| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 22/05/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 38 |
| Copyright: Other |
Undiscovered region offers food for thought
Unique cultures and stunning scenery give tourists wide range of holiday options
10 reasons to explore Indochina: by Linsey McNeill
The Indochina region is attracting growing interest from the UK although many tourists – and agents – remain unsure of what it has to offer. Here we take a look at its many attractions which include a rich cultural heritage, fantastic deserted beaches, great cuisine, as well as plenty of opportunities for adventure and activity-based holidays.1. culture
With traditions dating back several thousand years, Cambodia and Vietnam both offer visitors a rich cultural experience. In neighbouring Laos, the roads in the cities are still unpaved, the women wear traditional sarongs and bicycles are the most common form of transport. In rural areas, western faces still cause a stir.
Thomas Cook Holidays has a five-night Landscapes of Laos tour, which combines the two main cities of Vientiane and Luang Prabang. It costs £515 from Bangkok.
2. COLONIAL CITIES
The French have left their stamp on Cambodia and Vietnam, where the capital cities have retained a certain colonial charm.
In particular, Hanoi, the northern capital of Vietnam and Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, have some distinctive public buildings and private villas.
Travel 2 has an 18-day Indochina Explorer that includes Phnom Penh and Hanoi and other key attractions in Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos, from £1,499 excluding international flights.
3. adventure
Much of Indochina remains unexplored, making this an ideal destination for the traveller who wants to get off-the-beaten track.
However, visitors are advised not to stray too far from the main tourist spots in Cambodia for safety reasons.
In Vietnam, two of the best areas to explore are the hills in the north, where visitors can trek among ancient villages and along the coast.
Silverbird has a five-day soft-adventure itinerary that includes some trekking in the north, a motorbike trip around Cat Ba Island and a cruise around Halong Bay. It costs £225 excluding flights.
4. TEMPLES
Indochina has an endless array of temples. The most spectacular is Angkor Wat in Cambodia, which is widely regarded as one of the most brilliant achievements of the Khmer civilisation.
It is now considered safe to visit the Angkor temple complex and several tour operators offer excursions to the site, either as part of tours of Indochina or as extensions to holidays in Thailand or Vietnam.
Bales includes a visit to Angkor Wat in its 15-day Travels in Indo-China tour, which costs from £2,299.
5. SCENERY
From the spectacular limestone outcrops at Halong Bay in northern Vietnam to the remote hillside city of Luang Prabang in northern Laos, Indochina has some of the most impressive scenery in Asia.
The Imaginative Traveller has a 15-day Bangkok to Hanoi overland trip which covers some of the best sights the region has to offer, including Luang Prabang, the mountains between Lao and Vietnam, and Hanoi, which is considered one of the most beautiful capitals in Asia. It costs £675 excluding flights.
6. beaches
Vietnam has some fantastic beaches on the South China Sea and is developing some quality coastal resorts. China Beach near Danang boasts one of Asia’s best resorts, the Furama. Others featured by UK operators include the Ana Mandara on Nha Trang Beach, the Victoria Resort and the Coco Beach hotel.
Kuoni offers three nights at the Ana Mandara as an extension to its eight-night Vietnamese Discovery tour. The 11-night holiday leads in at £1,449.
7. cycling tours
In Vietnam, do as the locals do and explore the country by bike.
This is one of the best ways to get out of the cities and into the countryside, where tourists can really mingle with the locals.
Travel 2 has an 18-day Cycling Vietnam tour which travels from Hanoi to the Mekong Delta via the Perfume River, salt farms, rice paddies, fishing villages and seaside resorts. It costs from £969 excluding international flights.
8. WAR RELICS
Every country has a story to tell but few strike terror or cause more intrigue than the Vietnam war.
One of the highlights of a trip to Vietnam for those interested in the war is a visit to the Chu Chi Tunnels – a 78-mile long underground village where the Vietcong lived. The tunnels are offered as a half-day excursion from Ho Chi Minh City by a number of UK operators.
Tradewinds has a 10-night Reflections of War tour that takes in several key sites from the war, which costs from £1,609.
9. CUISINE
Cuisine from Indochina has yet to become popular in the UK but the region does boast many culinary delights. Seafood in Vietnam is especially good. The best dishes are found in coastal resorts such as Nha Trang.
Travel 2 pays particular attention to the country’s cuisine in its seven-day Taste of Vietnam tour, which includes meals at some of the best restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, plus a cookery lesson. It costs from £629 excluding international flights.
10. CRUISING
A cruise along the Mekong river offers total escapism. No vast cruise ships ply the waters but there are a number of small commercial vessels among the many local fishing boats.
Magic of the Orient has a three-day trip from Chiang Rai in Northern Thailand to Luang Prabang in Laos, which includes two-days cruising along the Mekong with accommodation on route in a traditional Lao lodge. The three-day trip costs £199 per person.