We speak to BK Magazine’s Production Supervisor, Komkrit Klinkaeo, who drove 2,010km from Bangkok to Luang Prabang and back again in a 1960 VW beetle. Trust us, there’s plenty to see on your way to this World Heritage City, with gorgeous Lao-style temples and colonial French architecture (not to mention Lao food and baguette sandwiches) upon arrival. But before you jump into your car, Komkrit has some tips on the practical aspects of driving from here to Nong Khai, across the border, and deep into Laos.

How far is it?

1,005 km, one-way. It’s pretty tiring. Don’t try to do it in less than seven days.

What do you need?

- Your Car’s Passport. Register your car at the Department of Land Transport (1032 Phahonyothin Rd., Chomphon, Chatuchak, 02-271-8888) to get a vehicle passport (a.k.a. a purple passport. It’s B50) so that you’ll be authorized to drive the car outside of Thailand. As Laos is our ASEAN neighbor, Thai driving licenses are accepted. If you’re not Thai, but have a Thai or international license, that works, too.
- Your Passport. Most nationalities can get a visa on arrival. Thais don’t need one as, again, they are ASEAN members.
- Your car’s insurance documents.

What’s the plan?

Day 1: Starting from Bangkok, you will take around six hours driving along Phahonyothin and then Mitraphap roads heading directly to Nong Khai, the topmost northeastern province. A night’s stay in Nong Khai is recommended.
Day 2: Cross the 1st Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge for the immigration process to get into Laos. If you’ve already prepared all your documents, this won’t take so long and you can continue on the short 20km drive to get to Laos’ capital city, Vientiane, which sits right across, on the other side of the Mekong River. Stay overnight so you will have an opportunity to visit several tourist attractions in Vientianne, including Phra That Luang, Wat Phra Kaew and Talat Chao.
Day 3: Though the actual distance to Luang Prabang is not far from here, there are thousands of curves and turns on the way, so you better stop at Vang Vieng, a small town that sits between two big cities, to enjoy the picturesque scenes and slow lifestyle of the locals. Don’t miss kayaking or rubber ringing along its main river with lots of fun activities along the way.
Day 4: Another four hours gets you to Luang Prabang, the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Day 5-7: Put the car in reverse and make your way back.

How much was the fuel?

About B8,000.

You went as a caravan of 20 VW beetles and minivans. Any bust engines?

We have spare engines. We can fix anything. Three cars broke down but no one got left behind.

Bang Luang

Charansanitwong Road soi 3. Open daily 10am-5pm.
Just 500 meters from the busy Charansanitwong Rd., Bang Luang is the coolest, quietest market in the big bad city. Started by an artist, Chumpon Akpanthanont, who renovated an old wooden house into an art gallery, it now attracts more and more tourists every weekend. In turn, its growing popularity has encourage people in the community to renovate their beautiful old homes.
Highlights: The performers from the dearly missed Joe Louis Theater stage Thai traditional puppetry performances everyday at 2pm (except Wed). There are art classes like water painting or traditional printing for a mere B50. Foodies can buy from vendors in their boats on the canal, or just walk across the bridge to devour gway jab and sticky rice with mango at the riverside shop on the corner.

Bang Nampueng

Prapradaeng, Samut Prakarn. Open Sat-Sun 8am-5pm.
It might be situated out of Bangkok but this market is really easy to access. Busy only on the weekend, it extends down a narrow concrete walkway along a tiny canal. Like all markets, there’s a lot of great food, but you’ll also find herbal products and other goods.
Highlights: The hoi tod served in tiny cups and the guay tiew ruea are the most popular items. You can also break a sweat by renting a rowboat to cruise along the canal (B20 per hour). As it’s nearly Songkran, Prapradaeng is also one of the biggest splash sites in town. Be aware of the fact that they will host Songkran the weekend after (Apr 16-17).

Talingchan

Talingchan District Office. Open Sat-Sun 8am-4pm.
Talingchan floating market is tucked away in a suburb sometimes called Klong Chak Phra. It’s a great spot to feel like you’re outside of Bangkok, even though it’s just 30 minutes from the CBD. The market sits on the banks a small canal connecting the larger Bangkok Noi and Bangkok Yai canals. The market itself is started in 1987 with only five bamboo rafts but now, thousands of shoppers swarm the riverside shops and stalls every weekend.
Highlight: The pontoons, which have been set up with little tables and chairs, bob up and down as the boats cruise by. There, you can stock up on moo satay, kanom jeen, grilled seafood, Thai desserts, fresh fruits and vegetables from vendors’ gardens. Our favorite? The mee krob Mae Lek and the kanom bueng yuan in front of the entrance.
Bonus: From here you can visit two floating markets—Wat Saphan and Lat Mayom—as part of a one-hour boat tour (B90 for adults, B50 for kids). There are some live fish, turtles and eels available in this market that you’re meant to release to make merit. Talingchan market itself also has live Thai classical music, making your shopping there a moment lost in time.

