The Hanuman Blog will now replace the Hanuman Bulletin.

February 2010

CAMBODIA:

In Brief:
Let us update you on a few items. The opening of the refurbished Sihanoukville airport has been put back so Cambodia’s new national carrier, Cambodia Angkor Air, which began life in late-July last year, has still not kicked-off flights between Sihanoukville and Siem Reap, or Sihanoukville-Phnom Penh. On the subject of air travel, all Bangkok Airways flights on the domestic Phnom Penh to Siem Reap route have been taken over by Cambodia Angkor Air, And the dispute at Chong Kneas – the popular floating port on the Tonle Sap Lake near Siem Reap - that saw travel agencies, boat owners and the local authorities at loggerheads for a couple of months, has now blown over and everything is back to normal.

Hanuman’s Banteay Srei Lifestyle full-day program that incorporated a morning cookery class followed by visits to the nearby Banteay Srei temple and the Landmine Museum has been temporarily halted. Angkor Palm Restaurant, who provided the cookery class in a wooden house near the village, have closed their classes for the time being. You can still take a cookery class to learn about the intricacies of Khmer cooking at Angkor Palm in Siem Reap, or at a variety of other cookery schools in the town such as Cooks in Tuk Tuks, and then take a half day tour to Banteay Srei after you’ve sampled the fruits of your culinary labours.

Lotus Blanc II
Pour un Sourire d’Enfant (PSE), an apolitical, non-denominational association, which supports underprivileged and uneducated children, have opened their second restaurant, in the heart of Phnom Penh, on Street 51 in Boeung Keng Kang district. Lotus Blanc Restaurant II, providing beautifully presented French and Asian cuisine, will allow students to engage in hands-on experience in the restaurant industry. The original Lotus Blanc is still open and operating at PSE’s Stung Meanchey headquarters.

Hanuman Events Works its Magic at Angkor
Hanuman recently hosted a 60th birthday bash at the temple of Prasat Kravan in Angkor. This petite brick temple dates from the 10th century and was the perfect backdrop for this signature event. 40 guests were invited to join the celebrations and the evening included a fully-stocked cocktail bar, a seated dinner and a traditional dance performance. This was indeed a birthday party to remember.
Hanuman is able to organise these unique events at the temples due to our close relationship with the temple authorities. More recently we hosted Guerlain, the French cosmetics group, for a cocktail reception at Ta Som Temple, complete with ice sculptures and living statues reflecting the bas-reliefs.
Hanuman has a long tradition of organising signature events at Angkor for incentive groups and other MICE business. We have hosted the Young Presidents’ Organisation on their flagship visit to the Temples of Angkor. We looked after the Moet-Hennessey global leadership team on their visit here, including a signature Temple Safari. We also took care of the Harvard Business School Alumni on their discovery trip to the region.
Hanuman Films enjoys a close relationship with Apsara Authority who safeguard the temples, as we have coordinated dozens of successful film shoots over the years, taking care to ensure the integrity of these ancient buildings are not harmed during our work. From Tomb Raider to Two Brothers, from Pepsi commercials to National Geographic documentaries, we have brought them all to Angkor. Whether it is a special occasion such as a honeymoon or a birthday party, or a meeting for a leading company or organisation, Hanuman can arrange the impossible around Angkor. These little extras are what can make the difference between a good trip and a great trip, so let us know what we can do to ensure that your VIP clients experience greatness while exploring Angkor.

The Angkor Butterfly Centre (ABC) is an interactive butterfly exhibit located 25 km north of Siem Reap, on the road to the Landmine Museum and Bantey Srei temple. The exhibit consists of a netted tropical garden with hundreds of free-flying butterflies, all of which are native species to Cambodia. The enclosure is South East Asia's largest butterfly exhibit and provides residents and tourists with an eco-friendly environment to learn about butterflies. At ABC it is possible to experience butterflies feeding and flying very close at hand and to witness the complete life cycle of many species. The butterflies (in pupae form) are farmed sustainably by people from villages in the Siem Reap Province.

A step nearer to the Gods
Visitor access to the top level of Angkor Wat began again in the middle of January. The Apsara Authority (AA) announced that access will be strictly limited to 100 people at any one time and they will be closely monitored by AA staff with visits lasting only 30 minutes max. There are other restrictions like no under-12s, you must dress respectfully, only English-speaking guides will be allowed and so on. This access will be for 1 month to assess how the management control of visitors is working. Access to the top level of Angkor Wat, the area is known as Bakan, has been out of bounds for visitors since October 2007 and during that time restoration efforts by Khmer, German and Italian teams have been on-going. In the 12th century, when the temple was constructed, only the King and his highest-ranking officials were allowed access to the upper level and the steps were particularly steep to emphasize the fact that the location was the closest you could get to the Gods.

