Vientiane by Night is our latest Laos excursion that offers an evening out in the capital, allowing travelers to discover a different side of the Lao capital. Accompanied by a guide, guests visit a bustling evening food market and a nearby restaurant to enjoy a Lao-style dinner with cultural performances. After dinner, they can head to a lounge bar for a drink or to a local nightclub to dance before returning to the hotel. Find out more by clicking here.

Paukan recently announced its sailing schedules for 2010/11, offering shorter exploration cruises along the Irrawaddy River. Our 2-day Cruise Mandalay to Bagan is the perfect itinerary for travelers who wish to experience the charm of the Irrawaddy without embarking on a long, costly journey. The detailed itinerary can be viewed here. For more information please contact myanmar@exotissimo.com.

In Siem Reap, Hotel de la Paix is now officially certified as a Virtuoso hotel. For bookings made through Exotissimo, clients are entitled to special benefits including a complimentary room upgrade (depending on availability) and 7-course Khmer meal for two at Meric Restaurant, a personalized welcome card from the General Manager, early check-in or late check-out (subjected to availability) and a 20% discount on Spa-IndoChine treatments (excluding blind massage). Contact cambodia@exotissimo.com for more details.

A perfect day trip for families, our new Doi Inthanon Waterfall Walk features an easy 2-hour trek through Chiang Mai’s lush mountain scenery. Travelers will pass through a Karen hilltribe village and a local market as they hike up to Doi Inthanon, Thailand’s highest peak. More program details can be viewed here.

VIETNAM

We are pleased to inform that everything is almost back to normal in Hoi An town and Danang.

HOTEL UPDATES

- Life Resort Hoi An remains closed until 14 Oct.

- Golden Sand Resort closed till end of this month.

- Victoria Hotel is open but swimming pool will be closed for another 3 days.

Boat trips in Hue and Hoi An are now possible again.

CAMBODIA

Cambodia has seen great improvements in the affected cities over the last weekend. In Siem Reap, it has not rained for the past two days. Water is receding and traffic is almost back to normal.

LAOS

In Laos, the typhoon threat has passed with only the southern provinces bordering Cambodia affected by floods. The situation remains fine in major tourist destinations.

VIETNAM

In Vietnam, we are glad to announce that the ground situation in Hoi An and Danang has improved significantly since yesterday and we even experienced some sunny weather in Hoi An!

Hoi An

- Hoi An: Bach Dang and Nguyen Thai Hoc streets are still flooded. However all other sightseeing sites are open, including Japanese bridge, Fujien Pagoda, Phung Hung and Quan Thang old houses, Ceramic and Sa Huynh Museums.

- Restaurants Cargo Club, Mango Room, Morning Glory and Brother’s Café will not open until tomorrow (Friday).

- Hotels Pacific, Ancient House and Lotus are now accessible again.

- The pool at Riverside Resort will take a week to be cleaned.

- Boat trips are still not possible on Thu Bon.

- My Son is NOT accessible yet.

Hue

- Hue City: water has receded and all sightseeing sites are open.

- Boat trips on the Perfume River are NOT possible yet.

Roads

- Road to Hoi An from Cua Beach: OK

- National Road No. 1 between Hue and Danang is open again

Train

- From Danang/Hue to the north: OK by today (Thursday); To the south by Friday, 2 Oct 09.

Hotels Partly Opened

- Victoria Hotel: the SUP and DLX rooms remain operational although the garden, pool and the beach need a complete clean-up. All cancellation fees will be waived until 5 October and normal operations will resume on 6 October 09.

Hotels Still Closed
- Golden Sand Resort: closed until 7 Oct 09 inclusive

- Life Resort Hoi An: closed until 14 Oct 09 inclusive.

LAOS

The Lao Government has urged the population to remain vigilant against Ketsana’s potential threat in Bolikamxay, Khamouane and Vientiane, the 3 provinces bordering Vietnam. The Mekong River is not threatening to flood yet and no heavy rains have fallen in Laos. There are no disruption to flights or tours in major tourist destinations such as Luang Prabang, Vientiane, Pakse and Champassak.

CAMBODIA

Currently the situation in Siem Reap and northern Cambodia is stable, but there has been severe flooding in a number of areas including the Siem Reap city center. The Siem Reap river has overflowed its banks and the water level is still rising. The airport remains open, but we had to cancel all boat trips to the lake as all access roads are closed. Transportation around various parts of the town has been affected by the flooding. All our clients are completely safe and no hotels have been affected. We are staying in constant contact with all our clients and will keep everyone updated as the situation progresses. The road between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap is partly flooded around Kampong Thom but remains accessible. The situation in Phnom Penh is good despite seeing heavy rains every day.

THAILAND

The situation in Thailand is fine with only the northeastern part of the country on high alert. Heavy rains and some flooding have been experienced in provinces such as Ubon Ratchathani but Ketsana is expected to weaken as it moves further inland. There is no flight disruption and all roads and airports remain open and accessible.