Indochina DIRECT ACTION
As access to Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos improves, Indochina's value message and authentic product has a magnetic pulling power, says Debbie Ward
I
ndochina is back in the
spotlight with the first direct flights from the UK to Vietnam
starting this winter. Vietnam Airlines will be flying twice-weekly from London Gatwick to both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city from December 9. To date, the Indochina countries of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos have been reached via other hubs with Bangkok Airways offering some of the best connections into Laos and Cambodia and a popular Discovery Airpass for multi-sector discounts. The new Vietnam flights should boost tourism to the whole region as combinations of two or all three
This page: Song Saa; cyclo, Vietnam; hilltribe lady, Laos; monks in Laos. Opposite: Ta Prohm temple, Cambodia; cyclist, Vietnam; Song Saa
18 November 2011 •
www.sellinglonghaul.com
Indochina countries are popular. Operators’ itineraries
most commonly emphasise Vietnam and Cambodia’s Angkor Wat (at Siem Reap) with scenic Laos and Cambodia’s compact capital, Phnom Penh, playing a supporting role. Indochina has a wealth of cultural
interest, from French colonial architecture to the Angkor Wat temples and the sad history of the Vietnam War and Cambodia’s Killing Fields. It also boasts some of Asia’s most stunning landscapes, not least Vietnam’s island- strewn Halong Bay. Unsurprisingly, the region is seen predominantly as a touring destination but its quality beaches are gradually creeping into travel plans too. “The launch of a new direct Vietnam
service is going to open up more volume to beach destinations within a couple of hours drive, especially Pham Thiet/Mui Ne,” said Hayes & Jarvis regional product manager Andrea Loddo. “Anantara has just taken over
L’Anmien, a popular hotel in the resort and we expect this to drive demand. Vietnam could at last start to compete with other mainstream South East Asian destinations.” Meanwhile Cambodia’s beach resort
Sihanoukville is gaining recognition beyond the backpacker market. It got its first five-star hotel, Sokha Beach, in 2004 and is increasingly included as a beach stop on Asia cruise itineraries. In December a private island resort is due to open in the nearby Koh Rong archipelago. The 27-villa Song Saa (‘The Sweethearts’) is set on two small white-sand islands joined by a
footbridge over a marine reserve. A sure-fire honeymoon hit, it will offer weddings at a Buddhist monastery on a nearby island and starry nights in a four- poster bed on a secluded beach.
What's New Travel Indochina (which sells to the trade through Travel 2) is chartering new boutique river cruiser The Jahan which made its maiden voyage from Saigon, Vietnam to Siem Reap, Cambodia last month (October). The vessel is featured in the operator’s new Asia river cruising brochure. Cruises also feature strongly in Collette Worldwide Holidays’ new 20-day Three Kingdoms of Indochina tour covering Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Voyages are included on the Mekong Delta, Vietnam’s Perfume River and in Halong Bay.
Selling Tip Vietnam has fantastic beaches – combine them with cultural Saigon, Hanoi, Hoi An or Hue
SONG SAA
VNAT
LATA
LAURA GELDER
ALILA 3 NAGAS
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