Great Adventures in Indochina, Myanmar, Thailand

Exotissimo Travel’s adventure travel department was formed in 2002 and specialises in providing a broad spectrum of adventure tours from the gentle to the extreme, including biking, trekking, kayaking, diving, eco tours, family and corporate adventures. We are able to personally tailor adventure tours to our client's needs thanks to the depth and range of our experienced operations staff.

In addition to our many unique tour programmes, we offer the highest standards of safety with all our adventure guides holding first aid qualifications. Our adventure team is enthusiastic and efficient and we share a great sense of fun and humour. Adventure for our department is a way of life and it is a joy to be able to share our experiences with visitors. Here we highlight just a few of the adventure tours featured in Exotissimo’s new Great Adventures Brochure.

Vietnam - Classic Hanoi to Saigon

You and your bike are one for sixteen days as you travel from Vietnam’s northern capital to its southern on perfectly paved roads and rocky offroads. The 500-kilometre biking tour begins in Hanoi’s narrow alleys and ancient artefacts before tracing a path through Mai Chau’s karst rock formations, luscious rice paddies and traditional ethnic villages, tarmac and gravel paths of the Pu Luong and Cuc Phuong Nature Reserves, Hue’s royal past, Hue and Dalat’s tough hill climbs, and Ho Chi Minh City’s vibrant ever-busy streets. Along the way, get off your bike to discover the 3,000 limestone islands of Halong Bay, heritages of Hoi An and the beaches of Nha Trang.

Cambodia - Angkor Bike & Hue

Established in the 9th century as a base for the Khmer empire, Angkor continued to grow and evolve into a vast city of over a million inhabitants with hundreds of temples dedicated to the Khmer gods. The Angkor Bike & Hike tour offers seven days of exploration of these magnificent archaeological wonders. Armed with a 6-day Angkor Temple Pass, hike and bike through dusty trails and village footpaths to explore Wat Lohok, Bahkong Temple, the Rolous Temples, Beng Mealea Temple, and the temples of Angkor, including Angkor Thom, Bayon and Baphoun.

Laos - 4,000 Islands discovery

As the Mekong River makes it way from Cambodia to the Southern border of Laos, it fragments into a 14 kilometre-wide network of tributaries that creates an archipelago known as the 4,000 Islands. The tranquil waters are perfect for a moderate-level kayaking escapade downstream the Mekong past island villages, swaying coconut palms and the thundering Lipphi Falls. And also a white water rafting adventure through class 3-4 rapids, some of the largest in South-East Asia.

Myanmar - Diving the beautiful Mergui Archipelago

In the southernmost part of Myanmar lies the Mergui Archipelago, an area that contains roughly 800 islands that have been closed to outsiders for more than 50 years. Between November and May, these islands offer some of the best diving in South-East Asia. The liveaboard cruise takes off from Kawthaung to many islands, including High Rock, South and North Twins, Black Rock, Kubo, Kyun Philar and Haling Gu, for cave diving and explorations of coral, reef creatures, small fish, invertebrates and nine species of sharks that live in the waters.

Thailand - Trans-Thailand Birding Tour

This Trans-Thailand birdwatching tour takes in many of the best bird and wildlife habitats that the country has to offer. From the delights of Khao Yai, Kaeng Krachan and Khao Sam Roi Yot National Parks in central and western Thailand, the tour moves north to the cooler elevations of Doi Inthanon and Doi Suthep, home to a unique range of birds not found anywhere else in the country. Journey with one of Thailand’s leading birding guides on this avian adventure. Possible sightings include Bright-capped Cisticola, Blue-winged Leafbird, White-crested Laughingthrush and Ratchet-tailed Treepie.

Arrivals increase in Cambodia

According to statistics, tourist arrivals to Cambodia in July saw a 63% increase from arrivals in the same period last year. Koreans, Taiwanese and Japanese made up the largest numbers of tourists.

Buddhist Summit in December

In December, 1,700 visitors and 2,000 government officials will be visiting Myanmar for the Buddhist Summit. Events are scheduled in Yangon between 8th and 12^th December and in Bagan on 13^th and 14^th December, as well as in Mandalay and Inle Lake.

Krabi Airport gets makeover

More than 18 million USD will be spent renovating the airport at Krabi; an invitation for new airlines and hotels to begin moving into the small town in southern Thailand. By June 2005, the revamped airport will have a new international passenger terminal and an extended runway that will accommodate larger aircraft, such as the Boeing 747-400 and Airbus 340. Budget airlines, including Nok Air and Thai AirAsia, have already expressed an interest in providing services between Krabi and Bangkok in October, and Hilton International expects to have a new luxury hotel in Krabi by 2006.

Exotissimo Vietnam in the community

As in past holiday seasons, Exotissimo Travel Group will not be sending out Christmas cards to its travel partners. This year Exotissimo Vietnam will work with the French charity Enfance Espoir to help support two children from poor families in Ho Chi Minh City for 12 months. Thao, who turns 16 this December, is the eldest of three children and a bright and optimistic student despite her poor upbringing. Tien, almost 13, is also the eldest in his family and has a great future ahead of him.

Exotissimo Travel Vietnam was also a sponsor for Operation Smile’s charity event on 1^st October at the Caravelle Hotel. Operation Smile is a non-profit organisation that was created to give smiles back to children and young adults from all over the world who suffer from cleft lips and palates with free reconstructive surgery.