Cambodia Travel, Cambodia Tours: Tourism Development in Sihanoukville

As Sihanoukville take off as a tourism hub, Cambodia tourism authority and developers say that preserving the natural harmony and health of its beaches and coastline is the a priority.

Officials in Cambodia’s Ministry of Tourism have echoed concern about pollution as tourism grows in Sihanoukville, and say they are trying to take more thoughtful approach to development. With funding from Asia Development Bank (ADB) the government has advised a wastewater treatment project that will be implemented in coastal area currently under development to make sure water does not become polluted and that waste form development project does not reach the sea. “We have to develop these beaches with proper environmental protection,” says Dr Thong Khon, Secretary of State of Tourism Ministry. The ADB funding will also go toward training lifeguard and building Watchtowers along popular beaches. Prime Minister Hun Sen himself lunched the project in Sihanoukville, on 2 August. Development plans for the region go well beyond the beach. To make Sihanoukville a more attractive destination for tourist the government is working for revamp Sihanoukville Kang Keng Airport so tourist can travel a circuit between Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville. The Air port would also make a transit to the airport in Rattanakiri Province, in Cambodia north’s east. According to the Cambodia Travel Agent Association, cruise to Sihanoukville are already popular, and carrying passenger from China, Europe and the United States dock at Sihanoukville’s port at least one each week. Tourism officials are also optimistic that a recent agreement reach by ASEAN to exempt member countries from paying visa fees when visiting other member countries will increase regional visitor traffic. Kun Kam Eng, a father of two, spent a recent weekend with his family on Ochheuteal Beach. “We are rich in having so many beautiful places to visit,” a 45 old was please to report as he looked out to the water. “I love the beaches in Sihanoukville, so I hope they always stay clean and fresh. Our Seawater is sweater is so clean, the sand is very white and the view of the sea is totally paradise. Sihanoukville Governor Say Hak is optismistic that Sihanoukville develop will help improve people lifestyles of people living in Sihanoukville municipality. As a part of this effort Prime Minister Hun Sen has strongly encourage people to engage in “home stay” business, renting local home to tourists. With the huge influx of visitors during national holidays, the home stay policy could help put money directly into villagers’ pockets.

Sihanoukville is not only the paradise on Cambodia coast. Many islands have yet to see development for tourism and the beach in and around Kompot and Kep are idyllic. Several hotels Mangers in Sihanoukville say their businesses base on the beaches and as long as beaches remain the main attraction for domestic and foreign tourists, the hospitality industry will continue to grow.

Cambodia tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/cambodia/tours/
Vietnam tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/vietnam/tours/
Laos tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/laos/tours/

Read more...

Cambodia Travel, Cambodia Tourism, Cambodia Capital City: Market in Phnom Penh

Many of Phnom Penh main attractions including, the National Museum and Royal Palace congregate along rive front. But this vibrant capital is filled with far more than culture and color, and some of the best places to witness and unmatched charm of the city are at its traditional markets.

Phsar Thom Thmey market, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

The oldest markets are Psar Thom Thmei, Psar Kandal and Psar Chas, which literally translate to old market. Psar is thought to derive from Arabic word for bazaar and, indeed, many of Phnom Penh’s market scenes appear more reminiscent of a Turkish fair than an outdoor and market place in Southeast Asia.

Located near the main post office by Wat Phnom, Psar Chas sells CDs, DVDs and books; religious offering such as shrines and fresh fruit, and vegetable, fish and poultry. Numerous tables set up out side the market offer shoe repair and shines, while hairdressers and make up shops occupied the inner portion. This is one of the few markets in the city that sells food late and many motorbike driver and local Khmers arrive at night for bit to eat. Stalls which fluorescent light sell Chinese style roasted duck and chicken and whole families come to enjoy bread with pâté, rice soup, friend meatball, and quail eggs, which are especially popular among Khmer women.

