OCTOBER 16, 2000 VOL. 156 NO. 15

TRAVEL WATCH Check Into the Past at One of Asia's Grand Hotels There's something to be said about a hotel that perfectly captures a bygone era, while providing modern creature comforts Hot Deals Zegrahm Expeditions is offering something a bit wilder Hot Spot Bintan Island is officially part of Indonesia, but you can also think of it as Singapore's backyard playground Kitsch Report A captured mountain hideout of the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf as a tourist attraction? Web Crawling This website is a good guide for travelers who need information about Japan's traditional inns, or ryokan Detour One of the most extensive collections of Nepal's architectural heritage Travel Watch Archive: Browse hundreds of Asian travel tips

Kitsch Report

Flying Fish Sauce Ban
Air travelers whose nostrils have an aversion to Vietnamese nuoc mam will be pleased to know that, along with handguns, explosives and durian, the pungent fish sauce has been banned from Vietnam Airlines' flights. International aviation laws, in turns out, prohibit strong-smelling and corrosive substances. Smugglers will have their sauce confiscated or face a stinking big fine.

Terror Tours
In what must surely be the most tasteless idea of the year, the authorities on Basilan Island in the Philippines want to turn a captured mountain hideout of the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf into a tourist attraction. We are not making this up. Local officials apparently believe that the camp, where two hostages were beheaded in April, could become a real hit with travelers. Aside from taking in a great view, visitors could presumably clamber through the bunkers and admire the terrorists' perimeter defenses. What's next? Abu Sayyaf day camps?

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