June saw the addition of Ms. Saskia Butin to our Exotissimo family. Joining the Saigon office as Project Manager, she will be in charge of quality control, aid projects, as well as taking care of Spanish clients in Vietnam. She comes to us with experiences in sustainable tourism development and customer care. Half French, half German, Saskia holds a M.A. in Tourism Management from the University of Toulouse, France. She enjoys travelling and living abroad as that gives her the opportunity to learn foreign languages, and Latin dancing is her passion. Saskia can be contacted at saskia@exotissimo.com.

In July, we also welcome Mr Dominik Schaufler as the new manager of the German department in Vietnam. Born in Blaubeuren, Germany, Dominik is no stranger to Southeast Asia, having resided in Bangkok for the past three years where he worked as a professional footballer and bar manager. Calling Saigon home now, Dominik is excited to helm the growing German department with his considerable experiences in the travel and hospitality sector. Dominik speaks German, English and Thai, and he can be reached at dominik@exotissimo.com. Read the rest of this entry »

In July, we welcome Ms. Anne Courtney Cruickshanks to our Bangkok office as Group Product Manager. Anne hails from the US and has been leading groups across Southeast Asia for the past three years. An avid sportswoman, she counts swimming, water skiing, snorkeling and hiking as some of her perennial favourite activities. She will be responsible for managing our products and tariffs on a group level.

With her love for travel and extensive knowledge of the region, we are sure that Anne will be a valuable addition to the Exotissimo family. She can be reached at anne@exotissimo.com.

As part of our commitment towards environmental conservation, we have decided not to print a tariff this year. Our 2009 Tariffs have been released on-line, including detailed tour itineraries, hotel, transfer and domestic airfare rates. They are available online under our Travel Trade Section, and we will continue updating and adding new products throughout the year. Please register for an account to our Travel Trade Section here and visit our 2009 Tariffs.

Preah Vihear is a temple perched atop the Dangrek Mountains that straddles the border between Thailand and Cambodia. It is a believed to have been constructed during the reign of Suryavarman I and II at the height of the Angkor Empire.

The temple recently became the site of a territorial skirmish between Cambodia and Thailand. Army troops from both countries were deployed to the ancient temple at the Thai-Cambodian borders. The tension came after Cambodia’s unilateral decision to register the temple as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 1962, the International Court of Justice ruled the temple as belonging to Cambodia. However, the 4.6 square kilometre stretch of land surrounding the temple remains a contentious issue of sovereignty. The decades-long controversy is worsened by different historical maps and borders.

Although the dispute is yet to be resolved, both states have engaged in bilateral discussions. Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to set up a joint committee to resolve the standoff.

NOTE: Exotissimo advises against touring the temple until further notice. We expect the current situation to be resolved quickly and peacefully. Both Thailand and Cambodia remain safe as the current standoff does not adversely affect touring in both destinations.

As of 15 August, the Mekong River water levels have rose past the flood danger level. The Mekong River Commission predicts the water levels to remain high for the next few days.

Laos is now on flood alert and flood-hit provinces include Vientiane and Luang Prabang.

For navigation safety, Luangsay Mekong Cruises has suspended some of their services along the Mekong until further notice. Kamu Lodge is closed until the end of August. Many roads in Laos, especially in the north are now flooded.

Exotissimo Travel is monitoring the daily weather forecasts and water levels of the Mekong River. We will do our best to get reliable updated news on the feasibility of all routings in the country. We assure all clients that we will exercise flexibility and do our utmost to optimise guests’ travel experiences in Laos despite the unfavourable circumstances.

Since 8 August, heavy rains triggered by the tropical storm Kammuri have resulted in widespread flooding and landslides in Northern Vietnam.

The Vietnamese government has rushed emergency services, police and military troops to deliver aid in the flooded towns devastated by the storm. Government reports estimated that at least 120 people were killed and another 44 people missing.

The Lao Cai province, which is a gateway to the popular mountain resort town of Sapa, was hit hardest by the disaster. In the Sapa Valley, there have been more than 15 landslides between Sapa and Supan and many of them have not been cleared. The local authorities in Sapa expect at least a week to clear the blocked roads.

The train connections between Hanoi and Lao Cai have been interrupted while road and communication links remained cut off for many of the affected areas. Although authorities maintained that train services would resume on 13 August, we will not let any of our customers board the trains as the situation remains unstable. Meteorologists warned of more rains and bad weather ahead.

All foreign tourists in Sapa were reported to be safe.

Exotissimo Travel is suspending all trips to Sapa until Friday, 15 August and will reassess the situation again this Friday. Exotissimo advises against travelling to this area for the time being and we will make alternative arrangements for all concerned clients who have booked their tours earlier.