Tourism News South Africa

Marmalade Toast launches new luxury cruising products in Indochina

Marmalade Toast, a luxury boutique travel management company based in Bryanston, Johannesburg, has announced the launch of luxury cruising products in Indochina.
Marmalade Toast launches new luxury cruising products in Indochina

"The travel industry has become a bit of a meat market with agencies churning bookings at an alarming rate to try to ensure their business remains profitable in the current economic climate. We are different in that we believe all travel should be about the experience and that care and focus needs to be given to each passenger to ensure that the experience they have is a positive and fulfilling one - our focus is always the passenger," explained Lance van den Heever-Liebenberg, MD and owner of Marmalade Toast.

Having only recently returned to South Africa after living in South-East Asia and Indochina with his spouse and partner of ten years, David (who fulfils role of Travel Director at the agency), Van den Heever-Liebenberg wanted to introduce South-East Asia and Indochina to South Africans as more than a backpacker or budget holiday destination.

With luxury products that rival those found in the rest of the world (at a cost that is significantly less than their European or North American counterparts), partnered along with opportunities to experience the exotic and undiscovered, Indochina is poised to take centre stage in the international travel arena. This passion for the region that they called home has spurned a change in philosophy that see's the passenger being the primary focus of the business.

Exceptional service

"The passenger's experience determines whether or not they use you again. Exceptional service is lacking in this country and that is exactly what we wanted to give our customers - exceptional service. Exceptional service ensures that we do not have to churn bookings to make a profit. Our focus in on the small things, attention to detail, such as providing concierge services as a standard and the clients knowing that you are available 24 hours a day to assist them before, during or after their trip. We apply this belief and ethos to both our corporate and leisure clients. Our new products take this philosophy to a whole new level," stated Van den Heever-Liebenberg, "Each of the Indochina products is about travel from a bygone era; slow and romantic travel, giving guests time to take in the sights and sounds, the people and the culture - it is travel that focuses on the guest experience and not rushing through the sights in the guidebooks to tick off your list. The new products are about destinations that elicit a positive emotional response from the passenger all the while having their every need taken care of".

New products

The new products include:

  • Jewels of Halong Bay: Three days, two nights exploring Halong Bay on board the Halong Violet;
  • The Lost Civilization: Eight days, seven nights sailing on the mighty Mekong River from Saigon to Siem Reap on board the Jahan;
  • Discover Burma: Eleven nights sailing from along the Upper Ayeyarwady and through the three gorges from Mandalay to Yangon on board the uber-luxurious Sanctuary Ananda; and
  • The Mergui Explorer: Six days, five nights exploring the secluded and virtually untouched Mergui Archipelago on board a luxurious classic two-masted yacht.

    For more, go to www.marmaladetoast.co.za

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