Phare Ponleu Selpak – arts for the people
The buzz coming out of Battambang these days is all about Phare Ponleu Selpak (PPS), the Cambodian NGO that is enhancing the lives of over 1,000 children and students in the northwest city with their educational and artistic programmes.
Tours overseas have helped spread the word about PPS and their circus school, their success has spawned an annual international circus festival, Tini Tinou, and they continue to go from strength to strength. They host a weekly circus show, on Thursdays, at their headquarters which is open to the public and display a variety of disciplines including acrobatics, choreography, juggling, clowning, live music and much more. Tickets for the public shows cost $8 and an after-show dinner can be arranged in advance.
However, PPS aren’t just a group of circus performers. They have evolved since their 1994 beginnings into providing a wide range of cultural and educational services to their community and an increasing number of children. These include a child care centre, a library and three artistic schools – the circus and theatre school, a visual arts school that includes animation and graphic design, and a music school.
If you have time during a visit to Battambang, PPS welcome visitors to their headquarters. They also offer a variety of unique shows that can be booked to entertain your own group or special event anywhere in Cambodia. Contact us at Hanuman and we will provide you with the whole range of services provided by this wonderful artistic community that is opening doors for the youth of Battambang. Read more about PPS at http://www.phareps.org/

Artisans at work in Siem Reap
If you haven’t visited the Angkor Silk Farm at Puok, some 16kms west of Siem Reap, we recommend you do it now. Hanuman can take you on a guided tour, provided by Artisans d’Angkor, through the silk-making process step by step, from the cultivation of mulberry trees that feed the silkworms, to removing the silk thread from the cocoons and then the natural dyeing and weaving of the silk into the gorgeous end products you can see for sale in their shop outlets. They even have a silk museum, shop and cafe on-site. We’ll also take you to the Artisans d’Angkor Chantiers-Ecoles craft workshops in the middle of Siem Reap where you can see master craftsmen at work with stone, metal, wood, lacquer and silk painting. You’ve all seen the artistry in the boutiques and shops, so take a step back and see the process from the beginning, to fully understand the craftsmanship that goes into the final product. Artisans d’Angkor now employ over 1,000 Cambodian staff and are a major success story, so come and see for yourself. The tour makes a very interesting diversion from your exploration of the Angkor temples – please contact us for more information.

Hotels update:

Cambodia:
We recently paid a visit to the exciting new 5* accommodation being constructed in Tatai at the foot of the Cardamom Mountains and half an hour from the border with Thailand at Koh Kong in south-west Cambodia. The 4 Rivers Floating Eco-Lodge will provide eighteen - nine doubles and nine twins – large floating Safari-like tented villas (see right) with a pool, restaurant and a level of luxury not found elsewhere in that area. The remote natural beauty of its location and the bonus of an environmentally responsible footprint, will dovetail nicely to combine a Cambodian adventure with a beach extension on Koh Chang or Koh Kut. www.ecolodges.asia

Nataya, Kampot
is a lush tropical beach front resort with swimming pool, bar and restaurant located across the bay from Phu Quoc Island (Vietnam), only 15 minutes west of Kampot on Highway 3. Featuring 8 Bungalows (16 Rooms) the resort aims at family oriented guests offering special activities and tours for children and has some of the nicest rooms on the Cambodian coast. www.natayaresort.com

Boutique Hotels in Siem Reap
Several new boutique hotels have opened their doors in Siem Reap, Cambodia in the past few months. The Hanuman team has been to take a look and is pleased to offer our insights into these new places.

Sojourn
Tucked away amid ricefields behind the Angkorian temple of Wat Athvea, this is definitely aimed at those who want to get away from it all. Accommodation is set in ten bungalows dotted around a landscaped garden with a swimming pool at its heart that includes an unexpected swim-up bar. Bungalows are well-appointed with contemporary bathrooms and ample space. Temple Villas include an outdoor shower, Balinese style, set in a hidden rear garden. The restaurant serves a mix of Khmer, Asian and Western cuisine, important to note as many guests may end up dining in-house, given the distance to town. The rates are currently very good value, but may reflect the gamble in locating the property about 5km from the centre. The drawback is the location, as while it is undoubtedly beautiful, it is a long way from the restaurants, bars and shops of Siem Reap. This is one for romantics or those seeking a spiritual retreat, but not for the average Angkor explorer. www.sojournsiemreap.com

Villa Kiara
Located on the edge of the countryside to the southwest of Siem Reap, this is a small boutique hotel set in modern clusters of villas. The rooms and suites are stylish and spacious with lots of natural light. However, the beds are perhaps a little too contemporary with a mattress on a raised platform rather than a traditional bed. The pool is the charming focus of the resort and is surrounded by lush foliage. The resort includes small restaurant and bar. Villa Kiara has a certain charm, but the rates are a little high for the time being and we would find it hard to promote among other offerings around town. Sojourn remains a better value retreat for now. www.villakiara.com

