Adventure Travel Network (ATN) is an international network of DMCs around the world, primarily specialised in adventure & nature tours, and focusing on customised trips. We asked Laurent Holdener – Founder & Director – Terre Cambodge to tell us more about ATN’s activities in Asia.
We have always been strong in African and Asian continents, with numerous agencies based locally. We are willing to share our expertise in creating unique tours for tour operators looking for new products.
Laurent, we notice you have on your booth your colleague from Laos. Can you tell us more about the unique selling points of Laos for the Chinese market?
Firstly, geographically, Laos borders China. While obviously there are overland crossing possibilities in Mohan / Boten (province of Luang Namtha). Northern Laos is particularly suitable to nature-based activities like hiking. The slopes are not steep and the landscapes are stunning, with scattered ethnic minority people villages, century old wild tea trees in Phongsaly, hot natural springs in Muang La area and amazing forests, like the Nam Ha National Protected Area (NPA).
Laos is a safe, secure and stable destination. It is a slow-paced, calm, quiet, serene, relaxing and still very authentic country. It also has very little air pollution, as there are few industries. These are strong arguments for urban Chinese visitors, often coming from polluted cities. The Chinese are building a high-speed railway across Laos, to link Kunming / Yunnan to Vientiane, the capital of Laos. The railway will eventually go across to Thailand to connect Bangkok and further south Singapore.
We offer multi-sport activities: trekking deep into the jungle, far from people, close to the animals and nature. Then there’s kayaking, surrounded by the verdant jungle where one can navigate through lush greenery and dense growth of trees along the Kampot River. Explore Cambodian “Cuisine” with its local flavours on a journey full of surprises. Meals are balanced between cooked and raw, solid and liquid, sweet, sour, salty and bitter. For an interesting experience, travellers can stay in a village with the local people, surrounded by spectacular primary jungle offering a wide panel of possibilities for nature enthusiasts. Off the beaten track adventure journeys are managed by Terre Cambodge.