I had the great honor of hosting the first Destination Thailand festival held in Toronto last month and had an absolutely fantastic time.

The Destination Thailand event was organized by the Thai Embassy in Ottawa to promote Thai culture to the world, and what better place to start than Toronto, Canada. It was a wonderful big event, but what struck me most about the day was how involved and excited the people who participated were. We had a wide assortment of participants from across the Kingdom: Thai traditional dancers, musicians, culinary artists, boxers, and massage therapists were just some of them. The Smiling Albino team from Calgary was even able to come participate along with some long time SA customers and fans who came to support.

It was an amazing and energetic crowd and it reminded me of how special the people of Thailand and Southeast Asia are and how fortunate we have been to have had the opportunity over the past decade to interact with a great assortment of people – clients, partners and employees alike.

Many of you have met some of these special people over the years – Mr. Jeep in Chiang Khong, Mr. Bird in Chiang Rai, or Mr. Barang in Cambodia, Oi in Krabi, Lam in Vietnam, Mads and Clare in Nepal… That’s not even to mention all of you who have booked a trip with Smiling Albino have been touched by the people who work in our office and put the pieces of the puzzle in place to make sure you have an outstanding holiday.

Each of these people has made a difference to countless numbers of our friends and customers by just being their vibrant, enthusiastic and genuine selves.

I’m taking this opportunity to thank all of these people who have touched my life and so many of your lives through your experiences with Smiling Albino. I would love to hear back from you about any anecdotes that have stuck with you over the years since your first Smiling Albino experience about some of these special people so that I reflect back on them the impact that they have had on you. Please send them to me at dan@smilingalbino.com

I am lucky to be part of this, and thank you!

Safe travels!

Daniel B. Fraser

Adventure Highlights:

Surveying Chiang Dao

When we say that we personally scout every area, eat at each restaurant, source and train every guide/host, sleep in every hotel bed, ride the bikes, board the boats and scratch the elephants, we really do take our wholehearted promise to you, the traveller, seriously. We work hard to ensure every tour is highly original, well thought out, oozing value, and most importantly a trip we’d take our friends and families on.

During the seasons when there are fewer clients travelling and, at times, adverse weather conditions, our adventure specialists are often out in the field (literally) to discover and survey new resorts, sites of interest, outdoor activities and routes.

This is a tale of our intrepid Adventure Consultant, Queen who, along with our local guide, Eak, set out to survey a new trekking route in Chiang Dao.

Chiang Dao, an area dominated by national parks and a town of the same name, 80 km north of Chiang Mai, is regarded by many as the most beautiful scenery in Northern Thailand.

Chiang Dao’s most striking feature is Doi Chiang Dao, Thailand’s third highest mountain at 2225 m, which plays host to an abundance of wildlife and nature. It is one of the lesser-visited, but nonetheless interesting Thai birding sites. The area is also known for it’s famous caves.

Queen and Eak were on the final day of their survey of the region, driving into the jungle along a newly identified trekking route. Monsoonal rains, however, proved too unyielding, and their truck got hopelessly stuck in the rain-saturated red clay track. It took them hours to free themselves, and finally with the help of friendly passing locals, they made it out and back to Chiang Mai where Queen finally caught her thrice re-booked flight back to Bangkok.

The first-hand observations, incredible photos and new friends Queen acquired on this survey were immediately incorporated into our Northern Thailand Adventure Tours. Come the dry season, this trek will be a unique and rewarding experience.

Surveying Laos, in photos

Our Director of Sales and Business Development, Stephanie, spent a week surveying new resorts, activities and locations in Laos earlier this month, and she captured some great shots, a sampling of what our Classic Laos Trip has to offer. Don’t hesitate to contact our team for up-to-date Laos travel and accommodation information. Click here for inquiries.