Suites and Sweet
This collection of boutique villas is set around a pond, with 18 suites in all. The design pays homage to a traditional Asian fishing village and looks very atmospheric by night. Rooms are contemporary in design with rich silks from Sentosa design boutique and the minibar is free for the use of guests. The resort includes a small restaurant serving a variety of Asian and European cuisine. It’s a unique place by comparison with many of the mainstream hotels in Siem Reap, but we can’t help but feel the US$200+ rates are ambitious, particularly given the remote location and lack of a swimming pool. www.suitesandsweet.com

LAOS

Muang Thong Hotel, Luang Prabang
Opened towards the end of October, this new property is in an excellent location near Maison Souvannaphoum and Villa Maly. Muang Thong features 34 rooms, richly decorated with wooden finishings, and consists of 2 buildings each with 17 rooms, divided between two floors. All rooms face the central swimming pool and are equipped with A/C, TV, Minibar, hairdryer and bathrobes. Safe boxes are available at the reception. Breakfast will be served in the small restaurant, also catering for lunch and dinner. Within walking distance to the town centre which is just 10 minutes away.

Sengtawan Riverside Hotel, Vientiane
Brand new hotel, featuring a 4 floor building on the banks of the Mekong River, just a few minutes walk from the Nam Phou Square. This medium class hotel, offers a total of 71 rooms and suites. Standard rooms are clean yet simply furnished whilst the 31 superior and 7 deluxe rooms are to be recommended. All rooms are equipped with A/C, Cable TV, safe box, Wi Fi (charged), IDD telephone. The hotel has a nice covered and open air restaurant on the top floor, offering a great view of the river. www.sengtawan.com

Boutique Hotels in Luang Prabang
The Hanuman team has also been to Luang Prabang in Laos to take a look at some of the latest boutique offerings and here are our thoughts on what we found.

Amantaka
This is the one all Aman junkies have been waiting for, the much heralded conversion of the old colonial-era hospital in Luang Prabang. Set in immaculately landscaped gardens, the elegant old buildings have been beautifully renovated under the watchful eye of UNESCO and the results are stunning. There are several suites on offer, but our favourites were the pool suites with a private plunge pool in a hidden courtyard, and the Khan suites, which feature a fully integrated bathroom, living room and larger pool. Facilities are similar to other Amans around the world, with Bose sound system but no television. As befitting an old French-era property, the ceilings are extremely high and the rooms very airy. Facilities include a large swimming pool, a fully-equipped gym and a restaurant serving traditional Lao cuisine. Rates are currently significantly lower than sister property Amansara in Siem Reap, so take advantage to promote it in the coming year. Hanuman has some great value combination packages which include 3 nights in Amantaka and 3 nights in Amansara, making such luxury affordable at last. www.amanresorts.com/amantaka/home.aspx

Satri House
Originally the home of a Laotian prince, this beautiful old colonial-era mansion has been given an extensive makeover in the past year. The original house has been converted into a pair of elegant suites overlooking the garden pool. An entirely new wing has been added, including a larger lap pool, an indulgent spa and a dozen entirely new rooms. The decoration is tasteful Chinese-Laotian style, including many period pieces from the region. Owner Lamphuon also owns textile and antique shops in Luang Prabang and Vientiane and her impeccable taste is on show throughout. Rates are still to be finalised, but it looks like it will at the upper end of the current range. www.satrihouse.com

The Apsara Rive Droite
One of our long-running favourites, this chic little boutique hotel has always been a bastion of understated style. The original wing remains a good mid-range option in Luang Prabang for those who want to be in the heart of the historic quarter. The restaurant remains one of the best tables in town for fusion food and the wine list reflects owner Ivan Scholte’s background as a wine dealer in Hong Kong. The Apsara is about to open the doors to a new wing across the other side of the Nam Khan River. This purpose-built property is designed in a combination of Lao colombage and French colonial-era architecture and includes an inviting swimming pool overlooking the river. Rooms include stylish bathrooms and fine furnishings, making for a romantic retreat for those wanting a bit more intimacy than the lively old town. Guests will be able to take a boat shuttle across to the original Apsara, making town just a few minutes away. Rates look set to be considerably higher than the original building, but will be discounted for the first year. www.theapsara.com

VIETNAM

Medallion Hotel, Hanoi
Medallion Hotel in Hanoi opened its doors in September 2009. Ideally located in the very heart of Hanoi’s famous Old Quarter it is the newest addition to Hanoi’s growing number of ‘affordable boutique hotels’. The hotel offers luxury bedrooms, superior and deluxe rooms, all tastefully decorated with dark wood, parquet flooring and shimmering fabrics in warm colours, making the rooms both elegant and functional. All rooms feature LCD TV, King-size bed, DVD, Wi-Fi, minibar and electronic safe. Contact us for more information and rates. www.medallion-hotel.com