Psar Kandal, near the river on street 13, also offers visitors a taste of local life. The markets boast an abundance of food stall where you can eat for as little as 2,000 reils (US$ 0.5). It also sells house wares, hardware and children’s toys. Fruit and vegetable are not hard to come by but if it is coconut you are after, head to Psar Doem Kor, on Mao Tse Toung Boulevard near Inter-Continental, where truck loads of coconut are imported daily from Kompot Province.

Psar Thom Thmei’s 1930’s Art Deco design has made it a Phnom Penh landmark. Laid out by French town planner Ernest Habrard, this airy, open market is the commercial hub of the city, offering from fried spiders to CDs. Literally “The New Market”, but better known as central market, Psar Thom Thmei’s central yellow dome sprout four wing, chockfull of stalls selling clothing, shoe, bags and souvenir, including coins, Khmer antique, silver plates, silk, stone, statuettes and bronze figurines. Beneath the dome sit rows of lit glass cases displaying tray of gold and silver jewelry. The Central Market is also famous for its fresh jasmine flower which Khmer use in their lavish wedding ceremonies and offer to monks on religious occasion. Price varies, but hard bargaining is conventional.

The city’s second most visited is Psar Toul Tumpoung, or the Russian Market, a name earned for its popularity during 1980s among the city many Russian expatriates. A market has gain reputation for cheap DVDs and clothing, and is also hotspot for locals in searching snacks. For the travelers, the markets present the large selection of Buddha image and woodcarvings, betelnut boxes, silk, silver jewelry and classic musical instruments.

(By: Prak Chan Thul)


Cambodia tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/cambodia/tours/
Vietnam tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/vietnam/tours/
Laos tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/laos/tours/

Read more...

Cambodia Culture: How to Sleep, Walk, Stand, Sit, and Speak

Every culture trains its children to become good members of society in order to insure harmony, peace, and stability. Cambodian parents teach their children how to sleep, walk, stand, sit, and speak. For the parents, the values below capture the essence of a well-mannered Cambodian.

How to Sleep

• You must wake up before sunrise or you are lazy.

• Sleeping places in the home are determined according to status. (Cambodian families often live in one or two rooms, and everyone sleeps on the same bed, a large slatted wooden platform about eight- or ten-feet square. The parents sleep at the "head" end and the youngest children sleep at the "foot.")

How to Walk

• Tell people where you are going and when you are coming back. (This is important to show respect to others and to keep them from being embarrassed if someone asks and they don't know where you are.) • If someone of higher status is passing you, bend lower (from the waist) than that person.

• Don't make sounds with your skirt when you walk.

• Don't wear shoes or hats when you enter a house or temple.

• Close doors softly when you go through them.

• When you meet someone on the street, ask where they are going.

How to Stand

• Stand with your arms crossed at the waist. (Arms at the side means you are signaling that you are strong. Hands on the hips or arms behind your back or across the chest means you are rich, powerful, threatening, or disrespectful of other people.) How to Sit

• Sit with your legs straight down. (Crossing legs shows disrespect.)

• Never put your feet on a table or show the soles of your feet to others.

• Men can sit on the floor in the lotus position while eating.

• Women must sit on the floor with legs aside.

How to Speak

• You must speak softly and gently.

• Show feelings only at home.

• Children have no right to speak unless spoken to.

• A guest is polite and doesn't talk unless spoken to.

• Let others talk more than you.

• There should be limited talking at meals. Speak only if spoken to.

• If you speak with anger or emotion or express feelings, you will not be respected. You are behaving like an immature and uneducated child.

• Patience is a virtue. (Parents make a comparison between a gasoline fire which ignites quickly and burns to nothing, and a charcoal fire which is difficult to start but cannot easily be extinguished and becomes more intense.)

• Do not make aggressive movements or gestures--such as making a fist, pounding the table, or throwing something--while speaking.

• Moderated feelings are best, i.e., those that are neither very happy or very angry or sad.

• Giving criticism or discussing an individual's problems must not be done in public. (That person will lose face, want revenge, and will be unable to accept your idea.) If you must give criticism, do so in private and indirectly. Talk around the issue, ask for information about the issue, and then let the individual reach her own conclusion in her own time and way.