What’s Going On

New Dynamic App Explores European Heritage Sites in Thailand

The European Union launched the “European Heritage Map and Cultural Calendar” smart phone application on October 13^th, 2014. This content-rich app describes, illustrates and locates 250 European heritage sites throughout Thailand. The criteria for the entries were “remarkable locations that share common heritage resulting from centuries of Thai-European interactions”.

Smiling Albino’s Daniel Fraser emceed the intimate event, hosted by H.E. Mr. Luis Barreira de Sousa, Portuguese Ambassador to Thailand, on behalf of the European National Institutes for Cultural Thailand at his splendid riverside residence, the oldest European Diplomatic mission in Bangkok.

The comprehensive app, developed by Talisman Media, is a valuable resource for history enthusiasts, locals and tourists alike. It also provides an up-to-date “European Cultural Calendar” that lists up-coming events organized by EU member States’ embassies and cultural institutes in Thailand

It’s a really cool free app! Search “European Heritage” in your app store now. Available for Android and iOS.

Smiling Albino Wins Expat Entrepreneur Award

On October 14th, Bangkok’s expat community gathered at the Rembrandt Hotel to drink free beer recognize outstanding expat businesses. For the first time, companies established in Thailand by the country’s expatriate community were honoured for their creativity, ingenuity, excellence and proven success in The Expat Entrepreneur Awards 2014. Supported by The BigChilli Magazine in conjunction with BNOW, Bangkok’s networking community group, the Award highlighted the contribution foreign operated businesses make to Thailand’s economy.

The awards night was well-attended, and as our own Adventurer-in-chief, Daniel Fraser was hosting a trip, SA’s Marketing Mahout, Andrew Clark was there to accept the award on behalf of the Smiling Albino team. Smiling Albino thanks all who participated.

PURE Life Experiences 2014

We will be back at PURE LIfe Experiences 2014, November 10-13 in Marrekech. We look forward to seeing you there at the global marketplace of high-end experiential travel!

New Connections

Soneva Kiri

Soneva Kiri is pleased to announce a new direct flight service to Siem Riep. Launching on 16th November 2014 with a special introductory offer! Two flights a week linking Indo China to the beautiful beaches of Koh Kood.

Halong Bay

Seaplane Flights are now available from Hanoi airport to Halong Bay! A 30-minute flight or 45 minutes with some sight-seeing. Reasonably priced, quick and easy with fabulous aerial views over the countryside and experience the thrill of a water landing at the Tuan Chau Island Marina.

Contact Smiling Albino today for all your travel needs.

The post People Drive Adventures – Albino Smiles Oct., 2014 first appeared on Smiling Albino.

But one of the great things about Vietnam – beyond the amazing food, the wonderful people, and the rich culture – is that it’s almost like getting three totally separate countries for the price of one visa.

The thing that makes Vietnam so unique is how much distance it covers in terms of latitude – about 1,600km north/south – which gives it a vast range of climate conditions. This variety is also helped by the fact that it’s quite varied east/west as well, with the ocean on the east and rugged mountains in the west.

So let’s go ahead and break up Vietnam into three chunks – north, south and middle. This does a bit of a disservice to the country, as it’s actually quite a bit more complex than that, but it’s the easiest way to get a rough idea of what’s available. So let’s start with the south.

Southern Vietnam

Biggest City: Ho Chi Minh City (often still used interchangeably with Saigon), is the largest city in Vietnam and one of its financial, transport, and trade hubs.  There are just over 8 million people in HCMC, and of the two main commercial centers in the country (the other being Hanoi), it’s definitely the glitzier, busier, hotter one.

Climate & Geography: Southern Vietnam is where the mighty Mekong River empties into the sea after a journey of 4,350km, so it’s no surprise that the vast delta area is one of the lushest and most thoroughly cultivated in the region. Indeed, there are some villages where the only way in is by boat! There are generally only two seasons here – dry and wet, and both of them are very warm, so be prepared to sweat no matter what time of year you’re here.

