Reaching for the past legends of IndochinaPrepared by Harold Stephens
Travel Correspondent for Thai Airways International
We all long for days past. How any times do we hear it said: “Those were the days.” We have to admit, travelling back then had a romance all its own. Of course, unless we had a rich uncle who died and left us his money, or else if we were in the government service, all we could do was dream. Not all of us could travel back then. For those travellers who did manage to reach Southeast Asia, it was a once-in-a-lifetime trip. Now, with jet travel the way it is, we can all enjoy the benefits of travel but, nevertheless, we still look back to the old days for romance. But not all is lost. Reaching for the past through Legends of IndoChina makes it possible once again.
It all started in 1999 when Southeast Asia’s most respected names in the travel business––legend hotels, famous rail lines and river steamers–– joined forces in a marketing alliance known as “Legends of IndoChina.”
As a result of the members of Legends unifying under one name, travellers today looking for romance and new ways to experience Southeast Asia have not one but two suggested Legends of IndoChina tours to choose from. But one doesn’t necessarily have to join the Grand Tours to enjoy the Legends of IndoChina. Thai Airways with Royal Orchid Holidays at the helm flies to all the destination beginning with Thailand and on to Singapore, Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, some seven countries with twelve service members.
Legends of IndoChina Grand Tours links all twelve members together, however, they include not only hotels but trains and cruises as well. These members are Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok; Raffles Hotel, Singapore; Raffles Grand Hotel D’Angkor, Siem Reap; Raffles Hotel Le Royal, Phnom Penh; Sofitel Metropole, Hanoi; Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi, Chiang Mai; The Governor’s Residence, Yangon; La Residence Phou Vao, Luang Prabang; Road to Mandalay, Myanmar; Eastern & Oriental Express, Singapore – Thailand; Trisara, Phuket; and Chiva Som, Hua Hin.
Many of the general managers of these hotels are legends in themselves. General Manager Kurt Wachtveitl of Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok, for example, took over management of the hotel forty years ago and under his tutelage the hotel grew from a modest hotel on the river to a listing as the Number One hotel in the world, voted by business travellers. Kurt is a firm believer of Legends. “Legends of IndoChina is about providing our guests a seamless transition from one property to another, orchestrated by the general managers themselves.”
Philippe Bissig, General Manager of The Governor’s Residence in Yangon is no new comer to Southeast Asia, and he’s a warehouse of knowledge of Southeast Asia, He headed up the Novotel in Mandalay twenty years ago and adds to his credit a long list of hotels in Southeast Asia, all on the route of the Legends of Indochina––Sofitel in Hua Hun, Sofitel in Angkor Wat and Metropole in Hanoi. I asked him about Legends: “The Legends is really an exciting association, from different ownerships and different companies but we get together because we really feel that this is a tool in which we can gain leverage to benefit us all and give the traveler an experience that Southeast Asia hasn’t seen in decades,” He went on to add: “We don’t sell rooms; we sell memories.”
This timeless elegance and grace of bygone eras is what counts. On the Grand Tour one can travel from Raffles in Singapore, via Malaysia to Bangkok on the Eastern & Oriental Express. Maybe the world-renowned Oriental Hotel in Bangkok is the traveller’s taste, while for others a leisurely overnight Rice Barge cruise to the ancient Thai capital of Ayutthaya. Then there’s Myanmar and a cruise on the Ayeyarwady River. And we can’t forget Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. The hotels in these places are almost as old as the land itself. Legends of IndoChina takes us into the past. Laos and Cambodia give the traveler the chance to explore times forgotten in ancient capitals while living in both charm and splendor in such hotels such as the Settha Palace in Vientiane and the Grand Hotel D’Angor in Siem Reap. Vietnam also provides an ancient capital of both historic and more recent recognition at Hue and the World Heritage listed city or Hoi An. While the Metropole Hotel in Hanoi is a must stay destination to complement any Southeast Asia Legends tour.
Pictured in a group photo on the right, during a recent gathering in Singapore are, seated from left: Nandeeta Byrne, Regional Director of Sales & Marketing, Orient-Express Hotels, Trains & Cruises; Anthony Lark, General Manager, Trisara, Phuket; Amy Ang, Director of Sales, Raffles Hotels & Resorts; Kurt Wachtveitl, General Manager, Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok; Leesa Lovelace, General Manager, Eastern & Oriental Express; and Paul Linder, General Manager, Chiva-Som, Hua Hin. Standing from left are: Anton Kilayko; Jeremie de Fombelle, General Manager, La Residence Phou Vao; Iwakiri Kunihiro, Director of Sales & Marketing, Raffles Hotel Le Royal; Richard Yap, Hotel Manager, Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor; Thomas Meier, Vice-President, Operations, Raffles Hotels & Resorts; Andrew Hartley, Director of Sales & Marketing, Sofitel Metropole Hanoi; and Mark Bradford, General Manager, Mandarin Oriental Dhava Dhevi, Chiang Mai.
In the past I have written for Weekly Travel Feature about many of these grand hotels, and in my book “At Home in Asia” I devoted a chapter to Kurt Wachtveitl, GM of The Mandarin Oriental Bangkok. It’s a revealing story how Kurt got start in the hotel business. In the coming months I plan to visit many of the hotels in the Legends, ride the Oriental Express from Bangkok to Singapore and cruise on the Road to Mandalay. The name Road to Mandalay might be somewhat confusing for the road in this case is the Ayeyarwady River in Yanmar. I recently had a taste for cruising the rivers of Myanmar when I sailed aboard the Pandaw up the Chindwin River. It was a magnificent journey into the past––villages along the banks of the river haven’t chanted in hundreds of years–-and now I look forward to then Road to Mandalay. The ship is now being refurbished and will be operational in August next year. I will be sincere in my evaluation and give readers an honest review.
I will begin net week with the Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok. QUESTIONS & ANSWERSI encourage readers to write in and I will attempt to answer questions that may be puzzling them about Thailand, or anyplace that THAI flies.
Q. Mr. Stephens, We will let you settle the debate between my husband and me. We have decided to come to Thailand for a vacation and want to spend time at the beach. Phuket sounds good. We also want to do some travelling. My husband was in the US Army during the Vietnam War and wants to travel to Laos. He says he only saw it from the air and would now like to see it from the ground. I want to go to Angkor War, ever since I can remember. We only have two weeks. What do you suggest? Barbara Wyckoff, Pasadena, California.
A. Dear Barbara, You certainly put me on a spot. But I’ll be honest. Thai Airways has domestic flights that can take you to all the destinations without loosing time. You can take a direct international flight to Phuket, soak up the sun in a week of fun on the beach, and then make flights to two destinations in Laos and the other destination to Cambodia. A few days in each destination and you both will be happy.
Harold Stephens
Bangkok
E-mail: ROH Weekly Travel (booking@inet.co.th)
Note: The article is the personal view of the writer and does not necessarily reflect the view of Thai Airways International Public Company Limited. | 
