Customer Reviews

To Asia with Love: A Connoisseurs' Guide to Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

This guidebook makes an interesting proposition. Certainly I devoured all the information I could get before my trip to Southeast Asia, and the website associated with this publishing company (thingsasian.com) is one of them. This book presents itself as a series of anecdotes, sorted into topics that interest travellers. The food of Southeast Asia, the famous, infamous, and unknown sites, and the people and customers are all covered here in detail.

It is part of a new trend of guidebooks that, unlike the "yellow-pages" listings of a Let's Go or Lonely Planet, covers a few topics deeply. You may not be able to look up the closest place to buy stamps, but you will read this and become inspired about where you would like to go. And, unlike many other guidebooks, it's actually entertaining to read even if you are not visiting Southeast Asia. In fact, I read it a year after I returned from my trip. I enjoyed both reminiscing over my experiences and dreaming about future trips. Indeed, it was just like attending a party full of experienced travellers.

This is a beautiful book, with lush full-page pictures and textual illustrations. Although you cannot judge a book by its cover, I certainly enjoyed the aesthetics of this guide. Its small form factor also makes it a good candidate for travel. I would recommend it as a second book, as it doesn't cover every place in encyclopedic detail. Nor does it intend to. It's the kind of book you read as you plan your trip, or to while away a hot tropical day in a Southeast Asian hammock.

Each section includes stories, website links, tips, and references. Yes, there are restaurant recommendations here. I like the fact that each piece of information comes from a fellow traveller or expat, advice I can trust.

It also includes the essays of one of my favorite Internet writers, Andy Brouwer. I remember pouring over his website for hours. I'm glad that his writings will now be shared with the reading public. His essays are only some of the great writing in this book.

This lovely little gem of a book will make me feel like a local on the next trip to Southeast Asia, I'm sure of it. With so many secrets revealed, and so many off-the-beaten path ideas for how to spend days and experience the authentic cultures of Laos Cambodia and Vietnam, I'll never again feel like I'm missing out on the side of Asia that the ex-patriots get to see. And it's the ex-pats that I'm always jealous of when I'm traveling. Bravo to this editor and her interesting emsemble of in-the-know writers and to the photographer, for lovely images of this mysterious land, which despite being discovered by backpackers in the '70s, '80s and '90s, still holds many secrets. I hope there's a second edition in the works. After a couple trips, I'll have the first book's ideas down.

This new travel book is delicious. I just spent a rare and coveted quiet
breakfast in a cafe with the sole purpose of digging into some vicarious travel reading. Kim Fay has created a sound premise, and she makes good on her promise of offering serendipitous, expert information, as if it were, as she writes, whispered to you at a party filled with travelers wanting to show you the path less traveled. "To Asia with Love" offers a different take on travel guiding. It doesn't try to be authoritative and offer what the major guidebooks do; Kim herself suggests this one as an ideal complement to the guides that break down all the nuts and bolts and histories. I appreciate that her chapters are inclusive of all the countries and offer a refreshing mish mash that reminds me of the organic nature of traveling to faraway lands--where you follow your nose and some timely advice. It is indeed unlike most guidebooks which are very categorized and predictable. This book makes a great, dreamy read whether you are planning a trip or not. Needless to say, most readers will likely come to this book and then do whatever they can to get out there and explore.

I would not dream of going to Asia without this wonderful, back-pack sized book, stuffed with insider tips on what and where to eat, go kayaking, get massages or meditate, bask in luxury, the sights to see and how to get there, and where to avoid land mines. I especially appreciate the section on how to give back and to whom, ranging from orphanages to AIDs groups, with addresses and web sites. The 50 contributers obviously love the countries where they lived, and enthusiastically share with those of us who dream of visiting too. This book is fabulous.

...although I happen to be packing it around with me on a 6-month trip. As I move from country to country, I discard my Lonely Planet or Rough Guide at the border, but even when my bag is bursting at the seams, I hold onto this book for the practical, personal recommendations and high caliber of writing, and for inspiration. Written by 50 different people who have lived or traveled extensively in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos, the passion and enthusiasm they share for this fascinating region is contagious.

To put the book in its proper context (I'm paraphrasing here from the excellent foreword), the editor invites us to imagine attending a dinner party with a group of intrepid, experienced Asia-philes and whiling away an evening collecting their stories, insider tips, and invaluable advice. Such an invitation may not appeal to someone who is merely "doing Asia" and wants only a directory of services and costs. But readers who have lived in Asia (or would like to) will relish it, as will every traveler who dreams of having a knowledgeable friend in each of these countries. To Asia With Love is a wonderful resource and worthy travel companion, a journey to a land that unfolds itself "slowly-slowly". My only complaint is that I still want more....

