– by Ambrose Bittner, Founder of Red Lantern Journeys
We’ve received word from the Association of Bhutanese Tour Operators (ABTO) that the government is going to increase rates starting next year. They were planning to do this in 2010, but the recession caused them to delay the implementation. The new base rate will be $250 per person for groups of 3 or more. That’s [...]
0 Comment » In typical fashion, the Indian government is backtracking on their visa restrictions for multiple entries that I reported on in an earlier post. I’ll keep you posted on when the new guidelines actually come out. Here’s the article that appeared in the Hindustan Times of 17th March 2010. “GOVT TO EASE TOURIST VISA RESTRICTIONS The [...]
Here’s a good article in the New York Times that describes the current political situation in Myanmar. Change Comes to Myanmar, but Only on the Junta’s Terms By THE NEW YORK TIMES, Published: March 17, 2010 Many people have the perception that travel to Myanmar is still very restricted, but that’s not the case at [...]
Many river cruises on the Mekong River in SE Asia have suspended operations due to historically low water levels. According to the Maekhong Cruise Services of Thailand, they have suspended the Luang Say 2-day boat cruise between Chiang Khong in Chiang Rai Province of Northern Thailand to Luang Prabang in Laos. In addition, Mekong River [...]
For the third year in a row, China has quit issuing permits to enter Tibet as of March 8th and supposedly until April 10th, 2010. Once again, no reason was given. Once again, the decision was made without prior notice. Once again, nameless, faceless Chinese officials have shown no regard for the businesses and individuals [...]
Our operators on the ground in Bangkok have been monitoring the current protests against the government. The number of the Red Shirt protesters seems to be lower than forecast, and they have made a concerted effort to protest peacefully–a very good sign. Organizers of the protest had predicted one million protesters would besiege the city, [...]