p52 tour 9-11 mar27 20/3/09 16:30 Page 10
knowledge touring
ttglive.com
ourism Board
e T
Singapor
Singapore offers a gentle introduction to Asia for first-timers
GW Travel features a 17-day luxury rail
trip from Hong Kong that takes in Guilin,
ourist Organisation
the Three Gorges, Xi’an and Tibet.
Elsewhere, operators including Funway,
Kuoni, Qantas Holidays, Travel 2 and Tropi- Japan National T
cal Locations can combine Hong Kong with Mount Fuji: excellent rail, road and flight networks make touring in Japan a pleasure
a wide range of Far East destinations such as
Bali, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. also one of the most convenient gateways for for self-drive itineraries is the Cameron
Sample price: Wendy Wu Tours can add Hong UK travellers to Bali. Flight time from the city Highlands, whose rolling hills and tea
Kong stopovers to its 14-day Sichuan Explorer to the island is about two hours 30 minutes. plantations are about a three-hour journey
itinerary that begins and ends in the city. The Other sample flight times from Singapore from Kuala Lumpur.
tour, which explores the spectacular scenery are two hours 20 minutes to Bangkok and Major operators also offer the chance to
that formed the backdrop to the Oscar-winning three hours 40 minutes to Hong Kong. combine Malaysia via the capital with Bali,
film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, costs Operators such as Kuoni and Funway Singapore, Thailand and Indochina.
from £2,090 per person, based on two people Holidays offer the chance to combine Sample price: A tour featuring two nights in
sharing. UK flights are included. Singapore with a choice of popular Thai Kuala Lumpur, three nights in Saigon, two
■ wendywutours.co.uk and Malaysian beach resorts as well as cities nights in Hanoi and three nights in Bangkok
including Hong Kong and Bangkok. costs from £1,799 per person with Tropical
SINGAPORE.
Sample price: Premier Holidays combines Locations. The price includes UK flights and is
The city state offers the gentlest introduction Singapore and Malaysia in a 14-day Colonial based on two people sharing.
to the Far East for first-time visitors to Fly-Drive tour from £1,395 per person, based on ■ tropical-locations.com
the region. It’s exceptionally clean, two people sharing. UK flights are included.
well-organised and efficient, and probably
TOKYO.
■ trade.premierholidays.co.uk
the least frenetic of big Asian cities. Most holidays to Japan are single-country
At the tip of the Malaysian peninsula,
KUALA LUMPUR.
tours that take advantage of the excellent
Singapore can be easily combined with The launch of a Stansted service to Kuala roads, internal flights and fast trains.
Malaysia by road or rail. Lumpur by no-frills carrier AirAsia X should But the tourist offices of Japan and Korea
For the ultimate in luxury, suggest that increase the Malaysian capital’s profile as a are working together to promote twin-centre
clients take the Eastern and Oriental Express gateway to the Far East. itineraries taking in the two countries.
to Penang and onward to Bangkok. Trains Until now, the city has suffered from a Specialist operators that can tailor tours to
leave Singapore on Thursday morning relatively small choice of UK flights feature highlights such as Tokyo and Seoul
and arrive in the Thai capital on Saturday compared with other gateways such as include ViaJapan Holidays and Emerald
afternoon, with 12 departures scheduled for Singapore and Bangkok. Global. They also offer itineraries linking
the rest of this year. Tours via Kuala Lumpur tend to Japan with Hong Kong and China.
The Indonesian island of Bintan is a good concentrate on the Malaysian beach resorts Lengthy flight times from Tokyo such as
option for customers who wish to add a of Penang and Langkawi and the jungle and five hours 30 minutes to Bangkok and six
beach break to their Singapore stay but don’t orang-utans of Borneo. hours 50 minutes to Singapore mean that
want to waste too much Malaysia is also one of the few south-east Japan is not a popular combination with
time travelling. The island Asian countries where a south-east Asia.
is a one-hour ferry ride well-maintained road But twin-centres with Thailand can be
from the city and has system makes car arranged with firms including Kuoni.
a good range of hire feasible. The Sample price: Kuoni offers an 11-night Journey
hotels including country’s colonial through Japan tour, including nights in Tokyo,
upmarket heritage means Nakone, Takayama, Hiroshima and Kyoto plus
brands such as that driving is day trips, from £3,197. Price includes flights
Banyan Tree. on the left. from Heathrow with Japan Airlines.
Singapore is A popular choice ■ kuoni.co.uk
54 27.03.2009
TAT
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