Exotissimo News Blog

The Hoa Tuc Restaurant is a charming new venue for Vietnamese dining in Saigon. Located in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City, it is opposite the Park Hyatt and a two-minute walk from the historic Opera House. Housed in the back courtyard of a former Opium Refinery, Hoa Tuc means “opium flower” in Vietnamese. The hues of green and purple lend an elegant ambience to the chic interiors, making it a popular dining choice among FITs.

Exotissimo Thailand has developed many interesting excursions to show you around the hidden charms of Bangkok and Phuket. Below are some of our new tours.

The “An Old World Charm” tour is a journey back to the olden times of the Thai kingdom. From Bangkok, a short train ride eastwards leads to the lesser known historical province of Chacherngsao. At Talaat Klong Suan and Talaat Baan Mai, both 100-year old markets, marvel at the simple lifestyles of the inhabitants, quaint architecture and wide variety of food items and knick-knacks for sale. The remarkable beauty of the Italian marble hall of Wat Sothornwararam Worawiharn and Wat Leng Hok Yee, a Chinese shrine with paper-mâche sculptures, will dazzle visitors. Return to Bangkok in the afternoon.

In Phuket, our “Serenity at Sea” tour presents guests with the unique opportunity of enjoying a romantic sunset cruise on a private fishing boat. At scenic spots, guests take refreshing dips in the waters while being served chilled wine by a floating bar man. On the deck, the comfortable cushions, wine and canapés make for great relaxation. A setting sun beneath the limestone karst formations and Andaman horizons are breathtaking moments. After an afternoon of idyllic sailing and sunset viewing, guests return to the hotel.

The “Glamourous Phuket” excursion uncovers the island’s rich and colourful cultural heritage. The downtown fruit market tantalises all palates with its wide array of tropical fruits. In the historic quarters, the oldest Chinese shrine and Sino-Portuguese architecture are standing testimonies to the tin mining days of the 19th century. Guests then head to the summit of Rang Hill to savour refreshing cocktails and a sweeping panorama of Phuket town. In the evening, a delightful meal of Phuket cuisine caps off the day perfectly.

The majestic Shwedagon Pagoda saw damage to some of its complex’s structures during the recent cyclone disaster. Renovation works at the holy shrine commenced in early October and is expected to last three to four months. Bamboo scaffolds will cover the pagoda for workers to apply a fresh layer of gold leaves onto the stupa to maintain its splendour. Tourists can still pay homage to the pagoda during this renovation period. It is open daily from 4am to 10pm.

Be transported back in time with “The Legend of Angkor Wat: When History Comes to Life”, an extravagant display of traditional music and dance combined with spectacular special effects. During the event, guests can also tuck into a sumptuous dinner while the story-telling and unique Apsara dances unfold.

The show will run from 5 December 2008 to 31 January 2009 on the grounds of the Angkor Wat. The performances are nightly except for Sundays, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. The ticket prices range from 60 USD per person (standard seat) to 80 USD per person (premium seat) with an additional 25 USD for international buffet. For more information, please contact our tour operators at cambodia@exotissimo.com.

Phatoke Laoderm is a new restaurant that has just opened its doors in the heart of Vientiane. Set in an old cinema at the back of Senglao Hotel, this restaurant presents a delightful menu of Lao cuisine accompanied by traditional performances. Diners get to indulge in a wide array of authentic Lao dishes in an atmospheric setting of beautifully choreographed folkdances and music of Laos. Phatoke Laoderm can seat up to 200 guests.

Congratulations to Mr Komsan Suwannarat, or Jerry, who was recently voted ‘Guide of the Year’ by Exotissimo Travel Thailand. He was also named as one of the recipients for Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Outstanding Performance Tourist Guide Award. With 21 years of guiding experience, Jerry continues to impress with his dedicated passion, friendliness and extensive knowledge of Thailand and counts several foreign dignitaries as some of the people he has guided. We are indeed happy for Jerry. Once again, congratulations Jerry!

For tourists with a taste for adventure, Putao is an ideal place. A small town in the northernmost Kachin state, Putao possesses scenic spots and snow-peaked mountains with cold weather all year round. This area is especially famous for its rare flora and fauna, such as the rare black orchids, red panda, black bear and black deer which are all native to this region. Putao is also home to Southeast Asia’s highest mountain – Mt. Hkakabo Razi (5881m). Exotissimo Myanmar has planned some trekking itineraries with local experts from November 2008 to April 2009. To find out more, please contact myanmar@exotissimo.com.

Vietnam introduces visa exemptions for Russians visiting the country for less then 15 days, irrespective of purpose of the visit. This decision is expected to further boost tourist arrivals from Russia, which is a strong potential market for Vietnam’s hospitality sector. Vietnamese beach destinations, such as Phan Thiet, Nha Trang and Danang, are hotspots for Russian tourists. This visa exemption will be applicable from 1 January 2009.

This month, we are pleased to present Thmor Roung Waterfall, a new site just officially opened to visitors. It is located in the Kompong Seila district of Koh Kong province, about 123km from Phnom Penh. The Thmor Roung Waterfall is an ideal place to visit for people travelling overland between Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville / Koh Kong. This waterfall has four levels and we recommend the 1- 2km jungle trek from the 3rd step upstream to the 2nd and 1st step, also known as Thmor Roung (Cave). Along the way, there are huts for visitors to relax in and a small local restaurant. Please contact cambodia@exotissimo.com to book this tour.

Exotissimo Travel Thailand has been inspecting many new and existing hotels during the last season and refined the list of preferred hotels in every destination. There are many distinct advantages of using these preferred hotels:

* They are great value for money regardless of the class category.
* They are selected based on objective criteria accessed by travel professionals and genuine feedback from thousands of our customers.
* Knowing and working with us regularly, they consistently provide high service standards for the Exotissimo clients (which is always better should there be a problem, a request for an upgrade or fulfilling a special favour for your client).
* They offer an extra or unique touch, may it be the boutique atmosphere, good location or better rates.
* Exotissimo has allotments with many of these hotels.
* Should you be undecided on which hotel to suggest to your clients in a certain location in Thailand, you can be sure that Exotissimo preferred hotels always make good suggestions.
* The fact sheets (with information, pictures and descriptions) of most of the preferred hotels are made available on the travel trade section of our website for your easy reference.

If you would like to receive the latest list of Exotissimo preferred hotels, please send an email to our product manager Soonie at soonie@exotissimo.com.