Booking.com recently announced a long-term strategic partnership with Klook, Asia's leading travel and experiences platform, offering travellers easy access to a wider range of attractions and activities directly on Booking.com in over 175 cities, across more than 30 markets in the Asia Pacific region.
Klook is the latest attractions partner of Booking.com in addition to the current collaboration between Musement and Viator. Booking.com currently offers the must-dos from tours and theme parks alongside the more niche and unusual attractions in over 1,100 destinations around the world, all of which are now instantly bookable in a couple of taps on Booking.com.
For Thailand, this kind of offering enables travellers to explore popular activities or unexpected experiences, such as observing the city view at Baiyoke Sky Hotel, the iconic skyscraper in Bangkok, and exploring the scenic nature of Doi Inthanon National Park in Chiang Mai, or enjoying a long soak in the therapeutic Wareerak Hot Spring in Krabi.
Wyndham to manage Blue Lotus Hua Hin
Wyndham Destinations Asia Pacific has signed an agreement to manage the 194-key Blue Lotus Hua Hin -- previously Evason Hua Hin under Six Senses -- which will join the global portfolio of hospitality franchising leader Wyndham Hotels & Resorts as Wyndham Hua Hin Pranburi Resort & Villas.
Positioned in Pranburi, close to Hua Hin, Wyndham Hua Hin features an incredible array of facilities, including four tennis courts; four courts for North American pickleball; a skate park; archery range; beach volleyball courts; fitness room; children's club and meeting rooms. Accommodation ranges from studios and family suites with expansive private terraces to breathtaking 90m² to 110m² villas, each with a private plunge pool, sun loungers and a large daybed within a private walled garden.
Visit wyndhamhotels.com.
Get in the Halloween mood at The Standard Hua Hin
The Standard Hua Hin is hosting Halloween activities from Oct 28-31 with atmospheric black and red lighting and eerie installations in lush, tropical gardens. In these supernatural surroundings, kids can get into the spirit of the season with traditional trick or treat activities all around the resort.
As a special culinary treat, chef Ox from The Banana Ketchup Restaurant will bring his original style of Caribbean tapas to guests at The Lido on Oct 28 and 29.
The Standard Hua Hin will also uncover the ancient art of tarot at Praça on Oct 29 and 30. Often mistakenly believed to be a dark art, tarot is actually a highly spiritual practice that involves meditation and creative visualisation. Khun Bia, a tarot expert, will show travellers how to use the cards to build self-awareness and achieve personal healing. Alternatively, Teaspoon Studio will be staging craft workshops at The Lido on Oct 29, and a Halloween tattoo machine will be in the lobby for friends who want a lasting reminder of the occasion.
There will also be an outdoor cinema from Oct 28-30 featuring screenings of movies including Sleepy Hollow, Ghostbusters and The Adams Family.
Visit standardhotels.com/hua-hin.
Melia Chiang Mai offering special winter deal
Meliá Chiang Mai is offering a two-night package that features a celebratory afternoon tea for two.
The "Sparkling Joy Package" is underscored by a minimum two-night stay in a Meliá Room booked between Nov 15 and Dec 10 for a stay between Dec 15 and Jan 15 (except Dec 16-17 and 23-25).
The package includes the "Festive Sparkling Afternoon Tea" for two at the hotel's lobby lounge Ruen Kaew. The afternoon tea comprises sweet and savoury Spanish favourites and a choice of either two glasses of Sangria or Spanish Cava as well as tea and coffee once per stay.
Daily buffet breakfast for two at the hotel's all-day dining restaurant Laan Na Kitchen, which specialises in authentic Mediterranean cuisine, and complimentary access to Wi-Fi are also included.
The package is priced at 6,399 baht per room per night from Sunday to Thursday and 7,149 baht per room per night for Friday and Saturday.
Call 052-090-699 or email reservation.chiangmai@melia.com.
Travelling to Laos gets easier with new flights
New flight routes are opening this month that will provide a broader range of options for travellers hoping to visit Laos, as LaoSafe certification of the country's two airlines, Lao Airlines and Lao Skyway, will ensure that passengers can be confident boarding a flight with high hygiene standards.
Both of Laos' airlines have now been fully certified under the SafeFlight standard, one of a series of health and hygiene certifications under the LaoSafe programme. SafeFlight ensures that cabin crew and flight staff abide by strict hygiene regulations to ensure a clean and comfortable flight for passengers.
According to the SafeFlight standards, all airline personnel must follow health and hygiene protocols set in place for maximum cleanliness. This includes undergoing daily temperature screening, frequent environmental cleaning and disinfection, wearing masks in the airport and for the duration of the flights, wearing gloves when handling travellers' personal belongings, regularly washing hands, and providing safety amenities to passengers.
Flights connecting Hanoi and Chiang Mai with the Unesco World Heritage town of Luang Prabang will be available in the coming months. Lao Airlines has also increased the frequency of its popular route between Vientiane and Seoul, a firm favourite for Korean tourists, as well as an important transit link for other long-haul travellers. Lao Airlines also offers flights to and from major regional destinations such as Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City and Siem Reap.
