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  “The soft release of elephants into the wild is a scientific experiment, and the first in Laos. I can’t wait to see what happens,” said Sebastien “Seb”  Duffillot, co-founder of the Elephant Conservation Centre (ECC) “It took a year to get to this point.” That day happened on 5 March, when the ECC team … Read more

  The UN’s special rapporteur for extreme poverty and human rights, Philip Alston, visited Laos in March and got an earful. “A number of people complained to me that many of the events organised by the UN in Vientiane were very carefully orchestrated…are not designed to give a platform for diverse voices,” he said. “Rather … Read more

  Luang Prabang is attracting increasing numbers of Chinese tourists, and this surge in popularity is creating communication challenges for hotel and restaurant owners when large groups arrive. The ongoing Visit Laos-China Year campaign is expected to deliver higher numbers to Luang Prabang and other northern provinces. The city is currently riding a wave of … Read more

  Max Mara Fashion Group, a multi-billion dollar Italian couture fashion house plagiarised traditional designs of the Oma ethnic minority group in their Spring/Summer 2019 collection. The patterns appeared in dresses, skirts and blouses presented in the collection’s “Max Mara Weekend” resort line. The Oma, a small ethnic community living in the hills of Phongsaly … Read more

  Ock Pop Tok’s Ms Veo spoke about role of using cultural heritage as a means of economic development in local communities at “Heritage Protection: The Asian Experience” held by the Siam Society in Bangkok. The conference brought attention to the importance of safeguarding the heritage of ethnic minorities, and creating opportunities for communities to … Read more

  About 10 years ago, National Geographic led an expedition to little known, 7-km Xebangfai River Cave in eastern Khammouane Province’s “Hinterland” near Vietnam. Word slipped out about this find, and recently, intrepid travellers began making their way to boat, kayak, and hike through the far flung tunnel. “In early March 2019, I made my … Read more

  Asian Trails has announced the appointment of Ms Laetitia Law-Lai, a French national, as their new Laos General Manager starting 8 April 2019. Laetitia will replace Ms Virginie Kury who will move to Phnom Penh to head Asian Trails Cambodia as General Manager. Laetitia joined Asian Trails in 2017 as MICE Manager for Asian … Read more

  “We need to eliminate the idea that Pakbeng is just an overnight stop on a Mekong cruise. This is not true. There is plenty to see and do. This is what guests are asking for,” said Ket Thipphachanh, Le Grand Pakbeng Resort owner and Visit Asia Travel Managing Director. Mekong River tourism began turning … Read more

  A dedicated group of World Expeditions travellers helped raise $17,000 AUD for more than 500 rescued bears who live at Free the Bears sanctuaries in Vietnam and Laos. As part of our February 2019 charity challenge, the 17 volunteers spent a week at bear sanctuaries in Vietnam and Laos working with staff on a … Read more

  Bespoke marketing platform, twisht, presented AVANI+ Luang Prabang with a 2018 Global Experience Award for achieving a guest satisfaction rating above 80%. twisht connects global Millennial travellers directly with hospitality providers, by focusing on the unique guest experience.    They do this by offering an integrated combination of social media exposure, business profiling, direct links, … Read more