August 2009

Cambodia

In Brief:

Cambodia Angkor Air is now officially the country’s new carrier and will be servicing routes linking Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Saigon and Sihanoukville in the coming months. The route connecting Sihanoukville and Siem Reap will be available once the coastal city’s new airport is officially opened in October. The new carrier has three aircraft to begin with and is closely linked to Vietnam Airlines, who will supply more planes in due course. They launched late-July with four daily return flights Phnom Penh-Siem Reap, and one daily return Saigon-Phnom Penh and Saigon-Siem Reap.
Transfer times along Cambodia’s roads are constantly improving. The newly-opened National Highway 6 from the Poipet border crossing with Thailand to the gateway to Angkor, Siem Reap now takes just 2.5 hours along a beautifully smooth road. The highway north to Anlong Veng is also open and in great condition. Even roads in the northeast of the country and into the provinces of Ratanakiri and Mondulkiri are a considerable improvement on previous years.
The popular destinations of Kampot and Kep could well have their own modern interactive museum open by the end of the year. The Kampot Regional Museum project is seeking to highlight the varied history of the region from pre-Angkorian cave temples to ethnic minority settlements, remnants of the French colonial period and much more. The museum will be in Kep and is the brainchild of linguistics expert Jean-Michel Filippi.
There is still no concrete news of a settlement in dispute over Chong Kneas – the popular floating port on the Tonle Sap Lake near Siem Reap - between the association of Cambodian travel operators and the Korean company who own the rights to the port activities on the lake. We are told a settlement is imminent.

Hotel update:
An exciting addition to the accommodation options off the beaten track is the 4 Rivers Floating Eco-Lodge will which open in November in Tatai, at the foot of the Cardamom Mountains and half an hour from the border with Thailand at Koh Kong. It will provide eighteen - 9 doubles and 9 twins – large floating Safari-like tented villas with a pool, restaurant and a level of luxury not found elsewhere in that area. Whilst it’s a four-hour drive from Phnom Penh, 4 Rivers’ remote natural beauty is designed to provide a haven for rest and relaxation, with the bonus of an environmentally responsible footprint. We recently met with the management team to discuss future cooperation, as it could be the perfect way to combine a Cambodia adventure with a beach extension on Koh Chang or Koh Kut. www.ecolodges.asia
A new boutique hotel, River 108 (pictured left), has opened its doors in Phnom Penh. River 108 is a pretty swish new boutique hotel, 12 rooms in total, 6 with river-facing views and big balconies, that’s opened just off Sisowath Quay and next to the Night Market. It offers a nicely-designed silver Art Deco style, the room sizes are generous, as are the bathrooms (with bath and rain shower), with all amenities including large flat screen tv and free wi-fi. The hotel’s three floors have generous natural light, with a reception and intimate bar/relaxation area on the ground floor. Italian coffee and continental breakfast is included in the room rate. It lacks a swimming pool but is one of the better boutique offerings in the city, especially as it’s adjacent to the popular riverfront area of Phnom Penh.www.river108.com
In Siem Reap, Suites & Sweet Resort (pictured right) is a newcomer amongst the 116 hotels offering 8,000 rooms in the city. Despite a 13% drop in tourist figures so far this year, the hotel construction boom in the gateway to Angkor continues, with another 17 hotels currently under construction. As for Suites & Sweet, they offer 18 suite rooms in nine villas set in a secluded tropical garden around an ornamental lake a few minutes from downtown Siem Reap. www.suitesandsweet.com
A few other snippets. From September, The Sothea are offering a series of events and options including Brunch on the terrace, cooking classes, High Tea and an exhibition of Devatas with regular lectures each Saturday. The popular Day Inn Angkor is changing its name to Royal Bay Inn Angkor from this month. Please contact us for a more detailed opinion or to ask questions.

