Exotissimo Travel were recently involved in a project with Hotel de la Paix, Golden Banana Boutique Hotel and Heritage Suites Hotel in assisting the Green Gecko Project to help in packing food and water to three villages and 400 families on the outskirts of Siem Reap. Another 470 families in Kampong Thom received the same assistance.

This CSR initiative was noted in a recent article on Travelfish.org that discussed the vast amounts of money spent in Siem Reap each year yet the province remains the third poorest of Cambodia’s 23 provinces. The flood relief drive and initiative shown by businesses such as those marked above, with the lack of government intervention, was vital in supporting local communities.

Click here to read the article on Travelfish

Dear Partners,

Please note the below changes in working hours for our offices in Asia over the New Year period.

Thailand

Closed Saturday 31st December – Monday January 2nd inclusive

Cambodia

Closed Saturday 31st December – Monday January 2nd inclusive

Japan

Closed Friday 30th December – Tuesday January 3rd inclusive

Laos

Closed Saturday 31st December – Monday January 2nd inclusive

Vietnam

Closed Saturday 31st December.  Operating with a skeleton staff on Monday January 2nd.

Indonesia

Closed Saturday 31st December – Monday January 2nd inclusive

Myanmar

Usual business hours

During this period all client services and our emergency numbers will be operational as usual.

Wishing you a very Happy New Year!

Around 2.00 AM local time this morning, a fire broke out at a warehouse in Yangon. It appears that the fire then hit a gas line as a large explosion soon followed causing reverberations throughout the city. Unfortunately several local residents were killed and many more injured- exact numbers are still unknown. It is a terrible tragedy and our sympathy goes out to the victims and their families.

We do wish to make clear, however, that this was an accident and not the result of a bomb. All Exotissimo clients and employees are safe and no hotels were affected beyond minor shaking.

If you have additional questions please feel free to contact us.

The influx of visitors to Myanmar this year has put investors on alert to potential opportunities in what many see as the opening up of one of the last virtually-undeveloped real estate markets in Southeast Asia. Investors are already looking closely at Myanmar in the hopes that economic sanctions could be eased after a series of reforms by the country’s new government.

Although there are a few cranes visible on the Yangon skyline and a small number of new projects in recent years, there’s been close to no new industrial or office space added since the 1990s mini-boom.  Other areas of opportunity include building serviced apartments, which cater to longer-stay businessmen. There are only 600 currently, and none built since the 1990s.

The government said 300,000 tourists visited in 2010, and more were expected to come this year. That number could increase dramatically. Next door, Thailand draws 15 million or more tourists a year, with similar attractions.

The Mae Hong Son Hilltribe Trek And Stay is a new 3 Day/2 Night trek that starts in the town of Mae Hong Son with the Baan Ja Jo community. Enjoy a jungle lunch in the bamboo forest, learning how they use local natural materials not only to make crafts with be also cook and clean with. We then visit the Mae La Na Community and embark on an afternoon trek from here. Stay overnight in the village and watch a traditional Shan dance performed by local students.

The Mae Hong Son Hilltribe Exchange offers a much shorter option for those still wanting to experience an encounter with a traditional Hilltribe, but only have one day spare. Departing Mae Hong Son town in the morning, you then continue south to Mae La Nae, a stunning picturesque valley where it’s possible to meet two communities, Baan Ja Bo and Baan Mae La Nae. Enjoy lunch prepared by the villagers and explore the rugged surroundings of this rural area.

For booking or more information, please contact thailand@exotissimo.com

The Lonely Planet recently published their ‘Best In Travel 2012’ guide to give inspiration on travel destinations for the upcoming year. The places featured were voted for by their in-house travel experts, based on topicality, excitement, value and that special x-factor. Featuring high on the list at number 2 is Myanmar (Burma), a destination long served and promoted by Exotissimo Travel. The Lonely Planet sees Myanmar set to be a hot destination for travel over the coming year. With snow capped mountains on its borders and pure white sandy beaches, the country also offers timeless towns, a myriad of pagoda strewn plains and sweet friendly, fervently Buddhist locals.

We’ve always believed Myanmar to be a mysterious and marvelous country full of wonders and rich traditions. From the colonial architecture and market lined streets of Yangon to the never-ending temples of Bagan, one legged rowers of Inle Lake and 320ft high train journey over the Gokteik viaduct, Myanmar never ceases to amaze and inspire.

