A wildly-coloured gecko, a fish that looks like a gherkin, and a monkey with an Elvis-like hairstyle are among the more than 200 new species discovered in the Greater Mekong region last year.

The area’s diversity is so astonishing that a new species is found every two days, but regional cooperation and decision-making must take centre stage to preserve its richness, the group added.

Read the full story from Reuters.

Offer: 15% off Best of Thailand dive cruise
Boat: S/Y Oriental Siren
Dates: 25th January – 4th February 2011
Price: was 2300 Euro now 1955 Euro per person sharing

This 10-night cruise departs from Chalong Bay in the south of Phuket and heads out to Koh Phi Phi & the Similan Islands. Leopard sharks, black tip reef sharks and nurse sharks can all be seen cruising the reefs or resting on the sandy bottom. Seahorses, harlequin shrimp and schools of barracuda along with manta rays, warm water and great viz offer a superb way to start the year.

Click here to learn more and to book.

Bangkok’s second airport, Don Muang, has been closed due to floods causing a cancellation of many domestic flights.

The airport also houses the government’s recently established emergency Flood Relief Operations Center, and one of its terminals has been converted into an overcrowded shelter filled with tents for about 4,000 people who fled waterlogged homes.

Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, the country’s main international gateway, has yet to be affected by flooding and flights there were operating normally. Most of the city has been spared inundation so far.

Thailand diving is still amongst the World’s best and a 10 night cruise to Phi Phi, the Similan Islands & Richelieu rock will show you why. Leopard sharks, seahorse, harlequin shrimp and schools of barracuda. Manta rays, warm water and great viz – a great way to start end the year.

Dates: 20-30 November 2011
Price: Was 2300 Euro, now 1840 Euro per person sharing a cabin
Boat: Oriental Siren

This monthly offer is valid for new bookings only between 1st and 30th September 2011.

Contact Symbiosis to book

Bring your friend aboard the lovely Mekhala converted rice barge for FREE!

Cruise in luxury up the River of Kings from Bangkok to the former Siamese capital of Ayutthaya (or vice versa), and overnight trip, sleeping aboard in the Mekhala’s deluxe, air-conditioned cabins.

Dates:
28/29 June (upstream)
4/5, 6/7, 18/19 & 27/29 July (upstream)
5/6, 7/8 & 28/29 July (downstream)
12/13, 26/27 & 31 Aug/01 Sept (upstream)
6/7, 23/24 & 27/28 Aug (downstream)
21/22 & 28/29 Sept (upstream)
1/2, 13/14, 22/23 & 29/30 Sept (downstream)
7/8, 10/11, 21/22, & 24/25 Oct (upstream)
8/9, 13/14 & 22/23 (downstream)

Contact Symbiosis to reserve your berths now.

For Family: 2 full paying adults traveling with up to 2 children (less than 12 years), children will be accommodated in separate room free of charge
.
For Couples: 1 full paying adult with the second person receives 50% discount from the current rate (for new booking with specified date only)

Programmes and Availability

Lisu Lodge

Lisu and Lanna Trekking 4 Days / 3 Nights:
16-19 Apr, 21-24 Apr, 23-26 Apr, 26-29 Apr
7-10 May, 17-20 May,
Lisu Trekking 3 Days / 2 Nights:
17-19 Apr, 19-21 Apr, 21-23 Apr, 22-24 Apr, 28-30 Apr
19-21 May, 21-23 May, 25-27 May
2-4 Jun, 29 Jun-1Jul
Lisu and Lanna Soft Adventure 3 Days / 2 Nights:
13-15 Apr, 14-16 Apr, 17-19 Apr,
21-23 Apr, 24-26 Apr, 25-27 Apr
2-4 May
Lisu Lodge Soft Adventure 2 Days / 1 Night:
13-14 Apr
2-3 May, 15-16 May
2-3 Jun, 9-10 Jun, 18-19 Jun, 26-27 Jun, 30 Jun-1 Jul
Lisu Lodge Experience 2 Days / 1 Night, afternoon arrival:
14-15 Apr, 17-18 Apr, 25-26 Apr, 30 Apr-1 May
8-9 Jun, 19-20 Jun
Lisu Lodge Experience 2 Days / 1 Night, morning arrival:
13-14 Apr
8-9 May, 13-14 May