-These temples were mostly built under King Suriyavarman I, who reigned from 1002-1050 and Suriyavarman II (1113-1150), and hence often predate the more famous Angkor Wat.

- Suriyavarman I was the son of a king who ruled over an ancient Malay kingdom which included Korat and Southern Thailand. He was the one to add Lopburi and half of southern Thailand to the empire and re-establish the Khmer capital in Angkor.

- Khmer temples were either built as Hindu temples, sometimes with subsequent conversions to Buddhism, or built directly as Buddhist temples. Polish up on your Ramayana (or at least its Khmer version, the Reamker).

SUPHANBURI

Samchuk

140 km / 2 hrs
Open daily, around 8am-5pm
Set on the banks of the Ta Chin River, Samchuk is one of the country’s most famous and authentic markets. The riverside site has been a trading spot for people living along the Ta Chin since the 18-19th centuries before roads made river travel obsolete. But in 2000, the community gathered and decided to revitalize the old market while preserving its original atmosphere. It turned out to be Samchuk’s largest development plan, taking nine years to complete. The market is now an award-winning example of old market revitalization that’s been copied by numerous markets across the country.
Highlights: Visit Khun Chamnong Jeenaruk Musuem to learn the history of the market through the lifestyle of a local noble who lived during the 1910-70s, before getting some black coffee at Raan Cafe Ta Ruea Song next to the entrance from the pier. Slightly odder is Baan Coke, a mini Coca-Cola museum displaying a vast collection of Coke-related products ranging from glasses to vintage ads. As for food, the old market serves up a variety of fare but you should try the noodles with supersized fish balls.
Bonus: A few more minutes of driving takes you to Buffalo Villages (www.buffalovillages.com) where you can check out the life of this animal beloved to Thai farmers. Travel further into Singaburi province, which is even closer than Amphur Muang, for the famous Mae La pla pao (grilled snake fish) places along Mae La River and one of Thailand’s largest reclining Buddha statues at Wat Phra Non Chaksi.

Kao Hong

97 km / 1.30 hr
Open daily 8am-5pm
If Samchuk is packed with hungry weekenders, Kao Hong is its quiet counterpart. Started with nine shophouses built by a Thai-Chinese rice tycoon as his trading headquarters on the banks of the Ta Chin River, the market was later expanded to three times the size and roughly divided into three zones: central, lower and the upper markets, where the rows of wooden shophouses are.
Highlights: We can guarantee veteran photographers and precious posers alike will fall prey to the old buildings’ charms, as there are numerous spots with an opportunity for good photos. Shop houses decked out with vintage furniture are also open for photo shoots for free—they don’t even care if you shop or not. Why so relaxed you ask? Because the rental fee is so cheap, locals tell us. At the center of the market there’s a four-story tower that locals would use as a fort to watch out for intruders in the old days.
Bonus: As the location is not far from Suphanburi town center, this is a chance to explore one of Thailand’s cleanest and tidiest cities with tourist landmarks like the Banharn-Chamsai Tower where you can get the elevated panorama of the entire city and the Dragon Descendants Museum (Open Wed-Mon, 10am-4pm. Entry B299 for Thais, B499 for foreigners) where you can explore the long history of Chinese families and communities in Thailand.

