GREAT WORLD MARKETS…SOUTHEAST ASIA

The part of the world that we now refer to as Southeast Asia, was once one of the most remote and exotic places in the world…Siam, Saigon, French Indochina, Singapore, Borneo, the Spice Islands. Most of the region is now starting to catch up with the rest of the world and one small country, Singapore, has actually managed to outstrip the rest of the world. Unfortunately, for travelers seeking an authentic experience, Southeast Asia has been “discovered” for years, and parts of it are overrun with some of the worst examples of low-budget, package tourism you are ever likely to see. There are still a few places that have held out – but one needs to work very hard to find them.

I have been fortunate enough to have visited the area many times since I first started traveling more than 40 years ago. And I have had the opportunity to see many of the best parts of Southeast Asia before the tourist crush. But, I have also traveled to the region recently, and have witnessed with my own eyes, the rape of Bali – one of the most beautiful and complex cultures on earth, and have seen the transformation of Angkor Wat into a kind of Asian Disneyland.

Thailand was the first country to feel the pressure of mass tourism, and it was well on its way to being what it is today when my wife and I first showed up in Bangkok in 1975.

So, I’ll start there – in Thailand.

THAILAND

Thailand had already been tainted by mass tourism by 1975, when we arrived in Bangkok for the first time. Even in that bygone era, it was difficult if not impossible to get a Bangkok taxi driver to take you to your hotel of choice, and every other man I ran into wanted to sell me his sister. But, the Bangkok of the 70’s still retained the remnants of its famous Floating Market and a person could board the Chao Phraya Express without being harassed from all sides. A few years later, the Floating Market was moved to Damnoen Saduak, a small riverine place located several hours from the city. I’ve been to that market twice and, I’ll have to admit that it brings into sharp focus some of the worst problems caused by mass tourism in the Developing World. But, still, it’s a colorful affair and the only place in the country where one can see so many “Thai Farmer Hats” in one place.

The mountainous area north of Chiang Mai is home to a number of colorful Hill Tribes with their interesting weekly markets. When I last visited the area, around 20 years ago, it was uncrowded and seemed quite authentic.

CAMBODIA

I first arrived in Siem Reap, Cambodia in 1998. This was a couple of years before the hoards of European package tourists turned the place into a Southeast Asian Theme Park. There were only a few big hotels at the time and, according to the taxi driver, there was only one house for “bad girls”. The subject of sex tourism, and the child sexual abuse spawned by mass tourism, is something that I’ll leave for someone else to discuss. Suffice it to say that it’s a critical problem in Cambodia and elsewhere in the region.

The entire area was remarkably uncrowded, considering the colossal nature of the nearby attractions. Also, the entire archaeological site was spotlessly clean – not one gum wrapper on the ground. This was in distinction to the rest of Cambodia, including the area immediately surrounding the Angkor Wat ruins, which was completely covered by a uniform layer of dust, litter, and debris.

I’ve been to some dirt-poor places in my life – Madagascar, Burkina Faso, Yemen. But, I’ll have to admit that Cambodia gives them some stiff competition. Phnom Penh caught me a little off-guard. We were staying in the ultra-chic Raffles Hotel, where the waiter at the elegant restaurant kept taking my napkin and re-folding it every time I took a bite. This routine almost eventuated in a fist fight. I really didn’t get a look at the city until after our first night. We engaged a couple of bicycle-rickshaws outside of the hotel. I’ll have to admit that I felt a bit guilty about this, but they needed the work, and I was willing to pay them 10 times the going rate. They pedaled us all over the downtown area and this really gave me an eyeful. I had never seen poverty like this except in sub-Saharan Africa where, of course, it’s endemic.

LAOS

Laos was every bit as poor and backward as Cambodia but, lacking the famous archaeological sites, the country attracted fewer tourists. Vang Vieng was certainly beautiful – situated on the Mekong River backed up by spectacular karst formations. But it was rapidly becoming one of the worst tourist traps in Asia – populated by hundreds of shoestring travelers surviving on a dollar a day. I spent one night, drank it all in, and moved on.

We traveled by boat down the Mekong to Luang Prabang, the ancient former capital with its well-preserved architectural, religious and cultural heritage, including French colonial  influences. Luang Prabang is the high point of any trip to Laos. The small market specializes in fruit and tourist items.

VIETNAM

For me, the many markets of Vietnam always bring to mind the Non La – the elegant conical straw hat worn by almost all Vietnamese women. Saigon has five major markets, the most interesting of which is probably the Cholon Market, located in the city’s Chinatown.

The Mekong Delta, south of Saigon, is awash in commerce – from floating markets to roadside fruit stands.

Hoi An, in Central Vietnam, is one of the capitals of Vietnam tourism. Fortunately, I was able to access this small city in 1998, before the bus loads of package tourists arrived. The old historic district and the riverside market were visions of a bygone era – an exceptionally well-preserved example of a Southeast Asian trading port dating from the Fifteenth to the Nineteenth Century.