Vietnam

In Brief:
RV La Marguerite (pictured left) will be a newcomer on the Saigon to Phnom Penh waterways from September, with 46 cabins accommodating 92 passengers. The boat company intend to offer a combined river and aviation tour that will include destinations such as Halong Bay, Saigon, Phnom Penh and Siem Reap amongst its programmes. It’s 8-day Mekong Delta Odyssey will make the trip from Saigon to Siem Reap.
Tourist numbers are down by nearly 20% in Vietnam for the first six months of this year with a reduced 1.9 million tourists arriving to-date.
Lan Ha Bay is being touted as the new Halong Bay. South of Cat Ba, the bay is dotted with hundreds of jungle-topped limestone islands and offers numerous deserted beaches to explore. There are hidden coves and bays, plus swimming and snorkelling the bay’s turquoise waters. Hanuman has teamed up with Blue Swimmer (www.blueswimmersailing.com) to offer sailing or kayaking around Lan Ha Bay, as well as mountain biking on Cat Ba Island. We are also working with Slo Pony Adventures (www.slopony.com) to offer rock climbing for every level. Start on land with basic climbs on the karst before advancing to some soloing above the waters, free climbs with a controlled descent into the bay.
The eighteen islands of Con Dao, situated 180kms off the coast of Vung Tau in southern Vietnam are becoming an increasingly popular destination. There are now 13 flights to the main island every week and the refurbished three-star hotel has just reopened, Saigon-Con Dao resort, with 82 rooms, pool and health club.
Earlier this year a team of British researchers claimed to have found the two largest caves in the world - Son Doong and En caves – in the north central province of Quang Binh, not far from the UNESCO-recognized world heritage site of Phong Nha Cave. The researchers estimated the Son Doong Cave at 200 meters high and 150 meters wide at its largest, while the measurements at En Cave are 150 meters high and 130 meters wide. The main cavern of the impressive Phong Na Cave is nearly 8km long. Caving enthusiasts – take note.

Hotel update:
In Hanoi, the new Mercure Hotel Hanoi La Gare is set to open in September, opposite the central railway station, with 102 spacious modern rooms and its Veranda restaurant with international cuisine. From the same chain, the Grand Mercure Gerbera on Le Loi Street in the royal city of Hue is also due to open around the same time. It will host 110 rooms. Hue will also welcome the luxury resort developer Banyan Tree in a couple of years in a $900 million project involving seven hotels and more.
Another big player in the hotel chain business, the 450-room, nine-storey JW Marriott Hotel will be coming to Hanoi in 2010, adjacent to the new, state-of-the-art National Convention Centre about 7.5km west of the city centre.
In Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), the Hotel InterContinental Asiana on Le Duan Boulevard is set to open in September with 305 rooms including 20 suites. www.intercontinental.com/saigon

Laos

Hotel update:
A new addition to the mid-range choice of hotels in Vientiane is the d’Rose Hotel, which opened in June and has 48 family rooms and executive suites, right in the heart of the city. However, it lacks a swimming pool.

June 2009:
World’s Top Ten Travel Fixers
Hanuman is proud to have been selected by The Sunday Times Travel Team as one of the World’s Top Ten Travel Fixers. These are the "best locally-run companies, the established insiders with impeccable guides, and are masters of their region". Read an extract by travel writer Vincent Crump below:

“ Kulikar Sotho’s first job in travel was organising passage for 7,500 UN peacekeepers. Then the Khmer Rouge collapsed, ancient Angkor was rediscovered by the west, and Kulikar’s company, Hanuman, was on hand to act as midwife to Cambodian tourism.

A decade or so later, more than a million visitors pitch up each year — including Korean coach parties wielding megaphones. Not to worry: Hanuman’s impeccable guides know how to dodge the crowds. For example, they spirited me to Angkor Wat’s eastern gate, the “back door”, for an exclusive, all-to-myself view of Asia’s most humdinging archeological site. Hanuman also fixed it for me to spend a few days in the remote, red-earthed Ratanakiri region, where I penetrated sacrificial rituals, shook hands with pipe-smoking toddlers, and found out exactly why you should never sup rice wine with the villagers.

Best of all was my “temple safari” in the steaming, spidery Cambodian jungle — the brainchild of Kulikar’s husband, Nick Ray, who is also Lonely Planet’s writer in Cambodia and a self-styled temple-hunter. As the location scout for Tomb Raider, Ray unearthed virgin Angkorian citadels such as Koh Ker, where I scrambled up a rickety ladder to the top of a 120ft pyramid and found myself sole overlord of a 10th-century city, scores of its monuments still smothered in the undergrowth. ”

Cambodia
Siem Reap
July 1st will see the implementation of the new ticketing arrangements for the temples of Angkor. The 3-day Angkor pass will now be valid on any 3 days within a 1-week period rather than having to be used for three days of temple visits on consecutive days. This is a long overdue change which will enable clients who are spending a few days in Siem Reap to break up their temple touring with other activities or simply relax by the pool. The second notable change involves the 7-day Angkor pass, which will be valid for use at anytime over the period of one month from the date of purchase.

No change as yet to the deadlock over access to the Tonle Sap Lake via Chong Kneas. The South Korean company who have been appointed to oversee all activities at the port are talking to the government and tourism officials as we send out this bulletin. We’ll let you know as soon as there are developments.

The resurfacing of the road from Siem Reap to Anlong Veng, passing through Banteay Srei, has now been completed and with a smooth, tarmacked surface, the time of the journey to the former Khmer Rouge stronghold has reduced to just two hours. The road from Anlong Veng to the mountaintop temple of Preah Vihear is also nearing completion and that means a 2-day, 1-night trip can take in the Khmer Rouge sites on show at Anlong Veng, a daytime visit to Preah Vihear before an overnight stop at Tbeng Meanchey. Then next day a visit to Koh Ker on the return journey to Siem Reap will provide an intriguing look at some of Cambodia’s remoter locations.