RATCHABURI

Chet Samian

92 km / 1.30 hr
Open Fri-Sun, 3-7pm. Art performances every last weekend.
These past couple of years, the status of the Chet Samian community and its local market have been elevated to a truly “cool” old market destination easily reached from Bangkok. It’s mostly thanks to the promotion of Patravadi Theatre’s Suan Silp Baan Din project and its founder, the Silpathorn award-winning Manop Meejamras, whose family is originally from this district. Compared to other markets, Chet Samien is really tiny: there are around 20 shophouses facing each other on the street that leads to the river. The super quiet market on weekdays turns into a bustling market every Sat-Sun with the influx of Bangkokians, and the last weekend of every month, sees performaces from Suan Silp Baan Din.
Highlights: They have this amazing chicken that they bake in a jar over burning coal, so that the chicken has a delicious smoky flavor. But the true highlights are art performances curated by Manop Meejamras. For your first visit, drop by at Chet Samian Local Museum for a collection of old photos and artifacts covering the history of the community before strolling around the stalls and shophouses. A small riverside stage sits at the end of the market’s street. This is not only where you watch all the performances but it’s also a spot to enjoy a beautiful sunset.
Bonus: As Chet Samian is located in Potharam district, a walk around Potharam Market (15km away) will complete your vintage Ratchaburi itinerary. Around five time larger than Chet Samian, Potharam Market features restaurants, old movie theatres, galleries and Chinese temples.

SAMUT PRAKARN

Khlong suan

80 km / 1 hour
Open daily, around 8am-5pm
Just 30 minutes away by motorway (exit at Ladkrabang), this place is a foodie paradise within reach of urban mortals. From the entrance, Khlong Suan is packed with food stalls selling every old recipe under the Siamese sun, like the rare kanom dok jok, a fried dessert in the shape of flower. Situated on Pravetburirom canal, this old community harking back to the King Rama V era used to be the top shopping spot for people who traveled along the canal linking Bangkok and Chacherngsao. Though it’s divided along provincial lines—Samut Prakarn and Chacherngsao—Khlong Suan is famous for its laid back living, harmonious Chinese and Muslim communities and great coffee shops.
Highlight: Funny how places with good quality of life always have the best coffee shops. The must-visit is Pae Li. This coffee house is particularly popular for its grandpa, who has appeared in every media outlet out there. Even though he’s in his 80s, he still serves every drink and smiles to any camera approaching him.
Bonus: Along the way to Khlong Suan, you will pass stalls selling the famous pla salid (deep fried fish) from Bang Bor which is the best and the biggest pla salid-producing area in Thailand.

Bangplee

50 km / 45 minutes
Open daily, around 8am-5pm
The old Bangplee market is one of the nine major markets in the eastern province. Originally named Sirisopon, Bangplee floating market is the only old market in Samrong to have survived both fires and new developments, still boasting the same architectural style it had when it was built 150 years ago. The wooden walkway stretching along the river at least 500 meters is still strong enough to handle thousands of tourist every day. Along the way you will find many old relics for sale, like antique bowls or lanterns. As it’s situated near Bangplee Yai Nai temple, there’s a focus on items for monks and temple but don’t underestimate the rest of the market because its many wooden shops are packed with plenty of delicious stuff.
Highlight: If you wake up too late, you’ll miss the famous, half-century-old gway tiaw moo which runs out as fast as 1pm. You can be comforted by kanom jeen Pa Mol where the lovely Mol and her daughter serve their delicious nam ya (curry soup)every weekend. Choose from kati, nam prik, curry and gaeng tai pla, all at B25. And don’t forget to treat yourself with kanom chan (layered pudding) Mae Boonsri, cooked daily according to the traditional recipe.
Bonus: Other than food and old junk, this is fortune teller central. Nearly one in every 10 shops of this community is in the business. But if you don’t believe in destiny, just walk to Bangplee Yai Nai temple to pay homage to Luang Por To, one of the famous Buddha statues in Thailand, and pray for some luck instead.

Chacherngsao

Ban Mai

80 km / 1.30 hour
Open daily, 8am-5pm (some shops only open on weekends)
Banmai Market, in Chacherngsao harks back to Rama 4. The market was created by Chinese immigrants who built their homes along the Bangpakong (Ta Chin) River long ago, and it slowly became the economic hub of Chacherngsao. It remains famous to this day, having served as a location for TV series and movies such as Yoo Gab Gong and Nang Nak.
Highlight: You can’t miss Ban Pa Nu, a riverside restaurant in Ban Mai, which specializes in pla chon lui suan and tom yam goong mae nam with ingredients coming from the Bangpakong river. For desert, venture over to Mae Wong’s for their stellar lod chong.
Bonus: Don’t forget to pay respect to the Luang Por Sothorn Buddha statue, legendary cousin of Luang Por To in Sumut Prakarn. You can also cruise along Bangpakong River to see the riverside communities. To visit these destinations, catch the boat from Luang Por Sothorn Temple to the Banmai market B100.