A visit to the hill tribes in the north provides a unique experience, completely different from anything you would see elsewhere in the country. My wife and I visited the area in 2002 and probably missed the authentic article by a year or two. Nevertheless, the Black Hmong and Red Zao who converge on the small northern town of Sapa for the weekly market were colorful enough and I found the experience to be less disappointing than some others I had suffered through in this part of the world.

About three hours from Sapa lies the small mountain village of Bac Ha, the site of the most colorful market gathering in the highlands. On Sundays, Bac Ha attracts hundreds of Flower Hmong People as well as a number of other hill tribe groups. The Flower Hmong ladies undoubtedly wear the most flamboyant traditional outfits of any hill tribe group in Southeast Asia.

 MALAYSIA

Malaysia is the most affluent country in the region (not including Singapore). The capital and main population center on the Malay Peninsula (West Malaysia) is Kuala Lumpur, but the most interesting market is in the city of Kota Bharu, in the northeast corner of the peninsula. The market hums with activity and serves as the focal point of the city. The whole scene is worth contemplating at length looking down from the upper floors.

One would expect East Malaysia, which occupies the northern one-third of the huge, tropical island of Borneo to be wild and uncivilized. Away from the population centers this is, in fact, the case. But Kuching, the main city in Sarawak State, is surprisingly civilized. In fact, it may be the most attractive city in Southeast Asia. Hugging the banks of the languid Sarawak River, this is the former home of the White Rajahs of Sarawak a dynastic monarchy of the English Brooke family, who founded and ruled the territory from 1841 to 1946. The central market brims with fish and with the fruit indigenous to this tropical place.

Sabah State, formerly North Borneo, is located just a short distance from the Philippines. In 1999, I had a chance to visit the Kinabatangan River with my wife and daughter. Located the eastern part of Sabah State, this is a wild and unspoiled area – the Borneo of my childhood dreams, with Proboscis Monkeys in the treetops, and giant Hornbills flapping around, and wild Orang Utans swinging from low hanging branches. On a boat trip down the Kinabatangan River, we saw all three of these species and many more. We actually happened upon a mother Orang clutching her baby in the crook of a tree. The pair was no more than 30 yards away.

The main market in Kota Kinabalu, the state capital, is referred to locally as the Filipino Market. It’s most active a night – a concession to the sweltering climate.

PHILIPPINES

Our first destination on Luzon, the Philippines main island, was Banaue, site of the ancient and spectacular Banaue Rice Terraces. Banaue is located in the northern part of the island about a six-hour drive from Manila.

There are many beautiful things to see in the Philippines but, unfortunately, Manila isn’t one of them. In Manila, our taxi driver warned us that the Quiapo Market was dangerous. We walked around without difficulty and didn’t feel threatened at all. The market was similar to most Southeast Asian markets I had visited – except for the fleet of Jeepneys zipping around, and the large number of fortune-tellers who had set up booths in the market. The fact that it was situated next to a Catholic Church was also a first for me.

INDONESIA

The island of Java, while not the largest island in the Indonesian Archipelago, has the largest population by far, and is the seat of political power.

Most travelers completely ignore Surabaya, Java’s second largest city, located in the eastern part of the island. They may pass through on their way to Mt. Bromo, but very few of them take the time to have a look at the city. Mt Bromo is certainly a worthy destination. In fact, I consider it the most spectacular landscape I have ever laid eyes on.

But, Surabaya itself is worth exploring – if only because it has remained unvisited and, therefore, unspoiled. The port is one of the few places in the world where you can still see large wooden boats (known as Phinisi Schooners), and the market is completely untouched, full of the friendliest people in Southeast Asia.

Yogyakarta, in Central Java, is the home of Borobudur – one of the most important Buddhist temples in the world. It’s an easy-going city, worth a couple of days.

The market area on Jalan Malioboro, a jumble of stalls selling fruit and tourist items, is swarming with Becaks – the Indonesian bicycle rickshaw.

Sulawesi, Indonesia’s orchid-shaped island, is the home of the Toraja People – a unique, mainly Christian ethnic group, famous for their boat-shaped houses and complex funeral ceremonies which involve the sacrifice of dozens, sometimes hundreds, of water buffalo.

Rantepao, the main city in the area has a small, daily market.

Kalimantan is the Indonesian part of Borneo, approximately two-thirds of the island. The main city in South Kalimantan is Banjarmasin – site of the famous Floating Market of Banjarmasin. This market may be the most interesting in Indonesia, if not in the entire region. It is held a couple of miles from the city, and starts just after dawn. I’ve covered this market extensively in a previous post.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

While Papua New Guinea is not technically part of Southeast Asia, it shares the world’s second largest island with Indonesia, so I’ve decided to include it in this post. Most travelers visit Papua New Guinea to take in one of the incredible Highland Sing Sings – a gathering of many of the island’s tribal groups for dancing and frivolity. These events take place in a few highland locations several times a year. I was lucky enough to attend the Goroka Sing Sing in 2015, and I’d have to rate it as the most thrilling human spectacle that I have ever witnessed.

The markets located in the few small urban centers scattered around the highlands support a Rogues Gallery of characters you probably wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley.

So, that’s my take of the markets of Southeast Asia. If you’re lucky enough to visit this part of the world – check out the markets