According to an article from the Guardian website, the WWF has announced that 208 new species were discovered in Southeast Asia’s Greater Mekong area in 2010. Discoveries included a new kind of monkey in Burma’s remote Kachin state, a rainbow gecko in Vietnam, and new species of carnivorous plants too.
Archive for the ‘Laos’ Category
Lao Airlines expands routes and fleet
7 December 2011 by Tom Armstrong
Lao Airlines new Airbus
Lao Airlines has announced a new route between Vientiane and Singapore – the first time the airline has operated a direct flight to this regional hub. The service will operate three times a week in each direction.
The Airline has also added the first of two, brand new, A320 aircraft from Airbus. The new modern craft will operate on the routes to Bangkok, Kunming, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, as well as on domestic services linking Vientiane to Luang Prabang and Pakse.
This is a further welcome development in Lao tourism and makes this mountainous, landlocked country much easier and less arduous to get to.
For holidays to Laos in 2012 please visit our main website.
Top 10 unusual foods you might encounter in Southeast Asia
21 October 2011 by Lyria Eastley
Southeast Asia quite rightly has a reputation for some of the world’s most delicious food: in the Experience Travel office the virtues of Thai Food are regularly extolled and we’re still looking for a Thai restaurant in London that can offer the same standard of culinary experience that you can get in Thailand (any suggestions are welcome).
However, Southeast Asia can also offer the western visitor some of the world’s strangest (well, strange to a western palette anyway) delicacies. At Experience Travel we’ve all been there, done that, and some of us even have the t-shirt when it comes to sampling unusual dishes. In this article I run down the top 10 most unusual foods you might encounter, and which 5 I would recommend giving a try (provided you’re up for such an experience!) and which I think it’s best to avoid. Of course, it’s all a matter of personal taste… (more…)
Sayaboury Elephant Festival 2012, Laos
8 September 2011 by Tom Armstrong
The Sayaboury Elephant Festival will takes place between 17-19 February 2012. The town in approximately four hours drive from Luang Prabang but it is also possible to travel some of the way by boat down the Mekong River.
The festival celebrates the age-old relationship between humans and this incredible anaimal and is now in its 6th year. The festival is already massively popular, attracting close to 100,000 visitors. More information can be found on the offical website – www.laoelephantfestival.com. (more…)
Lao Airlines expands fleet with A320 order
Lao Airlines have expanded their fleet and have ordered two Airbus A320. This airbus will be flying on a new route between Vientiane and Singapore. This new route is expected to start on 1st November 2011 and will operate 3 times weekly on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. The airline also operate a fleet of propeller powered ATR 72s and Xian MA 60s on their other international and internal routes.
Laos is one of Asia’s least accessible countries – landlocked and surrounded by vast mountain ranges. Journeys by road and boat can be as long as they are spectacular. If your time is precious when on your Laos holiday then you might well need to use flights at some point during the trip. Experience Travel tailor make trips to all corners of Laos by any available means of transport. If you want to keep flying to an absolute minimum, then have a peek at our Luang Prabang to Hanoi Overland Itinerary. It is possible to start this trip in Bangkok and travel by train to northern Thailand before heading into Laos and taking a boat to Luang Prabang. However, most people prefer to short taxi to the airport followed by flight option! For some reason, Lao Airlines have had an unfair reputation for bad safety in some chattering travel circles. In reality the airline has an excellent safety record, complies with all recognised international aviation standards and received the International Arch of Europe Award in 2007 and 2008. The new flights from Singapore expand the options for travelling long-haul into Laos and will be a very welcome addition. (more…)
Sus’dei Chnam Thmei- Happy New Year!
13 April 2011 by Lyria Eastley
Happy Thai, Khmer, Lao and Burmese New Year from all at Experience Travel! (more…)
Food From Northern Laos
12 October 2010 by Tom Armstrong
Regular readers of this blow will have noticed that some of the contributors have a natural bias toward food-orientated stories. From the start of our very first adventures in Asia, the quality, variety and sheer availability of delicious food has been a major factor in us continually returning or settling in this part of the world.
The cuisine of Thailand is well documented and well appreciated around the world, and Vietnamese food has also become much more popular as an export in recent years. However, we generally hear very little about the food options whilst holidaying in Laos, possibly because everything in Laos is a little less accessible than it is in neighbouring countries (which is part of the real beauty of the country). Thankfully, our friends at the excellent Boat Landing Guest House in Luang Nam Tha (a wonderful place to stay and explore for anyone travelling to Laos) have created a fabulous cookbook and online blog. Simply entitled Food From Northern Laos, the blog details the food culture, ingredients and cooking methods and is well worth a good read. With distinct similarities to ‘Isarn’ food on the rural north and east of Thailand, there are a number of true culinary delights to be discovered in this part of the region, especially when you get off the beaten track. We would recommend reading the blog and buying the book or, better still, planning a trip to Laos and finding out what all the fuss is about!
New luxury hotel to open in Luang Prabang
22 September 2010 by Sam Clark
The Alila Hotel and Resorts Group are opening a new hotel in Luang Prabang: the Alila Luang Prabang.
With the tight building restrictions operating within the boundaries of the old town, new builds are impossible and so new central hotels have to be cunning. Amantaka was built by converting the old Luang Prabang hospital and Alila have gone one better by converting by the prison. I haven’t seen it yet, but judging by the pictures it seems the old watch tower has been turned into an interesting feature… Moreover, I hear the views of the river and the surrounding countryside will be lovely from the whole hotel – not just the watchtower…
Alila already’own one resort in town, Les 3 Nagas, which is very popular among our younger clientel and those on the look out for the unusual and the quirky in a hotel.
For now though, Amantaka is still the leader of the pack in Luang Prabang and Experience Travel have ultra competitive rates so ask us to include it in your Laos Holiday.
Ash, Bangkok and BA
21 May 2010 by Sam Clark
They say trouble comes in threes and if that is true then we are at Experience Travel can look forward to a restful summer.
We’ve had the volcanic ash, the trouble in Bangkok and the BA strikes, designed as if by a mischievous god, to cause maximum havoc in the travel industry (more…)
Experience Travel take part in Jubilee Debt Campaign film
4 August 2009 by Tom Armstrong
Experience Travel were privileged to be involved in a new short video for the Jubilee Debt Campaign.
Parts of the video were filmed in and around our office and one of our team also appeared in the film. The film was made to kick start a campaign that was launched at the Glastonbury festival.
Working, as we do, in countries saddled by debt it is an issue we feel quite strongly about and we were very pleased to be able to add our support.
The Jubilee Debt Campaign website has much more detailed information about their philosophies and activities.
Experience Travel are committed to responsibly managed tourism that benefits the countries we work in and actively support people and places that are taking a lead in progressive working environments and practices.
