NEWSLETTERJanuary 2017

01NEWSSaffron Travel News

02NEW TOURSLunar New Year Celebration

03DESTINATIONS

04FEATURESHotel & Restaurant Of The Month

05FOOD CORNERCaramelised Mackerel Your Travel Wish Lists

8 - 12 March, 2017

Saffron Travel is a boutique travel agency providing a full range of tourism services to in-bound visitors and travellers to South East Asia.

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Tet Wishes

In the year of the Red RoosterLet Saffron Travel be your life booster

Dear customers, partners and friendsIt's that time of year againTo be close to those near and dearAt the start of a new lunar year.Time also to relax and unravelTo make plans for the future and travelSo come to South East Asia Our warm welcome will amaze yaRich cultures and lush nature to exploreGreat histories and people and moreFine food, white beaches and sunWith family, or friends just for fun

All life is a journeySo choose one that's worthyEach trip is uniqueAs the person who seeksIt's our honour to plan A path for each child, woman and manNew year, new you, new everythingA holiday makes memories of many thingsIf we've met or provided service beforeWe wish you good luck and good fortune galoreFrom the depths of our hearts we thank youThis year's new friends, we can't wait to meet you

In the year of the Red RoosterLet Saffron Travel be your life booster

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8 - 12 March, 2017

Happy Tet 2017!

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NEWS

See latest travel news on our website: www.saffrontravel.net

8 - 12 March, 2017

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This Lunar New Year Holiday will begin on January 27 and end on February 03. During these 7 non-working holidays, the Vietnam Immigration Department and Vietnamese Embassies will close their offices. We therefore suggest that any applications for Viet-namese visas should be submitted as soon as possible to avoid delays.

Attractions, many museums, mausoleums, indoor exhibition spaces, galleries and local markets will be closed for at least 4 days from January 27 to February 31. Saffron Travel modifies itineraries during the Tet season in Vietnam when and where appropriate.

Tips For Travelling During Traditional New Year Or Tet in Vietnam

02

Saffron Travel will attend the ITB travel trade show in Berlin this March, in Hall 26C – booth 326. We will be very happy to meet part-ners, clients and friends there. Please email us to make an appoint-ment in advance at the following addresses:

marketing@saffrontravel.netlong@saffrontravel.net

ITB Berlin 2017 Announcement

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NEW TOURS

New tours recommended by Saffron Travel

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Spend Tet with a local family and see how and what they prepare for this the most significant celebration of the year. Join in different activities with the host, such as making Banh Chung – Vietnamese traditional cake made from sticky rice, caramelised pork with eggs and several types of sweets.

The tour includes a lunch / dinner with the hosts. Listen to their stories and learn more about Vietnamese Tet.

Celebrate Tet Like A True Vietnamese

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In Cambodia, people celebrate their traditional new year in April, nor-mally mid-April. Besides cleaning and decorating their houses to make sure New Year starts with luck and happiness, people also prepare fruits, cakes, flowers and incense sticks and bring them to a local pagoda for a blessing ceremony lead by monks.

Water blessing is a traditional practice that dates back to ancient times and is conducted in historic pagodas. Guest get a sarong whilst the monks chant harmoniously as they wish you good luck, safe travel and a peaceful life followed by a light sprinkling of water. This activity is for any travel-lers but best for newlyweds, honeymooners and family groups.

New Year in South East Asia is the time for family. People celebrate together and look forward to the best things to come. More than anything, it is a part of our traditions which cannot be missed. Vietnamese, Lao, Cambodian and Burmese celebrate new year at different times. This month, Vietnamese celebrate Lunar New Year, or Tet as it is known in Viet-namese. Saffron Travel can organize tours for guests to enjoy local festivities in the region helping visitors to learn more about local cultures and traditions.

Blessing Ceremony To Bring Peace And Happiness

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DESTINATIONS

Saffron Travel arranges tours across South East Asia

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Ha Giang is around 300km east of Hanoi and has been open to tourism for more than 6 years. The region has kept its stunning and untouched nature and is home to many ethnic minorities, including the Pupeo, the Lo Lo, the Dao, the H’mong and many more.

The surrounding areas boast massive limestone walls, granite outcrops everywhere, hanging valleys, rice terraces in the clouds and roads carved into the mountainside previously used for walk-ing or horse riding but now extended to cars and trucks.

