve in Northern Vietnam. We hope that it fuels your desire to travel to this magical region when it is safe to do so.
Indigo Dyeing in the Northern Provinces of Thailand
In honor of Thailand’s reopening, I wanted to highlight one of the unique experiences I had while traveling with Destination Asia in the northern provinces. North of Chaing Mai lies Phrae, a tiny town known for its beautiful teak houses. It was such a delight to walk around taking in the local sights in this sleepy town, and being the only foreigner felt like such a novelty coming from the tourist-heavy Chaing Mai. One of the highlights (outside of the teak houses) was witnessing Thai indigo painting at the home of one of the remaining families who specializes in this tradition. Hom, the name of the indigo plant used for dyeing, turns the fabric a mystical blue and we saw the family create stunning table clothes, tapestries, and clothing out of it. While drying, the pieces sit on woven baskets perched on beautiful old clay pots full of indigo dye in various stages of fermentation. The experience was only made better for me, a serious shopper, when I was able to take home a few indigo-dyed textiles of my own from the small shop adjacent to the home.
Borneo Road Trips
A few years ago I took one of the most epic family vacations of my life: a roadtrip around Malaysian Borneo. My sister was living there teaching English as a Fullbright Scholar and had picked up enough of the language to get my brother, cousins, and I around efficiently. We were stopped a few times on our long and winding drive to the jungle and each time ended with a laugh with the officers; they were just as happy as we were that we were there. Our destination was to see the orangutans at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre in Sandakan. We were staying 5 hours away in Kota Belud which allowed us to stop at local markets, take in the majestic Mount Kinabalu and eat delicious noodles along the way. Once we arrived to our hotel, the rustic and remote Paganakan Dii Tropical Retreat (and I do mean remote—our car got stuck trying to go up the drive), our view showed us the density of the jungle that the orangutans live in (pictured above). It is located close to the rehabilitation centre which allowed us to easily observe the orangutans in a beautiful, safe, and ethical setting before returning to a comfortable perch to take in the jungle soundscapes from above.
A Stay at Maison Polanka
When I visited Siem Reap in 2019, I was surprised (and very pleased) to see that the city had experienced a boutique hotel boom. I had visited in 2016 and upon my return it felt like a totally different city; it was buzzy everywhere—not just on pub street. One the hotels that I got to experience whose energy stayed with me long after I left was Maison Polanka. It is located in the heart of the city but you would never know it from the ambiance. This tranquil oasis is set on the sprawling grounds of a family estate and is made up of only 3 luxury villas creating an extremely intimate experience. I looked forward to the start of each day on my private patio, enjoying the greenery of the property (Siem Reap was especially dusty that spring) and hearing the sounds of the birds that called it home while savoring the beautiful breakfast spread that was served to me before taking in the local archeological sites (hello Angkor Wat).
Pu Luong Nature Reserve in Northern Vietnam
From guest writer David Kartagener: Vietnam has long been one of my favorite countries in the world—this is largely due to the wide array of experiences, landscapes, and activities that can be enjoyed in the Southeast Asian Republic. Visitors to Vietnam can expect welcoming people, delicious food (I could write pages on my love of their national dish, pho), stunning beaches, loads of history and culture, and a contrast of local rural life and bustling cities. However, it wasn’t until my most recent visit (my fourth) that I discovered a side of Vietnam that I never knew existed—Pu Luong Nature Reserve. Approximately four hours from Hanoi by road, this hidden gem offers visitors serene natural beauty with hiking, bamboo rafting and magical landscapes of terraced rice farms similar to Sapa, only closer and far less crowded. I had always wanted to see Sapa so I was a bit sad when my colleagues at Destination Asia suggested I visit Pu Luong instead, but once I arrived it was clear that this was where I was meant to be…