Club Sanook Newsletter - December 2005

December 2005

Time On Your Hands: Ho Chi Minh City

You have seen Reunification Palace, Cho Lon, a temple that is home to hundreds of turtles, and the War Remnants Museum. You have shopped at Ben Thanh Market until you can't carry any more. But you still have time to spare. Don't despair, there is plenty more to do in and around Ho Chi Minh City.

Vung Tau is HCMC’s closest beach resort, and can be reached by a picturesque hydrofoil ride down the Saigon River. The water is not terribly clean, but the town, with its fishing fleet and outdoor restaurants, is colorful and relaxing. Go on Sundays during warm weather months.

One of the most fascinating trips from Saigon is to Tay Ninh, the center of the Cao Dai religion, which has almost two million followers in Vietnam. Cao Dai is a 1920s invention which took the best of Catholicism and Asia’s great religions, plus a dab of Hollywood. (The sect has bestowed sainthood on Victor Hugo and Winston Churchill, among others.) Visiting the ostentatious but breathtaking cathedral is the highlight of the trip to Tay Ninh. The noon worship service is open to visitors has been compared to a scene from Disney’s Fantasia.

An afternoon dip in one of HCMC’s swimming pools is a terrific way to relax, cool off and meet new friends. In District 1 try the huge public pool directly behind Reunification Palace. Foreigners attract a lot of attention, particularly in the shower stalls downstairs.

If you happen to meet a local friend who you want to spend time with, there are several fun places in and around HCMC to enjoy together. The Suoi Tien Tourist Area is located just north-east of Ho Chi Minh City in Thu Duc District. Locals often spend weekends in this kitchy theme part, with gardens, rides and restaurants. You can descend into the depths of hell or take in the aquarium. A lake there has about 2,000 crocodiles.

Saigon Water Park is not unlike water parks everywhere else in the world--wild and wet. Although you can go there by taxi or bus, the most interesting route is up the Sai Gon River. Go to the pier at the end of Nguyen Hue Boulevard and ask your friend to negotiate with a boatman. The trip takes about an hour and is filled with beautiful scenery and unique views of the city.

"Time On Your Hands" is a new regular feature in Bulletin from Bangkok.

Think you take great photos? If so, you could win a two-night Purple Dragon package in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Phuket, Hanoi, Saigon, or Siem Reap. Send one or more photos of a Purple Dragon destination before the end of January. DETAILS

Holiday Travel 2006

It happens every year. In Late November and early December we receive requests for travel arrangements for December 15 through January 10. Unfortunately, eighty percent of the time we are unable to find flights or hotels for our customers. Hotels in Phuket, Krabi, Pattaya, Samui, Phan Thiet, Chiang Mai, Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay, Inle Lake and Luang Prabang begin to fill up in July. By October we have problems booking flights to most of these places. If you love to travel this time of year it is not too soon to begin planning for 2006. All you need to do is give us a small deposit and we will confirm your arrangements immediately.

New on our Website

We have recently added several new packages:

Phuket Honeymoon. Overlooking Kata and Karon Beaches, just a few minutes drive from Patong Town, CC Bloom's is the perfect place to spend a few relaxing days with someone you enjoy. Spend your days around the pool or on the beach, but be back in time to experience the unforgettable sunset. CC Bloom's is a zero-stress tropical hide-away you will not want to leave. DETAILS

Phuket Leisurely is the slow and easy way to enjoy Thailand's magical island on a budget for a week or more. The longer you stay, the lower the cost. Plenty of activities--from island trips to beach picnics, to nightlife adventures--can be arranged after you arrive. DETAILS

Sensual Samui has a new bumper crop of gay accommodation and nightlife. If you have given Samui a miss in the pass, we hope will take another look at this oh-so-beautiful emerald island. DETAILS

Sooner than Later. Coming soon to our website: a new two-night Chiang Rai/Golden Triangle program, a new four-night Angkor Wat package that includes places we have not offered in the past, cooking school options in Samui and Phnon Penh, and a two-night trip from Phnom Penh to Saigon (or vice versa) by boat on the Mekong River. If you can't wait until these are added to our website, please contact us.

Where to Stay

We constantly fine-tune our programs and we listen closely to what our customers have to say about the hotels we use. Here are a few hotels we have added to our packages. We know you will love them:

Club One Seven Boutique Bed & Breakfast
Our hearts were broken when Phuket's little psychadellic green gem of a hotel was destroyed by last year's tsunami. But Club One Seven has found a new (and better, if you ask us) home not far away from its original location. The new place has fifteen gorgeous rooms, a gym, a restaurant, and one of the nicest hotel managers we know. It's close to everything you want to go to Phuket for. We have added it to all of our Phuket packages. If you want to stay a week or more and don't want to spend a fortune, you will like the new "Leisurely Phuket" package we designed exclusively for Club One Seven.

CC Bloom's
To be honest, we were not expecting much when we visited CC Bloom's, a new boutique hotel in Phuket. However, we were so impressed that we added the place to all of our Phuket packages and designed a new "Phuket Honeymoon" package for couples exclusively for CC Bloom's. Spacious, beautifully-decorated rooms face either the lovely tropical pool or the most beautiful sunset you will ever see. . DETAILS

Steung Siem Reap Hotel
The brand new Steung Siem Reap is our new Superior hotel. Despite its rather clunky name, Steung Siem Reap Hotel is one of Angkor Wat's brightest new stars and greatest bargains. It is located in the Old Market district, which is quickly becoming Siem Reap's fashionable art and nightlife zone, just one block from Linga Bar and Figo (see story below). Rooms are huge and decorated with accents of rare woods. French doors open onto private balconies, where you can view the grounds of a temple, and the district's historic French Colonial architecture. D ETAILS

You may have noticed that hotel-only reservations are no longer available on the Purple Dragon website. We have semi-automated hotel bookings to make things easier for you. You can find our new hotel booking page on the Club Sanook website.

