Positively Travel Blog

Reading about the plight of street kids in Indo China was one of the drivers, for me, to create this site. Unfortunately one does not have to look far to discover harrowing tales of child exploitation but it is good to know that there are non-government organisations like the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation in Hanoi, Vietnam, doing what they can to rescue such children.

I have been following the work of this organisation for a while now and the founder, Michael Brosowski, recently published a piece on his blog which I found very uplifting. Thankfully this story is not the normal one of exploitation and abuse but nevertheless it is about a teenage boy, Vu, doing his best to make the most of not very much and working until 2 a.m. to do it.

Blue Dragon has kindly given me permission to re-publish Michael’s blog piece below:

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In late December 2009, after spending Christmas in Hanoi with the Blue Dragon kids, I headed to Ho Chi Minh City for a short holiday.

I love Saigon. When I moved to Vietnam in 2002, my plan was to live there. Although I’m happy now living in Hanoi, I still miss the south and love to spend my holidays there.

So this year I wanted to spend New Years there. I figured it would be fun and relaxing, and I went with no real plans other than to catch up on some sleep.

Late on the 31st I walked the streets of the city, watching some outdoor concerts and enjoying the festivities. But, not being much of a party animal, I decided to head back to my hotel at about 1130.

It was a long walk, and by midnight I was getting close. I knew it was midnight because I could hear the firecrackers start far off in the distance.

At that exact moment, a small boy appeared out of nowhere with a huge smile and a friendly “hello!” He was oblivious to the fact that it was new years eve and midnight, and that he was missing a great display of fireworks not too far away. He was just genuinely excited to be talking to a foreigner.

I quickly learned his name was Vu, and he was selling helmets by the side of the road at a major intersection. I’d walked past this same spot half a dozen times, but never noticed him before. On this night, he was there with his 2 cousins, whose mother owned the stall but had already gone home for the night.

Vu was 14, and his cousins were about 17 – but all looked far younger. They were a bit dirty and were clearly very tired, but the sudden distraction of a foreigner who could speak Vietnamese cheered them up immediately. We chatted for about fifteen minutes before I wandered off, smiling to myself at what a happy and unexpected encounter I’d had.

Over the next few days, I met Vu and his cousins repeatedly. The older cousin, just turning 18, was pregnant. The younger one, a boy, worked until 2am each day in a side-of-the-road restaurant, earning about $70 per month. So the long day of selling helmets was mostly left to Vu and his aunty, who I spent many hours with at the intersection, talking about her life in between customers and learning about how she had come to sell helmets with her children and Vu.

Having worked with street kids for over 7 years now, I’m fairly good at getting a sense of the character of young people. Vu impressed me. At times he was like a child in kindergarten, wide-eyed at a new toy or jumping on the spot with joy at seeing a friend. But every time a motorbike crashed near his stall – which was at least two or three times a day – he would run out into the traffic to help someone get up, brush them down, and see them on their way. Over and over I watched him go out of his way to help complete strangers, never for any reward, and many times he was treated with disdain by passersby on expensive motorbikes, but it never deterred him. He wore the same infectious smile no matter what happened.

Until, that is, the day I was leaving. When it was time for me to return to Hanoi, Vu was inconsolable. Trying to hide his tears, he told me that he had an eye infection, but he was clearly distraught and for the following week I had constant text messages from Vu, using his aunt’s mobile phone, to ask what I was doing and when I would return to see him.

Since that eventful new year, I’ve been back to visit Vu and his family several times. His cousin has given birth to a baby boy, and Blue Dragon helped out with some medical costs as well as a small allowance until the baby’s father got a stable job. Vu’s enthusiasm for text messages has eased off a bit – I imagine his aunty had to sell quite a few helmets to pay the phone bill – but we’ve still been in contact regularly and Blue Dragon has helped the aunty with some cash each month to support her nephew. They live in a tiny room, 4 people and a baby all together, and work unbelievably long hours to scratch together a living. What could I do to make things better?

A few months ago, I contacted a man named Paul, who runs the Saigon Children’s Charity. Vu had told me that he wanted to study, and I was happy to pay for a tutor, but I was wondering if Paul could help me find a suitable teacher.

Instead, Paul asked his social workers to look into the case, and eventually they came up with a way to help Vu get back to a proper school. This was something that I simply couldn’t do from Hanoi! And on top of this, they found a reputable local shelter that was prepared to accept Vu so that he could have better living conditions. In short, this was to make sure he wouldn’t be compelled to work until the early hours of the morning, which would certainly mean that he couldn’t keep up at school. Vu has been out of the schooling system for a couple of years, so he needs all the support he can get.

