Follow the Banana Pancakes

One of the better banana pancakes I have enjoyed, this one overlooking the beach and surf break at Uluwatu, Bali.

I’ve spent the past month and a half in SE Asia and am now on the Indonesian island of Lombok by way of Bali. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed myself. I’ve seen and done more than I had imagined I would before leaving home and met many interesting people along the way. But it’s undeniable that I have been living in a Western bubble while traipsing through Asia. I find that at each destination I am joined by planeloads of French people, a decent amount of other Europeans and Brits, quite a few North Americans, a smattering of Latin Americans, and one or two Asians who are more drawn to independent travel than all inclusive tours. In general, we convene at hostels or homestays, restaurants, and bars frequented by other westerners and hang out in our own community. About a week ago while reading a blog about a destination I visited in Laos I came across a name for this phenomenon: the Banana Pancake Trail.

The fact that western travelers are all all visiting common locations really hit home for me at my Hmong homestay near Sa Pa, Vietnam. I arrived to discover two French people I had served as English translator for on a boat in Lan Ha Bay three days ago sitting on the veranda. In the time since we last saw each other we had all endured 12 hours of bus travel and then trekked for five hours to arrive at the exact same house in what I thought would be a remote village. I had no idea they were planning to go to Sa Pa. What are the odds? I decided I should put together some thoughts about this phenomenon, which has replaced the infamous Ho Chi Minh Trail, the route used by the Northern Vietnamese to supply the guerrilla fighters in the South during the Vietnam War, as the most traveled path through SE Asia.

First and foremost I will say that in spite of any criticism I may have towards the Banana Pancake Trail I have thoroughly enjoyed my time on it. There are reasons that tourists flock to this region and visit these places along the way. The Trail is well set up for longer term travelers like myself as well as those on shorter vacations. Accommodations are generally comfortable, inexpensive, and readily available and there are easy transit connections between the Banana Pancake destinations. You can book transportation and tours as you go at one of the many travel agencies along the way or even at your hostel and they will usually pick you up from your hostel when you leave a city.

There is also a lot to see and do on the Trail. I loved exploring the natural beauty of the slightly more remote stops on the Trail like Phong Nha, Lan Ha Bay, and the Hmong Village near Sa Pa in Vietnam, Nong Khiew, Muang Ngoi, and the Mekong Slow Boat in Laos. I marveled at the energy of the mega cities of Saigon, Hanoi, and Phnom Penh, and I enjoyed the historic charm and relative relaxation of secondary cities of Hoi An, and Hue in Vietnam, Battambang in Cambodia, and Luang Prabang in Laos. Hell, I even had a blast in Siem Reap, the Cambodian tourist trap created solely cater to the throngs of visitors to Angkor Wat. I’ve had many rewarding interactions with other backpackers. Local food, including banana pancakes, is delectable.

Still, when you travel along the Banana Pancake Trail I have found you get a limited view of the area. It is very rare that I meet someone who seriously ventured off trail and this is usually because they had been working or volunteering somewhere or they have been going much more slowly through the region than is typical. I have gotten to know other Western backpackers much better than any locals. Partly this is due to the language and cultural barriers that exist between us but the result is that I feel I’m living in a hybrid universe that is part Western and part Asian where the intercultural exchange between Westerners and locals is limited. It also feels hierarchical, locals are expected to extend hospitality to Westerners while we open our wallets without really getting to know one another. While homestays and guesthouses are better for this than hostels, I still feel like I’m getting a limited view into local life. I’m not sure that Westerners get to understand the local culture and sometimes, as evidenced by all the people I see wearing skimpy clothes in places that are not the beach, we are blatantly disrespectful.

I feel like I’m only seeing the parts of the region that have been selected by the editors at Lonely Planet and travelfish.com (which BTW is a great source for travel information in SE Asia), or other travelers. I know I am bypassing huge parts of these countries that fall further from the Trail. These unvisited places are certainly less "touristic", a favorite European non-English word, and probably more “culturally authentic” since they have not been altered in ways to cater to western wallets. I would guess they are less economically vibrant as well. There have been moments when I have ventured beyond the Trail but for this most part this happened in larger cities where I have wandered further afield from the backpacker districts, mostly while traveling with my friend Douglas. I guess I am still more comfortable venturing off trail when traveling with someone else.

Personally, I have come to terms with the fact that my trip through Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos pretty much followed a prescribed path. It is my first time in the area and I set a fairly ambitious schedule for myself by going through three countries in six weeks. However, on my next trip to the area (which I am telling myself will happen) I plan venture to destinations where Banana Pancakes aren’t available, even if I return by myself. This way I can get a glimpse of the region that most don’t get a chance to see and step further out of my comfort zone.