news to use ASIA Vietnam looks to a healthy 2012
BY SOPHIE HURFORD Vietnam Airlines is to launch non-
stop flights between London-Gatwick and Vietnam for the first time on December 9. The service will operate four times a
week to both Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, where UK visitors – which number around 90,000 a year – can experience the country’s, citadels, lakes, pagodas and tunnels. Or they could go cruising with Uniworld, which has a new vessel, the River Saigon, as part of an expanded Vietnam and Cambodia programme which features in its Boutique River Cruise Collection, from January 2012. The 15-day Timeless Wonders of Vietnam, Cambodia and the Mekong cruise is priced from £3,175pp, twin share, with a maximum of 60 guests in 30 riverview staterooms. Meanwhile, International Rail has a
new partnership with Vietnam Railways which allows them to sell rail journeys in Vietnam through the UK travel trade. Trade partners can work with
Asia on the go
On the Go Tours’ new India 2011/12 brochure features group tours, local festivals, tailor-made itineraries and unique experiences to India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Tibet and Bhutan. Priced from £1199pp The 14-day Golden Triangle and Kerala tour will visit Delhi, Jaipur, Agra and the hill station of Munnar, with its tea plantations. A night will be spent aboard a house-boat on the 'palm-fringed backwaters'. A 10-day Nepal and Bhutan tour is
from £1,679 pp and a 10-day Sri Lanka and the Maldives combination from £989pp.
www.onthegotours.com
ASIA IN BRIEF
Astor Tianjin puts luxury in style One of China’s most historical hotels,
the Astor Hotel Tianjin, which dates back to 1863, has become China’s first Starwood Luxury Collection hotel. Overlooking the Hai River its 152 rooms feature marble spa bathrooms with a rainforest shower. The hotel has five dining and wining venues.
www.starwoodhotels.com
08 September 2011 •
www.sellinglonghaul.com
Explore returns to Burma After a 16-year absence, Explore is
returning to Burma. From November, 2011, 12 departure dates are offered for a trip that includes highlights like Rangoon (Yangon); Inle Lake, Mandalay, and the Plain of Bagan, an archaeological wonder studded with ancient temples and stupas. Prices from £1,922p, including flights.
www.explore.co.uk
Koh Samui has new private option The five-star Akatsuki Resort has opened on secluded Lipa Noi Beach, on the western coast of Koh Samui, Thailand. The resort, available for private use only, can take up to 17 guests and comes complete with four pools, spa, private chef, a driver and butler. Prices from $2,000 per night based on 10 sharing.
sales@akatsuki-resort.com
New landmark hotel in Danshui The port town of Danshui, north of
Taipei, is home to Taiwan’s latest quirky hotel: the Fullon Hotel Fishermen’s Wharf. The 198-room hotel, shaped like a cruise liner, has the 108-metre Lovers’ Tower, with 360-degree views of the town, Danshui River estuary, and mountains.
www.fishermen-wharf.
fullon-hotels.com
International Rail to view schedules and prices online as well as book (commissionable) journeys through the International Rail call centre. The country’s three major train lines are: Hanoi-HCMC/Saigon, the main route crossing the whole country from north to south; Hanoi-Lao Cai (for Sapa), the route in the north-west of the country,
which eventually would lead towards Kunming in the Yunnan province in China; and Hanoi-Dong Dang, the route to the north-east of the country towards Nanning in the Guangxi province in China (and onward to Beijing).
www.vietnamflight.net www.uniworld.com www.internationalrail.com
Centara's family suites in Phuket
Centara Hotels & Resorts has opened Waterfront Suites Phuket by Centara, 39 spacious serviced apartments in a 20-storey tower facing the ocean at Karon Beach in Phuket. Waterfront Suites is part of Centara’s
recently-launched Centara Residences and Suites brand, and is designed for guests who prefer a self-catering holiday. This opening is Centara’s seventh
property in Phuket. The one-bedroom and two-bedroom suites, all with a living room, a large dining area, equipped kitchens and sea-facing balconies large enough for dining, are aimed at families.
Facilities include a swimming pool with
a kids' pool and Jacuzzi, tennis court with floodlights, squash court, sauna rooms and a games room.
www.centarahotelsresorts.com
ANITA SACH PATA UK Editor
ukchapternews@pata.org.uk Sri Lanka has long been a popular choice for UK visitors, and its diversity is one of the main reasons it continues to be popular. Miles of white-sand beaches fringed by swaying palm trees are major attractions but travellers who head inland find stunning scenery, atmospheric hill stations, heritage sites and wildlife parks. Kandy is a 'must-do' on any itinerary, surrounded by green hills covered in early-morning mist and packed with tiny shops. The Dutch fort town of Galle, with
its ancient ramparts, is fun to explore while the north, although little visited in recent years, has Jaffna, an intriguing mix of colonial past and modern bustling city. Visitors can't fail to be awed by the Sigiriya Rock Fortress, which rises up dramatically from the plains; and wildlife enthusiasts can choose from national parks and forest reserves where animals and colourful birdlife are the attractions. Sri Lanka will host the PATA UK
Chapter House of Commons Dinner on Monday November 7, to celebrate Visit Sri Lanka Year in 2011. The price of £100pp includes
reception drinks, a four-course dinner, Sri Lankan tea and coffee, dinner wines and a glass of port. Go to
www.pata.org.uk to register.
Tourism Update PATA UK
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