ON YOUR  BIKES

To celebrate the tenth anniversary of Siem Reap’s  Paul Dubrule hospitality school, a 3-day cycling rally from Bangkok to Siem Reap has been organised, in collaboration with the Accor Group of hotels which of course in Siem Reap includes the magnificent Sofitel.

David Baldwin, the newly appointed general manager of  Accor’s Novotel Bangkok on Siam Square hotel, issued a statement inviting support for the Accor Siam to Siem Cycle fundraising ride.

He said, “This  ambitious trip of nearly 400 kilometers  will bring together Accor team members from all over the world to challenge themselves, while raising money to help children in need.”

Baldwin added that he will be personally representing the Accor hotels on the ride which begins in Bangkok on October 19, and finishes in Siem Reap on October 21.

He added, “All funds raised will provide educational scholarship funds to provide Cambodian children the opportunity to study and change their lives at the esteemed Ecole d’Hotellerie et de Tourisme Paul Dubrule. This will mark the 10 year anniversary of the school, where over 1,200 students to date have received valuable career training.”

Gerald Hougardy, director of L’Ecole Paul Dubrule said, “This will be the perfect opportunity for all to commemorate the 12000-kilometre odyssey accomplished on a bicycle 10 years ago by our founder, Monsieur Paul Dubrule, for the opening of our school back in 2002.”

This refers to the fact that the school’s founder undertook a marathon bike ride from France to Siem Reap to attend the opening of the school.

Hougardy pointed out that 300 students are planned for the school for the academic year 2012-2013

He added, “Our preliminary target before the rally starts on October 19 is to collect $5000.”

For more information, please go directly to the fundraising page “Team Ecole Paul Dubrule”: http://www.fundraiseonline.com.au/teamecolepauldubrule/

Meanwhile, the hospitality school is planning another tenth anniversary surprise – the publication of Siem Reap’s first interactive guide book. Man About has been informed that this publication is guaranteed to blow your socks off. We eagerly await publication.

WORLD’S CHEAPEST HOTELS

Siem Reap topped the list for the world’s cheapest hotels, according to the latest Hotel Price Index by booking site Hotels.com.

The index is based on bookings made on Hotels.com sites and tracks the real price paid per room for around 140,000 properties.

The index shows that prices in Siem Reap fell by three per cent to US$63 per night in the first half of the year,  while rates in Vietnam's capital's Hanoi dropped by 17 per cent to $70.

Hotels.com Asia Pacific vice-president Johan Svanstrom noted that the top ten cheapest cities in the world were all in Asia.

Here’s the top ten list: Siem Reap, Cambodia $63; Hanoi, Vietnam -17 % cent to $70; Cebu, Philippines +3% to $71; Chiang Mai, Thailand -15% to $78; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam -10% to $81; Pattaya, Thailand +8% to $81; Manila, Philippines +2% to $83; Bangkok, Thailand +5% to $95; Jakarta, Indonesia +18% to $106; Phuket, Thailand -7% to $108.

Conversely, the list of the most expensive hotels in the world was topped by  Rio de Janeiro + 25% to $294, and New York + 3% to $268.