Kao Rao Cave in Luang Namtha Province officially opened for tourists on 1 January 2012, though the cavern has been in a pre-opening phase for several years while being developed.
Situated 12 km from Vieng Phoukha Town in Ban Nam Eng, Kao Rao is one of the longest unmapped labyrinths in northeastern Laos, and is easily accessible from Lao Route 3 on the "Tea Caravan Trail" being developed by the ADB's Sustainable Tourism Development Project-Laos.
Local tourism officials believe the cave will attract international travelers interested in nature trails, mainly Europeans who stay in the country for two weeks or more.
The cave pioneer, Sriwang Kaewmanee, told TTR Weekly that he discovered the cave in 2001, and asked the Lao government to support efforts to introduce it to tourists.
"I spent considerable cash from my own pocket, but the Lao government supported my efforts with USD100,000 to put in infrastructure and electricity," he said.
Mr Sriwang said around 1,500 international visitors visited the cave so far this year, mainly Germans, Thais, and Chinese.
"The cave earns revenue for the district and helps the local economy," he added.
The admission fee for Thais and international visitors is Bt40 or 10,000 kip, and is shared:
20 per cent for Nam Eng villagers, 30 per cent for Vieng Phoukha Provincial Tourism Department, and 50 per cent for the national government, according to TTR Weekly.
For more information, visit:
www.luangnamtha-tourism.org.
To download the guidebook, "The Tea Caravan: 10 Highlights in the Northwest Mountains", click here.
To post your comments or start a discussion, visit the:
Ecotourism Laos Google Group.
Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) partnered with the Chiang Rai Bike Association to embark on an eco-bike tour on 25 February, to explore the highlights along Laos' "Tea Caravan Trail" that follows Route 3 connecting Chiang Rai Province with Yunnan Province in China.
Cyclists and accompanying media first toured Chiang Saen in Thailand's Chiang Rai Province before heading off to Laos, TTR Weekly reported.
TAT's product promotion department said it was testing what it called "Eco Bike Tours" aimed at cycle enthusiasts.
This survey covered Chiang Saen to China's Jinghong by crossing the Mekong River at Chiang Khong in Chiang Rai Province to Houei Xai in Laos' Bokeo Province and following Laos' "Tea Caravan Trail" along Lao Route 3.
"This is an expanding market today and we want to show it is possible to organize cycle holidays all the way from Thailand to China," a TAT spokesperson told TTR Weekly. "It will also build awareness for quality tourism and encourage visitors to look at a mode of transport that is environmentally friendly."
For more information, visit:
www.luangnamtha-tourism.org.
To download the guidebook, "The Tea Caravan: 10 Highlights in the Northwest Mountains", click here.
To post your comments or start a discussion, visit the:
Ecotourism Laos Google Group.
The Luang Namtha Provincial Tourism Department has started to promote seven of the "Tea Caravan Trail's" highlights on its website www.luangnamtha-tourism.org, and offers booking contacts for tours to the sites.
The new "Along the Tea Caravan Trail" page provides a list of the tours with short descriptions and links to itineraries. Below is the list of tours being offered:
• Homestay in Ban Nam Dee
• Homestay in Ban Vieng Neua
• One-day Cycling Tour through Luang Namtha Town Valley
• One-and-a-Half Day Cycling and Trekking Program through Luang Namtha Town Valley
• 2-Day Biking in Luang Namtha
• Homestay in Ban Chaleunsouk
• Sacred Bor Kung Forest Camp
For more information, visit:
www.luangnamtha-tourism.org.
To download the guidebook, "The Tea Caravan: 10 Highlights in the Northwest Mountains", click here.
To post your comments or start a discussion, visit the:
Ecotourism Laos Google Group.
JICA-ASEAN has announced its LPP Tourism Promotion Component is developing two new community-based tourism attractions in Khammouane Province near the provincial capital, Thakhaek.
The fist new site is a limestone hilltop viewpoint adjacent to the Elephant Cave some 5 km east of Thakhaek. A foot path leading to the summit now has bamboo handrails and wooden steps constructed by villagers.
