The Value of Tour Operators

Since the advent of online travel, observers have been making doomy predictions about the travel agent/tour operator sector, assuming that now consumers can make all their tour bookings online, they no longer need to go via agents such as ourselves.

There are several reasons why this hasn’t happened and probably won’t happen for a long time - one of them being that tour operators still get better rates from suppliers than direct customers ever could - but the chief reason was summed up neatly in an email we had from a recent customer.

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Iconic Cyclo Disappearing From Phnom Penh's Streets

The cyclo has been a distinctive feature of Phnom Penh's streets for 70 years, stretching back to the days when Cambodia was a French colony. But this form of transport has begun to fade away.

New York has its yellow cab. London has its red bus. But Phnom Penh has its cyclo - a three-wheeled bicycle with the driver perched on high above the rear wheel, and the passengers in a bucket seat slung between the two front wheels.

This iconic vehicle has proved a comfortable - if slow - way of getting around Cambodia's capital for the best part of a century. But that is changing.

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A Luxury Hideaway with Spectacular River and City Views

RiverWind is an idyllic rural hideaway located on the east bank of the Mekong River at Arexat Village, directly opposite the Royal Palace. Relax from the moment you alight from the boat into the lush tropical garden, scented with frangipani, jasmine and gardenia. Chill out by the private pool, where the only sound is the rustle of the river breeze in the palm trees. Unwind in a deckchair on the lawn and watch the river flow. Take in timeless sunsets over the urban skyline, or go on a sundown river cruise.

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Mont Mangengenge ... something for the weekend

Tranquility. Spirituality. Hiking. Three words you probably wouldn’t associate with a normal afternoon in Kinshasa. Yet all three can be had by anyone with a 4-wheel drive, a bit of energy, and a spare afternoon, and all within an hour’s drive of home.
Danny and I are always looking for new places to explore during weekends in Kinshasa. Both avid hikers, we are particularly interested in walking and climbing. Earlier this month two friends joined us for a visit to Mont Mangengengé, about 45 minutes east of Kinshasa.

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