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Shinta Mani re-opens!

18 May 2012 by

One of our favourite hotels in SE Asia – the Shinta Mani is set to re-open on the 01st June after a major refurbishment.

It’s not just the stylish Khmer design and a convenient location close to the wonders of the temples of Angkor, which sets this hotel apart.

The Shinta Mani’s community-based focus enables guests to give something back to disadvantaged local people through sponsoring charitable projects.

The hotel’s socially responsible tourism includes equipping underprivileged people with valuable hotel industry skills; providing interest-free loans for small business start-ups; and sponsoring charitable causes. Locals learn on the job here and the sheer enthusiasm more than makes up for lack of hotel school polish.

Talk to us and we’ll include a stay here in your holiday to Cambodia in 2012.

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Vietnam – Palace of cultural treasures reopens

16 May 2012 by

One of Hue’s most prominent tourism attractions has reopened to tourists after being closed for the last four years while it underwent a USD$1.2-million restoration.

Long An Palace in the Hue Imperial Citadel

Long An Palace in the Hue Royal Citadel is one of the city’s cultural jewels and was used by kings as a place of rest after ceremonies. It contains wooden panels bearing 35 poems and essays written by King Thieu Tri who ordered the construction of the palace in 1845.

The Hue Museum of Royal Fine Arts, within the palace, contains a fascinating collection of artifacts made of wood, gold, pottery, ivory, bronze and stone, as well as ancient coins and royal seals. We haven’t yet seen the newly reopened palace, so we’ll looking forward to reports from our travellers.

When I was there last year, I was impressed by the careful and systematic re-building taking place within the Royal Citadel. Hue is an essential stop off in my book in any holiday to Vietnam.

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Hua Hin Jazz Festival!

15 May 2012 by

Thailand – Resort town set to swing

It doesn’t get much better than listening to hot bands while sipping a cold drink on a beach as the sun sets into the sea, but that is what is on offer when the Hua Hin Jazz Festival swings into action from 1-30 June.

An eclectic mix of Thai and international musicians will perform all-time favorite and contemporary tunes and sumptuous cuisine and refreshments will be available at different stands along the renowned white sandy beach.

Talk to us to incorporate this into your Thailand holiday.

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Vietnam Summer Festival – London 2012

10 May 2012 by

We are delighted to announce that Experience Travel will be one of the principle sponsors for a Vietnam Festival being held as Spitalfields Market in London on Saturday 14th July, 2012.

The festival is being organised to celebrate the rich history, culture and natural beauty of Vietnam. There will be amazing food (Vietnamese food is the cuisine right now in London), shows, cultural performances and a chance to win a luxury holiday for two – sponsored by Experience Travel, Vietnam Airlines and The Nam Hai Hotel. We’ll be there too, to man our stand of course, but mainly to get at that fresh tasting Vietnamese food.

We are giving away an awesome luxury holiday at the fair – but Experience Travel customers will be kept in the loop and given all the help need to ensure they get their entry in.

The holiday is an all singing, all dancing, 11 night luxury tour of Vietnam, inclusive of flights, luxury hotels and our usual unusual and fun privately guided excursions and tours. Hotels include The Nam Hai, The Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, La Residence, a cruise on Halong and the wonderful Bassac Boat to the Mekong Delta.

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It’s all White in Halong Bay!

9 May 2012 by

From the 01st May, all boats in Halong Bay are now painted white!

In a somewhat curious move from the authorities, all the boat operators in Halong Bay were ordered to paint their boats white. Not only the large steel ships, but also the small wooden junks. We at Experience Travel heard about this months ago but thought that it would never quite happen. It seems, however, that it just has!

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Experience Travel Tea Tasting Afternoon!

30 April 2012 by

We are pleased to announce that we will be hosting a tea tasting and ‘Sri Lankan High Tea’ on the 19th May this year as part of the St Johns Hill food festival – The Fabulous Feast!  Come and see us any time between 2pm and 5pm and you’ll be able to taste a fabulous array of Sri Lankan teas – both black and green – and including the famous ‘Virgin Tea‘ from Hundungoda Tea Estate in Sri Lanka. Thanks so much to Hundungoda and the sublime Mirissa Hills for sponsoring the event and sending the tea!

We’d love to see all of you there!

You will be able to purchase teas too – courtesy of Postcard Teas of Bond Street!

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When To Go – Weather in Sri Lanka

26 April 2012 by

Weather in Sri Lanka
Though Sri Lanka has a tropical climate, temperatures vary based on your location. The mountainous areas in central Sri Lanka are often much colder, and on average are about 15 degrees Celsius. Whereas the northeastern coast, the hottest part of the country, has an average temperature around 30 degrees Celsius. Temperatures on the coastline of the southwestern half of the country, for instance Columbo, vary minutely, averaging 27-29 all year round.

Sri Lanka has two monsoon seasons: the Yala monsoon and the Maha monsoon. The wet season of the Yala lasts from May to August and affects the southwestern half of the country. And the Maha makes the northeastern half dry from February to September and the wet from October to January. So, Sri Lanka Holidays are possible all year, as the country is a year-round destination because half of it is always in the dry season; however, it’s an amazing place to visit even in the wet season because though the rains are often extremely heavy, the storms are often not long enough to rain out a whole day.

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Kandawgyi Palace Hotel, Yangon – and T Rex!

24 April 2012 by

So you’re the owner of a 5* hotel in Yangon and Burma is becoming the must visit country on everyone’s ‘must go’ list. How do you stand out from the crowd? How do you add that elusive ‘wow factor’? The USP that will blow the competition away?

How about a giant statue of T-Rex in the grounds?

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Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society Issue a Plea for Restraint in Sri Lanka

21 April 2012 by

The rise of whale watching in Sri Lanka has become a fantastic feature of holidays in Sri Lanka in recent times. Sri Lanka has emerged as one of the world’s best destinations for whale watching. We include trips in most of our holidays.

The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, while fully supporting whale watching, has issued a plea for more regulation and control on the sector. There are responsible operators (including Mirissa Whale Watching and The Eco Team whom we use) but there is a startling growth in unregulated boats:

In a press release the WDCS said:

The highly experienced local naturalist, Anoma Algiyawadu, commented recently on the proliferation of boats at Mirissa, with around 20 boats, large and small, swarming around the whales: “Some boats are not registered, the guides are not properly trained and boatmen operate without safety measures in place. Some boats do not supply life jackets or other safety equipment and they have no passenger insurance. Some of the boats want to oblige their clients by trying to get as close as possible to the blue whales. Some of them speed on the waters and this disturbs the whales. These mammals are shy but if you don’t disturb them, they will be swimming around. But if they move away, it means they are disturbed.”

Along with other responsible travel companies both in the UK and Sri Lanka itself, We are calling on the Sri Lankan Government to introduce controls both for the whales and also for safety of passengers.

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Bike for Life!

7 March 2012 by

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again – we love Kumar Sangakara! A cricketing legend and a gentleman. Which is why we are very keen to promote his charity – ‘Sanga’s Bikes For Life.’

Our friends at The Sun House are hosting a fund raising dinner and charity quiz night and we’d encourage any of our clients staying in the Sun House and The Dutch House to get involved and enter the spirit of the occasion and if anyone wants a worthwhile Sri Lankan charity to support, look no further!

If any of our guests would like to join in please let me know and we’ll pass your names on.

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