A moderate trek reaches the first viewpoint, where visitors can look pver the green rice paddies, tiny village huts, small streams, and steep limestone mountains in the surrounding landscape. From here, the trail gets a little bit more difficult, and it is strongly recommended to take the 40-minute climb with a village guide and no baggage. From the peak, visitors can see the Mekong River and That Phanom Stupa in Thailand.
The second activity is boating at Turtle Lake (Nong Tao) adjacent to Buddha Cave about 13 km from east Thakhaek. The lake is surrounded by mountains and forests, and the water is very calm and clear. Villagers built three boats equipped with life jackets for visitors, and skilled local boat captains operate the vessels. Tourists can fish, swim, and picnic.
According to the LPP Tourism Promotion Component, since both attractions are located near town, tourists will stay longer in Thakhaek Town.
To download a Khammouane Province
guidebook, click here.
To post your comments or start a discussion, visit the:
Ecotourism Laos Google Group.
Visitors to Laos will soon be greeted by triangle-shaped pillar presentations when they enter the country at 12 major entry points, including 4 international airports. The pillars will also be installed at an additional nine points including international bus stations and train stations.
The presentation aims to welcome tourists at the start of their journey, and persuade them to stay longer, visit more places, and see more of the country.
There are five different thematic pillars: "Culture and Heritage", "Nature and Trekking", "The Mekong", "Traditional Life" and a Visit Laos Year welcome message from Lao people. This pillar also contains a tourist map of the country and directions to the nearest tourist information center.
The pillars' text is written in three languages: Lao, English, and French. The triangles also display various pictures for visitors to enjoy while waiting for transportation to continue their journey.
To post your comments or start a discussion, visit the:
Ecotourism Laos Google Group.
Pha Tad Ke Botanical Garden, currently being built just outside Luang Prabang will open to the general public in three years, but has already started publishing books, formed the Friends of Pha Tad Ke Association, and raised USD25,000 for their Tree Planting Action project.
Pha Tad Ke Botanical Garden's February 2012 newsletter announced the publication of its first books including "Fleurs de La Dévotion" by Biba Vilayleck and Baj Strobel, written in French, as well as their first children books, published with support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.
Pha Tad Ke Botanical Garden's three children books written in Lao and aimed at youths from six-to-12 years of age include "Trees of Laos" by Dr. Boukhaykhone Svengsuksa, :Plants of the Forest" by Khamfa Chanthavongsa, and Flowers and "Symbols of Buddhism in Laos" by Manichanh Sayavong. Pha Tad Ke staff created all illustrations.
The Tree Planting Action project, launched in December 2011, has raised over USD25,000, while the Friends of Pha Tad Ke Botanical Garden, established in January 2010 in France followed in July 2011 in the Netherlands and September 2011 in Laos, helps Pha Tad Ke Botanical Garden with scientific support, fund raising, and educational projects.
For more information on Pha Tad Ke Botanical Garden, visit: www.pha-tad-ke.com.
For more information on the Friends of Pha Tad Ke Association, visit: www.friends-pha-tad-ke.com.
For more information on ordering the books,
email: [email protected]
To view the latest Pha Tad Ke Botanical
Garden, click here.
To post your comments or start a discussion, visit the:
Ecotourism Laos Google Group.
Laos plans to set up more tourist stops along Route 9 – The Savannakhet Historic Trail – linking Thailand to Vietnam, in an effort to boost revenues for Savannakhet Province according to a Deutsche Presse-Agentur report.
The Vientiane Times stated that since the 2006 opening of the bridge over the Mekong River connecting Thailand's Mukdahan Province, Savannakhet, and Route 9 to Quang Tri Province in central Vietnam, lofted tourist arrivals to the southern Lao province past 1 million last year.
However, most tourists to Savannakhet are "day trippers" who only stop to eat or drink, Savannakhet Provincial Tourism Department Deputy Director Bountheung Xayavong told the press.
In an effort to persuade tourists to stay longer and spend more in Savannakhet, provincial authorities are promoting new attractions, including the remains of a bombed out colonial-era French bank and tours of the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
Villagers are also being encouraged to set up homestay accommodation and provide workshops on traditional weaving and how to make lao lao alcohol.
