NEWSLETTER October 2014

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1 NEWSLETTER October NEWS Saffron Travel News 02 NEW TOURS Bicycle & Cruise Tours 03 DESTINATION Your Travel Wish Lists 04 FEATURES Hotel & Restaurant Of The Month 05 FOOD CORNER Chargrilled Lobster Saffron Travel is a boutique travel agency providing a full range of tourism services to in-bound visitors and travellers to South East Asia.

2 NEWS 01 Accor Expands In Myanmar Update latest travel news on our website: Accor will manage three more hotels in Myanmar: Pullman Yangon Myat Min, Sebel Yangon Myat Min and Novotel Inle Lake Myat Min. Once completed in 2015, the 300-room Pullman Yangon Myat Min will be the first Pullman hotel in Myanmar. The hotel is located mid-way between the city centre and Yangon International Airport. The 100-room Sebel Yangon Myat Min will be a premium serviced apartment hotel for guests looking for long-stay accommodation and will be located near Pullman Yangon Myat Min The 121-room Novotel Inle Lake Myat Min is a mid-upper scale hotel located on the banks of Inle Lake, one of Myanmar s most stunning natural attractions. It has been opened since October Central Street In Ho Chi Minh City Under Construction Until April 2015 The Department of Transport (DOT) recently announced that Nguyen Hue Street in District 1 will be blocked off until April 28, 2015, closing the street to traffic between Le Loi and Ton Duc Thang, The street will reopen as a pedestrian-only boulevard lined with new trees, flowers and contemporary lighting. During the period of renovation guests staying in hotels on Nguyen Hue Street such as The Palace Hotel, Kim Do Hotel, The Rex Hotel, Duxton Hotel will encounter some transportation inconvenience and obstructions to some views.

3 NEWS 03 Pandaw To Offer Halong Bay To Red River Cruises Update latest travel news on our website: Pandaw River Expeditions is set to become the first operator to offer cruises from Halong Bay to the upper Red River in Vietnam starting from July Those aboard the yacht-like 16-suite Angkor Pandaw will visit floating villages, a floating school and caves in Halong Bay, Kinh Thay River, Yen Duc Village and also explore the Duong River, with its historic villages, before spending two days in the bustling city of Hanoi. Pandaw s route into the upper Red River, unexplored by any other river expedition company, will visit the region close to China s Yunnan Province where the river narrows. Hiking from a remote river village will be available for guests keen to stretch their legs. 04 VietJet Air To Launch Hanoi - Siem Reap Route Vietnam s VietJet Aviation Joint Stock Company (VietJet Air) on October 13 announced the launch of a new route between Hanoi and Siem Reap in Cambodia next month. As scheduled, its first flight on the route will take off on November 3. To mark the new route, the airline is offering a discounted price of 420,000 VND (20 USD) per ticket. The Ha Noi - Siem Reap flight will depart from Hanoi at 5.15 pm every day and arrive in Siem Reap at 7:05 pm. The return flight will depart from Siem Reap at 8:05 pm and land in Hanoi at 9:55 pm.

4 NEW TOURS 01 Bicycle & Cruise Tours In Southeast Asia New tours recommended by Saffron Travel Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar are blessed with numerous rivers, deltas and pathways that provide an increasing number of opportunities for boat cruises and bicycle tours. Both are wonderful ways to see the landscape and glimpse the daily life of communities off the beaten tourist tracks. Villages, whether floating or on land, can be accessed and spontaneous encounters with local people often form the highlight of a trip to South East Asia for visitors. Moreover, cycling and boat travel are such relaxing ways to get about. Saffron Travel offers a wide range of cycling tours through rice paddy fields in the north of Vietnam, or around the magnificent Angkor temples in Cambodia, though the ambling countryside surrounding Bagan in Myanmar and in many other corners of the region. We also organize cruises that take you along the Mekong River, the Red River, The Perfume River, Tonle Sap lake, The Irrawady, Halong Bay and several other water ways. These enable visitors to enjoy breathtaking scenery, remote villages, floating markets, exquisite temples and refreshing waterfalls such as the Khuang Si Waterfall in Laos