Our ‘Myanmar Overland Adventure’ is an all encompassing and extensive adventure tour that introduces local traditions, stunning landscapes and offers the chance to interact with the affable Burmese people.

The village library in Muang Shwe Lay has now been officially opened at a recent ceremony, after Exo Foundation offered financial support for the establishment and running of the project. The library has been a huge success, proving extremely popular amongst villagers whom show great appreciation for the facilities provided.

Since its soft opening in July 2011, nearly 200 new membership cards have been purchased providing additional revenue that will be important for future investment and its long term success. The 100 items every day that are currently being checked out are testament to its popularity.

In attendance at the opening ceremony was the Head of the Kyauk Ka Lart village group, an Inspector from the Information & Public Relations Township Department, local school teachers and the Head of the Village. At the end, two boxes of books and some chairs were presented to the library on behalf of Exo Foundation. Plans are now being made to increase the current size of the library to accommodate reading areas and further book shelves, and possibly even a classroom added. Exo Foundation will help guide and plan these developments with the villagers and staff at the library over the coming year.
To learn more about the village library and other projects please click here.

We are happy to announce another date that clients, partners and anyone with a passion for travel can meet us. Added to the growing list of trade shows we are already attending that includes WTM, PURE and EIBTM, we will also now attend BT Expo, to be held at Square in the heart of Brussels (www.btexpo.com). BT Expo is heralded as a leading fair for tourism professionals in the centre of Europe.

Please visit us at stand 29 where Jean-Marie our Paris General Manager will be in attendance. We would love to meet and discuss the latest exciting developments in the travel industry with you as we visit this Trade Show for the very first time between 8-9 December 2011.

For more information on any shows or to book an appointment, please visit: traveltrade.exotissimo.com/travel-trade-show

Or contact:
marketing@exotissimo.com

The floods are slowly creeping into Bangkok and have now reached the northern fringes of the city including the area around Don Muang domestic airport (Bangkok old International airport). It’s still not certain if central Bangkok will flood as there are conflicting reports but Bangkok residents have been advised to brace for flooding from the advancing runoff of water in the north.

Bangkok Administration is doing what it can to prevent the city from flooding with barriers and sand bags surrounding the city to divert the mass of water. The Chao Phraya River is set to reach its highest level this weekend as sea tides are expected to be unusually high. The flood level will depend on how well the government can manage the water flow but the highest risk will be areas along the Chao Phraya River and the floodwalls along its banks.

All airports in Thailand with the exception of Don Muang are operating as usual. Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport is unaffected by the floods and has been heavily fortified. The Thai government has repeatedly promised to take all the necessary steps to protect the country’s main airport from floods.

Major tourist destinations such as Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lampang, Sukhothai, Kanchanaburi, Ratchburi, Pattaya, Ko Chang, Rayong, Phuket, Krabi, Trang and Ko Samui are all experiencing normal weather conditions. The exception is the ancient city Ayutthaya, which has been badly hit by the floods. All tourist attractions there have been temporarily closed.

Given the uncertainty in Bangkok, Exotissimo is advising clients to avoid staying in the city from today until Monday 31 October. All clients currently scheduled to stay in Bangkok during this period have been contacted and alternative plans made.

Exotissimo recommend clients do not cancel their trip if scheduled to visit Thailand in the next 7 days, clients should avoid staying in Bangkok but we suggest them to transit through Bangkok onto alternative locations such as Chiang Mai, Phuket or any of the other safe areas.

The government has announced public holiday for government offices and schools on Thursday, Friday and Monday, however this does not affect the private sector, all financial institutions including banks will remain open over these days. Exotissimo office will remain open also.

Our staff are working hard on rerouting and rebooking existing files ahead of processing new requests. We endeavour to respond to all enquiries with priority but you may experience some delay during this time.

Exotissimo team continue to monitor the situation closely and will update you as necessary. Our 24 hour emergency number in Thailand is: +66 818672806

Due to heavy and persistent rain over the weekend downtown Siem Reap along with riverfront properties and access to the Tonle Sap are currently flooded.  Several of our restaurant and spa services are currently not in use along with visits to the Old Market and Artisans D’Angkor currently not possible.  The temples are still operational as are all major services.

Areas of Tonle Sap are currently inaccessible for tours. We are in contact with all clients booked on these trips and making alternative arrangements.

More rain has been forecast for tonight and later this week. We can expect localized flooding to continue for the better part of this week though this presents only a minor disruption to transfers All major roads are operating as normal.