TRAVEL TITBITS
KARNJANA KARNJANATAWE
Khlong Rua, a remote village in Chumphon Province, is one of the 22 recipients of the Pacific Asia Travel Association's Gold Awards 2008. This award from Pata is the second major one for the village which two years ago was cited by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) as the best eco-tourism destination in the Kingdom.
Khlong Rua only opened its doors to tourists in 2003 after a group of Thammasat University students visited the village as part of a community service project and after a time proposed the idea of eco-tourism, which the villagers and their chief gladly accepted.
The students recommended them to open their homes to tourists keen to learn about the local ecology, rainforest and their lifestyle, and more importantly how man could co-exist in harmony with nature.
The villagers devised two- and three-day packages during which visitors could come and stay with them, trek in the rainforest, go rafting and learn to cook local food.
Other gold award recipients include TAT and Six Senses in the marketing media and corporate environmental programme categories, respectively.
Pata also announced four grand awards where the winners were Singapore Airlines for its "First to Fly the A380" marketing campaign that reinforced its status as an innovative airline; Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation in the heritage category for putting together "Dilli Haat", a bazaar specialising in Indian handicraft, food and is a venue for hosting events; Indonesia's Nihiwatu Resort and Sumba Foundation for environmental conservation; and Cinnamon Island Alidhoo in the Maldives in the field of education and training. The latter's "We Cared and We Shared" project gives women and youths of Barah and Utheem islands a chance to train as hoteliers at its School of Hospitality.
The awards will be presented at Pata Travel Mart 2008 on September 19 in Hyderabad, India.
For more information, visit http://www.pata.org.
Playing Tarzan
If you like adventure and dream playing Tarzan or Jane one day, perhaps a travel package conceived as an extension of a gibbon conservation project could just fit the bill.
Designed by Treetop Adventure, it involves 45 minutes of canopy adventure in a lush forest around the village of Mae Khampong in Chiang Mai where you travel from one point to another via skybridges and cables aping gibbons swinging from tree to tree.
There are 15 stations altogether. The first part is easy as all you have to do is walk to a treetop platform. Then you prepare yourself for the cable ride. Once you start, there is no turning back. The last part involves negotiating a drop from a height of 75 metres. It is an experience "you'll never forget", quipped one adventure buff.
The package comes with a night's stay in the village and a chance to learn about the lifestyle of its residents who cultivate tea for a living.
Treetop Adventure donates 10 percent of its profit to gibbon and other conservation projects. More information at http://www.treetopasia.com.
Speed boat service
DJ PIT, a tour operator, will introduce speed boat service between Phuket and Ko Yao Yai of Phangnga next month allowing tourists to commute either way in just 25 minutes.
It will provide tourists a speedier alternative to the ferry service that takes one hour one way.
The company's managing director Damras Plukmaidee said the speed boat will have a capacity for 50 passengers and the fare 200 baht per person. It will also be offering dive packages to Ko Khai Island and arranging homestay for those wishing to spend the night on Ko Yao Yai.
For more information, visit http://www.djpit-travel.com.
Japanese spend most
Japanese couples are highest spenders per guest they invite to wedding receptions, based on a Conrad Hotel survey of its properties in Tokyo, Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Bali and the Maldives.
The survey found that a Japanese couple spends US$260 per guest on average, followed by Hong Kong (US$140) and Singaporeans (US$75).
If you have any comments or news to share, mail them to karnjanak@bangkokpost.co.th.
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