p52 tour 9-11 mar27 20/3/09 16:29 Page 8
knowledge touring
ttglive.com
Asia
Immerse yourself with
a bit of Asian fusion
Asia’s diverse cultures lend
themselves to touring, but
the key is finding manageable
itineraries for your customers
that combine must-sees with
R&R. Howard Carr looks at
options from the main gateways
BANGKOK.
Ornate temples, colourful markets and
chaotic street scenes mean that the Thai
capital serves up all the exotic excitement
that visitors expect of the Far East.
Clients will probably want to add on more
of Thailand, with a tempting choice ranging
from the beautiful beaches of Ko Samui to
the hill tribes in the north of the country.
But Bangkok is also the best gateway for
tours of Indochina. There is a vast assort-
ment of itineraries on offer. Options include
cycling in Cambodia and Vietnam with
Travel Indochina, and longboat trips
through Laos with soft-adventure operators
such as Explore!.
For customers wanting a bit more comfort,
operators including Collette Worldwide and
Titan HiTours feature escorted tours taking
in Indochina highlights such as Angkor
s
Wat in Cambodia and the fast-developing our
u
T
beach resorts of Vietnam.
Other options from Bangkok include the
e
ndy W
W
Eastern and Oriental Express to Singapore The Leshan Grand Buddha in Sichuan: the southern province in China is easily accessible from Hong Kong
and multi-centre tours combining Thailand
with Bali, Hong Kong and Penang.
HONG KONG.
something off a willow-pattern plate, is just
Sample flight times are one hour 30 Visitors to the former British colony can a one-hour flight from the territory. As a
minutes to Kuala Lumpur and two hours pack three territories into one holiday with- three or four-day add-on to Hong Kong, it’s a
40 minutes to Hong Kong. out checking out of their Hong Kong hotel. good option for clients tight on time.
Regional flights from Thai beach resorts, Many operators feature pre-bookable day Farther afield, Shanghai or Xi’an can be
such as Phuket-Hong Kong and Ko Samui- trips to Macau, one hour away by fast ferry, reached by air in about two hours 30 minutes
Singapore, increase the options available. and the cities of Shenzhen and Guangzhou and Beijing in three hours 30 minutes.
Sample price: A 30-day Bangkok to Bali just across the border in mainland China. For travellers with more time to spare,
soft-adventure tour through Thailand, Malaysia, But the most popular option is to combine there are frequent train services from Hong
Singapore and Indonesia costs £755 with two or three nights in Hong Kong with Kong into mainland China.
Intrepid Travel. UK flights are extra. longer tours of China. Sample journey times are 21 hours to
■
intrepidtravel.com/agents Guilin, with its beautiful scenery like Shanghai and 24 hours to Beijing.
52 27.03.2009
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