The sharper edge to traveling in Asia

Archive for the 'By Country' Category

WoWasis book review: ‘Blue Stories for Adults’ erotica from Sri Lanka

In her introduction to Blue Stories for Adults (2010, ISBN 978-955-8897-20-1) editor (and contributing author) Ameena Hussein writes that one of the aims of the book is to challenge stereotypes of Sri Lankan sexuality. She also mentions that it does not “claim to be the representative literature of Sri Lankan erotica… but it is a […]

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Cebu Pacific Airlines dancing flight attendants in the Philippines

Asian airlines continue to push innovative marketing and customer service strategies and practices that surprise and delight travelers, especially those from western countries, who sadly have become expectant of encountering to crabby flight attendants in their own lands. Late last year, we here at WoWasis reported that PC Air, flying out of Bangkok, was now […]

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WoWasis book review: ‘The Cultural Triangle of Sri Lanka’ by UNESCO

Sri Lanka’s Cultural Triangle embraces an area encompassing the ancient sites of Anuradhapura, Dambulla, Polonnaruwa, and Segiriya, and the city of Kandy. This area is perhaps the area most visited on the island, and is well worth the trip. Each of the ancient sites have book kiosks in the museums, and there are a number […]

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Pa Farang’s advice: am I being set up by a Thai lady in Macau?

The Good Manner: Advice on Asia from WoWasis’ Pa Farang Today’s dilemma: am I being set up by a Thai lady in Macau? Dear Pa Farang, I’m Korean-American, but work in HK and frequent Macau saunas once in a while.  I don’t even look at the Chinese girls.  My eyes shift directly to Thai girls […]

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WoWasis visits Buduruwagala, home of Sri Lanka’s massive carved Buddha statues

Buduruwagala is easy to miss, sitting 4 km off the main road, roughly 5 km south of the town of Wellawaya, on the A2 road, off the turn-off to Tissa. But you shouldn’t miss it. There are several massive statues carved into the rock, some of which have fine detail, including a Buddha statue that, […]

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WoWasis visits Sri Lanka’s mountain tea houses

Tea is an essential part of Sri Lankan culture, and is their second leading export commodity, behind textiles. Sri Lanka’s hill country is liberally dotted with terraced tea plantations, and many of them have wonderful tea houses right at the road side where you can relax, drink their teas, and enjoy the mountain atmosphere. And […]

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WoWasis travel tips and avoiding scams in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is a wonderful place to visit, not as touristed as other countries in the area, and full of friendly people and terrific sites. Like any other country, there are some things to keep in mind, and a few things to avoid. We here at WoWasis have already written an informative post on hiring […]

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WoWasis visits the Peradeniya Botanic Gardens in Kandy, Sri Lanka

Kandy is a rambling old town that requires no more than a day to see just about everything. At night, the best spot we’ve found is the Pub Royale, located in the Queen’s Hotel building, where — on a good night — a magnificent 4 piece accordion band plays Besame Mucho and other hits from […]

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WoWasis visits Galle, colonial city of southwestern Sri Lanka

Built by the Dutch in 1663, the colonial city of Galle is a pleasure to walk through, keeping within the confines of the fort area. Our journey took us there on a Sunday, which happened to also be Mohammad’s birthday, so all museums were closed. Everything else was open, including boutiques, antiquities shops, restaurants, and […]

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Are guests getting fleeced at Bangkok’s Nana Hotel by accounting and checkout staff?

Word has reached WoWasis this week that at least one guest at Bangkok’s Nana Hotel on Sukhumvit Soi 4 recently had his bill accidentally increased by a factor of ten (!) when he paid his bill by credit card upon his departure. The problem? Nana Hotel didn’t want to credit the $3000 USD back to […]

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