Nuengkhate

80 km / 1.30 hour
Open every weekend 9am-4pm
This market has only been in operation for about two years, but the Nuengkhat canal that it floats upon was originally dug by order of King Rama 5. He envisioned this canal to be a short-cut to Bangkok via the San Saeb canal. As the roadways developed, Nuengkhat canal was no longer needed and it was abandoned. Two years ago the mayor initiated the revival of the canal to be used as a market venue. Its pleasant design allows for an open feeling that will please market-goers who don’t like large crowds.
Highlight: Other than attracting visitors for their yummy hor mok pla chon (steamed fish with curry paste), Ban Ta Nai is a popular place because it is home to Miss Universe Pui-Pornthip Nakhirankanok’s grandmother. Fans flock here to take a picture with the elderly lady, who created her own original curry paste recipe. Make sure to sample various kinds of noodles such as guay tiew pak mor and guay tiew nam tok moo, as cheap as B10 per bowl, and Pae Sua’s guay tiew ped. If that doesn’t fill you up, then vendors in their boats line the canal selling all kinds of delicacies.
Bonus: Visit the all-pink, biggest reclining Ganesha statue in Thailand at Samanratanaram Temple or Wat Maikhunsaman in Chacherngsao. If you’re scared of rodents, watch out for the three giant mouse statues there.

Too lazy to drive? Check out these markets in the city.

THAT EXTRA MILE: Drive to Luang  Prabang

Admittedly, touring the Khmer temples of Northeastern Thailand is a pretty geeky holiday. But even if you’re not an architecture buff, you should visit Isaan’s southern provinces and these old ruins provide a common thread—or simply an excuse—to travel through them all. As with all great road trips, it’s not about the destination, it’s all about the journey: getting lost in rice fields, losing all cell coverage, rolling down your window to interrupt a farmer’s labor for directions and zipping past Isaan’s beautifully decorated trucks. It’s also a destination far off the beaten track. At some of the smaller temples, you’ll often be the only visitors so that, even at the height of Songkran, you won’t be rubbing shoulders with Bangkokians.

ITINERARY

The temples run through Korat (Nakhon Ratchasima) and the provinces bordering Cambodia (from west to east: Buriram, Surin, Sisaket, Ubon Ratchathani). Unfortunately, that means this itinerary takes you from A to B, and doesn’t form a loop. Ideally, we recommend you fly to Ubon Ratchathani, rent a car, and drive it all the way back to Bangkok. Before leaving, stop by a bookstore and get yourself a good road map of Isaan.

The flight

Both Thai Airways (www.thaiair.com) and Air Asia (www.airasia.com) fly to Ubon. At the time of writing, we were still finding B3,500 roundtrips on Air Asia for Songkran, although prices will definitely have gone up by the time you read this (or be much lower if you book for later this year). Thai Airways was B5,300 but rates there do tend to change more slowly.

The drive

Thai Rent a Car’s Khon Kaen office will deliver to Ubon Ratchathani for B2,500, and allow you to drop the car off in Bangkok for an extra B1,605. The car’s daily rate starts from B1,620 a day. (So this 3-day trip would cost you B8,965 without fuel.) Call the Khon Kaen office at 087-505-0507. www.thairentacar.com

Budget has an office in Ubon but the charge for a drop-off in Bangkok is B3,210 while daily rates start from B2,040—which also comes out to B9,330 for three days. 1-800-283-438, www.budget.co.th

If you can’t or don’t want to drive, you’ll have to sign up with a tour agency. Many offer Khmer temple tours with drivers and guides. Try Chai Tour, 02-212-8431 (packages start from B8,600), Asia Trails, http://tiny.cc/Kz5ek (four-day trip is US$1,673 for one person, US$1,762 for two people and US$2,055 for three people) or Exotissimo, 02-636-0360 (a nine-day Isaan package starts from around B100,000 per couple. Customized itineraries available upon request).

UBON RATCHATANI - SISAKET

Staying in Ubon

Ubon is a quiet and charming town. It’s crown jewel is the Tung Sri Muang temple’s library. We also recommend lunch on the little rafts by the river. If you decide to stay in Ubon, there are plenty of cheap options you can check out by driving around. For something more comfortable, hole up at the Tohsang City Hotel, (251 Palochai Rd., 045-245-531. www.tohsang.com) for around B1,200/night.

Around Ubon

The region is also home to Khong Chiam, a village on the Lao border, surrounded by gorgeous national parks. For our story on that area, visit http://tiny.cc/lo5r1. If you have time, do build in a couple nights there, but for the purpose of this story, let’s assume you’re off to Sisaket directly, leaving in the early afternoon.

