Southeast Asia | cultural explorations

silk spools in Myanmar (c) 2018 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

Southeast Asia offers unique opportunities to explore fascinating cultures. Pictured above are some colorful spools of silk that we saw last March in a silk workshop near Inle Lake, Myanmar. We had the opportunity to see silk weaving in process and, of course, a chance to sample the merchandise. Retail therapy, anyone?

One of our favorite travel partners in Southeast Asia sent an email blast with three unique cultural experiences. I'm passing them along to inspire your sense of wanderlust.

1. Thai Puppetry Workshop — located in Bangkok, the Joe Louis Puppe Teatre is the last of Thailand's small puppet troupes. Keeping an ancient tradition alive, you can visit the studio where puppets are made and learn how to perform an intricate dance with puppets.

2. Shan Paper Workshop — in the Shan region of Myanmar, home to a centuries-old paper-making tradition. Shan paper is made form mulberry bark fibers and is used for paper umbrellas and other household items. You can visit a local workshop where you'll make your own Shan paper.

3. Local life in the Mekong Delta — exploring the lesser-visited, more local areas of Ben Tre, Vietnam. You'll get to dine with a local family, spend time with shrimp farmers, and ride a traditional sampan on the canal.

Is there a trip in your future to Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, or Laos? Travel expands our horizons and creates bonds of friendship around the world.

copyright (c) 2018 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

weather in Southeast Asia

clouds in Bhutan (c) 2017 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

When's the best time to travel to Southeast Asia? These are the best months to visit the following South East Asia destinations, according to Abercrombie & Kent, Inc. I'm creating this blog post so I can easily find this information in the future!

Cambodia: OCT-MAR

China: APR-JUN, SEP-NOV

Hong Kong: APR-JUN, SEP-DEC

Indonesia: JUN-OCT

Japan: MAR-JUN, SEP-NOV

Laos: OCT-MAR

Malaysia: OCT-MAR

Mongolia: JUN-SEP

Myanmar: NOV-MAR

Singapore: NOV-MAR

South Korea: APR-JUN, SEP-OCT

Tibet: MAY-SEP

Thailand: OCT-MAR

Phuket - cool and dry season is November - February, hot season is March-mid May, rainy seasons is mid-May-October 

Koh Samui - dry season is December-February, hot season is March-August, rainy season is September-November 

Vietnam: OCT-MAR

copyright (c) 2017 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

travel and the weak dollar | three tips

The weak dollar is distressing to those of us who want travel to London, Paris, or Rome and explore the beautiful villages of England, France, and Italy. At one point this week, one Euro was worth $1.60. Many of us remember the days, not too long ago, when a Euro cost only 90¢. The dollar has been devalued, and it hurts!

So what can you do if foreign travel is in your blood? Here are three tips.

1. Visit places where the exchange rate is not so disadvantageous.

South America is relatively undis-covered by most of us in North America, and there is so much to explore. The cities of Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro, Iguazu Falls, Machu Picchu, Patagonia, the Amazon, and the Galapagos Islands are all high on my own to-do list.

Southeast Asia is also an affordable destination. My visit to Thailand was one of the most interesting vacations I've ever taken. Bangkok is a fascinating city, and there are luxurious and affordable resorts in the north (Chiang Mai or the Golden Triangle) and on the beach in Phuket and Koh Samui. Cambodia's Angkor Wat is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and well worth the visit.

Canada offers scenic beauty (from Vancouver Island in the west, to the rugged Canadian Rockies, to Nova Scotia in the east) and cultural diversity. Vancouver is a beautiful, world-class city. Quebec gives you a taste of Europe right in North America.

2. Take advantage of Guaranteed U.S. Dollar Rates.

Many luxury hotels in London and Paris offer these, and Starwood offers a Welcome to Italy package with a deeply discounted U.S. dollar rate (including breakfast and taxes) if you spend a total of seven nights at their properties in Rome, Milan, Florence, and Venice. Because many casual tourists don't know about these deals, a foreign travel consultant can save you time and money in planning a trip.

3. Consider a tour or cruise.

I know the reasons people resist tours. On many mass market tours, you get the feeling you are being hurried through the places you're visiting, and upscale vacationers don't want this. The good news: there are great tour companies that pamper you and do everything possible to help you have the vacation of your dreams. Many tour companies can even put together a private tour for you. You take advantage of great rates available to them because of the volume of rooms they book, and you pre-pay everything in U.S. dollars.

Cruises can also be a bargain, especially if you're willing to take an inside cabin (keep repeating, you only sleep there). I got an email this morning about a 12-day Mediterranean cruise from Venice to Barcelona with rates beginning at $1,199 per person. That's $2,400 for a couple. You get twelve days in Europe with your room, meals, and entertainment included. There are extras, of course, but tours and cruises are good options, if you are concerned about the weak dollar, because the costs are predictable ... and you pay in U.S. dollars before you leave home.

foreign travel consultant (search here on Google)


copyright (c) 2007 by David J. Ourisman. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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Hong Kong, Thailand, and Cambodia

In less than a week, I will be off to Southeast Asia, a part of the world I have never before visited. The reasons for my trip are both personal and professional.

My personal reason for taking this trip is simply that I love travel. Travel expands our horizons. Travel puts us in touch with new cultures. Travel brings us face-to-face with new sights, sounds, aromas, and tastes. Travel is good for the planet; it opens our consciousness to the diversity of the human family and helps us feel connected with one another. Certainly our world needs the harmony and understanding that can come when we engage one another across international, religious, and cultural boundaries.

Photography is also one of my avocations. I'll be bringing my camera along and posting pictures with each blog that I write. I took the picture above in 1996 while visiting a Buddhist temple in Seoul, South Korea. I look forward to capturing scenes of natural beauty and cultural interest whenever I travel.

Professionally, I am taking this trip because there is great interest in this part of the world, and clients often ask my advice about places to stay and sights to see in Hong Kong, Thailand, and Cambodia. There is no substitute for first-hand experience; even the best guide books cannot convey the experience that being in a place can impart.

I will be posting regularly while I am away. Feel free to subscribe to Travel Horizons by clicking one of the "subscription" links to the right of this article.



copyright (c) 2007 by David J. Ourisman. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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