And finally, the Saigon Children’s Charity staff found a vocational training course for Vu’s cousin who has been working in the restaurant. He now studies motorbike repair in the morning, and helps his mother sell helmets in the afternoon.

This morning, Vu went to school for the first time in 3 years. He’s in Grade 5, and one of the staff from the shelter sent me a message to say that he’s doing really well.

Vu’s outlook is great. He’s back at school, living in a secure environment not too far from his aunt, and his cousin is studying a trade with a guaranteed job upon graduation.

If only every story could have such a happy ending!

There was news this week of another elephant being injured along the mine-strewn border between Thailand and Myanmar. The 22-year-old female elephant, named Mae Ka Pae, had a foot blown off by a land mine. Fortunately she was taken to the Friends of the Asian Elephant hospital near Lampang in Northern Thailand. Founded by Soraida Salwala in 1993, the pioneering team at the FAE Elephant Hospital has successfully fitted two elephants with prosthetic legs and all being well Mae Ka Pae will be the third.

The video below shows images of the hospital’s first success, Mosha (there is no sound):

The hospital is adjacent to the Thai Elephant Conservation Center which can be visited on a day trip from Chiang Mai. The journey time is around 90 minutes by road.

When I visited with my family we took a car rental and, being on the main road south, it was quite easy to find. On the FAE website it makes a point of making it clear that the hospital is not part of the Elephant Conservation Center although when we were there (some years ago now) the separation was not at all obvious. In fact after visiting the Center we strolled across to the hospital and took a look around. I cannot be certain but I am reasonably confident we saw Mosha some time before the prosthetic was fitted. Amazingly for us we took no photographs there but I suspect that was because we found it too upsetting at the time. There are plenty of photographs here though: just scroll down.

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Jul 29
2010
Coral Conservation off Malaysia’s East Coast

Posted by Tony in Tioman , Redang , Malaysia

Tioman and Redang Islands off the East Coast of Malaysia are perfect for diving and snorkelling at this time of year. The weather conditions are favourable until the north-west monsoon starts around September or October time: this lasts through until February/March.

I was interested to read that the local authorities recently announced the closure of nine dive sites in the area until the end of October in an attempt to relieve stress on the fragile marine ecosystems; and there is talk of perhaps another 3 closing. Apparently these sites have been hit by coral bleaching blamed on global warming,

Malaysia started its marine conservation efforts in 1983 and has established a number of Marine Parks throughout the country, including the East Coast islands of Pulau Tioman in Pahang, Terengganu’s Pulau Redang and Pulau Perhentian.

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Jul 27
2010
Bangkok Bomb: Is this another reason not to visit?

Posted by Tony in Travel News , Bangkok

A bomb explosion last weekend in the Thai capital reportedly killed one and injured 10 others. The explosion occurred at a bus stop in the heart of the commercial district on Ratchadumri Road, which for weeks was at the centre of the “Red Shirt” protests.

In spite of a State of Emergency the city has been going about its business pretty much as normal since the protesters were cleared from the site on 19 May. Indeed I wrote recently about Bangkok being positively in the news after many months of negative press. This tragic event once more must surely create disquiet amongst visitors. The question though, for the local economy, is how much of a dampener is it on the hoped-for recovery?

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Jul 26
2010
Sarojin Thailand Plans Cambodia Expansion

Posted by in The Sarojin , Khao Lak

When I fist met Kate Kemp, owner and Executive Director of The Sarojin Thailand, back in 2004, she told me of the company’s plans to grow the brand in Asia. At this point their first property, the Sarojin at Khao Lak, Thailand had not even opened but there was a very clear vision. Since its opening, delayed by the Indian Ocean tsunami, in 2005 the luxury, boutique hotel has gone on to win a whole swathe of accolades and awards thus setting a standard for future properties.

We now know that the first new hotel to be developed by The Sarojin team will be close to Siem Reap in Cambodia, some 20 minutes from the Temples of Angkor. Scheduled to open in 2012, a core feature of the new property will be its contribution to the local community a concept that is central to The Sarojin philosophy.

The Sarojin Khao Lak Community Fund was established prior to the opening of the resort and as a first response to the 26 December 2004 Tsunami. As Executive Director, Andrew Kemp explains on their web site: “To date through our international contacts and partners we have been able to support a significant number of projects in Khao Lak, wider areas of Phang Nga province, Thailand and recently Myanmar (Burma). Whilst the critical aid, relief and immediate needs have in the main now been met we continue to focus on specific projects we identify that still require ongoing support.”

