Place Reviews (Thursday)

Category Archives for Place Reviews (Thursday).

Hip Hua Hin – Place Report

April 16, 2015 by Martin J Cowling 3 Comments

a lawn with chairs and trees by the water

Few tourists to Thailand include Hua Hin on their agenda which is a shame. At the risk of spoiling the town with a sudden over run of tourists, this beautiful relaxing town 200 km (120 miles) south of Bangkok is well worth at least a couple of days. Far from the “excitement” of Phuek nightlife and Bangkok, Hua Hin has been enjoyed by generations of Thais for weekends and vacations. Originally known as Samore Riang or “rows of rocks”, it was adopted by the Royal Family as their seaside resort in the 1920s. Today, it is very popular amongst Thais who come…

Place Review: Phuket

April 9, 2015 by Martin J Cowling 5 Comments

a beach with people swimming in the water

There are a few destinations in the world that immediately spell party. These include: Bali, Ibiza, Miami and Porto Heli (Greece). The list also needs to include the small southern Thai island of Phuket which is invaded by 14 million tourists every year. They come to get massaged, swim, snorkel, eat, drink and dance. Many do not know why they go to Phuket, just lured by its reputation as a fun place. I first came to Phuket just after the 2004 Tsunami had ripped through. It did not capture my heart! I came back this week to…

Neglected Newcastle on Tyne

January 22, 2015 by Martin J Cowling 2 Comments

I am not suggesting that Newcastle looks or feel neglected, it is just a place overlooked by tourists and unfairly critiqued by UK citizens. Yet this ancient settlement at the North of England has a lot going for it. It is well worth a day or three to visit. In Roman times, the city was a fort on Hadrian’s wall known as Pons Aelius. William the Conqueror in 1080 commanded his son to construct a “New Castle” on the site of the old Roman fort. For many years, a grim industrial city, the loss of UK manufacturing has transformed the…

Cool Copenhagen

January 8, 2015 by Martin J Cowling 1 Comment

In 2014, I was lucky enough to visit my sixtieth country Denmark. Copenhagen is the 183rd city with a population of over 100,000 I have visited in my 50 years! Flew into Copenhagen with Finnair (see Tuesday’s post), zipped through the very easy arrival procedures as were already in the Schengen zone, found the metro, bought a pass and were heading into the downtown in minutes. Oh, if arrival at so many cities was this easy. Asthetics: 9/10 How many cities in the world, have a harbour that is clean enough to swim in?…

Scotland says no

September 19, 2014 by Martin J Cowling 4 Comments

Looks like the United Kingdom stays united after 55per cent of Scots said no. I am relieved for Scotland! Vive Scotland!

Scotland Votes Today!

September 17, 2014 by Martin J Cowling 1 Comment

The referendum on whether Scotland should be an independent country will take place today. I lived in Scotland for three years and have visited many more times. In fact, having been to the Northern Scottish Islands known as the Orkneys plus all major cities (Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Stirling), the Highlands, West Coast and more, I have seen more of the country, than many residents have! It is a stunning place to be wild about travel in! I also have Scottish siblings and friends so discussions over the last few days have been interesting. It seems to me that culturally…

Chilling in Chiang Mai

June 19, 2014 by Martin J Cowling 9 Comments

I have been to Thailand a few times now but never to Chiang Mai until now. I am very sorry to have left the city alone for so long. The city is a little more isolated than other parts of Thailand but still attracts approximately five million visitors per year- 40 per cent of whom are from outside Thailand. I soon discovered why it was placed at 24 on TripAdvisor’s “25 Best Destinations in the World” in 2012. Chiang Mai is 700 km (420 miles) from Bangkok. Getting there requires a flight of about an hour or a 12 hour…

Being in Busy Bangkok

June 12, 2014 by Martin J Cowling 14 Comments

“you’re going to Thailand…in a coup?” My friends were incredulous. After all news of a coup conjures up images of danger, disorder and degeneration. My friends were not alone in their fears. Tourism arrivals fell 20% in the first week after the Thai coup, some airlines have canceled flights into Bangkok and most tourist spots are way less busy. The capital itself is operating pretty normally, the army presence is minimal and apart from the curfew (which has now been lifted in some beach side areas) tourists have been largely unaffected. Remember, this is not the first…

Thai Curfew Times Relaxed

May 30, 2014 by Martin J Cowling 3 Comments

In a move which is intended to help tourism, the military has relaxed the curfew. The curfew now runs from from midnight to 4 a.m. (It was 10pm to 6am). Markets, shops, petrol stations and bars will now be able to stay open longer. This follows a fall in tourism numbers of 20 per cent since martial law was imposed just over a week ago. Nine per cent of Thailand‘s GDP is tourism related. There has also been a drop in consumer spending by Thais. Outside Bangkok, tourists and locals are reporting little difference to day…

Unique Yangon (Rangoon)

May 15, 2014 by Martin J Cowling 8 Comments

When I was a child, Rangoon was one of the exotic cities of the world talked about in books and poems: mysterious, adventurous and colourful. I have long wanted to see the place for myself. Verdict Regular readers will know, I rate every city I visit. My Overall Rating: 68% Ranking out of my top 200 Cities: 155th place which gives it a similar ranking to Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Richmond, Virginia in the USA. The Economist Ranking: not ranked Why it should be visited: Stunning architecture, easy to get around, brilliant museums, great art, food and culture scene Negatives: Expensive hotels…

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