Mekong Stories are curated tales from the Mekong Region crafted by many talented creators from the industry. They depict the many multi-faceted faces of our wonderful industry. They talk about experiences, adventures, and especially people and the impact their work in the tourism industry made on their lives.
AT THE EXCELSIOR
IHHVTC is part of the Inle Heritage Foundation, a not-for-profit organization working to preserve and enhance the culture of Inle Lake and the people who call it home. The Foundation began as just “Heritage House”, a stilt building in the middle of the lake used as a sanctuary for Burmese cats being reintroduced to the country.
A NATURAL THING
Aung Kyaw Swar is the owner of A Little Eco Lodge, a small guesthouse on the outskirts of Nyaung Shwe. We are looking out on a field of a couple of acres where in a few months – and then only for several weeks – a hundred heads of sunflower will bloom. The sound of monks from the nearby monastery is receding into the distance.
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF…PAA VANHTHONG
Paa Vanhthong is on a mission! A nod to someone, a word to another one, she keeps going! The cotton is not going to wash itself… Ankles deep in the river, she picks a flat rounded rock to try to get rid of the indigo stains on her hands. She can keep on trying, her hands will always have this little tint of indigo, so specific to this community. […]
TOURISM, SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP & SUSTAINABILITY: HOW VOCATIONAL TRAINING IS FILLING A GAP
At the age of 11, Duong had to leave his family to make a living by shining shoes and selling newspapers. By chance, he was introduced to Hoa Sua School of the Disadvantaged Youth and received a scholarship for a culinary training program. After graduating, Duong worked at various restaurants across the country. The experience gained allowed him to build an international career and become the leader of the European kitchen at Maxx Royal Hotel, a five-star luxury resort in Turkey.
THE LIFE OF A QUILTER: A LOOK INTO HOW MEKONG QUILTS QUILTS QUILTS
“Two of my children dropped out from school. [And] my eldest son fell into depression when he was unable to find work after graduating,” Lan relayed. Not too long after and against all odds, Lan was recruited into Mekong Quilt’s first quilting team and
BAN BU: WHERE HANDMADE LEGACIES ARE MADE
Ban Bu’s name may appear in people’s mind as a community of artisans, yet it has more than that! Local lives, century-old market, murals at temple and the hard-to-find dessert. However, these amazing cultural handmade legacies here are fading with times.
PEDALLING FOR CHANGE, ONE TOUR AT A TIME
Tourism is the tool Samnang Nuonsimoeum a 17-year-old Cambodian and his fellow Liger Leadership Academy classmates have employed to bring about change within their communities.