Khum Lanna

Khum Lanna Thai Country Living 2 Days / 1 Night, afternoon arrival:
1-2 May
Khum Lanna Thai Country Living 2 Days / 1 Night, morning arrival:
12-13 Apr, 15-16 Apr, 29-30 Apr
4-5 May

Lanjia Lodge

Lanjia Lodge Adventure Trekking 3 Days / 2 Nights:
11-13 May
Lanjia Lodge Half-day Trekking 2 Days / 1 Night:
22-23 Apr
Hmong Experience 2 Days / 1 Night, afternoon arrival:
13-14 Apr, 15-16 Apr, 24-25 Apr

Cruise on Thailand’s mighty Chaophraya RIver between Bangkok and the ancient capital of Ayutthaya aboard a luxury converted rice barge. Valid only from now until June 2011, and applicable to the following departure dates:

April 4, 13-14 & 18-19, upriver; April 16-17 & 30 Apr – 01 May, downriver.
Prices – Upstream: THB 8,050; Downstream: THB 6,450

May 01-02,09-10, 11-12, 16-17 & 23-24, upriver; May 05-06, 10-11, 12-13, 17-18, 19-20 & 24-25, downriver.
Prices – Upstream: THB 8,050; Downstream: THB 6,450

June 06-08, 24-25 & 27-28, upriver; June 07-08 & 28-29, downriver.
Prices – Upstream: THB 8,050; Downstream: THB 6,450

Only while spaces last.

Cruises are 2 days, 1 night long aboard the Mekhala Rice Barge. Pay for one and take your partner along with you for free.
Contact Symbiosis Custom Travel to book now.

20% OFF for last minute bookings on the following 2 Mermaid dive cruises:

April 8 to 11 : Hin Daeng weekend 2 days/3 nights – 8 dives  - 2 person deluxe available at EUR 440, less 20% last minute special !

April 11 to 15 : Similans/Richelieu Rock – 4 days/4 nights – 14 dives - 3 spaces, deluxe cabin, available at EUR 990, less 20% last minute special ! 

Combine the 2 for the best of Thailand diving.

Enquire here!

One space has just become available on the S/Y Oriental Siren‘s last Andaman Islands safari, departing 8 April. Be quick! Click the link above for details.

Last chance to book one of these heavily discounted liveaboard dive sfaris with the Siren Fleet. These March special offers are for trips booked between 1st and 31st March only.

Mandarin Siren
18-29 JUL 2011: North Sulawesi – was €2,500, less 15% => 2,125 Euro

Philippine Siren
23 JUL-02 AUG: Southern Visayas – was €2,400, less 30% => 1,680 Euro

Maldives Siren
25 OCT- 04 NOV 2011: Northern B – was €2,400, less 15% => 2,040 Euro

Oriental Siren
12-22 DEC 2011: Best of Thailand – was €2,300, less 20% => 1,840 Euro

Contact Symbiosis Custom Travel now to book.

In case you missed last month’s blog following my New Year visit to Preah Vihear… before the latest round of skirmishes started… here it is again: http://www.symbiosis-travel.com/blog/2011/01/07/preah-vihear-cambodia-30-dec-2010/

I will try to find time to post some more shots shortly.

Perched on the top of a 525m high escarpment on the northern border with Thailand, Cambodia’s Preah Vihear temple has become a source of tension between the 2 neighbours in recent months – a dispute that has been simmering since 1962 when the International Court of Justice awarded ownership of the The Angkor-era temple to Cambodia.

Until very recently, Preah Vihear Temple had been extremely difficult to reach from the Cambodian side, with a treacherous winding climb up a steep, rocky road, assailable only on foot, or by the hardiest of 4WD vehicle or trail bike. Last year the narrow track was improved with some stretches receiving a concrete coating. Now, however, the Cambodian military are in the process of gouging a huge cutting out of the mountainside, and I am sure that soon we will see tourist buses making the ascent all the way to the top.

