Southeast Asia Travel Notes

This photo was taken in the north of Laos , in a small Akha village. The Akha are hill tribe of subsistence farmers known for their artistry. The ethnic group may have originated in Mongolia around 1500 years ago. Most of the remaining Akha people are now distributed in small villages among the mountains of China, Laos (where they are considered Lao Sung ), Myanmar (Burma), and northern Thailand. Lao Sung (or more commonly Lao Soung) is an official Laos PDR designation for highland dwelling... Read Full Story

Chiang Mai Zoo Aquarium Chiang Mai Zoo Aquarium, the biggest and largest under water world in Asia. Chiang mai Zoo Aquarium is a living museum that boasts South East Asoa’s longest and most spacious underwater pathways- crystal clear "Sea Tube" tunnels that place the observer directly in the center of enormous 360 degrees aquatic habitats. Each of six individual exhibits showcase a distinct environment, completely self-contained, and carefully populated with an anthentic cross... Read Full Story

Founded in 2009, JADEtribe ’s handmade bags and jewelry are the result of designer Kimberly Hartman’s journey across Asia. To learn more about the line’s unique origins, I asked Kimberly about her travels, the process of making these one-of-a-kind pieces, and how her eco-friendly accessories help the women who created them. JADEtribe designer Kimberly Hartman in Laos, helping with the production of the Nicole Tote . You founded JADEtribe after a long trip through Asia. What was the... Read Full Story

Severe drought has dropped the Mekong River to its lowest level in nearly 20 years, halting some cargo traffic and boat tours on the Asian waterway that is the lifeblood for 65 million people in six countries, a draft report said. The decrease was caused largely by an early end to the 2009 wet season and low rainfall during the monsoons, rather than dams built upstream in China, according to documents drafted by the Mekong River Commission. "At this stage there is no indication that the... Read Full Story

Water levels in the northern Mekong River are at record-low levels, posing a threat to water supply, navigation and irrigation along a stretch of water that is home to millions, a regional official said. Northern Thailand, northern Laos and southern China have all been affected, Jeremy Bird, chief executive officer of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) secretariat, told AFP. "The flows are much lower than we've got records on in the last 20 years," said Bird, whose inter-governmental body... Read Full Story

BANGKOK (AP) - Severe drought has dropped the Mekong River to its lowest level in nearly 20 years, halting some cargo traffic and boat tours on the Asian waterway that is the lifeblood for 65 million people in six countries, a draft report said. The decrease was caused largely by an early end to the 2009 wet season and low rainfall during the monsoons, rather than dams built upstream in China, according to documents drafted by the Mekong River Commission. "At this stage there is no... Read Full Story

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Tigers in the Greater Mekong region are facing extinction, their numbers down more than 70 percent in slightly more than a decade due to poachers and habitat destruction, conservationists say. A new report by wildlife group WWF says tiger populations in the region that includes Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam have fallen to 350 from an estimated 1,200 in 1998. Globally, tiger populations are at an all-time low of 3,200, down from an estimated 5,000 to 7,000... Read Full Story

Governments must act decisively to prevent the extinction of tigers in Southeast Asia's Greater Mekong region, where numbers have plunged more than 70 percent in 12 years, the WWF said Tuesday. The wild tiger population across Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam has dropped from an estimated 1,200 in 1998 -- the last Year of the Tiger -- to around 350 today, according to the conservation group. The report was released ahead of a landmark three-day conference on tiger conservation... Read Full Story

Governments must act decisively to prevent the extinction of tigers in Southeast Asia's Greater Mekong region, where numbers have plunged more than 70 percent in 12 years, the WWF said Tuesday. The wild tiger population across Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam has dropped from an estimated 1,200 in 1998 -- the last Year of Tiger -- to around 350 today, according to the conservation group. The report was released ahead of a landmark three-day conference on tiger conservation... Read Full Story

US lawmakers back from a trip to Laos said they saw no signs of ill-treatment of ethnic Hmong recently expelled from Thailand, but rights advocates voiced fear they would face persecution later. Thailand last month defied US, UN and EU appeals and forcibly repatriated some 4,500 Hmong into Laos. The Hmong, a hill people, fought alongside US forces in the Vietnam War, bringing the wrath of the communist Lao government. Three US congressmen active on Asian affairs -- Anh "Joseph" Cao, Eni... Read Full Story