On the subject of Banteay Srei, the Apsara authorities have now completed work on a new parking and dining area away from the ancient temple. The new zone is about 400 metres from the temple and will allow easier access and a less crowded entrance to this Jewel of Angkor, which at certain times of the day is overly popular with tour groups.

Finally, do you like the idea of touring Angkor by an original US Army Jeep? Hanuman can now offer this unique perspective of Angkor and its remote temples amongst its transportation options which also include air-conditioned car, 4WD, minibus, mountain bike and tuk tuk.

Phnom Penh
We have added three new cultural programmes which we believe will allow clients to get under the skin of Cambodia, focusing on classical dance, shadow puppets and meditation. Please let our Sales team know if you wish to add these to your Phnom Penh itineraries. They are as follows:

Cambodia’s Arts Masters (half-day): The arts and culture of Cambodia is making a comeback after its virtual annihilation by the Khmer Rouge. And two of its iconic arts masters, Em Theay (classical ballet dancer and teacher) and Mann Kosal (shadow puppet master) and have been at the forefront of this revitalization of the arts. Hanuman are giving you the opportunity to meet one of these arts masters in person, find out more about their special talents and to hear first-hand of the lengths they have gone through to breathe new life into what had become dying art forms. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity that we believe will give you a unique window into the country’s cultural heritage.

Khmer Classical Dance Visit (half-day): We take a short trip outside the city to Takhmau and the atmospheric home of the Khmer Arts Ensemble, an NGO determined to keep alive the traditional classical dance repertoire as well as producing innovative new dances under the leadership of Sophiline Cheam Shapiro. We get a rare opportunity to watch the full dance company at practice as they rehearse one of their trademark dances and to find out more about the work of Khmer Arts, who are not only a professional touring troupe but are also involved in outreach, research, film production and archiving to ensure the survival of this cultural icon.

Meditation & Yoga (2 days, 1 night): Experience a unique window into Buddhist meditation as practised by the monks and laymen at Cambodia’s largest Vipassana Center near Oudong, 40 kms north of Phnom Penh. We will guide you through meditation sessions as well as instruction from a recognised yoga teacher as you experience a very different side to Cambodia. After an overnight stay at the Center and a visit to the much-revered Oudong Mountain, you will return refreshed, relaxed and at peace to Phnom Penh.

Looking ahead to the new high season, let us remind you of the programme options we already have in and around Phnom Penh, that can make a visit to the capital one to remember:
   ●   Royal Palace & National Museum (half-day)
   ●   Tuol Sleng Museum and Killing Fields of Choeung Ek (half-day)
   ●   Phnom Penh Markets & Lifestyle (half-day)
   ●   See Phnom Penh by Cyclo (half-day)
   ●   Sunset Boat Cruise (evening)
   ●   Architectural tour of Phnom Penh (half-day)
   ●   Khmer Cooking Class (half-day)
   ●   Visit to Silk Island (half-day)
   ●   A visit to Sovanna Phum (evening)
   ●   Golf in Phnom Penh (half-day)
   ●   Visit to Oudong (half-day)
   ●   To Phnom Chisor, Phnom Da & Tonle Bati (full day)
   ●   To Phnom Chisor, Phnom Tamao Zoo & Tonle Bati (full-day)
   ●   Chambok or Kirirom Trip (full-day)
We are currently putting the finishing touches to a series of new programmes which we will bring you in the next month or two that will further enhance the options in and around Phnom Penh.

On the accommodation front, the FCC group have opened their stylish one-room boutique Palace View (pictured right), next to Pacharan Restaurant, with its own private terrace and unrivalled views across to the Royal Palace. Contact us for our opinion. We’ve just heard that the colonial boutique hotel, Le Relais du Chhlong, located on the banks of the Mekong River, some 35kms south of Kratie, will close for a year of renovations and upgrades from 1 September.

Laos
Two new hotels have opened that we will be looking at very soon, enhancing the options in Luang Prabang. The View Pavilion has a central location in the city, has 8 rooms and is competitively priced. http://theviewpavilion.com/home-page.htm The Zen Nam Khan Boutique Resort is a 20-minute drive outside the city on the banks of the Nam Khan River, offers 6 bungalows with a swimming pool and will attract guests interested in the Elephant Adventure Camps nearby. http://zennamkhanresort.com/

Vietnam
For those with a head for heights, the brand new Ba Na cable car system near Danang has set two new Guinness World Records. Visitors can sit back, relax and enjoy the stunning views during a single comfortable journey in the world’s longest and highest non-stop cable car. The cable-car runs from the foot of the Ba Na mountain to the peak of the neighbouring Vong Nguyet mountain about 40 km west of Danang City. The 5,042-m cable-car ride takes approximately 15 minutes to complete, reaching a vertical rise of 1291.81 m above sea level. It cost $17.2 million to develop and can transport 1,500 passengers per hour. Next month a 20 minute balloon ride over Nha Trang city and its spectacular bay should be available for visitors too.