Preah Vihear temple comprises 5 levels climbing from the north to the pinnacle of the cliff top that faces south over the jungle pains of northern Cambodia. Building started on the temple in the 9th Century, though most of what remains now were built during the peak of the Angkorian Kingdom’s powers from the 11th to 12th centuries.

Having driven with some difficulty up the final stretch of “road” over rough, barren rock, we found ourselves on the level of the second lowest temple where Cambodian soldiers had set up a shelter housing long range binoculars on a tripod through which to observe activities on another peak 800m away in Thailand. They giggled as they allowed me to peer through them, but I couldn’t see any tanks… or even Thai uniformed soldiers… threatening imminent invasion.

First descending to the lowest level we went to inspect the coils of barbed wire, designed to prevent incursions by Thais or Khmers into each other’s territories – an act guaranteed to inflame the situation. Indeed, only one day earlier 7 Thais, including one parliamentarian from the ruling Democrat Party, were arrested by Cambodian forces for illegally crossing the border into Cambodian territory and are presently being held in Prey Say Prison. The extensive tourist market there lies largely abandoned while the border remains firmly closed to Thai tourists.

Climbing through the many levels you pass several libraries, a royal bathing pool and numerous bunkers built by the Vietnamese during the period of occupation in the 1980′s, some of them running into or under the ancient monuments. Once you reach the you the views are impressive – though somewhat changed from my first visit 21 years ago. Then you would gaze out over a blanket of deep green, pristine rainforest, punctuated only by the muffled sound of Khmer Rouge mortars going off in the far distance. Now there are twisting red scars, marking new roads under construction, and and numerous plumes of smoke as more and more forest is cleared to make way for farms and military instalments.

The drive north to Preah Vihear Temple from T’beng Meancheay is now an almost completed, sealed, tarmac road, that promises to be one of the best in Cambodia. After visiting the temples we continued west to Anlong Veng along smooth laterite, from where the roads south to Siem Reap now are all black top. Soon there will be 40-seater buses from Angkor ferrying tourists to Preah Vihear temple in a single day return journey!

The time to visit is now!

Stay 4 Nights Pay 3 Nights ONLY – EARLY BIRD booking special offer at YaiYa Resort, available for bookings made before 31st Dec 2010. YaiYa Resort is located in Hua Hin, a charm and traditional beach destination of Thailand, just about 3 hours by car from Bangkok.

Offer conditions: booking for period of stay between 09th JANUARY till 16th APRIL 2011. Applied to room types: Deluxe Sea Terrace, Suite Sea Terrace, SaSala Pool Villa

Alongside with this offer, you will also enjoy the following additional benefits as well:

• 20% Discount on Food and Non-Alcoho Beverage
• 20% Discount for all treatments at YaiYa Spa
• 10% Discount at YaiYa Shop
• Complimentary Wi-Fi Internet throughout the property
• Complimentary coffee and tea in room

Contact Symbiosis now for booking

How about celebrating Valentine’s Day (or a few days afterwards) with a romantic hot air balloon flight in Southern Thailand?

The 2011 Hua Hin Ballooning Festival will be taking place from 12 February to 6 March and you can join in if you wish. Flights will float off just after sunrise each day from the Hua Hin Hills Vineyard for a leisurely one hour flight. Each skippered by a professional Balloon Pilot, you will then fly over beautiful rolling hills countryside, before setting down for a private Champagne Breakfast Tent.

The Hua Hin Hills Vineyard is built on a former elephant corral where wild Asian elephants used to be domesticated. Covering some 600 acres with 160 acres of plantation area, its varietals and experimental plots include a range of variety of grapes including Colombard, Chenin Blanc, Muscat, Shiraz. Sangiovese and Tempranillo. The harvest is taken between February and March.

At an elevation of 140 to 210 meters above sea level, the weather feels cool and dry. Each flight carries 5 passengers plus a pilot and the experienced crew will be on hand to guide guests through the experience.

Prices range from THB12,000 per person for guests of the Rest Detail hotel Hua Hin, or B15,000 for non-guests.