Welcome to the Majestic Countries of Mekong

The Majestic Countries of Mekong
( Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand )

On behalf of GOLD BACKED I have the great honour to welcome you on your travels to the countries of the Mekong . The mighty Mekong River, starting from China and flowing down through Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and eventually ending in Vietnam, has been the life blood for civilizations since more than 5,000 years before the birth of Christ . The natural fertility that it brought to this region, has been the basis for the evolution of some of the most magnificent cultures in the world.

Be it Cambodia : "the Land of Angkor", or Myanmar "the Golden Land", or Laos : "the Kingdom of the Million Elephants", or Thailand : "the Land of

Smiles", or Vietnam : "the Land of Mountains and River Deltas" in every country touched by the Mekong River, you will be able to see and enjoy the gret cultures, the food and the beautiful scenery found no place else in the world.

The Mekong countries are now a region of peace and stability . It is safe to travel here because it is not touched by the major conflicts that plague other parts of our world . People from any country in the world, from any religion and ethnic background are welcomed e=with the same hospitality and friendliness that is the trademark of the Mekong people. To travel and relax here with peace of mind, will truly make your holiday the most enjoyable and memorable.

Travel in the Mekong countries is easy now. All countries have much better roads and means of transport, more air links, more border crossings for international travel, and very easy visa application . This is a real bonus for tourism because now everyone can make the trip that fits their interests, their budget and the time available. Both for short holidays or long holidays, one can now make any imaginable combination of country and region.

Most attractions can be found at a relatively short distance from each other. This gives travelers the opportunity to enjoy a combination of highlights such as leisure at Thailand's world class beaches, visit one of the Wonders of the Ancient world : Angkor Wat, visit the UNESCO's World Heritage sites in Laos and Vietnam , experience Myanmar's colourful ethnic minority groups, and do some serious shopping in Thailand.

And for those who like to have an active holiday , all this can be combined with adventure , trekking , home stay , mountain biking sea kayaking diving , rafting etc. etc.

The long-haul air links to the region from Japan, Australia, Europe and American have dramatically increased. Thailand remains the main gate way to travel to the Mekong, but there are also very good direct links through Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and Tokyo.

As a leading tour operator, GOLD BACKED, guarantees that you will not be disappointed. We have a proven track record of topquality services, which reliabitity and care, to the full satisfaction of our clients.

We have built long term cooperation with many travel agents all over the world . You can rely on us, and rest assured that your valued customers are in good hands.

This brochure presents a selection of the most popular tour progammes that we have on offer . However , this broucher is not exhaustive . Let your imagination play with you and we will be able to provide the tailor-made trips that will fit exactly the wishes and requirements of your clients.

Besides this we are also more than willingto work with travel agents to develop tour itineraries that will be the most attractive in your specific market.

We are looking forward to be at your service!

Oscar M. Lynn
General Manager, Gold Backed Travels & Tours.

Travel in the Mekong Region

New Frontiers to a unique experience

The 5 countries the comprise the Mekong Region attract millions of visitors from around the world every year. Yet at the same time they can be regarded as the last frontier of travel in Asia . Thailand is since long one of the world's major tourist destinations, but due to historical reasons very few people ventured beyond Thailand 's borders. Now, the start of the new millennium this has all drastically changed. The Mekong Regions is a zone of peace and stability. Previously isolated countries with closed borders have opened up, inaccessible areas can now be traveled because of better infra-structure, and safely and security are no longer a worry for the international traveler. As a result of these drastic changes the countries of the Mekong are being discovered as a new and exciting destination.

Covering a land area of about 2.3 million square kilometers and a population of roughly 237 million, the Mekong countries are endowed with an immensely rich cultural heritage and a kaleidoscope of stunning natural scenery. They are home to some of the world's must-see icons, including a large number of UNESCO-designated World Heritage sites. Their large diversity ethnic groups, each with their own languages customs, traditions, folklore, cuisine and history date back thousand of years. All these form unique cultural tourism products and destinations which appeal to visitors from all regions and all walks of life.

Each of the Mekong countries owns its specific inimitable natural charms, which serve tourists' desire to experience the outstanding and unique places. This coincides with the possibility to enjoy special interest out-door activities such as cycling, trekking, home stay, canoeing, kayaking, bird watching, diving. But also the possibility for example to follow an Asian cooking course or a traditional massage course, and of course last but not least: shopping and souvenirs hunting.

The proximity of the 5 countries and the accessibility via the inter-regional transportation modes by road, air and boat, make it possible to set up an unlimited variety of tour programmes, each with its own highlights catering for the wishes of the individual traveler.

Visiting more than 1 country

New Routes - itineraries that fit the traveler's dreams.

One of the exciting new aspects of traveling the Mekong countries is that travel between the various countries has become so easy. First of all there are many points where the border can be crossed by international travelers. Secondly at several of these border crossings and entry points it is possible to receive a visa on arrival. ( For more information please see under each country section ). And the third reason why travel has become so much easier is that the infrastructure by road and air has improved a lot, creating many more connections. So, all-in-all there are many more options for interesting travel routes. One can easily visit two or three countries in a single trip. Each traveler can design his/her tour itinerary that fits exactly what are their interests and the way they want to spend their interests and the way they want to spend their holidays. So it is not any longer a matter of having to chose between either one option and another option. Now it is possible to combine two or more highlights in the same trip. For example one can easily combine a visit to the hill people of Northern Laos with a week relaxation at one of Thailand 's superb beaches. Or one can travel over land from the magnificent landscape of Ha Long Bay in Vietnam , via the Temples of Angkor to the beach in Thailand . Etc. etc. Any combination is possible.

Also the tour itinerary can be set up in such a way that it fits the time is available for the holiday. It is possible to make the route longer or shorter in a very flexible way and one can choose between over-land travel and air-travel for various sectors of the route, thereby making the time spent exactly as required.

Note: for more information and details of each of the stopovers and places of sightseeing please see the specific country sections further in this brochure. Or send us an e-mail. It would be our pleasure to assist you or to receive your booking.

For further information about any these programmes or for any other assistance that you might need, please don't hesitate contact us by FAX or - e-mail. We would be happy to assist you in developing the perfect holiday of a life-time.

Linking to the Majestic Countries of Mekong ( Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand )