Hong Kong Renowned for its action films, martial arts, fine food, modern architecture, shopping and fashion, Hong Kong is also a sophisticated cultural center. Canyons of neon and glass reflect the colorful parade of street life and pop juxtapositions of Asian and Western influences. Our local guides unravel the mysteries of Hong Kong's gay nightlife and show you the "disappearing Hong Kong," colorful winding streets that linger from the days of sailing ships and opium dens. Ride the world's longest escalator to Central's trendy  boutiques and galleries or take a double-decker bus to the bargain-frenzy outlet shops at the sprawling Stanley Market on the back side of Victoria Peak.
Macau While you are in Hong Kong, take a hydrofoil ride to Macau, the former Portuguese territory and Europe's first settlement in China, pre-dating Hong Kong's colonization by a few hundred years. Explore cobbled alleys, baroque churches, quiet graveyards, and exotic temples that have survived practically unaltered since their construction hundreds of years ago. Macau is one of Asia's cleanest cities, with world-class museums, architectural treasures and memorable restaurants and cafés waiting to be discovered.
Beijing Beijing offers a surprise around every corner. Old and new collide in firework bursts of golden brilliance that flash from hidden courtyards, pleasure palaces, and bustling shopping streets. Grand modern avenues lie atop an ancient celestial gridwork that energized Emperors, amassed treasures, and kept the universe in spledid harmony. Ride in a rickshaw through the city's fascinating old Hutong quarters, marvel at the monumental Great Wall and Ming Tombs or even visit the tomb of some Imperial Eunuchs!
Xian China's ancient capital, Xian, was the center of the universe for great and powerful dynasties that left fabulous and mysterious monuments, tombs and relics scattered around Shaanxi province. A world wonder was accidentally unearthed here in 1974 by farmers. The amazing Army of Terracotta Warriors only hints at the treasures that have yet to be excavated. Fabulous shopping and food are plentiful inside Xian's moat-bound city walls. This is the place to hunt for folk crafts, calligraphy, delicious street food and traditional sweets.
Shanghai Intergalactic spaceport, trend-setting fashion capital, or elegant old world metropolis? Shanghai is all of these and more! Tree-shaded avenues lined with merchant mansions give way to architectural fantasies that tower into the sky. Shanghai is powered by youth. Young Chinese dream of being part of the boundless opportunities that Shanghai represents. Hong Kong may be China today, but Shanghai is China's tomorrow. While in Shanghai, don't miss the chance to visit some of the fascinating ancient cities nearby: the superbly preserved pleasure gardens of Suzhou; a boat ride through the Venice of the East in Zhouzhuang, or the lakeside resort city of Hangzhou, a popular holiday destination for the locals.

Once Again the Sky Is Falling

"Oh no, don't go!" said Henny Penny. "The sky is falling there!"
(a story for children with a message for adults)

Mother rang from California in the middle of the night. "I'm terribly worried about you," she said. "The headline in this morning's newspaper is 'Millions Expected to Die from Bird Flu.' Do you want me to send you a ticket home?"

Poor mom. Her eyes are not what they used to be and she reads only the headlines. What the story went on to say is that millions of chickens are expected to die in Thailand. In fact, the number of birds dispatched into the next life has reached over ten million in Thailand already. At this rate there will not be a single chicken left in Southeast Asia by this time next month. Even the local Kentucky Fried outlets are removing the "C" from their signs.

One thing we learned from SARS is that the the many otherwise-rational people often react to news media sensationalism with unnecessary hysteria. Before you panic about a trip to Southeast Asia, turn off your TV and read a few facts compiled from information provided, in part, by the World Health Organization:

• Avian influenza (a.k.a. "bird flu") was first discovered over 100 years ago. It is an infectious disease of birds caused by the type A influenza virus. Most species of birds, although not all, can be infected and become ill. Avian flu does not normally infect other animals (that's you, darling).

• The strain of flu currently in the news can be transmitted to humans through feces ("poop," "crap," "doodoo") and through excretions and other bodily fluids of sick fowl. Of the handful of people who have died in Southeast Asia, all had contact with live chickens. In at least one case, the sick chicken was eaten by the person who slaughtered it.

• The virus does not survive high temperatures. Eating well-cooked chicken is not considered dangerous. Many politicians around Asia are posing for news cameras eating a crispy fried leg, so it must be safe. Eating no chicken at all is probably safer.

• Type A influenza viruses are quickly and easily diagnosed in humans and antiviral drugs are effective in the event of a correct diagnosis. Sadly, rural peasants do not often have the same access to quality health care as Westerners.

• Viruses constantly change and new diseases are "born" all the time. This would be a bad time to pick up a copy of The Coming Plague. It's a miracle we are all still alive.

In light of the current outbreak we have implemented several emergency rules to safeguard our guests. Effective immediately, any guest found slaughtering fowl of any kind will receive a repramand and must clean up after himself. If guests insist on traveling with a chicken or inviting one to their room they must see to it that the bird deposits its feces on a newspaper. That's what newspapers are for.

Going Ape for Utopia Tours

Most of Asia is celebrating the new lunar Year of the Monkey. Each year around this time we send a holiday greeting to our friends. This year we decided to show our excitement for our new China tours with our own version of makeup from the Peking Opera. This is our fifth annual greeting. We email them to several thousand of our friends and send about 500 in the mail. To read the saga about our annual card, click on on the picture of the three monkeys.

April Showers

Thailand's Songkran Festival is celebrated each April and is one of the best times to visit. The festival began centuries ago as a ceremonial pouring of water over the hands as an act of respect during the the driest month of the year. Somehow pouring became splashing, which then became drenching. Nowadays, most people wear old clothes and keep their wallets in a Zip-lock bag while everyone "plays water." Don't be surprised if playful strangers keep you soaking wet for part of the day. The biggest Songkran celebrations are in the North, particularly in Chiang Mai, where the splashing politely stops at dusk. Songrak begins on April 13 and lasts several days. Chiang Mai hotels are often sold out during this period, so book early.

Our Very Own Outlet Store

If you are looking for a bargain, our Club Sanook website is the place to go. We have recently added quite a few new low-season specials to Bangkok, Pattaya, Angkor Wat, Hanoi, and Phuket. More are on the way, including China, Krabi, Chiang Mai and more!

You have to join Club Sanook to access the specials. Joining is free and it takes only only about two minutes to register. If you are are absolutely sure you are not already a Member, go here: www.clubsanook.com/joinform.htm. If you're not sure if you are a Member or you have forgotten your password, just ask Miss Fu, Club Sanook's obedient Membership Secretary. 

February and March Festivals in Paradise

INDONESIA	Mar 20: TAWUR AGUNG KESANGA (Bali) Public Holiday. Island-wide sacrificial ceremonies held to welcome the coming Nyepi holiday. Evening parades accompanied by belanganjur orchestras commencing from every family compound and village and usually leading to a central meeting place mark the start of a full night of Mardi Gras-like festivities. "Ogoh-Ogoh" huge monster-like statues and floats made of paper mache are paraded in the streets to exorcise evil spirits, preparing the way for the purity and serenity that awaits on Nyepi day. A special "Perang Api" (fire war) to welcome Nyepi" will be held at Jasi Village, Karangasem. Mar 21: HARI NYEPI (Bali) Public Holiday. The entire island shuts down for a day, including the airport. Balinese stay indoors, without lights and in quiet, so that all the demons awakened by last night's festivities will get confused and fly off to neighboring islands to create havok, leaving Bali in peace for another year. This is a day of self-introspection for Hindu followers. Special religious police enforce the "quiet on this day and hotel guests are confined to the grounds of their hotel.
LAOS	Mar 8: WOMEN'S DAY Public Holiday, banks closed. Mar 22: DAY OF THE PEOPLE'S PARTY Public Holiday, banks closed.
VIETNAM	Mar 7: LANG FESTIVAL Dong Da district, Hanoi The Lang pagoda honors Tu Dao Hanh with a grand procession along both banks of the To Lich river, from Lang village to Dich Vong Tien village, plus a battle of firecrackers. Mar 23:LE MAT FESTIVAL Viet Hung commune, Gia Lam district, Hanoi Commemorating a young man who saved the life of a Princess, featuring a snake dance depicting the battle against a giant snake in order to save the Princess.

Photos of the Month

Ms J, our guest from South Florida, came to Bangkok and Phuket to celebrate her 40th birthday. She was a big hit at the Phuket Gay Festival. Those of us who remember turning 40 wish we looked so good. Looking a bit ratty in her twilight years, Bangkok columnist Darika Watchalottaporn poses at the Bangkok Pride Parade last November with Club Sanook's seldom-photographed Membership Secretary, Miss Fu.

Odds and Ends

Rabbit Resort, Pattaya's glorious new beach-front hideaway is now included in our Pattaya package. We have also added an unusual new day trip in Pattaya called "Sacred Spaces."

The new Sanctuary Spa at The Balé (pronounced "ballet"), one of South Bali's most luxurious resorts, is now offering a 90 minute "coffee massage" exclusively for men. Includes a body massage using expresso massage oil, a body scrub with cappucino body scrub, and a shower using mocaccino body wash, followed by latte body lotion. After all of that you get a yummy cup of coffee. That should keep you awake for a while! In 2003 The Balé made the "Top Hot List" in Conde Nast Traveler as "One of the best new Hotels in the World."

If you haven't joined up yet, a lifetime Utopia Membership affords elite discounts for travelers at over 120 gay businesses in 13 Asian countries! Shinta Mani in Siem Reap is offering a 25% discount in their spa; Baby Cafe in Tokyo and Eddy's Bar in Shanghai are giving member's 10% off their drinks; Gallery Spa Bali, Quality Massage Kuala Lumpur , and Spa Cendana in Singapore offer all-male spa treatments at 20% off for Utopians; and Club Roxy, a new disco bar in Seoul has a 20% discount on drinks. That's only a sampling of recently added benefits.

Parting Thought: What Do You Mean "Expensive"

While most of our customers choose Purple Dragon because they know they are getting a good value for their money, some people think our prices are high. If you are one of them, please consider this:

First of all, you get great service. You do not have to spend your time finding and booking the right hotels, finding a guide, figuring out where to go and what to see. Even if you are a great cook, important dinners are often more enjoyable in a restaurant. You don't have to do any shopping, slicing, dicing, cooking and washing dishes. In a restaurant you can relax and spend your time enjoying the company and the meal. When you let the professionals in the kitchen do their job, you usually end up with a meal that is better than you might probably prepare myself. Using a professional tour planner is much the same.

We live and work in Southeast Asia, so we monitor our operations and our hotels constantly in order to assure the quality of what we offer. Not only do we provide extensive personalized service for our customers before they travel, but our staff take great care of them once they arrive.

All of our packages are all-inclusive. You get hotel accommodations including tax, service and breakfast, arrival and departure transportation between the airport and your hotel, touring with a carefully-chosen, English-speaking guide, admissions costs to all of the places you visit,  a private car and driver on most of our tours, and often other things, like performances, special meals.

Incidentally, our guides are fantastic. You never have to try to figure out what to see and how to get there, or deal with the challenges that come with traveling in a new place, like language and food.

You can read comments about our service and our staff from past customers on our website at: www.purpledrag.com/fanmail.htm

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. However, points you may have accrued in our Club Sanook program will be lost.

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