Where to Eat

Many of our guests ask for advice about dining in our part of the world. Here are a few suggestions:

A New Gem in Koh Samui
Until recently Samui had everything but gay life: stunning beaches, breathtaking landscapes, magnificent hotels, exquisite dining, great shopping and even a Starbuck's. With the recent opening of the "Three Gems Project," however, gay life has finally arrived Samui Island, one of Thaland's best resort destinations. One of the "gems" is the Sapphire Blue Restaurant. Designed using traditional Southern Thai architecture to make the most of the luscious tropical climate of Samui. The food is modern Thai--an innovative take on traditional Thai food using local ingredients and flavors and a western sense of presentation. But if you wish to stay with something quintessentially Thai a delicious set menu of Thai Specialties is offered each day. Expect smart efficient service from the friendliest team on the island. Prices range from 200 baht for an entré, 350 to 460 baht for a main course and 190 baht for desserts. The Thai set menu is a steal at only 480 baht for three courses, including tax and service. You can also enjoy a drink or two before or after at the stylish, laid-back Ruby Red Lounge Bar just up stairs. Soon you will be able to enjoy treatments at Three Gems Project's new men-only day spa. The complex is conveniently located diagonally opposite the main entrance to The Central Samui Beach Resort, Chaweng Beach Road South. Club Sanook Members who take our Sensual Samui package get a coupon to use at Sapphire Blue. DETAILS Do You Figo?
Siem Reap, the town next to Angkor Wat, now has its second gay eating and drinking establishment. (The always-popular Linga Bar one block away opened last year.) Figo is attractive, whimsical, and well located in Siem Reap's colonial Old Market district, which is now brimming with art galleries, food massage, and late-night restaurants and bars. Enjoy the fascinating parade of motorbikes, tour buses, pedestrians and cattle on Sivatha Avenue from from a soft, white leather chair in the electric green "Aquarium Room" A second "Plum Room," decorated in every imaginable shade of purple, is a mysterious, romantic, and a soothing refuge from the world outside. Figo offers a full bar, coffee drinks, WiFi, free internet stations, wacky paintings, wackier owners, and a handsome staff. They will begin serving "the food you miss" in December: a wide range of pastas with home-made sauces, meat loaf, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, barbecued ribs, several Mexican dishes (I had a preview of the yummy house-made jalipeno pickles) and a number of "Khmer fusion" dishes. Siem Reap is notoriously dusty, and Figo is a delightful air-conditioned, mosquito-free place to enjoy your favorite coffee drink or cocktail and meet new friends. Figo's website swears the name does not mean anything. However, if you speak Italian you may get the joke. Club Sanook Members who take our Angkor Wat package get a coupon to use at Figo. DETAILS

If you have a favorite restaurant anywhere in our part of the world, please send us your recommendation.

By the Way...

If you hate to travel alone, our friends at Crusing With Pride still have room on their February group tour to Thailand (plus an optional extension to Angkor Wat). You will visit Bangkok, see the annual Phuket Gay Festival Parade, and enjoy a few days in Chiang Mai. Most of the group plan to continue to Angkor Wat, but that's optional. DETAILS

If you plan to be in Phuket for the annual Phuket Gay Festival and Parade next February, we have very limited space on a special package, staying at Club One Seven Boutique Bed and Breakfast. It's not on our website but we will be happy to send you DETAILS.

Thanks to everyone who wrote regarding our new SCUBA diving options in Phuket, Samui and Krabi. Our diving page is now online: DETAILS

We are still working on our health care packages. Sorry for the delay. However, if you are in a big hurry for an eye lift, a tummy tuck or dental implants please write us.

In 2006 Bangkok will become the first city in the world to have a gay shopping mall. According to the Bangkok Post the "Gay Avenue" will comprise 2,400 square meters of retail space solely for shops owned by gays. But don't rush to Bangkok to sign a lease. All the shops have already been leased and the waiting list is about as long as the bus trip to Chiang Mai.

Current Club Sanook Goodies

Almost everything is new at Club Sanook. The club's website now has a small bookshop and a convenient way to reserve a room at your favorite hotel.

Current Member Specials include four bargain packages in Bali, free nights at three hotels in Siem Reap (Angkor Wat), two hotels in Chiang Mai, and one of our Krabi resorts, plus discounts/freebees in Cambodia, China and Vietnam.

If you are not yet a Club Sanook Member, we hope you will join today. Membership is free and it takes only about three minutes to join at www.clubsanook.com.

About This Newsletter

You are receiving this newsletter because you are a former guest, because you have asked for information about our company, or because you have registered as a Club Sanook Member. Our list is very private. We do not share it with anyone. However, If you do not wish to receive future email from us, we will remove you promptly at your request. Just remember, points you may have accrued in our Club Sanook program will be lost.

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Door East, Ltd. is the General Sales Agent for Purple Dragon in Thailand.

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