Preah Vihear

From Ubon Ratchathani, use highway 2178 and 221 via Amphur Warin Chamrap, Samrong, Benchalak, and Kantharalak to the Preah Vihear National Park (100 km, 90 min).

Preah Vihear, along with Phimai (Korat) and Phanom Rung (Buriram), is one of the top three Khmer temples on the Thai-Khmer temple trail for its sheer size. Its numerous structures and water basins cover four different levels, with the most impressive architecture at its summit.

As you know, Preah Vihear is in a disputed area. To find out if it is open and to sleep over at the park, contact Khao Phra Wihan National Park at 045-61-9214 or the Department of National Parks at 02-562-0760.

Staying in Sisaket

If you’re in no mood to rough it at the Preah Vihear National Park (or in no mood to get bombed in your sleep), there are a couple of options in town. Drive to Amphur Muang Sisaket (110km, 100min). Boonsiri (1191/3 Vigitnakorn Road,  045-622-222 www.boonsiriboutiquehotel.com/), as it’s new, is surprisingly decent for merely B400 a night—if you can take all the pink and floral prints. The other hotels in town are also 4-8 story affairs but tend to be older and fairly drab. The only place with a bit of character is the wooden house at the foot of Baan Kaew Ruen Kwan. It’s the same owners so contact them and ask to stay at Baan Apa (B1,000 night, 1478/1-30 Vijitnakorn Rd., 045-643-133/4).

Eat

Eat by the railway tracks (that’s true in a lot of these small towns), where you’ll find numerous stalls and some concrete tables. You buy your food at the stalls, sit at the tables. It’s not really self-service because the beer girls will clean the table for you, mix your drinks and then (at least ours did) refuse to take a tip. In other words, with

SISAKET - SURIN - BURIRAM

Around Sisaket

There are two temples close to town, on your way to Surin: Prasat Wat Sa Kamphaeng Yai and Noi (big and small). Mr. Big’s name is well-deserved as it’s the biggest complex in the province. It’s also surrounded by more recent Buddhist temples so there’s a lot to see. The smaller Kamphaeng temple is the more charming though. It’s on very quiet temple grounds, where monks live in huts, bordering a pond, and is somewhat overrun by vegetation, making it all the more romantic.

Surin

About halfway between Amphur Muang Sisaket and Amphur Muang Surin (96km, 90min) is at Prasat Hin Sikhorapum. It features some of the most beautiful sculpted lintels in the region and a couple of its five prang still have complete roofs, mostly thanks to restorations from Laotian invaders in the 15-16th century—hence their hybrid style.

After Surin, you’ll find Prasat Baan Plai, which still has two prang standing but not much carving to show for itself. Nearby is Prasat Baan Phluang, which is almost the opposite: just one edifice but incredibly intricate stonework.

Buriram

You should be able to time your arrival to catch the sunset at Prasat Hin Phanom Rung. It sits on an extinct volcano, commanding sweeping views of the countryside surrounding it. It’s a big complex, with a long pathway connecting two groups of buildings. The architecture and the carving is superb thanks, in part, to 17 years of restoration work. This one should definitely make it onto the World Heritage list very soon. 5km from there is Prasat Mueang Tam which is another well-preserved complex with two libraries, an inner enclosure, ponds and an outer enclosure, not to mention more beautiful carved lintels.

Where to stay

You’ll need to drive to Nangrong: another provincial town, another host of soulless hotels. The Park Nangrong, just outside of town, is your cutest option and rooms start from only B700. 445/10 Praditpana Road, Nangrong. 044-633-778. www.theparknangrong.com

PHI MAI (Nakhon Ratchasima)

It’s roughly another 100km from Nangrong to Phi Mai. This temple is actually in town, which is fun because there’s food and other stuff to check out around it. The temple itself is probably the most charming in Thailand, with its serene Buddha images sitting under prangs with delicately carved lintels and its outer courtyards where tall, majestic trees soar amid the crumbling walls.

That’s it. You’re done! At this point you could complete your tour by going through central Isaan back to Ubon, through Khon Kaen, Roi Et and Yasothon, or head down to Bangkok and get a bit more Khmer culture at Lopburi on your way back. For our story on Lopburi, visit http://tiny.cc/5iufy. If you drive straight back to Bangkok, it’s a 270-km drive.

