Phim Hay 360s

Even though the recession has hampered exotic travel, there are still those intrepid explorers going all out. All this week, our Cambodian embed Claire will share experiences from her trip to Laos.

Gentle, quiet Laos exceeds all expectations, from its limestone mountains to meandering rivers and ethnic minority villagers whose outfits are so intricate and lovely they could pass as a winter collection at Fashion Week in Bryant Park. And Laos’ appeal comes without the drawbacks of traveling through its neighbor countries—Vietnam has too many tourists, double goes for Thailand, and the charm of Cambodia’s underdevelopment and unpaved roads wears thin after a 12-hour minibus ride with 18 butts to 10 seats.

Recently I traveled the length of the country, flying to Luang Prabang, then lacing south by bus toward Cambodia, stopping in Vang Vieng, Vientiane, Champasak, and Si Phan Don. This week, I will share tips on how to best explore Indochina's least-visited and loveliest country.

Though Laos remains the region's poorest and least populous country, it manages its tourism industry rather flawlessly. Outside the main tourist track, which extends from Luang Prabang in the north to Si Phan Don in the south, infrastructure deteriorates, but we noticed that national roads are a dream. Long-distance bus rides travel over smooth, paved roads, cost little, and sometimes come with fully horizontal, sleeper beds.

A one-way flight to Luang Prabang from Siem Reap, home to Angkor Wat, costed $150. There are also reasonably priced direct flights to both Luang Prabang, Vientiante, and Sovannakhet in Southern Laos from Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. Kuala Lumpur’s AirAsia often has bargains to most Southeast Asia destinations, including $37 one-way flights to Vientiane, we discovered by searching for flights in September. We mean, how could we not?

Stay tuned tomorrow as Claire discovers the surprising Euro mood of Luang Prabang.

http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/8/16/15644/1944/travel/Heading+To+Laos+To+Discover+The+Best+Of+Indochina

(KPL) Luang Prabang, a UNESCO-listed world heritage town in northern Laos, has been ranked as a top-ten of the world?s best city, according to the latest survey of Travel+Leisure magazine.

The American magazine pointed out that Udaipur (a city in India?s Rajasthan state) was rated the first by the survey, and was followed by Cape Town in South Africa, Bangkok, Buenos Aires, Chiang Mai, Florence, Luang Prabang, New York, Rome and San Francisco.

According to the 14th annual World?s Best Awards given by the magazine www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest/2009/, Luang Prabang, the ancient royal capital of Laos and the jewel of tourism of Laos and the region, is ranked the seventh.
In rating the cities, the survey, conducted during the first quarter of this year, took into consideration factors such as sights, culture/arts, restaurants/food, people, shopping and value.

Udaipur also known as the City of Lakes, is a city, a Municipal Council and the administrative headquarters of, the Udaipur district in the state of Rajasthan in western India. It is the historic capital of the former kingdom of Mewar in Rajputana Agency.

Top Cities Overall
Rank '08 Name Score
1 - Udaipur, India 87.94
2 3 Cape Town 87.69
3 1 Bangkok 86.80
4 2 Buenos Aires 86.22
5 - Chiang Mai , Thailand 86.18
6 5 Florence 85.61
7 - Luang Prabang , Laos 85.45
8 8 New York 84.65
9 7 Rome 84.63
10 10 San Francisco 84.53
11 4 Sydney 84.27
12 - Jaipur 84.14
13 - Oaxaca 84.01
14 9 Istanbul 83.90
15 - Fez 83.82
16 6 Cuzco 83.40
17 - Jerusalem 83.23
18 - Siem Reap 83.17
19 - Quebec City 83.05
20 - Kyoto 83.01

* "-" means that the property was not among the top-ranked in this category last year

Welcome to a world where the colours are more vivid, where the landscapes are bolder, the coastline more dramatic, where the history is more compelling, where the tastes are more divine, where life is lived in the fast lane. This world is Vietnam, the latest Asian dragon to awake from its slumber.
Nature has blessed Vietnam with a bountiful harvest of soaring mountains, a killer coastline and radiant rice fields, Vietnam is a cracker. Inland, peasant women in conical hats still tend to their fields, children ride buffalos along country paths and minority people scratch out a living from impossible gradients.
Vietnam is a nation of determined optimists who have weathered war after war, survived colonialism and communism, and are now getting to grips with the wheeler-dealer world of capitalism. Fiercely protective of their independence and sovereignty, the Vietnamese are graciously welcoming of foreigners who come as guests not conquerors.
Don’t believe the hype. Or the propagandist party billboards that are as common as statues of ‘Uncle Ho’. Believe your senses, as you discover one of the most enriching, enlivening and exotic countries on earth.

Photo: Monks observe the scenery during sunset at Vat Phou Ngoy temple in Champassak province.

