Mekong Travel - newsletter September 2002

September 2002

Our new brochure for 2003 is now available, please contact us for a copy.

Travel Information

CAMBODIA

ASEAN Chiefs to Meet in Phnom Penh
ASEAN chiefs of state will meet in Phnom Penh from 3 to 5 November. The city will be full of police with very tight security at the airport. The availability of rooms at the better hotels in town will be reduced.

ATF Blocks Rooms
From 20 to 28 January 2003 the participants of the ATF Trade Show in Phnom Penh will occupy most of the hotels in town thus causing pressure on availability of hotel rooms.

Mondial Buddhist Meeting Siem Reap
With over 3000 monks expected, the Mondial Buddhist Meeting from 5 to 10 December will make Siem Reap a very busy place. Some roads and pagodas will be closed to the tourists because of the Buddhists functions.

MYANMAR

China Connection Yunnan Airlines (3Q) is connecting two fascinating destinations: Kunming and Mandalay. Flights are operated twice weekly between the two cities.

LAOS

Co-op with Air France The Ministry of Transportation and Air France Constancy have co-operated on aviation issues, aiming to improve the services of Lao Aviation Company. As a result Air France Constancy will provide a jet of 100 seats that will connect the Air France flights in Bangkok to Vientiane. Mandarine Airlines to Vientiane Mandarin Airlines from Taiwan recently launched a direct weekly flight from Taipei to Vientiane. Flight AE 857 operates every Thursday from 0740-1015.

CAMBODIA

Bangkok Airways has increased its flights from Bangkok to Cambodia, particularly to the Angkor Temples in Siem Reap. An additional flight from the Thai capital and Phnom Penh began in August, taking the number of daily flights between the two cities to four. Also one extra flight a day between Bangkok and Siem Reap has been added, expanding the number of Bangkok Airways flights on that route to five a day.

VIETNAM

Danang-Siem Reap Link Cambodia's Siem Reap Airways International is to operate flights from Luang Prabang/Laos to Danang, Vietnam and Siem Reap (Angkor Wat) in Cambodia. Expected Links Singapore & China New flights from Singapore to Danang and Kunming (China) by Silk Air are expected to be in operation before the end of the year.

Hotels & Restaurants

THAILAND

Bangkok: The Amari Boulevard finished the renovation of the Peppermill coffee shop in mid July.
The Bangkok Marriott Resort & Spa is carrying out its enhancement program, which is scheduled to complete two floors each month, from now through September 2002. They have also planned a "soft" refurbishment for the meeting rooms, Chinese and Main restaurants.
The Eastin Bangkok Hotel finished the maintenance work on its swimming pool at the beginning of August.
The deluxe rooms and the Terrazzo restaurant in the Terrace wing of the Sukhothai Hotel were under renovation. Work was completed beginning of August.
Chiang Mai: The Regent Chiang Mai is now constructing its Thai Cooking School on the hotel's premises (the suites in the immediate vicinity have been closed); the culinary school is set to open in December this year.

CAMBODIA

Phnom Penh: The Naga Resort Hotel by the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers is under construction. The hotel will open end of 2003 with 600 rooms.
Siem Reap: The Accor Group plans to build a 305 rooms Novotel in Siem Reap, on the main way from the city centre to the airport.
Preah Khan Hotel, Apsara Hotel and Kamara Hotel, three superior class (3-star) hotels are under construction on the main way from the city centre to the airport. The openings will be for the next high season.
Nokor Phnom Hotel, located on the main road between the airport and the city centre has started a complete renovation of the property, including its 126 rooms, the lobby and the swimming pool. The hotel will be ready for the next high season.
Victoria Hotel, a new 4-star property is still under construction and will be completed by January 2003.

LAOS

Xiengkeo Changes its Name Xiengkeo Hotel & Resort in Luang Prabang has changed its name to The Grand Luang Prabang. This premier destination in Luang Prabang with its own style and identity, the hotel was constructed in the immaculate Mekong garden of Prince Phetsarath's private residence. The hotel comprises of 76 luxurious rooms and 2 suites. Its design mixes the elegant French colonial and the Luangprabang styles, matching the colonial period residence of the Prince.

VIETNAM

Ana Mandara Nhatrang Resort has increased its facilities to include the opportunities to dine at an Antique house and enjoy a sunset cruise down the Cai River. Also new Spa packages have been developed.
Furama Resort Danang has been named one of Vietnam's Top Ten hotels for the year 2001 by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism. The hotel also received a license to operate a Casino.
Hoi An Hotel increased guest rooms and upgraded its property for more guest satisfaction

Travel

T H A I L A N D

Mekong World Heritage Tour

Bangkok Airways has its brand new Mekong World Heritage Tour. This new travel package connects 4 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Mekong Region. The flight originates from Bangkok to Sukhothai (Thailand), Luang Prabang (Laos PDR.), Hue (Vietnam), Angkor Wat (Cambodia) and then returns to Bangkok. The start date of this original package is 4th of November this year.

New Tours Bonanza for Next Season

During the past couple of months our Product Team travelled all over Southeast Asia from East to West, from North to South, from mountain to river, from beach to jungle and back to scout for exciting new products. And finding new products they did! Jungle safaris, sailing trips, offroad adventures and kayaking for the adventurous. Homestays and new Highlight tours in the central and northern mountain provinces for the more cultural-minded as well as several bicycle rides and a motorbike tour. For full details (itineraries and prices) of all new tours, please consult one of our consultants at Mekong Travel (Mekong Travel).