If you decide to stick around in Phi Mai, The Old Phimai Guesthouse has air-con rooms for only B350/night. 214 Mu 14 Chomsuda Sadet Rd., 044-471-918. www.phimaigh.com

Thai Khmer Temples 101
 

81-100

81) Visit Kampong Buangkok, the last traditional village on the island. Lorong Buangkok, off Yio Chu Kang Rd., near St. Vincent De Paul Church.

82) Crash an Indian wedding on Serangoon Road.

83) Read Simon Tay’s A City of Small Blessings.

84) Go stargazing out on the landfill island of Pulau Semakau with the Astronomical Society of Singapore. tasos.org. sg.

85) Survive a night at Goldkist Resort, voted Asia’s dirtiest hotel on TripAdvisor. 1110 East Coast Parkway, 6448- 4747.

86) Support the Substation. 45 Armenian St., 6337-7535, substation.org.

87)Get to know Greenwood. It’s a charming little suburb, and the residents have it all to themselves far too often.

88) Pack a picnic with ingredients from The Pantry Farmer’s Market. First Saturday of every month, 8.30am-2pm. 75E Loewen Rd., 6474-0441. thepantrycookeryschool.com.

89) Check out one of the coolest and fiercest independent art galleries in town, Post Museum, before it shuts in July. 107 Rowell Rd., 6396-7980.

90) Search for hidden treasure at Zouk’s quarterly Flea & Easy market,17 Jiak Kim St., 6738-2988, zoukclub.com; or Thieves Market, junction of Sungei Road and Jalan Besar.

91 Party to a Tamil soundtrack with the 10-piece live band at Jeans Live, #01-17 Balestier Complex, 262 Balestier Rd., 6256-6569.

92) Swim with the masses at Kallang Basin Swimming Complex (one of the oldest in town), 21 Geylang Bahru Lane, 9851-0052.

93) Sniff out some fun (durian or otherwise) in Geylang.

94) Man the rusting World War II cannons tucked away amid the trees of Labrador Park. Labrador Villa Rd., nparks.gov. sg.

95) Be inspired at a TEDxSingapore event. tedxsingapore.sg.

96) Brave the Chinese karoake lounges at Tiananmen, #01-00, 407 Havelock Rd., 6732-7977.

97) Track down the mysterious Muslim shrine of Sharifah Rogayah, tucked away without fanfare in Duxton Plain Park.

98) Accompany the Singapore Adventurers’ Club on one of their expeditions. sac.org.

99) Attend Sunday morning Mass at the Armenian Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator, the oldest Christian church in the country. This weekend (Mar 26-27) is their 175th anniversary. 60 Hill St., armeniansinasia.org.

100) Jaywalk.

1-20 21-40 41-60 61-80 81-100

61-80

61) Travel out to the end stations of every MRT line.

62) Subscribe to Underscore Magazine, produced by local design collective Hjgher. underscoremagazine.com.

63) Initiate an impromptu game of coconut cricket on the oft-deserted Lazarus Island. Daily ferry service from Marina South Pier, #01-04 Marina South Pier, 6534-9339,  islandcruise.com.sg.

64) Grab a coffee to go from 40 Hands, #01- 12, 78 Yong Siak St., 6225- 8545—as if there’s ever a seat free anyway—and explore the art deco architecture of surrounding Tiong Bahru.

65) Listen to your taxi driver.

66) Scope out Liquid City: Volume 2, a stellar anthology of SE Asian comics, edited by Malinky Robot creator Sonny Liew. www.liquidcitizen.net. Available at {prologue}, #04-16. #05-03 ION Orchard, 6465-1477.

67) Catch the prawning bug. prawnfishinginsingapore. blogspot.com.

68) Stay at ZoukOut until the bitter, sweaty end. www.zoukout.com.

69) Meet interesting strangers with guerrilla dining operators lolla’s secret suppers ([email protected]), Social Candy (social [email protected]) and The Ping’s Illegal Diners Club (pingskitchen.com).

70) Watch the sun go down over MacRitchie Reservoir (along Lornie Rd.). Just you, your friends and a bottle of wine. And monkeys for company.

71) Observe the no braying rule at Speakeasy. 54 Blair Rd., 9759-5111.

72) Convince someone to rent a yacht for you. boatbookings.com.

73) Don a hard hat and plead with the foreman to be allowed down to the Jurong Rock Caverns, a liquid hydrocarbon storage facility being built deep beneath the seabed of Banyan Basin.

74) Blag your way backstage at the Grand Prix. It sure as hell ain’t worth paying for the privilege.

