Mekong Travel - Newsletter June 2005

June 2005

Tsunami update

Thailand

BANGKOK, JUNE 10, 2005 - The following is a report on the current status of destinations Khao Lak and Phi Phi Island in southern Thailand; indicating which hotel properties have made progress in cleanup operations since December's tsunami, and where problems still remain.

KHAO LAK

Although the destination has made great strides in clearing away debris, there is still a lot to be done. Due either to a lack of funds, or because they have not been instructed to do so, many hotels have yet to remove debris from their properties.

Lacking clearly defined government guidelines on the use of beach areas for commercial development has also meant that many hotel owners are in a quandary on what action to take and this has further hampered the clean up process. Despite this, some hotels, such as the Khao Lak Merlin, Sunset, La Flora and Le Meridien, have reported that they are either now operating normally or will be ready by the end of October 2005. However, with the exception of Le Meridien, we believe the majority of properties will not have completed re-construction and renovation programms in time, and are therefore unlikely to feature in our programmes.

A few properties are 'borderline' and may be ready for business by the end of October. For example, we have received unconfirmed reports that the Sarojin will indeed be sellable.

The only property untouched by the tsunami was the Andaburi. Ironically, before the tsunami it was considered by some people to be located too far from the beach, however, it is now one of the only fully operational properties in Khao Lak.

In February/March Khao Lak Resort reported it would re-open for the 2005/6 season, however, the adjacent Wanaburee Resort may not re-open until the 2006/7 season. Whether ongoing construction work in Khao Lak during this season will have too heavy an impact on the quality of tourism in the area remains to be seen. It is still difficult to quantify the amount of work remaining, and some unfinished construction projects and debris may still be observed by the end of October.

Other areas, such as Bang Ngiang Beach were totally destroyed. In this area only La Flora is showing some signs of recovery, while Mukdara and Palm Beach have yet to resume normal operations. South Sea Prakarang Resort will also not be ready for the coming season and does not expect to be operational before 2006/7.

A lot of reconstruction work is also being hampered by a lack of construction materials - not just in Khao Lak - but also in Phuket. The shortage of even basic materials has also seen a dramatic rise in prices, further hampering the recovery process.

We have also received reports that Khao Khao Island Beach Resort will re-open for the season 2005/6. As much as we would like to see them enjoy a return of business, we are not sure the journey to Khao Khao Island would be an enjoyable one for tourists. Much of the surrounding area driving up to the pier - from where visitors take the ferry to the island - has been devastated and reminders of the tsunami are all around.

PHI PHI ISLAND

Many thought that after the tsunami Phi Phi Island was completely destroyed, but that is not the case. For example, by January, there was very little evidence of damage to be seen at Pee Pee Island Village. In the months following the tsunami, some hotels on the island like the Holiday Inn, used the downturn in arrivals as an opportunity to upgrade their facilities. Other resorts, like Phi Phi Natural Resort escaped damage due to its location.

Those badly damaged resorts included Tonsai and the adjacent Loh Dahlum Bay resort, while properties that were completely destroyed included Phi Phi Village (not to be confused with Pee Pee Island Village), Phi Phi Princess and Phi Phi Charlie Beach Resort. Phi Phi Cabana's main buildings survived the tsunami, however other parts of the property were so badly damaged that is will not be operational before the season 2006/7.

Cleanup operations have progressed extremely fast in and around Tonsai Bay and are now almost complete with only some visible signs of re-construction in a far corner of the bay.

Properties such as the Phi Phi Bayview, and everything located to its right (Ayaburi, etc.) are considered up to standard and operational. Many of the bars, pubs, shops and dive centres have also re-opened, and while some of these properties are still experiencing a power shortage, we anticipate this will be overcome in the coming months.

In terms of marine activities, divers have given positive reports despite minor damage to some coral reefs. The lack of tourist activity over the past few months has also helped the marine life and habitats to recover naturally.

