VIETNAM

Hotel Additions & News The 5-star Romana Resort has recently opened in a four-hectare valley in Mui Ne. Its 108 rooms, bungalows and suites offer deluxe amenities and sea views. Private bungalows are equipped with their own swimming pools. Facilities include an outdoor swimming pool, a miniature golf course, tennis courts, a gymnasium, a business centre, restaurants and bars, and water sports activities. In 2008, Halong City will see the opening of a 5-star hotel complex on Bai Chay Beach. Estimated to cost over 51 million USD, the hotel will house 707 deluxe guest rooms and facilities. The Saigon-Con Dao Resort, which currently houses 42 guest rooms, is constructing an additional six rooms, to be ready by February 2007. The La Veranda Resort in Phu Quoc became an Accor branded hotel in July and will hence be known as Grand Mercure La Veranda Resort. The resort, the first luxury boutique beach resort and spa in Phu Quoc, is scheduled to soft open on 29th August. Two local Vietnamese companies are planning to invest 900 million USD to develop the Seadragon Hill Resort in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2007 and will take five years to build a number of 5-star hotels and villas, shopping and entertainment centres, restaurants, a casino, and other facilities.   Highlighting incentives: An evening at the Hanoi Opera House In the heart of the colonial district is the Hanoi Opera House, a near replica of the Garnier Opera House in Paris and regarded as the masterpiece of French Indochina architecture. Inaugurated in 1911, it was the art centre of Indochina before it became a theatre of political and revolutionary events. After many years of neglect, the Opera House was restored and reopened for performances in 1997. It is within this prestigious framework that we invite you to an evening of exclusive entertainment and dining. A fleet of trishaws will lead you from your hotel to the foot of the steps of the opera, where hostesses dressed in Vietnamese tunics will guide guests towards the grand ballroom, which can offer up to 900 seats. The evening begins in the ballroom with a presentation that familiarizes the audience with Vietnamese folklore, dance and music. This is followed by cocktails served in the performance room of the opera, where models of Elite Vietnam show off their ao dai dresses on the winding ornate stairways that act as the stage. The evening continues with a candlelit dinner set in a room of gilded mirrors that looks onto a simple broad balcony, a place where history was made during the August Revolution in 1945. The Hanoi Opera House can accommodate up to 120 guests for a private gala dinner.

CAMBODIA

"Stay another day" in Siem Reap Cambodia’s Mekong Private Sector Development Facility (MPDF) is working to promote Siem Reap’s products, services and culture in addition to the temples of Angkor Wat. Tourists to Siem Reap stay an average of two days, usually to visit the temples and without considering the town’s other treasures. The programme will introduce visitors to different activities available, including Khmer traditional shadow opera with the Cambodian Living Arts Company, trekking to Prek Toal for birdwatching, trying out Khmer cuisines, visiting the landmine museum, learning about Cambodian handicrafts at Artisans d’Angkor, and visiting various non-governmental organisations such as Handicap International.

LAOS

Lao Airlines adds flights On 4th October Lao Airlines will reinstate two routes; three weekly flights between Luang Prabang and Bangkok and two weekly flights between Phnom Penh and Vientiane, with a stopover in Pakse. Two new routes will also be introduced, including twice weekly Luang Prabang and Hanoi services available on 29th October, and on 30th October three times weekly flights between Luang Prabang and Siem Reap, which stops in Pakse.   Laos receives over one million tourists in 2005 In 2004, Laos welcomed almost 900,000 international and regional tourists, most of whom are coming from Thailand, China, Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam. In 2005, the number jumped to over one million, and is expected to be two million by 2010.

MYANMAR

Hotels update The Grand Plaza Parkroyal Yangon, in order to reflect recent renovations, has changed its name to Parkroyal Yangon. During the rainy season from mid-May to mid-September every year, the Myanmar Andaman Resort will close down. Inle Lake View Resort added two new villa suites to its existing 20 deluxe rooms and 16 junior suites. The Inle Resort is adding 12 more villas, which will be ready by early November. This will bring the total number of rooms to 12 duplex rooms and 30 villas.   Air news Air Bagan has been given permission to begin flying to Thailand and China at the end of the year. The airline will offer regional services between Yangon and Bangkok in October and between Yangon and Kunming in November. Starting 30th October, three weekly flights to and from Bangkok and Yangon will be available from Thai Airways International three days a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. In August, Thai Air Asia will launch one daily flight from Yangon to Bangkok.   Restaurant information The Lake View Restaurant has opened on the banks of Kandawgyi Lake in Mandalay. 200 guests can be accommodated in the main rooms of the two-storey building and the garden can seat over 100 people for buffets. Five additional private bungalows can host five guests each. The Ayeyarwady Scene Restaurant in Mandalay has been renamed Myanandar Restaurant (Mandalay).

THAILAND

Hotel extras The Arun Residence is an intimate Sino-Portuguese style boutique hotel that has recently opened its doors on the bank’s of the Chao Phraya River. With only five rooms, it joins a small but interesting group of privately owned and run boutique hotels offering personalized services. Other notable boutique hotels in Bangkok include Ibrik Resort by the River (three rooms), The Old Bangkok Inn (eight rooms), Ibrik Resort in the City (three rooms), and The Eugenia (12 rooms). The Holiday Inn Resort Regent Beach Cha-Am has been re-branded as the Regent Cha-Am Beach Resort & Spa and will be refurbished and upgraded in the next two years. In late 2006 and 2007, Accor will open three properties in Thailand, including the 260-room All Season Pattaya, the Novotel Chumphon Beach Resort & Golf with 180 rooms, and the Grand Mercure Suites in Bangkok with 165 rooms.   Flights take off Starting 31st October, Thai International Airways will being offering three weekly flights between Bangkok and Johannesburg on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. In August Bangkok-Phuket and Bangkok-Chiang Mai flights will be increased to five and six times daily, respectively. From August, the low cost carrier Thai Air Asia will be increasing its four times daily services from Bangkok to Phuket to five times daily. Its three and a half flights daily from Bangkok to Chiang Mai will be increased to six flights daily. Government officials in Thailand have announced their plans to open the Suvarnabhumi International Airport for commercial operations on 28th September. Traffic at the current Bangkok International Airport will be restricted to private jets and chartered flights.   Luxurious trains Experience a panoramic view of the mystical landscapes of Thailand aboard the majesty and splendour of the luxurious Eastern & Oriental Express. With its elegant compartments, delicious cuisine and superb service, combined with the adventure of a journey through the heart of Asia, a truly unique way to experience the full wonder of this remarkable region. The three-day, two-night 'Thai Explorer' departs from Bangkok and visits Ayutthaya, Chiang Mai and the infamous River Kwai before looping back to the City of Angels.