In Champassak province there are lots of attractive tourist sites including Vat Phou, Khon Phapheng, Tad Fan and Pha Suam waterfalls; apart from these places there are also other mysterious sites that are less well known such as Vat Phou Ngoy.

Only local people know about this temple, which has a relaxing atmosphere and views of the Mekong River and islands.

The temple is included in some package tours, which suggest visitors “spend the night at Vat Phou Ngoy and enjoy the wonderful panoramic views of the sunset over the Mekong.” These tours help promote the temple which sits in the shadow of more popular tourists sites in the province...more

Vat Phou Ngoy is located on Malong hill in the area of Pakhor village, Champassak district. Monk Bounmak Thitipannyo, the temple's first abbot, founded it in the 1930s.

An official at the Champassak Tourism Information Centre, Mr Phonesavanh Chanthalangsy said, “There are lots of attractive sites at this temple. Visitors can walk to the south of the temple where they can enjoy the wonderful panorama of the islands located in the Mekong River. Local people call it the second Si Phan Don (4,000 Islands). It is a place where visitors can relax, especially at sunset during the dry season.”

This viewing point is particularly popular with visitors who love photography because they can capture the natural scenes of the river and the lifestyle of people fishing and working along the bank of the river, which reflects the importance of the Mekong in the way of life of people in the area.

“Walking to the south-west of the temple, visitors can find three mysterious large holes in the ground that are similar to wells,” said Mr Phonesavanh. “They are different sizes, the biggest one has a radius of 40cm and is 85cm deep, the second one is 30cm across and 70cm deep while the smallest one has a radius of 20cm and is 60cm deep.”

Mr Phonesavanh said the elders in the village tell of the temple's very long history and a local legend which says, that before the temple was built, on every full moon a magical light flowed through the air and disappeared into the three holes. The mysterious incident has not happened since the temple was built.

Every full moon in February there is an annual festival at Vat Phou Ngoy and people from around the country flock to the temple to celebrate and give offerings.

Another special element of the temple is its seven cloisters that are made from wood instead of the usual concrete.

For visitors who come during the rainy season, the views of the Mekong are not as spectacular as in the dry season, but they have the chance to see other attractions and a wonderful waterfall located to the west of the temple.

Originally, the path to the temple was made of natural stones collected nearby, but renovations in 2004 saw the stones replaced with concrete and there are now 834 steps climbing the 90m to the top.

With construction underway on a new road that will make it easier for tourist to access the temple, the Champassak Tourism Office, together with provincial and district authorities, is preparing to develop the temple into a natural and cultural tourism site to cater for an increase in visitors which will come once the road has been completed.

Vientianetimes

Temburong District

The Temburong District is separated from the rest of Brunei by Brunei Bay and a sliver of Sarawakian territory. Temburong hovers to the northwest of Bandar Seri Begawan, summoning visitors to take the short step into another world.
The Temburong District is rich in unspoiled natural heritage, including the Ulu Temburong National Park (formerly the Batu Apoi Forest Reserve). Here the magnificence of Borneo's lowland rainforests can be truly experienced. Botanically, the area possesses astounding diversity, however the casual visitor in search of birds or mammals is likely to be disappointed by the apparent lack of fauna. In fact the forests teem with wildlife, but these creatures are invariably shy and are quick to avoid human contact. The best time for viewing the wildlife is at dawn or dusk.
On the river trip to Bangar , which is Temburong District's main town, you will see monkeys in the mangroves and monitor lizards basking in the sun at low tide. Some patches of land have been cultivated by resident Murut and Iban Malays, virgin rainforest flourishes across the greater part of Temburong.
Frequent speed boat ferry services are available between Bandar Seri Begawan and Bangar. The river trip takes less than an hour. There is no departure schedule, boats leave when they have collected 12 passengers. The last boat from Bangar to Bandar Seri Begawan departs at 16.00 hrs.
Temuai (dug-out longboat) can be hired in and around Bangar to go up-river and are still the best way of experiencing the jungle waterways of Borneo.

Kuala Belalong Mini Park

This park was opened on 22 July 1993, by the Sultan when he visited the district on his 47th birthday. Kuala Belalong Mini Park's gardens incorporate a number of attractions echoing the renowned Kuala Belalong Field Studies Centre (see below)
The park is located about 1 kilometre from Bangar, the main town, Bangar. Its features include a pond used for remote-controlled boat racing and six pondok (huts) of similar design to those at the Kuala Belalong Field Studies Centre. Three pondoks house pictorial records of the sultan's visit to Temburong and the activities of the local people, while the other three house findings made at the Kuala Belalong Field Studies Centre.
The park is an excellent alternative for those unable to visit the more remotely located Kuala Belalong Field Studies Centre.