When I read this book, I felt like someone was whispering secrets in my ear. Sure, you should bring along the Lonely Planet or Rough Guide to give you directions to the closest bank, but is that trip to the bank the experience you will most fervently remember about your travels in Asia? I doubt it. You're likely to remember, however, "clambering over a dam" in Cambodia to find the lonely temple Ta Nei, or sitting at a table made from a tree trunk in Northern Laos eating "phar nam" (watercress salad) made by the daughter of the last king's personal chef. This book is for people anxious to go beyond the run-of-the-mill guidebook information. It's for people in search of the special experiences that make these countries so extraordinary. If you're that kind of traveler (or armchair traveler who simply likes good writing), then you should buy this book.

Why didn't anyone think of this before? The authors of this book write about what they know--and superbly--without the annoying "marketing" speak that seems to invade most travel writing. There isn't anything here that wouldn't interest a truly adventurous traveler--and a traveler with a heart. I read this book before my last excursion to Laos and had a great time taking the advice from people who really live there and travel there, not people who are good at looking things up on the web. My favorite section is the part about "giving back" to the communities you visit. Cheers...

As someone who's outgrown Lonely Planet and Let's Go guides, I found Fay's book to be an excellent guide for those looking for more in-depth perspective and history than simply finding a hostel or looking for the next watering hole. Pictures are gorgeous and one can easily tell a good deal of money went into the exquisite design. A great writer and guide, Kim is someone I wish I had along with me in my South East Asian travels!

I'm disapointed with this book. The information provided is interesting but the way the book is structured is very strange. I can't see any logic there. It would make sense if a chapter (each chapter has a theme) had a section for each of the countries. But no. Eg. you go to chapter on shopping and you have one page of info about Thailand, than a page about Laos, Thailand again, Cambodia, Laos again etc. Very weird.... It makes the book difficult for me to read and stick to....

Imagine lush, evergreen forests with waving palm trees under the warm, humid tropical weather. Imagine a hutted village with friendly locals and curious children with perpetual shy smiles and sparkling eyes devoid of the mundane dim of city-life; old ladies lingering on the streets with their handmade wares. Imagine yourself sitting cross-legged on a rattan mat enjoying a full meal of spicy South East Asian delicacy that cost less than half a cheeseburger; or lying on a white sanded beach surrounded by crystal-clear sea that seems to be frozen in time.

Yes, imagine. That is the operative word that To Asia With Love begins with.

Spanning Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, author Kim Fay, an avid traveler herself, collected anecdotes and travel tips from Asia-lovers and skillfully compiled these snippets into a very readable book, helped much by seductive and poignant photographs. This book tells you where to get the best chow, see the most attractive sights, buy the most impressive souvenirs, and even how to get a holiday from your holiday, in case you decided to become an expatriate. For those inclined as such, even where to visit the most historical sites. Because they were written by different individuals; young and old; from loaded to clam-less, the information is extremely varied and colorful.

What makes To Asia With Love stand out, compared to run-of-the-mill backpackers' experiences strewn about the internet is that the articles were actually written by veteran travelers; most of them bestseller authors in their own right. They provide interesting insights which are both informative and humorous.

For example, suppose the delicious dumplings you tasted at a nondescript stall in Phnom Penh turns out to be disappointing the following week, it is because the ownership has changed and will likely change again based on the rotating fortunes at the local gambling dens. Aside from the local loan sharks, I don't think anyone else would know these behind-the-scene goings-on; except maybe the foolhardy expatriate dumpling-hunter in the person of Nami Nelson.

Of course, beneath the fantastic tales are the nitty-gritty details. What is the best way to travel? How to book tickets? What are the regional time differences? What are the languages spoken? These questions and more that one could hardly pump up in the excitement of `go first, think later' mode, are explored by those who have done it all.

Western travelers respond differently to what are seemingly destitute socio-economic conditions in these countries. The feelings generated could span a spectrum from utter indifference to the `guilt syndrome'. And if one stays in a place long enough, the urge to respond becomes increasingly stronger. In this, To Asia With Love proves to be more than just a fanciful title in the chapter `Paying It Forward.' Littered with touching anecdotes, it advises travelers on how to give back to the countries they enjoy; be it helping out in a foundation or eating at a charity-linked restaurant.

Be warned. This book is not about going to Asia. It is about going to there again and again, and perhaps even staying there for good. A beautiful collage of travelogues with a seductive theme and convincing pleasures, I think I am going to book the first flight to South East Asia.

Oh wait a minute; I am from South East Asia.