75) Act like Spiderman, without a web. le-parkour.sg.

76) Rent out the screen at Sinema (sinema.sg). Load Boo Junfeng’s coming-of-age drama Sandcastles onto the projector.

77) Wake up early and watch the sun come up over the Dairy Farm Quarry. Off Dairy Farm Rd., inside Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.

78) Allow yourself to be caught in a full-force, midafternoon tropical downpour.

79) Take your hands off the handlebars as you freewheel down the trail from Beberek Hut on Pulau Ubin.

80) Make like Tarzan and swing from the vines hanging along Westbourne Road.

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41-60

41) Request a song from the houseband at CM-PB. Journey, perhaps. #01-05 7 Dempsey Rd., 6475-0105.

42) Skinny dip off the East Coast.

43) Run a lap of the 26th story Skybridge at Pinnacle@Duxton. Befriend a resident to gain access. 1A Cantonment Rd.

44) Show your face at a Pigeonhole event. Who’d have thought worthy and cool could be combined to such winning effect? 52-53 Duxton Rd., the-pigeonhole.tumblr.com.

45) Do your bit for the environment for once and buy an eco-friendly shoe at Ecco, #01-047 Suntec City Mall, 3 Temasek Blvd., 6334-0410.

46) Marvel at the island’s last remaining Damar Hitam Gajah trees, between Netheravon Rd. and Turnhouse Rd. in Changi. www.nparks.gov.sg.

47) Charter a boat out to Raffles Lighthouse, Singapore’s southernmost point and thus the very definition of getting away from it all.

48) Spend a Friday night drinking with the kids on Robertson Bridge, behind Zouk. No pretence and the cheapest prices in town.

49) Find the German graves at Kranji War Cemetery, 9 Woodlands Rd.

50) Lose yourself in decades of song at vinyl junkies’ best-keptsecret Red Point, #06- 11 Kapo Factory, 80 Playfair Rd., 6383-3955.

51) Taste Swedish-halal food for the first time at Fika, 257 Beach Rd., 6396-9096.

52) Rip it up and start again at an indie punk gig down at Straits Records, 24A Bali Lane, [email protected].

53) Attempt to spend $100 in the ten cent stores of Little India without buying the same item twice.

54) Add The Online Citizen to your RSS feed. theonlinecitizen.com.

55) Let the flames of the oil refineries light up your evening hunt for corals at Cyrene Reef. cyrenereef.blogspot.com.

56) Slide down the elephant at Pasir Ris Park playground.

57) Play X’Ho’s latest album Singapura Uber Alles to as many friends as possible.

58) Put your arm round someone special at a Drive-in MovieMob film screening. moviemob.sg.

59) Lay out a rug and catch a performance on the Botanic Gardens’ Shaw Foundation Symphony Stage, 1 Cluny Rd., 6471-7361. sbg.org.sg.

60) Point a telephoto lens at the exit from Orchard Towers. Four floors of boorish men, who’ll try to hide their face.

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Modeled after Secret Wars—live art battles that take place in the kookiest urban spots of Europe and Australia (among them, an abandoned abattoir)—Face Off, the inaugural Asian league of this burgeoning street art competition, hits town for the first time. Choice weapons of visual assault: Free form, black on white, single medium, 8ft. by 8ft. boards, no extra time, one brush or marker. Two intrepid up-and-coming street art stalwarts, Addica and zero3sixtyfive, must draw or paint in black on a virginal white canvas in 90 minutes in a classic battle of the sexes. Guest judges TraseOne and the KillerGerbil will unveil the critic’s choice while the crowd will vote for the winner. Certainly more fun than your presumably secret ballot in the upcoming elections. "I agreed to come on board because I’ve seen this project going on outside of Singapore before in Europe and I had longed for something similar to happen in Singapore," says TraseOne. "This project covers pretty much all aspects of street art when we have to consider space, material and time, besides the concept, when creating work. Another important way this project appeals to me is the opportunity to pit our skills against not only locals, but against artists from around the globe, and to push local artists out into the global creative industry by bringing them overseas for collaboration opportunities." Face Off organizer, Michelle Luehman of Raw Art, tells us what’s in store: “I think people should be prepared for a surprise. This is going to be one hell of an event and it covers a lot of different interest groups. Anyone who thinks that this is restricted to a few fringe dwellers is going to have to reshape their thinking.”

Get ready to Face Off on Mar 30, 6:30pm. The Hall, Old School, 11B Mount Sophia, 6338-7682. $12.50-15 from www.ticketcrash.com.

