The Anthony Awards

So, since my last post I've been to Chiang Mai (nice), Koh Samui (a bit too Kuta-ish, but I met up with Anna, which was great), Phnom Penh (Anna was there too, and the place grew on me after a while), Siem Reap (Angkor Wat etc. - good but overrated) and now Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) in Vietnam.

Over the last couple of weeks I mostly been concentrating on my MSc project and stacking up increasing numbers of random symptoms. I saw a competent-sounding French doctor today who thinks I've got tropical parasites, but I should have more of an idea tomorrow when blood test results come back.

So, in lieu of anything that actually takes time and effort to write, I present the Anthony Awards.

Most friendly country: Malaysia

Yes, they smile more in Thailand and Laos, but that isn't the same thing. Staff and random strangers were incredibly friendly and helpful in Malaysia.

Australia gets an honourable mention here too.

Most fun country: Laos

Admittedly, I'm thinking of Vang Viang here.

Best customer service: Thailand

They know what they're doing in this department.

Best Internet access: Tie between Malaysia and Vietnam

Lots of cheap/free, fast wifi in urban areas in both of these countries. Australia takes a surprising last-place here; it's about the same as Cambodia or Laos but much more expensive.

Most hastle-free country: Australia

As you'd expect, you don't get mobbed by hundreds of salesmen, scammers and taxi-drivers as you do in Asia, but what I really noticed was the helpfulness of public servants (in the UK the phrase is ironic), from bus drivers to immigration officers. The immigration/customs process can take a while (they've reason to be careful) but they make it an almost pleasant experience.

Best value country: Cambodia

Not much to say about this - even the cities are pretty cheap to live in.

Best airline experience: Singapore Airlines

Great staff, power sockets in economy class seats, reasonable food, great long-haul seat-back entertainment system. Spending twenty-four hours in the air almost seems preferable to suicide.

Best airline value: Air Asia

A pretty good no-frills experience, for a good price. Telephone/web customer service can be poor.

Best airline food: Bangkok Airways

Instead of heating a mediocre-to-poor TV dinner for each passenger, why not just give them some snacks and a nice deli sandwich, like you'd buy in a nice coffee shop or make for yourself? That's what I got on my short-haul Bangkok Airways flights.

(In addition to the airlines mentioned, I've also flown on British Airways, Lao Airlines, Qantas and Jetstar since leaving the UK.)

Disagree? Leave a comment!

Other stuff

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Where's Anthony?

6 Mar -