it does visiting the Terracotta Warriors or Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, and makes time for memorable experiences such as a three-hour hike in the Longji rice terraces and a cycling trip through Xi’an. Marketing manager Ben Briggs says: “The longer tours give customers a chance to see iconic sights such as the Great Wall or Angkor Wat, as well as less-visited destinations that are further from the main transport hubs. Longer can be spent in each destination, making it more of a relaxing trip, rather than a tick-box itinerary.” China is not the only country
to benefit from a more in-depth itinerary. India is too big and too diverse to see in one sitting, but longer tours, such as Newmarket Holidays’ 18-day Grand Tour of India or Travelsphere’s 19-day
tour of the same name, do at least give travellers a chance to compare different regions and understand what makes each one unique. Travelsphere group sales
director Colin Wilson says: “Like China, India’s size and wealth of cultural experiences make it the perfect country to really explore. We tick off its most impressive sights including Old and New Delhi, the Taj Mahal, the ‘pink city’ of Jaipur and Agra Fort, search for tigers in Ranthambore, visit an elephant camp and cruise the tranquil backwaters of Kerala.” Newmarket Holidays also uses its longer itinerary to factor in activities that wouldn’t be possible on a shorter and speedier trip, with a night on a traditional houseboat, a cooking demonstration and a visit to a wildlife sanctuary.
country before the masses arrive. InsideBurma – a new brand
Thailand differs dramatically from north to south, so visitors can spend years here and still not cover it all
from small-group operator InsideAsia – has introduced a 19-night Untouched Burma itinerary, which goes far beyond Bagan and Yangon to explore quieter parts of the country and meet the many ethnic communities that live there. Even in relatively well-travelled
w REMOTE PATROLS While China and India are obvious contenders for a longer trip based on size alone, Burma might not seem to fall into the same bracket. However, despite opening up to tourism relatively recently, there is already a market for off-the-beaten-track tours, as intrepid travellers seek out almost undiscovered areas of the
destinations such as Thailand, a longer tour can venture into remote spots often overlooked by others. Mark Pope, co-founder of regional operator TruTravels, says: “Thailand is made for long tours. It differs dramatically from north to south, and visitors can spend years here and still not cover it all. “Travellers can reach more
remote destinations, and meet the locals who live there, which would not be possible on a short
FAR LEFT: Bagan, Burma
LEFT: Amber Fort, India
BELOW: Itsukushima Shrine, Japan
48
travelweekly.co.uk 8 October 2015
PICTURES: INSIDEBURMA; PREMIER HOLIDAYS; NEWMARKET HOLIDAYS; TRAVELSPHERE
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