BECKHAM VISITS VIETNAM

Football fans in Saigon had a real treat in June when England football captain David Beckham visited the city as part of his Castrol-sponsored tour of the Far East.

The new Real Madrid star made an appearance at the Army Zone 7 Stadium to greet winners of a "Meet David Beckham" competition, and to show off his skills to an excited crowd of 15,000 fans, and his arrival, waving to the public from the back of an open-stop car, prompted scenes of delight and excitement on the packed terraces. Beckham had clearly done his homework, bowing and greeting the crowd with a cheery "Xin chao Viet Nam!", and proceeded to give advice to any Vietnamese youngsters aspiring to follow in his footsteps before taking to the pitch to dazzle his thousands of admires with a display of dribbling, ball juggling and shooting, giving his Vietnamese fans a morning they will never forget.

Beckham also visited Japan, Thailand and Malaysia during his visit, a trip which will undoubtedly help restore public confidence in Asia's safety as a tourist destination now that SARS has been contained in the region.

EXOTISSIMO IN THE COMMUNITY

Kids of 15 May School

This past holiday season Exotissimo Travel Group decided not to send Christmas cards to our travel partners but to instead donate to needy causes in each Exotissimo destination. We thought it may be interesting for our travel partners to see where the money has gone. In Vietnam, Exotissimo chose to make a contribution to a charity we already work closely with, the 15 May School in Ho Chi Minh City. The donation was used to buy a range of much needed equipment for the school’s kitchen including two gas cookers and an industrial rice cooker. Created in 1986, the 15 May School, whose name refers to the date of Youth Awareness Day in Vietnam, is an informal school situated in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. The school is devoted to disadvantaged children, providing them with classes for free. Children can attend any grade according to their abilities and level. Subjects include algebra, geometry, science, Vietnamese culture, sports, languages, music, vocational training and practical skills from which they can find a job. Promising students are awarded scholarships to attend local high schools. Among the 300 children who study at 15 May School, some 30 live there, one of the school’s main goals is to take poor and disadvantaged children off the street, offering them a home and the opportunity to change their current doomed situation into a bright future. For more information about the 15 May School please visit their website at http://www.15mayschool.org.

In Cambodia, the Future Light Orphanage Centre, near Phnom Penh, was chosen as this year’s needy cause. The Centre used the Exotissimo donation to purchase bicycles for the children. The Future Light Orphanage got its name because the children who live there, some of whose parents were killed or disabled by the Khmer Rouge, are learning the skills necessary to lift themselves out of misery and poverty to a bright future. They will become the future leaders of their country. Future Light Orphanage is situated some 15 kilometres from Phnom Penh, in a poor area lacking water and electricity - yet the children are learning to be computer literate. While taking English classes and learning computer skills they are also opening their eyes to the outside world. For more information about the Future Light Orphanage please visit their website at www.futurelight.net.

 

	Meanwhile Exotissimo Myanmar has donated funds to build four toilet facilities with a water supply in monastery compounds in two villages in Shan State. The Shan state is a mountainous area with many ethnic minorities located in the east of Myanmar bordering Thailand, Laos and China.
Shan State Monks helping with pipeline

Sofitel opens lounge at Siem Reap International Airport

Sofitel Royal Angkor has officially opened the new first-class departure lounge at Siem Reap International Airport, bringing its five-star touch to the gateway to Angkor Wat. The 250sqm Royal Angkor Lounge is the first airport lounge managed by Sofitel, and will be open to all passengers offering private seating, a full bar and restrooms to its guests. Light meals will be offered for breakfast, lunch, high afternoon tea and dinner. The lounge is open from 6:30am to 8pm. Admission can be purchased from Exotissimo. Please contact cambodia@exotissimo.com.