How to Eat

• Men can eat a lot but must not eat fast.

• Women can eat only a small amount.

• Take food only when asked or directed to.

• Use the communal spoon. Not using it indicates you are insincere or not part of the group.

• People of high rank do not expect to have to get their own food (especially at a buffet). They are often seated in a private or special place and served by others to show status and respect.

• All guests must be served water or another drink even if they come for only a short visit. Give a drink rather than ask what they want which is impolite. If asked, they are obligated to choose the least expensive drink.

• If guests come during a meal, they must be invited to eat.

How to Greet

• Offer a traditional greeting with hands in front of face, palms together, in prayer-like fashion.

• Men can shake hands with men.


Cambodia tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/cambodia/tours/
Vietnam tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/vietnam/tours/
Laos tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/laos/tours/

Read more...

Angkor Wat Tour in the year 2007

The tourism industry has improved markedly in recent years in Cambodia, which is still trying to come to terms with the bloodshed inflicted by the Khmer Rouge regime. It was once dangerous to visit Angkor Wat and the other temples surrounding it.

The area was within the reach of Khmer Rouge guerrillas who decamped to the wilds of northwest Cambodia after being driven from power in 1979. But today, the country is at peace, and its glorious temples are crowded with tourists. A couple of miles to the south of Angkor, the dusty streets of deserted Siem Reap are full of tour buses and tuk tuks motorcycles. The city is abuzz with energy. The shopkeepers call prospective customers to come inside their shops. Along the road near the city’s international airport, hotels are going up quickly and they are doing good business. “We are having one of the best tourism seasons. All our rooms are already booked,” Chea Sokhon, sales executive of La Residence d’ Angkor hotel, told Asia News Network. The city of Angkor comprises over 70 temples, in various states of repair, spread across more than 30 sq km. The city was built between the 9th and 14th century at the height of Cambodia’s Khmer empire, which once governed much of modern day Thailand, Viet Nam, and Laos as well as parts of southern China and Burma. Today it is only the temples that survive the remnants of a metropolis that was the envy of the ancient Southeast Asian world. But it is Angkor Wat, which is the most popular tourist attraction. Certainly the temple itself is an architectural marvel of the ancient world, built in a perfect square more than a kilometre on each side and listed by the United Nations as a world heritage monument. “Angkor Wat is a treasure of Cambodia and of the world,”says Sermkhun Kunawong, Vice president of Bayon CM Organiser, which is organising the mega theatre performance US$1.5-million The Legend of Angkor Wat. Bayon CM Organiser is a joint venture between Cambodia’s Bayon Radio & TV, Kingdom of Cambodia and the Bangkok-based CM Organiser, an event and production company. Sermkhun Kunawong is a modest, quietly-spoken man — part of the generation that survived the Khmer Rouge and the ensuing years of civil war. He says whenever he looks at Angkor Wat, he is inspired to do something to spread the rich culture and history of Angkor Wat. His shifts of projected light, sound and special effects, colour, and silhouette embraced the architecture of the temple, bringing out unexpected aspects of its beauty. He has also used Apsara dances and contemporary Khmer performances to tell the historical story of Angkor Wat. The show, which will end on Jan 20, 2008, is believed to boost tourism in Cambodia. “The show will transport you back in history during a time when this ancient wonder of the world was once the centre of a powerful empire. I hope people will come to have an understanding of pre-Angkor times through this show,” says Sermkhun. The temples of Angkor still bear the scars of the brutal regime of Khmer Rouge during which an estimated two million people died. The regime destroyed anything they regarded as decadent or culturally impure, including many buildings and temples. But the temples are being reclaimed and efforts are being made to promote the Cambodian culture by individuals like Sermkhun Kunawong. “Angkor is our identity. It is our strength and hope for better future,” says Sermkhun. “We hope that more and more people visit the great temple and our rich culture and heritage spread all across the world.” In some ways things are changing. Foreign visitors are flooding in—1.7 million tourists visited Cambodia last year and the first seven months of this year (2007) have already brought 975,349 visitors. Siem Reap arrivals have increased with 615,445 visitors while Phnom Penh and other destinations had brought in a total of 359,903 visitors. And while there are no official figures on how much each tourist spends in Cambodia, the dizzying array of luxury hotels in Siem Reap—ranging from the Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor to quirky boutiques like Hotel de la Paix—testifies to the emergence of a new generation of high-end travellers. With the tourists comes money—desperately needed in a country where people are still mired in grinding poverty. In Siem Reap’s old market, where tourists gather, so too do maimed land mine victims who have been reduced to beggary. On a visit to the old market in Pokambor, I met Chang, a roadside bookseller. Her husband, Chan Vanna, a former member of the Cambodia army, lost both legs in a landmine explosion in 1993. “After he lost his legs, we turned to begging as we had no other way to support our family. It was terrible, humiliating,” remembers Chang. “But now we have decided to work and never to beg. We just hope that more tourists come here so that we get more customers,” says Chnag. Perhaps if Cambodia has to come out from the decades of despair, it needs the kind of resilience Chang has. “Sometimes we need to be tough and strong. We need to fight back”, says Chang.