Seriously, with so many problems happening in the world right now, should we really be concerned with what we’re wearing? Well, apparently so if you’re in Singapore, with two major fashion festivals taking place over the next two months, starting with the first ever Men’s Fashion Week, featuring no less than a dozen local brands alongside more established international ones. Here we go behind the press releases, to give you the lowdown on what to expect from our local brands.

ATZU

What it is: Yes, the name is cheezy: ATZU actually stands for “reforming fashion from A to Z for U.” Thankfully, this web-based menswear label caters to both the simple dresser and more flamboyant types through its ATZU White and Black collections, the former comprising mainly straightforward men’s shirts and the latter edgier cuts and silhouettes.
What the press release says: “Body imperfections play a key part in the construction of an ATZU garment, pieces that will disguise one’s imperfections, be it a longer torso, a longer neck, a broader shoulder or a bigger chest, through the juxtaposition of fabrics and razor-sharp cuts.”
What it’s really trying to say: Loose fits with asymmetrical cuts that will make you look like the standout that you truly are. Buy this if you have an extra finger or something (try the long-sleeved shirts).

Elohim

What it is: Malaysian-born, Singapore-based fashion designer Sabrina Goh first showcased her designs at last year’s Audi Fashion Festival, showing off her flair for textural cuts, colors and fabrications. Goh currently runs her eponymous standalone boutique at Orchard Central.
What the press release says: “Driven by her passionate pursuit of creativity, she mixes elements of menswear and womenswear, symmetry and asymmetry, in order to develop forms into unexpected details and startling silhouettes.”
What it’s really trying to say: Almost anything goes for Goh, whose designs appeal to “girls who are boys who like boys to be girls who do boys like they’re girls who do girls like they’re boys.”

evenodd

What it is: Stylist, photographer and self-taught designer Samuel Wong’s debut label. For his first Spring/Summer collection, Wong reinterprets his dad’s old wardrobe with a twist, featuring details such as pleats, detachable wool plackets and sleeves with tie details—calling it “My dad gave me the look.”
What the press release says: “The evenodd philosophy stems from the co-existence of polar opposites. Contrast becomes complimentary as simple, refined minimalism meets thought-provoking complications. Harmony and balance is achieved through calculated design and styling.”
What it’s really trying to say: Simple, wearable clothes for the modern dandy with a soft spot for vintage.

Jason

What it is: Previously known as Cloak & Dagger, fashion upstart JR Chan first caught the industry’s eye when she took home the Singapore Young Designer Award at 2007’s Singapore Fashion Festival. Currently stocked at indie boutique Hide & Seek, her collection has gotten darker and sexier over the years, featuring pieces like fitted black jackets with open backs for that token peek-a-boo effect.
What the press release says: “Jason is a new menswear and androgynous label that is in peaceful times but of turbulent mind. Jason is an endearing eccentric and destructive boy. Sympathizing with the extreme ideologies of the worldly rules, he develops an abnormal view on fashion, design and life, all for the sake of breaking away from stereotypes.“
What it’s really trying to say: Unexpected and extreme cuts and drapings that draw inspiration from goth, punk, club kids and even Martin Margiela. Nothing is sacred here.

Reckless Ericka

What it is: One of the more established newbies in town, the label, under the artistic direction of trio Afton Chen, Ruth Marbun and Louis Koh, has consistently produced a wide range of jackets, shirts, T-shirts and pants governed by classic tailoring and contrasting colors.
What the press release says: “Fleur de Sel—”Flower of Salt” in French—is a highly prized, gourmet sea salt hand-harvested by salt farmers along the coast of Brittany, France. Salt farmers will fill up shallow pools of fresh salt-water and collect the top layer of salt once the water evaporates. The gentlest breeze will cause the layer of salt to sink, and only in an optimum condition where it is sunny with no wind, will the Fleur de Sel be formed and collected. This collection is based on the Fleur de Sel, from the inspiration of the painstaking attention to detail and quality, colors, fabrication, to the idea of its flake-like and irregularly shaped silhouette.”
What it’s really trying to say: Unfussy, practical and carefully constructed, the clothes appeal just as much to French fashionistas as they do to salt farmers (well, hopefully).

Men’s Fashion Week is on Mar 30-Apr 3, various times. Pavillion, Marina Bay Sands, 10 Bayfront Ave., 6688-8868, www.mfwasia.com. $40 from www.marinabaysands.com/ticketing.