In conclusion, we believe that Phi Phi Island has made huge progress in its cleanup operations, and by the end of October, many properties will be ready to accept guests for what will surely be an enjoyable seasonal holiday.

Tours

The sails of our June Bahtra junks will set across more of Thailand shortly and offer a wider service area for our fabulous one day sailing experiences. Until now, all three traditional junk-rigged schooners have been in service in Phang Nga Bay, moored at Yacht Haven Harbour in Phuket.

Now, one will go to sea in Koh Samui for 'The Magical Samui Cruise', while another is already in Hua Hin where a scheduled service is about to begin, and one as before in Phuket. Schedules and tariffs are being prepared so we'll keep you posted as soon as dates and precise locations are confirmed.
The mighty Mekong river has been humbled in February and March. Little or no rain in weeks has produced near-record low water levels and operating difficulties for our two cruises, Vat Phou and Luang Say. The situation is expected to return to a slightly deeper norm soon, though recently certain points in the tours have been adjusted slightly to cater to the Mekong's receded waters.

Environment

Vietnam Eco-news

Legendary Hoan Kiem turtle most endangered of its kind
The legendary turtles living in Hoan Kiem Lake in Vietnam's capital Hanoi are the most endangered freshwater turtles in the world, said the Vietnam Wildlife Conservation Society. Up to now, only one single individual of the species has been seen in the lake, the Vietnam Wildlife Conservation Society said. According to Vietnam's Red Book of Endangered Species, the species is possibly the Asian giant soft-shelled turtle.

14th century legend
The legend of the rare turtle species goes back to the mid-1400s when the great king Le Loi used a heaven-sent sword to hold off Chinese invaders. After the final battle, as the king was boating in Hanoi, his sword leapt from its scabbard and into the mouth of the turtle. The turtle plunged underwater with the sword, never to be seen again, and the lake has been known as Ho Hoan Kiem ever since - the Lake of the Returned Sword. Many Vietnamese believe the turtle with Le Loi's sword is still living in the lake which would make the sacred turtle about 550 years old.
Meanwhile, some international scientists believe the huge turtles could be an entirely new freshwater species, one never yet documented or studied. Their theory relies on the analyses of a few photographs that show the shape of the turtle's head and shell.
Vietnam is home to 23 terrestrial and freshwater kinds of turtles. All creatures are considered extremely endangered.

Hotels & Restaurants

Hotels

"Baan Dvara Prateep" is a novel new product offering a home-stay atmosphere and initiation to meditation and well-being techniques. Located on the delightful Koh Kred in the Chao Phrya River just north of Bangkok, it will likely be featured in our tariff in the future and sure to be of interest to many of our clients…. Watch this space!
Tourists visiting Luang Prabang in Laos can now set their sights and senses on a new luxury accommodation option. The Maison Souvannaphoum was officially opened in late February and fills a high-end niche requirement for this beautiful world-heritage town. The hotel has 22 rooms and is geared towards the eco-tourism and culture tourism markets. Room rates start at US$130 per night during the low season and US$170 in the high season.

Travel

Airlines

TAT statistics show that arrivals at Bangkok International Airport increased 11.6% during first 15 days of February despite concerns about the tsunami effect. Don Muang welcomed almost 359,600 visitors from 1 to 15 February, up 11.6% up when compared to the 322,150 arrivals recorded during the same period in 2004.

Tiger Airways, Singapore's low fare airline, is launching a second flight to Phuket starting from the end of March 2005. The additional flight will operate initially twice weekly, on Monday and Friday evenings, increasing to a daily second flight for the peak summer season. "Tiger Airways is ahead of forecast budget in all our current routes in Thailand and there are no plans to cut back on any existing flights. The second flight to Phuket is a demonstration of our confidence that the Thai tourism industry is solidly back on its feet after December 2004." said Tony Davis, CEO Tiger Airways.

Social

Mekong Club

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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.

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