Batang Duri Park

Batang Duri Park is bordered by towering forest and overlooks the crystal clear waters of the Temburong River. It is located about 16km from Bangar. There are timber walkways for strolling and playgrounds for children, and although swimming is allowed in the river, the current can be very strong.

Kuala Belalong Rainforest Field Studies Centre

The famous Rainforest Field Studies Centre is located near Kuala Belalong in the Batu Apoi Forest Reserve. It is a joint venture of Brunei Shell Petroleum and Universiti Brunei Darussalam. The centre was established as a training and research base focusing on the study of Brunei's lowland tropical forests.
A streamside complex of seven timber houses, the centre provides field research facilities catering to a range of enquiry levels - from bona fide overseas scientists to parties from universities, secondary schools and government bodies.
The Centre lies on the west bank of the Belalong River nestling in the 'V' of a steep-sided, heavily forested valley, about five kilometres upstream from the roadhead at Batang Duri.
The Centre is surrounded by lowland and ridge Dipterocarp forest with small areas of riverine and heath forest which have never been logged. The terrain is difficult to work in, characterised by steep-sided valleys and sharp ridges. Hunting has been minimal, and the area supports substantial populations of large mammals including Borneon gibbons, langurs, macaques, civets and sun bears. The Centre is situated 50 metres above sea level, but the highest point within the National Park is Gunong Pagon at 1850 metres. The upper reaches of the peak support montane forest but there are some montane plant species closer to the Centre on the upper slopes of Bukit Belalong at an altitude of 995 metres.
You may need to spend up to two and a half hours pushing and pulling a long boat over a series of 23 upriver rapids in order to reach the centre. Aside from the sheer beauty of the site, its importance can be distilled from the experience of just one entomologist who found over 400 species of beetle on a single tree in this area.
The centre also offers limited accommodation and dining facilities.

Bukit Patoi Recreational Park

The Bukit Patoi Recreational Park is about 15km from Bangar, and is Located within the Peradayan Forest Reserve.
The park has many unusual cave and rock formations, and the 1070 ha territory is also home to a variety of readily seen wildlife such as Borneo's native kijang (deer). The reserve encompasses the twin hills of Bukit Peradayan, which rises to 410m (1,225ft), and Bukit Patoi, at 310m (950ft) above sea level.
The patch of level stone on Bukit Patoi's summit is used as a helipad, and cooled by a pleasant breeze, it is also a viewing deck from which to enjoy panoramic views of the jungle, sea and villages and fields of neighbouring Sarawak.
It takes about two hours to negotiate the 1.6km-winding trek to the park.

Ulu Temburong National Park

Ulu Temburong National Park occupies approximately 50,000 ha of the Batu Apoi Forest Reserve. The park's locality and steep, swampy terrain have limited human impact on the area and helped preserve its rich biodiversity.

Established forest trails through the park include 7km of timber boardwalks, which protect ground vegetation and help prevent erosion. A canopy walkway affords visitors an opportunity to observe the rainforest's surprisingly diverse treetop ecosystems. In addition, a series of tree houses some situated 20m above the ground, and linked by hanging bridges, provide excellent observation points.
The Ulu Temburong Park Headquarters and Information Centre, is located at the junction of the Temburong and Belalong Rivers. Access to the park is by temuai or longboat, and visitor accommodation within the park consists of some seven guesthouses and three well equipped campsites.

Trekking in Temburong

Short trekking tours through farmlands and virgin forest to the Ulu Temburong National park are ideal for those who enjoy, or would like to try, jungle trekking. See our Temburong tours for ideas.

(KPL) Laos would be hosting the 2009 World Ecotourism and Exhibition Conference, to be held at Donchan Palace Hotel in Vientiane Capital from 14 to 18 July.

Deputy President of National Tourism Organisation, Mr. Soukasene Phothisane said that during this conference it would also be exhibiting local handicraft products.
Speaking at a press conference on 11 May, Mr Soukasueam also said that this conference is being organised in cooperation with Associations of Hotels, Guesthouse and Restaurants of Laos and added that the conference sponsor is Discovery MICE of Malaysia.

The aims of this conference, he told the journalists, are to share views on ecotourism development and conservation of the environment by means of sustainable participation of local people.

The other topics on the discussion agenda are climate change, natural deterioration of the environment and the impact of tourism, said Mr Soukasueam.
He stressed that Laos can benefit as the host of the conference as it is well placed to advertise its tourist sites to the conference participants and another related implication is that it would enhance the reputation of Laos vis-a-vis the international community.

Local businesses and tourist companies would be setting up 100 booths in this hotel when the conference is in session.

For more information about the conference, visit:
http://www.discoverymice.com/WECO2009LAOS/sponsorship.htm