After Siem Reap, where I should take the kids next.
Q: I'm taking my two kids aged 13 and nine to will Cambodia for about a week. We've booked four nights in Siem Reap and I'm torn between where I should take the kids next: two nights in Phnom Penh or the beach before travelling around southern Thailand and Malaysia. I'm concerned that the Killing Field sites may not be suited to children. Any suggestions are welcome, Thank you - Lilian
A: If you are heading for southern Thailand and Malaysia, you could save the beaches for later as there is plenty to see in Phnom Penh for your kids. I agree that Tuol Sleng and the Killing Fields may be depressing for youngsters but they can also serve to give them a better understanding of the Cambodian people and their country.
But if really feel your kids are too young, then you'll find that Phnom Penh has a lot more to offer.
Following its recent traumatic history, parks, gardens and elegant villas in the city are now being restored and the tree-lined boulevards still reflect the elegance of the city's French colonial past. You can sit in cyclos and watch life in this bustling capital city.
You may take you kids to find out more about Khmer culture at the National Museum and glittering Royal Palace with its Silver Pagoda. Also worth a trip is the bustling Russia Market. And, if you have time, go to Wat Phnom, which is perchec on a hill to the north of the city to Wat Phnom. The temple is a symbol of the capital and regularly used for prayer, small offerings, and meditation.
In the evening, it's entertaining to see a traditional Cambodian theatre performance. Alternatively, take an evening boat cruise out to Snowy's across the river and watch the sunset. Many boats provide snacks or dinners as part of the trip.
If your children like animals. why not take a tour out to Phnom Tamao Zoo 40 kilometres away from town. This is home to animals confiscated from traffickers or saved from poachers' traps. Eighty hectares of the total area have been established as a national zoo and up to 1,200 hectares have been reserved for its future extension and development. You'll see endangered sun bears, elephants and tigers.
Have a good trip!
Q: We are interested in going to the Borneo jungle, but not so sure which is the best place to visit? Should we go to Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. Are there direct flights from Bangkok? Thanks -Erich
A: Borneo is the third largest island in the world after Greenland and New Guinea, and comprises three separate countries: Malaysia, Indonesia and the Sultanate of Brunei.
The Malaysian part of Borneo is made up of two different states, Sabah and Sarawak. The Indonesian part, Kalimantan is made up of four different provinces, East Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, South Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan.
If you're looking for a direct flight, I'd suggest flying to Bandar Seri Begawan in Brunei, home to some of Asia's best nature reserves and field study centres, such as the world famous Ulu Temburong National Park and the Kuala Belalong Field Study Centre, both of which offer an exciting array of ecotourism and adventure activities. You can also travel from Brunei to Kuching in Sarawak and visit interesting caves along the way.
However, the main draw for Borneo is in Sabah, which requires a connecting flight from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu and a climb up Southeast Asia's highest mountain - Mt Kinabalu - to Sandakan, Sabah's second largest city. Another options is the fly to Kuching in Sarawak. Air Asia offers services to all these destinations.
No matter where you choose, you shouldn't miss visiting the orang-utan habitats, either in the wild or in one of the rehabilitation centres in Sabah, Sarawak or Kalimantan (the largest orang-utan reserve in the world is at Sepilok) or exploring some of the world's largest and most fascinating caves at Mulu.
In Sukau, east of Sabah, you'll also find hornbills, egrets, elephants, macaques as well as orang-utan and the proboscis monkeys, which only live in Borneo's coastal mangroves.
If you're looking for wild jungle with fewer tourists, Kuching is a good base from which to explore Sarawak. One of the highlights is a visit to the home of indigenous tribes living in the jungle, many of whom used to be headhunters.
If you are lucky enough, you may have a chance to see a Rafflesia at Gunung Gading National Park, 1.30 drive from Kuching. This big flower of up to one metre in diameter is the world's largest bloom.
In fact, the major part of Borneo is in the Indonesian state of Kalimantan. But this is also the least accessible part, with few eco-tourism initiatives and even fewer conservation projects. National parks in Kalimantan include Balikpapan and smaller ones like Banjarmasin, Pontianak and Pangkalanbun. Local tour operators organise visits to see orang-utans, longhouses and dayak villages in these less-visited areas.