Hotel update:
Hon Tam Eco-Green Resort on Hon Tam Island, 7 kilometres from Nha Trang has 49 eco-friendly ocean-view bungalows, restaurants, a spa, fitness center, swimming pool and its own private beach. An upcoming five-star option which will open in September is the Sheraton Nha Trang Hotel & Spa. This 30-storey hotel will be the tallest building in Nha Trang, with 284 rooms and suites, all with views of the beautiful bay.

Swiss-Belhotel Son Tra Resort is the latest 5-star option near Danang with its own private beach. 101 hotel rooms and 200 luxury villas will take it to the top of Danang’s accommodation options. CenDeluxe Hotel is the first 5-star hotel in Tuy Hoa, located in the heart of central Vietnam, just north of Nha Trang. The hotel boasts 218 guest rooms and suites, designed by a French architect. A new 4-star boutique hotel, the An Hoa Residence in Long Hai is equipped with half a dozen residential villas reflecting the colonial chic of a bygone era. It’s located 2.5 hours from Saigon and thirty minutes from Vung Tau. http://www.anhoaresidence.com/

Stop Press: As we went to press, we have just concluded a successful tour guide assimilation day in Siem Reap with Hanuman’s best guides, covering a range of topics including a guide charter, best practice, tour leading and responsible tourism guidelines. We will hold another session in Phnom Penh soon.

Amongst the faces at the guide assimiliation day are Huw Owen (back row, far left), Andy Brouwer (back row, 2nd from right), Srei Omnoth (guide manager, back row, far right) and Nick Ray (front row, far left).

April 2009:
Cambodia – Tonle Sap Lake tours
This month has seen some new developments regarding access to the floating villages of the Tonle Sap Lake near Siem Reap and these are likely to impact on guest visits for the foreseeable future. A South Korean company, Sou Ching, has been given exclusive rights to operate boat trips around Chong Kneas (the most popular village near Phnom Krom) and Kompong Pluk. New dock facilities have been under construction for some time, as well as an improved access road, and now the company has unveiled its new tariffs for boat trips. The bad news is that the prices are totally unrealistic and are higher than our current selling rates for the floating village experience. It also seems that no concern has been given to responsible or sustainable tourism practices in the awarding of an exclusive contract to a South Korean-owned business. Many of the local boat operators have been frozen out of their livelihoods and once again long-term vision is being sacrificed for short-term profit. The Cambodian Association of Travel Agents (CATA) has called for a boycott of Chong Kneas and Sou Ching’s services until this issue can be resolved and as a CATA member, we have decided to support their decision.

So what does this mean for current and future bookings?

For existing trips that have already been booked, we plan to offer three options to clients. Firstly, they can visit the floating village of Kompong Khleang at no extra cost. This is one of the larger floating villages on the Tonle Sap Lake and is located about 50km southeast of Siem Reap on a good road. This trip would take about four hours in total, so is a bit longer than a standard Chong Kneas excursion, but fewer tourists currently visit this area, making for a more authentic experience. Choosing Option 1 will mean a loss for Hanuman Tourism, but we are willing to make this switch as a gesture of goodwill to our partners. Secondly, for those wanting a shorter trip, we can offer a boat ride on the Western Baray to visit the island temple of Western Mebon. This is particularly charming in the late afternoon and only takes about two hours in total. Finally there is the option for time at leisure or some additional temple viewing if that is preferred.

When it comes to new enquiries and bookings, we will not currently accept bookings for Chong Kneas while the situation remains the same. Instead we would encourage you to book Kompong Khleang for clients that want to experience a traditional Tonle Sap community unexposed to mass tourism. We can also offer Kompong Pluk in the high water season (July to December), as we could ensure access via a combination of road and boat from Siem Reap. However, do contact our sales team for detailed itineraries and prices, as Kompong Khleang is a more expensive trip than the short journey to Chong Kneas.

Finally, we will be researching an entirely new trip early next month from Puok District to the west of Siem Reap. Here there is a network of canals connecting to the Tonle Sap Lake and the area is really beautiful, with year-round rice paddies thanks to the abundant water resources. This would be a good area to combine with Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary and nearby floating villages. We will keep you posted in a Bulletin in May that will include news of our all-new cycling programme around Siem Reap and the majestic temples of Angkor.