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Jul 19
2010
How to minimise your financial risk when booking a holiday

Posted by Tony in Travel News , Financial Protection

The demise of the British tour operator, Goldtrail, last Friday is of course bad news for everyone involved, from customers, to staff to suppliers; and amongst the anguish there is also confusion. This is my attempt to clarify the issues and to give guidance on how you might protect your future holiday arrangements.

Firstly there is some good news. The fact that the company was a bonded ATOL tour operator means that its customers were protected against this failure.

ATOL is a financial protection scheme managed by the British Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). All Goldtrail clients who booked a package (a minimum of flights and accommodation) and who are away at the moment will be able to complete their holidays.

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Jul 17
2010
Bangkok Positively in the News

Posted by Tony in Suvarnabhumi Airport , SARL , Peninsula Bangkok , Bangkok

It has been quite a year for Thailand’s capital, Bangkok; but, after the turmoil a few months back, here is some good news.

Firstly, readers of Travel + Leisure voted the city the Best in the World for 2010. Admittedly the survey was completed before the upheaval but, in my opinion, the city has an attraction that is enduring. We were in Bangkok during some of the unsettled times in April and, apart from the soldiers on the street, it really did not cause us, as tourists, a problem.

Now that the city is back to normal, I am certain that it will continue to attract and fascinate the visitor as much as it has ever done. More especially because hoteliers are luring guests back with reduced prices!

Bangkok hotels though have always represented value for money with standards that are the envy of many. Readers of Travel + Leisure agree and they have voted the Peninsula Bangkok one of the World’s Top 10 Best hotels.

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Jul 16
2010
Tiger Airways To Increase Singapore Fleet

Posted by Tony in Tiger Airways , Singapore , Low cost airline , Airlines

Low cost carrier Tiger Airways Singapore announced this week that by December 2010 its Airbus A320 fleet will have increased from 10 to 14 aircraft.

The airline is obviously bullish about the future of aviation in Asia and is eying, in particular, China and India which of course makes perfect business sense. And it should be good news for the rest of us too.

The carrier claims that a bigger fleet will mean an increase in both frequencies and new routes which in turn will lead to greater operational efficiency and lower costs. And thus, of course, lower fares! That’s good to know.

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Jul 03
2010
Another Borneo Secret Revealed

Posted by Tony in Sarawak , Sabah , Kinabalu National Park , Gunung Mulu , East Malaysia , Borneo

The Rainforests of Borneo are islands of superlatives and wonder in a fast-changing world. Gunung Mulu National Park in the East Malaysian State of Sarawak is home to the World’s largest cave passage, the largest natural chamber and the longest cave. Kinabalu National Park in the State of Sabah to the north, is where you will find Mount Kinabalu the highest mountain in South East Asia and Sepilok Nature Reserve, one of only 3 orang-utan sanctuaries in the world.

When a client, interested in wildlife and the natural world, asks me where they should visit in South East Asia, for me there really is only one place: Borneo.

The island of Borneo comprises the East Malaysian States of Sabah and Sarawak, the sovereign state of Brunei and Indonesian Kalimantan. Brunei is great for a ‘taster’, perhaps as a stopover, and Indonesian Kalimantan is most suited to the true adventurer. While Sabah and Sarawak offer a whole range of experiences: from a canopy walk just a short drive from the first-class comfort of Shangri-la’s Rasa Ria, to a climb up the surprisingly accessible Mount Kinabalu or a 3-day trek to the Pinnacles and Camp 5 deep in the rainforest of Sarawak.

It was in just such a remote and undisturbed forest of Borneo, the Maliau Basin in Sabah, that researchers recently discovered that a fig tree, over a short period of time, feeds a high percentage of endangered species. This led the scientists to conclude that Planting figs could save endangered species in Borneo: replanting figs in disturbed forests could be a way to save Borneo’s frugivores (fruit-eating species) from extinction.

The idea that we should lose any more species from the world, whether it is in Malaysia or in our own backyard, is for many of us a depressing thought. I have to say it is quite often frustrating to see the logging trucks cut huge swathes through the jungle, and it sometimes feels like an unwinnable battle. However, the government has created National Parks throughout the region and there are many conservation and research projects in train. My belief (hope) is that the more tourism contributes to the local economies, the greater the chance of maintaining these beautiful forests and their multifarious inhabitants.

In addition to creating tourism income, all of the tours to Sabah and Sarawak, featured on this web site, are in some way contributing to the conservation effort and we explain how in the overview for each tour.