The province recently received USD370,000 dollars from the Asian Development Bank to develop a strategic plan, improve basic infrastructure and accommodation facilities, and exploit its ecotourism potential.
To download the Savannakhet Historic Trail
guidebook, click here.
To post your comments or start a discussion, visit the:
Ecotourism Laos Google Group.
Luang Namtha Province officials said tourism development along Lao Route 3 connecting China and Thailand has helped generate more income for residents and improve the province's economy since it opened in 2008, TTR Weekly reported.
Luang Namtha Provincial Tourism Department Director Phonesavath Kamonthong told the press the Lao government's policy to work with neighbors to build the economy would ultimately benefit tourism. However, the challenge is to ensure that Laos earns revenue from overland tourism rather than becoming just a transport corridor between China and Thailand.
"(The) highway will help the province to embark on sustainable tourism through improved transport links," he said.
"As the route passes through Luang Namtha it can only boost tourist arrivals and circulate more income to the province as well as support economic and trade benefits."
Lao Route R3 is the so-called "Tea Caravan Trail" linking Thailand with Laos and Yunnan province, Southern China.
The route should become more popular when the 4thThai-Laos Friendship Bridge is completed next year, although all three countries will need to work on ways to improve and encourage travel by speeding up procedures at the borders and easing regulations for self-drive cars and tour buses, TTR Weekly said.
To download the guidebook, "The Tea Caravan: 10 Highlights in the Northwest Mountains", click here.
To post your comments or start a discussion, visit the:
Ecotourism Laos Google Group.
Lanith will take home one of just four PATA Grand Awards from a 21-April ceremony at the PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association) Annual Conference in Kuala Lumpur.
Lanith (Lao National Institute of Tourism and Hospitality) took the Education and Training Grand Award for its "Passport to Success" skills-training program launched in 2011.
Long-time supporter and sponsor of the awards Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) Director Joao Manuel Costa Antunes spoke for the MGTO, saying, "Our applause goes to all the winners for their remarkable achievements."
For more information, visit: www.Lanith.com, www.pata.org.
To post your comments or start a discussion, visit the:
Ecotourism Laos Google Group.
Lao Airlines will open a new route in mid-April from Pakxe and Savannakhet in southern Laos to Danang in Vietnam.
Vietnam press reported that Danang's Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism and Lao Airlines have agreed on rights for the airline to start the Pakxe - Savannakhet - Danang service in mid-April in time for the traditional Lao New Year celebrations.
The route will operate on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, using a 65-seat ATR72 aircraft, TTR Weekly reported.
The flight will depart Pakxe at 09:00, stop in Savannakhet, and then take off to Danang, arriving at 11:40. The flight returns at 14:10 and lands in Pakxe at around 17:00.
Lao Airlines told the press that passengers would mainly be Vietnamese living in and around Savannakhet. There is an estimated 7,000 Vietnamese living in the area, according to TTR Weekly.
For more information, visit: www.laoairlines.com.
For tourist information on Savannakhet, click here.
To post your comments or start a discussion, visit the:
Ecotourism Laos Google Group.
A mobile Thai cabinet meeting in Udon Thani, Thailand on 22 February, proposed to build a fifth Mekong bridge linking central Laos' Bholikhamxay Province at Pakxan with Thailand's northeastern Bung Kan Province.
The suggestion to build the 1.5-km, 1.5-billion-baht bridge came from Bung Kan businesses, which said the bridge could help boost tourism and trade between the two provinces, the Bangkok Post reported.
To post your comments or start a discussion, visit the:
Ecotourism Laos Google Group.
Lao people across the country are gearing up for Pii Mai (Lao New Year) head from 13-15 April, though many locals stretch the holiday into a week. During the celebration, Lao people go to temples to cleanse Buddha images with sacred water and make offerings of fruit and flowers. On the fun side, people take to the streets and splash water on one another, while parties pop up everywhere. A special festival is planned for Luang Prabang in 2012 for Visit Laos Year 2012.
For more information, visit: www.tourismlaos.org.
To post your comments or start a discussion, visit the:
Ecotourism Laos Google Group.