C A M B O D I A

Carreras Sings at Angkor Wat

On December 06 2002 Jose Carreras will perform during a Gala Dinner at Angkor Wat. This event is a Charity Evening supported by the Cambodian Government in aid of the Cambodian Red Cross, Landmines and Wild Aid.

New Express Boats In Service

Cambodia Asia Travel Company and the Siem Reap Marine Company will launch new Express Boat services between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. Their boats will cut the travelling time to approximately 5 hrs.
The Kralahomkong boat offers the opportunity of organising events on the Mekong River. This charming boat has been totally decorated with tropical wood and exotic furniture and accommodates up to 100 persons.

The Mekong Express Boat is a new Japanese boat with all the safety features, comfortable seats, video entertainment and hygienic sanitary facilities. The Mekong Express Boat takes you on the largest lake in South-East Asia, the Tonle Sap, between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. It is driven by four powerful engines, one exclusive to run the air-conditioning systems and three other to ensure smooth sailing. The Mekong Express is furnished with your comfort in mind and the well-maintained deck is a splendid way to enjoy the scenery as you travel. The VIP upper floor is equipped with 20 collapsible deck seats completed with safety facilities, ideal for those who prefer privacy. VIP rooms are air-conditioned with TV in every room. There are 120 comfortable seats on the lower deck, which is more spacious and just as well equipped.
Hot and cold towels are served as you board followed by breakfast and lunch at noon.

Schedule of Departure:

Odd days: Phnom Penh - Siem Reap @ 08h00
Even days: Siem Reap - Phnom Penh @ 08h00

Temple in Spotlight

Phnom Penh municipal workers have installed night lighting around Preah Vihear temple as part of an ongoing effort to develop the site for tourism. The Preah Vihear site previously hosted as many as 1,000 tourists a day who boarded buses in Thailand and travelled over smooth Thai roads. But in December Thailand closed its side of the border, claiming that Cambodian vendors were polluting a stream that flows into Thailand. Cambodia is responding with a plan to build an access road on the Cambodian site.

New Bridge Opens

Prime Minister Hun Sen hailed last month the new bridge linking Koh Kong to Thailand. Travellers from Thailand can now reach Koh Kong by land on the 1.9-Km bridge and continue on Route 48, which is being renovated.

L A O S

The Road for Adventurers

An adventure tourist's Mecca, the road to Laksao on the rugged Laos-Vietnamese border offers the adventurous tourist a real feast of natural wonders. With the official opening of Khon Lor cave, a new destination site in central Laos, tourists are offered a new caving alternative. The cave is located in the national protected forest area of Hin Boun Mountain. The cave's beauty is found both found in its interior as well as its exterior.

M Y A N M A R

Pandaw III In Operation

The Irrawaddy Flotilla Company has added a third ship for travellers on the popular 8-Day Myanmar Tour that includes the nostalgic Irrawaddy River Cruise to enjoy the comfort of the new ship.

V I E T N A M

Visitor Arrivals up in 2001

Visitor arrival figures for 2001 announced by the Vietnam National Administration for Tourism (VNAT) show an increase of over 8% from 2000. Vietnam received 2.33 million foreign arrivals for the year, an increase of more than 8% over the 2.15 million visitors in 2000, and an increase of over 25% over the 1.86 million arrivals in 1999, when Vietnam launched its national tourism campaign "Vietnam - A Destination for the New Millennium". The government has designated tourism one of the key areas for national development and is investing heavily in upgrading its infrastructure such as roads, railways and airports.

Mid-Autumn Festival

On 20 and 21 of September it's time again to celebrate the yearly Mid-Autumn Festival. On many streets lion and dragon dances can be seen.

Back Ma National Park

Looking for a place off the beaten track? Come and visit the Back Ma National Park. This is a primitive forest, 1400 m above the sea level, 30 km from Hue and 80 km from Danang. Sightseeing around the park can be done by jeep and in the forest you will spot lakes, waterfalls, birds and other wild animals. Also architecturally interesting structures left by the French can be sampled along the tracks.

Social

Mekong Club

Address: P O BOX 820, HP9 2JG, England
Tel: +(44) (0)973 231 446,
http://www.mekongclub.net

The Mekong Club is an informal, non-political, non-commercial association, primarily concerned with promotion of the cultures of the "Mekong Region" (i.e. Viet Nam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and adjacent regions) in the UK. The Club will act as a forum for exchange of information and experience by:

The promotion of social and cultural events, tutorial groups and other meetings
Maintenance of a world wide web page and an address list for circulars on 'events and ideas'.

Membership is open to all, but it is envisaged that the club will be of particular interest to:

Expatriates from the Mekong Region living in the UK, with particular encouragement given to 2nd and 3rd generation family members.
British (and other European) citizens wishing to maintain in contact with people and issues in the Mekong Region.
Visitors from the Region needing temporary support whilst in the UK.
Citizens in the Mekong Region, wishing to develop contacts in the UK.

The Club will be organised by a chairperson, secretariat and webmaster, with a single, annual business meeting combined with a social event. The secretariat will be responsible for financial stewardship, with a "minimal" fund consisting of contributions for individual events and newsletters. An annual membership fee of £5 is envisaged per adult. For further details, please write or telephone the above number.

Mekong Club Application:

I/We ��.. would like to join the Mekong Club

My/Our address is: .......................................................................................................

.........................................................................................................................................

Please find enclosed the payment for membership of £5 and my/our voluntary contribution of £� Total: £�. (Cash or cheque payable to Mekong Club)

Posting Address: P.O. BOX 820, HP9 2JG.