Ballet fans can rejoice as the Cambodian Royal Ballet once again combines dance with ancient artifice with Les Nuits D’Angkor. For just three nights in February, Angkor Wat will be lit up at night and be the backdrop to this famed event. Normally held in December each year, Les Nuits D’Angkor makes a special appearance this spring from 31st January to 2nd February. Audience size is very restricted, and 31st January is literally just around the corner, so book now. E-mail cambodia@exotissimo.com for more information.

Khakaborazi National Park was established to conserve the vast variety of flora and fauna endemic to Myanmar, including the rare orchids and medicinal plants found at the foot of the mountains. The park is also home to large exotic animals takin, musk deer, blue sheep, black barking deer and the leaf deer. It is a paradise for nature lovers and ecotourists. Tours to Taphungdan village at the base of Mount Khakaborazi are nice additions to wildlife, orchid and birdwatching treks.

The Malikha Lodge is in Mularshide Village, Putao in Kachin State of Myanmar, and is the only deluxe accommodation north of Mandalay. This deluxe hotel is surrounded by breathtaking views of the craggy mountains. Its eight luxury bungalows and spa create the perfect haven from the many adventures available in northernmost Myanmar. Guests also have easy access to elephant rides and nature treks through primordial forested ridges and snow-capped peaks. You’ll be telling your grand children’s children about the amazing adventures you had here.

Last October, Hoi An saw the heaviest rains in over twenty years, and the Life Heritage Resort Hoi An was an unfortunate casualty. The torrential rains have caused the resort to close on the February 18th to June 30th to complete some major renovations. Life Resorts will take the time to not only complete repairs but also improve on its already charming facilities. Time and again, this property has been among our favorite places from which to visit the ancient port town, and we look forward to its re-opening.

Snow is the last thing people think of when traveling through our destinations. Instead of lounging on the white sands of Ngapali or touring the serene waters of Inle, some may be looking for a good old-fashioned snowball fight. Mt. Phonkanrazi is situated in the northwestern part of Putao Township and is the most accessible snow-capped mountain in the region. 11,500 feet above sea level, it is a great place for amateur adventurers, hikers and mountaineers to explore that rarest of things in Southeast Asia, snow and cold weather.

Are your clients tired of doing the normal and passive sightseeing tours? Instead of following guides, and listening to stories, do they want something interactive? Exotissimo has organized new experiences in Chinatown which lead through the small alleys, passes by the colorful local market and crosses the river with a local ferry to discover the real Thai life beyond.

This tour is an authentic Thai experience and feedback from our clients has been extremely positive. Starting at 08:00 from the heart of Chinatown a guide takes you for a 3 hour biking tour (very gentle biking) in an area not yet discovered by travel guidebooks. The light biking pace makes this day trip perfect for anyone who can sit on a bike. The adventure here is not so much about physical exertion, but more about discovering local life. Other people may say that they’ve been to Bangkok, but only you can say with justification that you “biked Bangkok!”

Myanmar is known for its gorgeous beaches, charming peoples and magical temples. What most people forget is that this quiet country has a wealth of wilderness and adventure destinations. Literally towering over other adventure destinations in the area, Putao in the extreme north is the perfect base from which to launch northern expeditions.

Putao is a small town in the extreme north of Myanmar and is blessed with gorgeous views of snow-capped mountains year round. It is truly love at first sight for most who visit this frontier town. The area is the home of a wide variety of flora and fauna, including many rare types of wild orchids. Accessible by road transfer during the summer (not recommended), Putao is accessible by air from Yangon and Mandalay. Homestays are also available at Shanguang Village as well as camping by the villages along the MayKha River.

Seeing Bagan from the air via a hot air balloon is a perennial favorite of ours (and many of our customers). What many don’t realize is that a bird’s eye view is also available for visits around Angkor Wat. We are excited to announce that we are able to provide helicopter tours around Angkor through a partnership with Sokha Helicopters.

Not only are these helicopters available for sightseeing around Angkor, they can be used to transfer your clients in style throughout Cambodia. Instead of booking flights to Siem Reap, a chartered helicopter transfer makes that incentive much more special and exciting.

Ever want to learn how to communicate with that gentlest of giant, the Elephant? This month, the Angkor Village Hotel and her sister property the Angkor Village Resort are pleased to announce a Mahout training program. This activity is available exclusively to in-house guests and allows you to learn how to ride, bathe, feed and otherwise take care of these giant pachyderms. The activity is limited to small groups of four or less guests at either property. Mahout training is perfect for the young at heart, though not younger than 16 years old.

High in the mountains near Chiang Mai is the beautiful village of Mae Kampong, which Exotissimo uses for people looking for more than the usual 4-star experience. Instead of trying to duplicate home’s comforts, many clients are interested in going native and getting a firsthand look on authentic Thai life. Leaving from Chiang Mai (or Chiang Rai) your clients stop at a local market to do grocery shopping before arriving in Mae Kampong. The wife of the village head is your local cooking class teacher and in her small (but extremely clean!) kitchen she will teach the principles of Thai cooking. This option is definitely recommended for any clients as long as they know they will be spending the night with a local family. So for one night, they will have to do without room service, air-conditioning or swimming pool. For this unique experience, we believe that the trade is well worth it.