5 DESTINATION 01 Beautiful biking routes Breathtaking cycling routes across Southeast Asia recommended by Saffron Travel Dalat Vietnam: Dalat s cooler climate and pine covered hills provide a great setting for biking and there are many tour options available such as: Dalat - Bidoup National Park - Nha Trang, Dalat - Di Linh Town - Mui Ne Beach, Dalat - Lak Lake - Buon Ma Thuat - Ngoc Hoi - Hoi An. Guest have the chance to cycle through picturesque forests, minority villages, local farmland and along coastal roads all the way down to stunning beaches. Inle Lake Myanmar: The shores of Inle lake and surrounding hills are also a fantastic environment for cycling. Not only does the lake itself provide a beautiful backdrop, there is also so much to visit by bike. Local vineyards, some of which are now producing international standard wine, are one such pleasant stop during any bike ride, as are the many temples and minority villages that can be accessed by bike. The lake itself is still so large that you can spend many relaxing days exploring its surroundings. Roluos Cambodia: Roluos is a small town and an archeological site about 13 km east of Siem Reap. Once it was the seat of Hariharalay, the first capital of the Khmer Empire north of Tonle Sap. Among the "Rolous Group" of temples are some of the earliest permanent structures built by Khmer. They mark the beginning of the classical period of Khmer civilisation, dating from the late 9th century. Some were totally built with bricks, others partially with laterite or sandstone. Cycle through these amazing ruins on a leisurely journey through time stopping at the most interesting and beautiful. The tour then continues with a short boat ride to a picturesque floating village, through flooded mangrove forests and a picnic lunch.

6 FEATURES 01 Hotel Of The Month: The Jayavarman Cruise Hotel & restaurant of the month recommended by Saffron Travel The majestic Jayavarman is considered the father in Heritage Line s family of cruise ships. This vessel was named after Angkor s most venerated king, who ruled from 1181 to 1218, and was a devout Buddhist. This ship has 27 cabins and can accommodate 54 passengers. Traveling between Saigon and Phnom Penh, the Jayavarman marries the art deco charm of 1930 s France with the romance of Indochine. Guests can admire Khmer artifacts in the Henry Mouhot Lounge, mingle in the Club 1930 Bar, dine in the elegant Indochine Dining Hall, and recharge with spa treatments in the Apsara Spa. A Jacuzzi is located on the top sundeck, which offers spectacular views of the passing delta. Along with its peaceful beauty, the Mekong Delta is also known for its friendly locals. 02 Restaurant Of The Month: Mahob Khmer - Siem Reap Cuisine MAHOB the name says it all. The Cambodian word for food, this culinary hotspot takes traditional Khmer cuisine to a new level, using only the freshest local ingredients to tantalize your taste-buds. Located in a cosy garden setting surrounded by trees, flowers and a lotus pond away from the hustle and bustle of Pub Street, MAHOB is set in a traditional wooden house just a few minutes from the centre of town, and five minutes from Angkor Wat. MAHOB strives to use unique and exceptional local ingredients to create original Khmer cuisine. The restaurant offers a weekly degustation set menu, as well as an a la carte menu including dishes cooked on the hot stone, the ancient practice of barbecue grilling on volcanic stone heated to 400 degrees. Moreover, MAHOB also offer a daily cooking class for those keen to learn more about Khmer cuisine and its history.

7 FOOD CORNER 01 Laab Moo - Pork Salad This is a very common dish served throughout Laos as well as Thailand, which is quick to make and often extremely spicy, but the lime juice and mint leaves make for an exotic and splendid combination. Experience a quick to make and amazing Laotian-Thai food! Ingredients - 500g Minced Pork (or minced chicken if you prefer) - 3 tbsp Soy Sauce and a splosh of water - 4 tbsp ground toasted rice Khao Khua - Finely sliced red cabbage and carrot - 1/2 tsp Chilli Flakes - 1 sliced Fresh Chilli - 1/2 finely sliced Red Onion - 3 chopped Spring Onions sliced Kaffir Lime Leaves - 3 tbsp Fish Sauce - 2 tsp Sugar - 1 Lime - Fresh Mint - Fresh Basil Preparation: - Gently fry the minced pork in a little oil until it stops being pink, add the soy sauce and a little water and let it cook through for 2 minutes. - Add the dried chilli, the fresh chilli, red onion and the spring onions and fry gently for another couple of minutes. - Add the fish sauce, palm sugar, the juice of half the lime and the shredded kaffir lime leaves and heat through. - Take off the heat stir in a handful of torn basil and mint leaves and most of the toasted ground rice. - Let it cool a little, then serve with the shredded cabbage, carrot and, of course, a bowl of lettuce leaves.