|
DISCOVER THE BOLAVEN PLATEAU
A FERTILE LAND OF HISTORY
The Bolaven Plateau is an elevated region which extends over Champasak, Salavan, Xekong and Attapeu Provinces in southern Laos. Located between the Annamite Mountain Range, the region’s temperate climate makes it a coffee grower’s paradise, and its superb waterfalls and numerous small villages are sure to enchant. The plateau derives its name from the Laven ethnic group, which has historically dominated the region.
Explore sites from the Secret War, where undercover USAF pilots known as the Ravens and the CIA led various clandestine actions to cut off the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Take a jeep tour along a rustic trail that passes through rolling farmland on your way to dazzling cascades. En route, visit a coffee plantation to learn more about the production process. Interact with Laven people and hike up Mystic Mountain, an extinct volcano where the ruins of a former North Vietnamese special base still remain. Below the summit, take in the panoramic view overlooking this historic land
|
|
|
|
|
EXPERIENCE THE RIVERFRONT
WONDERLAND OF BOPING
The village of Boping is located on the banks of the Stung Sen River, a major tributary of Cambodia’s Tonle Sap Lake. This picturesque village sits between marshy wetlands and rice fields, in the heart of a plain that moves with the flow of Southeast Asia’s biggest freshwater lake. Bordered by a mangrove forests, the area is home to an incredible number of exotic species which prosper amidst a shimmering landscape seasonally flooded by the lake’s sacred waters.
Traverse this aquatic wonderland between sky and water, a founding pillar of Kambuja, also called country born from water. Become immersed in local life with a family living deep within the countryside. During the green season, kayak across small canals and flooded paddy fields, then learn timeless Khmer fishing techniques. During the dry season, take a bike tour along the river and visit a local sustainable development project supported by Secret Indochina. Partake in a rice farming experience and learn how to prepare regional delicacies. At dusk, enjoy a delicious Khmer barbecue while taking in the remarkably beautiful, authentic scenery
|
|
|
FOLLOW THE TRAIL OF
THE CHAMPA EMPIRE'S LEGENDARY TREASURES
For centuries, the South China Sea was known by navigators throughout Asia as the Champa Sea, named for the ancient Kingdom of Champa – an enduring power that lasted over 1,500 years in central and southern Vietnam. This collection of four Indian-influenced Kingdoms was established in 192 AD and inhabited by the Cham, a people from the Malayo-Polynesian language family. The Champa had an unrivaled fleet that they used for commerce and piracy. In 1832, the Vietnamese Emperor Minh Mang set out to crush the last vestiges of Cham autonomy and annexed the last Cham Kingdom, the Panduranga. Most of the Cham population fled to Cambodia, and legend has it that some of the Cham princes hid their treasures in nearby mountains.
In the early 20th century, the prominent archaeologist Henri Parmentier and the apostolic missionary E-M Durand from French School of the Far East made found and preserved some of these secret jewels. The world’s largest collection of Cham sculpture is now housed at the Danang Cham Museum, which Parmentier established in 1919. However, many of most decadent jewels such as royal tiaras, artifacts, and precious antiquities from the Champa’s golden age remain hidden. Legend has it that they are well-guarded by the camonei, the intermediate between the spirit of deified princes and their devoted successors
|
|
Secret Indochina was established in 2011, following the encounter of two professionals, Tran Quang Hieu and Nicolas Vidal, passionate about authentic travel. Secret Indochina, DMC branch of Amica JSC, strives to lead travellers to outstanding sites, magical places, and little-known ethnic communities
READ MORE
|
|
|
|