Just like any other hidden and less touristy destinations, Ha Giang is not a luxury place however traveller can expect to stay in a local homestay which comfortable and clean. Ha Giang is beautiful all year round, but for the best time to travel to Ha Giang is from November to February. Each month, Ha Giang dresses itself with a different beauty. Between October and November, you can see Tam Giac Mach flower everywhere, whilst from November to December it’s time for the blanket of Kale flowers and during spring time, cherry blossoms bloom.

Ha Giang, A Heaven’s Gate In Vietnam

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Yandabo is a village on the Ayarwaddy River in central Myanmar. This small rural village has 400 houses, each of which is home from 5 to 10 people. It is specialized in pot making and one person here can make from 30 to 70 pots per day. Every product here is an iconic work of art. One of the most interesting facts here is that each family has their own design which is carved into the wooden paddles and because pottery seems to be the only income of the family, the pots are kept inside the house whilst most of the family members sleep outside.

The village still keeps its untouched beauty with a rustic feeling. Travellers can see pots everywhere in the village. Besides potters, visitors can also meet farmers and traders within the village. You are invited to take part in the process of making a pot using a potter’s wheel.

Yandabo Village, A Charming Village Of Burma

Saffron Travel arranges tours across South East Asia

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FEATURES

Hotel and Restaurant of the month recommended by Saffron Travel

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Orchid Cruise is a new luxurious 5-star cruise on Halong Bay. Orchid features 14 luxury cabins designed with very large windows opening out onto the sea. There are 4 types of cabin: Suite Cabin, Family Suite with connecting door, Premium Suite Cabin and Orchid Exclusive Suite. All cabins have a private balcony and modern amenities.

Orchid is also the first cruise operating a trip through Ha Long Bay – Bai Tu Long Bay – Lan Ha Bay with several highlights and unique experi-ences in untouched areas of the Bay. The restaurant on board provides a good view to look out from inside dining room and is also a nice place for meeting travellers from around the world. Orchid can make your trip a trip of a life time with a BBQ on the beach. All you need to do is to enjoy the sun, the sea and finally the delicious dinner under the um-brella.

Hotel Of The Month: Orchid Cruise, Halong Bay

Restaurant Of The Month: Shwe Sa Bwe Set on the north side of Inya Lake, Yangon, Shwe Sa Bwe is a unique dining option in Yangon. Managed and set up by French chefs, the restaurant not only serves excellent French cuisine with first-class service, but also offers training in French classical cooking for under-privileged young people. Whenever you visit, you are welcome to tour their kitchen and training centre should you wish to.

Shwe Sa Bwe is a cosy and pretty house built in a colonial style. It has a private garden which is perfect for a romantic dinner. Its menu changes weekly and it has a good collection of wines for guests to choose from. Radish mousse in lemongrass foam, salmon fillet in a Shan masala sauce or a classic coq au vin.

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FOOD CORNER

A perfect balanced dish with a pleasant surprise.

This recipe is a marriage of many different elements, balanced together perfectly. It is a lighter version of the popular traditional dish of cara-melised fish, Ca Kho. Great combinations of the salt with the pineapple and fish sauce with sugar. Pineapple is a secret ingredient and it’s a pleasant surprise!

Ingredients:- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped- 4 spring onions (scallions), bruised- 2 tbsp. fish sauce- ¼ tsp. dark soy sauce- 1 tsp oyster sauce - 2 tbsp. sugar- 3 mackerel cutlets (600 g )- 2 tbsp. vegetable oil

Preparation:- Use half the garlic, 2tbsp spring onions, fish sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar and 1tsp of salt to coat the fish. Marinate the fish for at least 15mins and please serve the marinate for use later.- Heat the pan with oil and add the cubed pineapple and stir-fry for a couple of minutes. Remove. Add more oil and brown the fish over medium heat.- Once the fish is browned on both sides, add the pineapple and the stock. Bring to boil. Remove any scum and turn down the heat to low. Simmer without any cover for at least 2omins or until stock level is halved.- Remove the fish first. Add the remaining garlic and hot chilli garlic oil to the pot along with black pepper to the sauce and stir to combine- Spoon sauce over the fish. Garnish with fresh coriander, spring onions and/or fresh chilli

- 300 g (10 ½ oz) pineapple- 200 ml (7 ft oz) chicken stock - 1 tbsp. fired garlic- 1 tbsp. garlic oil- 2 spring onions (scallions), sliced- 1 small handful coriander leaves- 1 bird’s eye chilli, finely chopped- 1 Lebanese (short) cucumber, sliced

Caramelised Mackerel With Pineapple