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Senior Officials Tell Tourism Police to Remove Travel Barriers
Deputy Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Ounthuang Khaophanh said immediate action is needed to remove rules that require tour operators to seek official approval before bringing tourists to Laos. Mr Ounthuang cited the tourism police as the state sector imposing these rules, and told a meeting of senior officials last week that the government had already repealed similar laws, according to the Vientiane Times. Tourism police currently require tour operators to declare the number of tourists and seek approval from police before taking them to attractions or pay additional fees. “The issue is a barrier impeding efforts to impressively facilitate tourists,” Mr Ounthuang told the meeting, which was reviewing the implementation of the Visit Lao Year 2018 campaign through the first six months of the year. He said the current law may have loopholes for some officials to set up checkpoints at borders between provinces or at the tourism sites. Director General of the Tourism Marketing Department, Soun Manivong, said the rules are out of date and a hindrance. “There is no country in the region and no other ASEAN member county that imposes such rules,” Mr Soun told the Vientiane Times. Tour operators have complained they cannot seek permission for last-minute weekend package tours are booked, as most police offices are closed, Mr Soun said, adding these rules are unnecessary since tourists already have visas. Mr Ounthuang called on authorities to simplify procedures to speed up document processing at border checkpoints, noting foreign tourists complain about time-consuming multiple steps. Visitors also complain about expensive entrance fees at various tourist sites, high living costs, lack of direct flights, untidy tourist sites with plastic bags scattered all over, and impolite drivers. Mr Ounthuang stressed the private and state sectors need to work together to attract more foreign tourists to Laos by diversifying tourism activities and related products. He asked the meeting, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, who is also Chairman of the National Committee for the Visit Laos Year 2018, to address these issues. Source: Vientiane Times, by Souksakhone Vaenkeo
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Helicopter Tourism Steps Ahead in Laos
Summit Tours and Green Discovery announced on 16 July, they have formed a joint venture to provide helicopter tourism to Laos under the brand, Summit Discovery. As Laos’ only helicopter tour company, Summit Discovery delivers a unique way to see the country, with exceptional helicopter experiences on its short flights and day tours. Summit Discovery has created an array of helicopter tours from city sightseeing to more leisurely, pampered day trips, and aims to provide discriminating travellers with exceptional experiences in rarely-explored Laos. Summit Discovery helicopter tours allow visitors to explore remote unforgettable locations, with exclusive access to some of the most dramatic sites in Laos. First class arrangements include gourmet meals prepared by the best chefs in Laos, and tours conducted by professional, experienced pilots and guides. For more information, email: info@summitdiscoverylaos.com
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Don Daeng Days on the Mekong
Don Daeng kicks off Southern Laos’ 4,000 Islands excursion on the Mekong, and it’s just a 40-minute van or taxi ride from the Pakse International Airport in Champasak. The sizeable, auto-free Don Daeng (Red Island) presents a genuine local experience. Visitors can follow cycling routes to meet villagers, who can take them fishing, offer an overnight homestay and teach them to cook traditional, fresh island food. La Folie Lodge arranges all these activities, while offering upscale wooden bungalows and a two-bedroom villa, Mekong Riverside swimming pool, gardens, restaurant, and bar. The lodge also provides maps of Don Daeng highlighting three cycling circuits, though its bicycles are reserved for the lodge’s guests. Those staying across the Mekong in Champasak Town can easily rent cycles and bring them by ferry to the island. According to Sylvain Beaupoil, Managing Director of La Folie Lodge, “The most popular track is the red track that goes around half of the island, and runs by several fishing villages along the river, and ancient temple ruins that are part of the Vat Phou UNESCO World Heritage site, in a very diverse landscape of rice fields, forest, and beach.” La Folie Lodge can also arrange a “Fishing with the Locals” tour. “This activity takes place in the middle of the Mekong, usually in the morning or evening,” Mr Beaupoil said. “You can embark with a local fisherman, who demonstrates the technique to use a net, before letting you try. If you are lucky enough to catch a fish, the resort will prepare it for you.” “The Foody Experience,” also arranged by the lodge for its guests, stars Mr Phou Mee, regarded as the village’s best cook. “He will demonstrate how to cook traditional local food with fresh ingredients from the island, such as fish, vegetables, and rice,” Mr Beaupoil explained. “The participants are encouraged to cook with Mr Mee, before enjoying their lunch or dinner.” Overnight homestays are available in Ban Hua Don Daeng, and can be arranged by the Chief of the village or La Folie. The lodge also organizes boat tours and sunset cruises. Don Daeng and La Folie Lodge further present an alternative hub for exploring Champasak Province. The island sits across from Route 18 that climbs the Bolaven Plateau to its waterfalls, coffee plantation tours, and zip-line adventures. Further down the Mekong, travellers can explore more of the 4,000 Islands, such as taking a lap of the old French colonial centre of Don Khong, exploring the French railway and infrastructure on Don Khone and Don Det, andviewing the Khone Phapheng Waterfall near the Cambodian Border. To reach Don Daeng, visitors staying at La Folie Lodge can transfer by van from the Pakse Airport for a fee. Those in Pakse accommdation can find a transportation at hotels, which head south on Route 13 for the short ride to Ban Muang and the ferry across the Mekong to the island. La Folie Lodge offers 27 comfortable and luxuriously decorated bedrooms furnished with local materials, and have Mekong and garden view balconies. The pool presents a view of the River and the Vat Phou mountains. The poolside restaurant delivers continental cuisine and Asian specialties, and cocktail aficionados will not be disappointed by the chief barman’s specials. Visit La Folie.
