We are pleased to announce the appointment of Leon van Neer as the General Manager of Exotissimo Myanmar. A Dutch national, Leon joins us with more than 15 years of experience in the travel industry, having conducted tours to many parts of the world and provided tourism consultancy, training and marketing services in various countries. In his new appointment, Leon will be responsible for the strategic development of Exotissimo Myanmar as well as overseeing all operational facets. He can be contacted at leon@exotissimo.com.

As part of our commitment to staff development, Exotissimo has embarked on a series of training programs across all our regional offices. Completed in Vietnam and Laos, we are continuing our training over the next month in Myanmar, Cambodia and Thailand. The goals are to foster team unity, management training and improve service and communication skills. Our training program is held annually which is then followed up by monthly sessions. The training is conducted by Embers Asia, one of the region’s top facilitators and is part of the Apple Tree Group.

Exotissimo will be attending IMEX in Frankfurt on 26-28 May 2009. Please come and meet Eric Meriot, General Manager of Exotissimo Paris, at booth B240 in Hall 8. Click here to set up a meeting with Exotissimo. For hosted buyers, you can also click here to make an appointment with us via the IMEX website.

Exotissimo will be attending IMEX which will be held in Frankfurt on 26-28 May 2009. Please come and meet Eric Meriot, General Manager of Exo Paris at booth B240 in Hall 8. Click here to set up a meeting with Exotissimo.

Vietnam’s first traditional medicine museum, the FITO Museum, displays an amazing collection of 3,000 items relevant to the development of traditional Vietnamese medicine (which dates as far back as the Stone Age). Implements used to prepare indigenous herbs, objects commonly found in traditional pharmacies as well as ancient books and documents on traditional Vietnamese medicine can be seen in the galleries. Located in District 10 close to Cholon (Chinatown), this new museum makes a great addition to a city tour. For touring ideas in HCMC, contact vietnam@exotissimo.com.

Elephant Hills, our preferred partner in Thailand’s south, has launched fantastic new deals to stimulate tourism to Thailand and Khao Sok National Park. Starting from 1 May 2009, the following promotions will be available:

* Amazing Summer 2 for 1: Pay for one person and bring another person for free for the months of May and June
* No Single Supplement from 1 May 2009 through to 30 April 2010
* Family Summer Specials: With any full paying adult, the first child will receive a 50% discount whereas the second and third child will be charged 25% of the adult’s price.

Our Elephant Hills programs have been updated to reflect these special promotions. They are: Elephant Hills Nature Safari – 2 Days / 1 Night and Elephant Hill Jungle Safari – 3 Days / 2 Nights.

Exotissimo Cambodia has launched three exciting regional tours (linking Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam) with a particular focus on Cambodia.

The 15-day South Vietnam and Cambodia Unveiled tour leads travelers from the bustling Ho Chi Minh City to the tropical gem of Phu Quoc Island. From there, continue to the former beach resort of Kep via Ha Tien, a border crossing that was only recently opened. Other trip highlights are Kirirom National Park, the vibrant city of Phnom Penh and the magnificent jungle temples of Sambor Prey Kuk en-route to Angkor. The tour finishes in Bangkok. The itinerary can be viewed here.

Coast to Coast Cambodia takes guests on a 17-day journey from metropolitan Bangkok to the scenic Cambodian countryside via Pailin and Battambang and onward to an in-depth exploration of the Angkor temples. Continue to Sambor Prey Kuk and Phnom Penh, explore the dense jungles at Kirirom National Park before transferring to the island of Koh Kong. Returning to Thailand, the tour culminates with a beach break on the beautiful island of Koh Chang. Click here to view the itinerary.

Setting off from Bangkok, Journey Across Cambodia: Bangkok to the Mekong Delta ventures into the heart of Cambodia, including Angkor, Sambor Prey Kuk, Phnom Penh and the tropical beaches of Cambodia’s southern coast. Moving on to the colorful Mekong Delta and the bustling Ho Chi Minh City, the 15-day program immerses the guest in a fascinating journey of Khmer and Vietnamese cultures. View the itinerary here.

Mid-April is the time for many New Year celebrations in Southeast Asia. Exotissimo Cambodia and Laos will be closed from 14 – 16 April for Chaul Chnam Thmey and Pii Mai Lao respectively. In Thailand, our offices will be closed for Songkran from 13 – 15 April while our Myanmar offices will close from 13 – 17 April during Thingyan. Exotissimo Vietnam will remain open during this time. We would like to remind all agents to confirm bookings for this period as soon as possible.

We have moved our 2009 familiarization trips to September in order to better suit agent’s travel schedules. The new dates are Myanmar: 6 – 13 September, Vietnam – Cambodia: 13 – 25 September and Thailand – Laos: 20 – 27 September. To view all the itineraries and pricing information, click here. For booking inquiry, contact marketing@exotissimo.com.

Situated on the eastern bank of the Irrawaddy River, Pyay (Prome) is an important trading center between Lower and Upper Myanmar. The ancient Pyay capital, Srikhitra (meaning Field of Glory), was once the center of Phyu culture and civilization that flourished for more than a thousand years. It now houses a wealth of important archaeological and historical sites. Not far from Pyay at Hmawza, there is a field museum that displays artifacts collected from the Srikhitra excavations. Pyay is a good stop for travels between Yangon and Bagan. For traveling ideas in Pyay, please contact myanmar@exotissimo.com.