Soursdei Chnam Thmei - Happy New Year
The Khmer New Year (this New Year will welcome in the Year of the Cow) will soon be upon us and Hanuman Tourism would like to wish everyone a very happy and prosperous new year. We will close our offices on 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th April 2009. We will re-open again for business on Friday 17th April 2009. And of course, it is also Bun Pi Mai - the Lao New Year – at the same time, so our best wishes go also to our friends inside and outside Laos.
To contact Hanuman Tourism in an emergency, please contact one of the following:
Kulikar Sotho : Executive Director +855 12 882 682
Huw Owen : Commercial Director +855 99 718 695
Daroeurn Khuon: Sales Supervisor +855 12 357568
Andy Brouwer : Product Manager +855 17 896 525

Hotel deals exclusive to Hanuman
As the global economic crisis continues to impact on the travel industry, Hanuman has been busy trying to secure the best possible deals at leading hotels in the region. The response has been positive so far and we have some great deals to roll out for the forthcoming low season. The Raffles chain have offered a special ‘Buy 3, Pay 2’ promotion which features both Hotel Le Royal in Phnom Penh and the Grand Hotel d’Angkor in Siem Reap. Two of the grandest hotels in the region, this is a great deal, amounting to 33% off, which will run from 1st April to 30th September 2009. We have also negotiated healthy discounts with La Residence d’Angkor, another long-time favourite. Low season discounts will run from 15-25%, while next high season the rates will also be discounted by 15%. For more details on these and other discounts in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, please contact our Sales Team.

Height of luxury in Laos
The Amantaka in Luang Prabang opened its doors with a soft opening at the beginning of this month and we’ll be visiting this top-rated resort to sample its renowned opulence and style for ourselves very soon. The Aman brand has opened new resorts in China and India recently though it’s unlikely that their presence will be as eagerly awaited as it is in Laos, where high quality accommodation is so scarce. Featuring 24 individual suites with spacious interiors and exterior living areas varying in size from 70 to 120 square metres, fine dining, a spa, library, fitness center and boutique and art gallery, The Amantaka will take five-star accommodation in Luang Prabang to a new level. Please contact us for a more detailed opinion or to ask questions.

Newcomers to the hotel scene in Vietnam
New hotels in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City to some) include the smart and centrally-located Northern Hotel, a three-star mid-range property in the heart of District 1 near Me Linh Square. The rooms are very well-appointed with comfortable beds, flat-screen TVs, minibar and stylish bathrooms. Facilities include a rooftop bar and gym. Visit www.northernhotel.com.vn. There is also a new string of lower budget hotels under the brand A & Em Hotels that have been opening good value two-star properties across the city. For more on the affordable style they offer, visit www.a-emhotels.com.
Cantho has a smart new place to stay in the shape of the Kim Tho Hotel. Close to the waterfront, this hotel is located near the ageing Golf 3 Hotel and offers a wide range of smart boutique-style rooms. All rooms include stylish bathroom fittings and for less than US$50 per night it is possible to have a riverview. Please contact us for a more detailed opinion or to ask questions.

Stylish boutique offering at Sojourn Villas in Siem Reap
Tucked away behind the Wat Athvea pagoda and temple, the 10-room boutique-style Sojourn Villas offer an intimate and relaxed environment away from the hustle and bustle of the town centre. All rooms have pool views with the Apsara and Temple Villa suites enjoying separate shower facilities and large bathtubs. With free wi-fi, a salt-water pool and massage facilities, Sojourn also offers guests a Western and Asian-mix restaurant and a performance theatre on-site. More at www.sojournsiemreap.com. Please contact us for a more detailed opinion or to ask questions.

Preah Vihear & Tonle Sap alert
The improving détente between Cambodia and Thailand over the disputed World Heritage site of Preah Vihear was literally blown apart by fighting between the two countries on 3 April. For the time being the temple remains a virtual war-zone though both sides are back at the diplomatic table this week trying to establish common ground over access to the site. We’ll keep you informed as to progress. Meanwhile, there are some concerns over access to the Tonle Sap Lake at Chong Kneas and we are keeping a close eye on developments there too. Whatever happens we will do our utmost to ensure clients have the opportunity to glimpse life on the lake at the two sister villages of Kompong Pluk and Kompong Khleang. Please contact us for a more detailed opinion or to ask questions.

March 2009:
Flexible access to the Angkor temples
A welcome degree of flexibility for travellers visiting the majestic Angkor temples has just been sanctioned by the Angkor authorities that will allow for a more relaxed approach to seeing the temples. Whilst there’s no change to the daily visitor ticket (costing USD20), the USD40 tickets for 3 consecutive days can now be used to visit the temple complex up to 3 non-consecutive times in a 1-week period. This will allow more alternatives to be considered such as excursions to the Tonle Sap Lake and help to avoid temple exhaustion, particularly for older clients. The USD60 week-long tickets can now be used to gain access to the temples for 7 days but spread out over the period of 1 month, again more welcome flexibility. Please contact us for a more detailed opinion or to ask questions.