LAOS: Enjoying The Cruise On The River Mekong

Escape city life and appreciate the beauty of nature by signing up for the next Mekong River Cruise from Vientiane to Luang Prabang that will take place from June 26 to 30.

The five days on board the boutique river vessel Mekong Sun include all meals and a tour programme, coffee, tea and water, all excursions and necessary entry fees, presentations and lectures by a cruise director and transfers from Vientiane to Luang Prabang or your hotel in town.

The two-deck boutique ship started operations in 2006 and offers 10 classic cabins facing out to the water, with wide sliding windows and French balconies for a spectacular view of the passing landscape.

Each cabin provides en-suite shower, bathroom and air conditioning as well as a large sundeck with bar service and a restaurant and bar.

You will board the Mekong Sun in the afternoon and indulge in the spectacular vista of the river.

The night is spent on a beautiful sandbank, surrounded by nature.

Travellers can enjoy the spacious decks, lounge on board and attend a welcome reception and dinner featuring a selection of Asian and European food.

Upstream the ship will stop at the small riverside community of Pak Lai, known for once possessing many colonial buildings.

The natural landscape is only broken by the occasional glimpse of small villages and local herds of cattle.

During and after breakfast on board, you can enjoy the beautiful view and watch local fishermen along the shore.

Travellers will also see an old Mekong ferry – and the new bridge – that connects Luang Prabang Province with neighbouring Sayaboury.

On the last day, a shore excursion takes passengers to the Kuang Si-waterfalls, some of the most attractive cascades in Laos.

In the afternoon, the Mekong Sun ties up at its berth in Luang Prabang, the former royal capital of Laos, now a Unesco World Heritage Site.

The cruise package starts at US$995 (Bt35,000).

CAMBODIA: Laos And Cambodia Sign Aviation Cooperation Agreement

Laos and Cambodia on Monday signed a document agreeing on the need to increase flights between them to meet the growing demand for air transport.

The head of the air transport division in the Department of Civil Aviation, Viengsay Singkham, yesterday said the minute of a meeting between aviation officials from the two countries was signed in Cambodia following the meeting.

The document aims to amend the Aviation Cooperation Agreement between Laos and Cambodia to help regional airlines increase flights between both countries in a bid to promote tourism and economic development.

Officials from both sides will submit the outcomes of the meeting to their higher authorities and proceed with the next steps to amend the agreement.

The director for Air Transport at Cambodia’s State Secretariat of Civil Aviation, Vann Chanty, said that the move will push airlines in both countries to operate more flights between Cambodia and Laos due to increasing demand from tourists.

“We need to update the agreement to comply with reality and the demands of the market,” Chanty was quoted as saying.

There are three airlines offering flights between Laos and Cambodia: Cambodia Angkor Air, Lao Airlines and Vietnam Airlines; they operate 21 flights a week.

Chanty said the passenger load between the two countries increased by 5 per cent last year to 178,000 and he believed the figure would hit 200,000 in the next two years.

Director-general of the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation, Keo Sivorn, said the new agreement would make it easier for airlines to have direct flights between Cambodia and Laos and would open up new routes, such as from Phnom Penh and Preah Sihanouk to Vientiane or Luang Prabang.

Lao and Cambodian officials say that increasing transport connectivity will boost tourism growth in both countries .

CHINA: Hainan Airlines, SilkAir, Who’s Flying Where?

Hainan Airlines adds double Laos link
Where? Haikou (China) to Vientiane and Luang Prabang (Laos)
When? Three times a week (twice to Vientiane, once to Luang Prabang), effective immediately
Who? Hainan Airlines
Why? Rising Chinese tourism and investment in Laos
Anything else? These are the first direct links between Laos and Hainan, China’s island province

Across the Sea of Japan
Where? Vladivostok (Russia) to Osaka Kansai (Japan)
When? Twice a week (reduced to once a week in May-June)
Who? S7 Airlines
Why? Reflects improved relations between Russia and Japan
Anything else? Vladivostok is only 1,020km from Osaka, but 9,100km from Moscow

SilkAir to make debut in Sri Lanka
Where? Singapore to Colombo (Sri Lanka)
When? Three times a week from April 2017
Who? SilkAir
Why? Subsidiary continues to take over more of Singapore Airlines’ regional services
Anything else? SIA will continue to operate daily flights on the route

Russian city gets international link
Where? Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, pictured (Russia) to Tokyo Narita (Japan)
When? Twice a week in summer 2017
Who? Yakutia Airlines
Why? Long-awaited international connection for city located north of Japan
Anything else? Located on the remote Kamchatka Peninsula, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky has no road links to the rest of the world