March 15th, 2011
EXO CAMBODIA – Khmer New YearExotissimo Cambodia will close its office during the Khmer New Year from 14-16 April. For any emergencies during the national holiday please contact Mr. Sida NGET – Operations Supervisor in Phnom Penh office – (855 12) 908 097 and Siem Reap office Mr. Ol Vanda – Operations Supervisor – (855 12) 907 097 or Mr. David KING (Operations Manager – (855 12) 940 898.
EXO MYANMAR- Thingyan Celebrations
Exotissimo Myanmar will be closed for the New Year from 13-16 April inclusive. During this time, for any emergencies please contact Mr. Richard Moreau (G.M) 95-9 519 9580 or Ms.Thida (Sales & Operations) 95-9 99 26597 . Please note the official government closures are 12-21 April so many restaurants, shops and businesses may be closed during this time
EXO THAILAND– Songkran Celebrations
Exotissimo Thailand will close its office during Thai New Year from 13-16 April. During this time, for any emergencies please contact the Operations Department on +66 (0) 81 867 2806.
EXO LAOS– Bpee Mai
Exo Laos will be closed for New Year from the 14-16 April. During this time, for any emergencies please contact Mr. Henry Fenner (General Manager): +856 (0) 20 55 71 313 When in Laos dial: 020 55 71 313. Mr. Viengamphone Xongmixay (Vientiane Planning Supervisor): +856 (0) 20 5503 782 When in Laos dial: 020 5503 782 Mr. Bounmark Phimmasene (Vientiane Operations Manager): +856 (0) 20 2244 506 When in Laos dial: 020 2244 506.
March 15th, 2011
BAC CAN, 14 March 2011-Ramsar Convention has named Ba Be National Park in the northern province of Bac Can in Vietnam as a “wetland site of international importance”. Regional assistant advisor for Asia-Oceania, Marian William, says Ba Be National Park is the most important wetland in the country and it is the only site that has a natural lake surrounded by a mountainous karst ecosystem.
Ba Be National Park covers an area of 100.48 sq km which is a home of 1,268 species of flora and fauna. The park acts a protective shield for a freshwater lake along with surrounding limestone and lowland evergreen forest. It is located 240 km northwest of the capital city Hanoi. The site earlier was designated as an ASEAN Heritage park in 2004. The Convention on Wetland, known as the Ramsar Convention-is an inter-governmental treaty that encourages member countries to maintain the ecological character of their wetlands regions.
March 11th, 2011
Two Mekong region world heritage site towns, Luang Prabang, Laos and Hoi An, Vietnam, gained top slots in a British travel magazine’s list of top 10 destination. Luang Prabang retained its number one position in Wanderlust travel magazine’s 2011 list with a score of 96.89%. Luang Prabang won the title from 2006 to 2008 before falling into seventh place in 2009 and then regaining the top slot in 2010.Vietnam’s Hoi An, a world heritage town near Danang in the central coastal region of the country came in second with 96% of reader votes.Hoi An was also selected as one of Asia’s top 10 destinations for 2010 by Smart Travel Asia, a Hong Kong-based online travel magazine. Wanderlust, launched in 1993, publishes eight editions and claims a circulation in 112 countries with over 100,000 readers.
March 10th, 2011
We are excited to announce the launch of the charitable arm of Exotissimo, the Exo-Foundation. During our 18 years of operation we have played an active part across their destinations in supporting and contributing to charitable causes; through ongoing donations to local initiatives, reactive support to crises in the region such as the floods in Vietnam and Cambodia in 1999, corporations with NGOs and helping to sustain charitable enterprises through visits within programs.
The Exo Foundation seeks to shape sustainable development in Asia, in order to ensure the preservation of the incredible natural and cultural heritage shared by the region. Making use of our extensive network of travelers and partners, the Foundations outlined objective is to raise awareness for and channel support to charitable projects in the region. Apart from generating support for established projects, the Foundation will also support new grassroots initiatives focusing on the improvement of livelihoods, the empowerment of disadvantaged and the conservation of the environment. To link directly through to the website please, click here or for more information contact info@exofoundation.com
March 10th, 2011
We are pleased to announce that our annual 2011 Agent Familiarization trips are open for registration and are as action packed and insightful as previous years. The perfect way to learn more about our destinations and products, each program blends innovative touring with hotel inspections to give agents a thorough introduction to Exotissimo’s Asia.
Showcasing the highlights and more of each of our destinations, programs have been designed to treat participants to a myriad of experiences that range from cultural to culinary alongside sensational sceneries. As is customary with all Exo tours will be lead by one of our local expert guides and a member of the Exotissimo team.
The Thailand FAM goes from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, taking in some of our favorite destinations and experiences to be had in the Kingdom, some on, some off the trodden path. Highlights include: The amazing railway market in Samut Songkram, exploring the temples of Ayutthaya by ‘kermit tuk–tuk’, rice planting in Sukhothai and biking the national park near Chiang Mai.
Sign up now as places tend to fill up quickly. This year we are offering a mix of classic itineraries as well as some lesser known destinations that have proven popular with clients, each comprising our signature style of experiential travel that is all the more enhanced by a unique Exo touch. To read more about our 2011 FAMs please, click here.
March 3rd, 2011
A new alternative airline in Vietnam is Air Mekong (P8). Currently routes are limited (no flights yet to the central cities of Danang and Hue) however from SGN connections are available to Con Dao and Phu Quoc as well as the Central Highlands. From April direct flights to Phu Quoc from Hanoi will be launched.
More information on Air Mekong.com
March 3rd, 2011
Vietnam Airlines is planning an increase of airfares from 15th March. A formal notice has not yet been received and new tariffs have yet to be issued however we anticipate this will happen.
Given this information we recommend to issue all tickets for persons travelling after 15th March now. All bookings confirmed now, but issued after 15th March will have to bear a surcharge which Exotissimo Vietnam will have to pass on to agents. The anticipated increase for a classic Vietnam tour with 2 flights North-Center and Center-South would be USD 25-30 per pax therefore for confirmed tickets/files it will be best to issue now. If some names are missing for some groups, our sales teams will ask agents to try as much as possible to provide names asap.
If tickets are issued before 15th March and pax has to cancel a cancellation fee will apply, which would only be around USD 20 per pax for same flights as above.
March 3rd, 2011
Hue’s Phu Bai Airport will be closed from May 05th – June 05th 2011 for urgent runway maintenance. Almost all confirmed bookings flying into Hue during this period have been suggested alternate routes in and out of Danang Airport. All flights into Hue during this period will be rerouted or rebooked to/from Danang by airlines without fee for all issued tickets. Other central region airports close to Hue include Dong Hoi to the north however flights to and from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are not daily and flight times are limited. For any future requests Sales Consultants will suggest new routes according to requested programs. For any further questions contact vietnam@exotissimo.com.