Behind her the light creeps across Angkor Wat. The great temple stood in the bright sun light as it has for hundreds of years as a symbol of hope and faith of the Cambodian people, who are still trying to come to terms with the turmoil and bloodshed inflicted by the Khmer Rouge regime.

(By SYED NAZAKAT in Siem Reap/ Asia News Network)

Cambodia tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/cambodia/tours/
Vietnam tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/vietnam/tours/
Laos tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/laos/tours/

Read more...

Vietnam Hanoi welcomes over 1 million foreign visitors

Hanoi welcomes over 1 million foreign visitors


The number of foreign tourists to Hanoi in the first 11 months of this year is estimated at 1.15 million, equivalent to 95% of the city’s yearly plan and up 11.5% over the same period last year.


Strong growths have been seen in the numbers of visitors from China, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Australia, France and the US.


The Hanoi Tourism Department has designed many new tours such as health treatment tours, helicopter sightseeing and visits to local celebrities.


The department is working on a file to propose that the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) recognise the Thang Long Imperial Citadel as a world cultural heritage.


(Source: VNA)


Cambodia tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/cambodia/tours/
Vietnam tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/vietnam/tours/
Laos tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/laos/tours/

Read more...

Vietnam is among ten attractive tourism sites for Chinese

Vietnam is one among the most ten attractive tourism destinations for Chinese travelers, according to the China National Tourism Administration. Other nine top destinations of Chinese tourists are Hong Kong, Macao, Japan, Thailand, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Russia, the United States, Singapore and Malaysia.

China remains Asia 's largest source of outbound tourists, Zhu Shanzhong, a tourism promotion official with the China National Tourism Administration told Xinhua news agency. Nearly 30 million Chinese travelled abroad in the first nine months of the year, up 17% as against the same period of last year, according to the administration’s statistics. Last year, about 34 million Chinese people travelled abroad.

(Source: VNA)

Cambodia tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/cambodia/tours/
Vietnam tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/vietnam/tours/
Laos tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/laos/tours/

Read more...

Indochina, fabulous and affordable destination in Asia

Indochina including Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam can provide a wide range of travel experience with different local lifestyle. Asia remains not only one of the world’s most exotic travel destinations but also one of is most affordable. Exploring deeply inside Asia; hence, Indochina will be a must destination to visit. You can enjoy and put yourself in pristine beach, tangible and intangible cultural value, and heritage site and especially you may probably found that the best bio-logically balanced destination in South-East Asia.

Nowhere else you can find the most affordable and fabulous destination in Asia like Indochina. You will always be able to receive the superb level of service, among the world’s natural and cultural wonder. Indochina may be the forefront destination for travelers who eager to taste various types of wonderful cultural and natural attraction compared to the world destination. For more inquiry to Indochina, it is approachable or email to info@tourismindochina.com


Cambodia tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/cambodia/tours/
Vietnam tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/vietnam/tours/
Laos tours=> http://www.tourismindochina.com/laos/tours/

Read more...