Culture: Cultural differences are not uniform – some are more pronounced and others are less easy to spot. Cuisine is the biggest one though northern Vietnamese food tends to be more traditional and less exotic, while southern Vietnamese food is heavily inspired by Chinese and Cambodian recipes, so they often have a bit more of a spicy tang.

Central Vietnam

Biggest City: There’s a lot of great things to see in the long, thin crescent that makes up central Vietnam, but if it’s a big city experience you’re looking for, you have to hit Da Nang. About 975,000 people live here, but it’s still got a homey kind of vibe, not to mention great beaches and plenty of notable attractions just a short trip out of town. Da Nang is a major port, with the popularly known My Khe beach or nicknamed by the American and Australian soldiers as “China Beach”, during the Vietnam War. Now it has a growing industry to back it up, with some heavy tourism infrastructure going up in the past few years, making Da Nang a beach resort getaway.

Climate & Geography: Surrounding Da Nang and working their way west toward Cambodia away from Da Nang’s beaches are the edges of the lush Annamite Mountain Range, which contain many of the area’s top sites. These include the ancient Cham ruins at My Son, and the Ho Chi Minh Trail and former DMZ (demilitarized zone), relics of the devastating Vietnam War (or American War, as it’s known here). Between July and November this area is hit with rain storms, so plan for the wet accordingly.

Culture: Central Vietnam is sort of stuck between the ‘cultural capital’ of the north and the bustling modernity of the south, but it’s still got plenty to offer for culture-seekers. Due to its links with royalty, central Vietnamese food is often more complex and varied than north or south. We mentioned My Son already, but don’t miss Hue and Hoi An, all three of them UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Hoi An: This beautiful and quaint historical city was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1999 because of it’s well-preserved trading post and port from the 1600s. This city is still attracting the trader and buyer who’s looking for affordable tailors or traditional lanterns. The People’s Committee has been taking many steps to preserve the town such as the first Car Free Day in Vietnam and an action programme to stop the use of plastic bags. This year the committee selected the bicycle as vehicle of choice to help it become an eco-friendly destination. This is the perfect small town to joy ride around traditional house, rice paddies, fishing villages, and monasteries. If you’re not keen on bike riding we recommend trying your hand at Vietnamese cooking!

Northern Vietnam

Biggest City: The north’s largest city has also been Vietnam’s capital for over 1,000 years – Hanoi. The mad, bustling, scooter-clogged roads will make even professional pedestrians sweat, but there’s a great deal of history and culture to be found behind the noise. The city of 7 million loves markets and loves their cafes, and you’ll have no problem finding a thick, sweet cup of coffee to wash down the amazing street food that’s available everywhere.

Climate & Geography: Beyond Hanoi, one of northern Vietnam’s biggest attractions is the gorgeous Halong Bay, yet another UNESCO World Heritage Site. Giant limestone cliffs with dense canopies of green shoot up from the blue water as boats of all sizes drift lazily among them. During the summer months northern Vietnam is generally hot and muggy, but in the winter, it can get downright cold – especially in Halong Bay and most definitely up in the mountains around Sapa, the famed trekking destination. Dress warmly if you’re coming then!

Culture: As the traditional center of art, literature, and education, northern Vietnam – especially Hanoi – one can find a large number of museums, monuments, parks, and plenty of temples going back hundreds of years. Even Ho Chi Minh himself is entombed here (and for a small fee, you can see him!). Food-wise, the colder climate means that spices and chilies aren’t as widely available as they are in the south, so northern-style food tends to be less fiery, but no less delicious. In fact, one of the country’s most famous dishes – pho noodles – originated in the north.

So clearly, a visit to Vietnam can provide a variety of different elements to make your trip a diverse and exciting one. With a bit of planning (and some inside knowledge) you can feel like you’ve visited three distinct countries when in fact, you’ve been in Vietnam the whole time.

See all three regions in Smiling Albino’s Vietnam Grand Slam 

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The post Vietnam: North, South and the Middle first appeared on Smiling Albino.