ASIA JUNGLE JAUNTS DESTINATIONS
highlight has to be spotting the largest lizard on the planet, the Komodo dragon, on Komodo Island. The Star Clipper is the perfect way to explore these islands, getting off the beaten track while not compromising on comfort or style.” Book it: Travel 2 offers a seven-
night Bali cruise in an inside stateroom from £2,259, departing September 6. The price includes a night at either end of the cruise at the Grand Hyatt Bali, Thai Airways flights and private transfers. Upgrading to an outside stateroom starts at £399.
travel2.com
WHAT’S NEW?
Back-to-nature experiences are popping up all over Asia, so where else can you take a walk on the wild side?
from £1,479 for seven nights with flights, accommodation with breakfast (full-board on houseboat), guide, private transfers and entry fees.
goaexperience.co.uk Splurge: If you’ve got a bit of extra spending power, why not make the back-to-nature experience a little more comfortable? Cox & Kings tour The Jungle Book: Wildlife of India goes in search of the endangered Bengal tiger through the national parks of Kanha, Bandhavgarh and Pench, in Madhya Pradesh, totting up 13 expert-led safari drives. Better still, there’s no need to rough it. Product manager Sue Livsey says: “The tour stays in luxurious Taj safari lodges, which each offer their own individual style and experiences. Although the highlight for many is spotting a tiger, there are other animals to be seen including gaur – a large, cow-like animal – leopards, sambar deer, langur monkeys and plenty of birds.” Book it: The 13-day tour starts at £4,745 including BA flights, naturalist guides and full-board accommodation.
coxandkings.co.uk
w BALI Save: Beach holidays and tropical
jungle foliage rarely go hand in hand, but in Bali, clients really can have the best of both by tagging a back-to-nature excursion on to a relaxing coastal stay. Head for the foothills of Mount Batukaru – rich with fertile, volcanic soil and dense, tropical forest – then learn about life in the Balinese countryside at the emerald-green rice terraces of Jatiluwih. It’s not all hard work though: the tour stops at Yeh Panes Hot Spring on the way back. Book it: Do Something Different’s eight-hour tour, Jatiluwih Batukaru Mountain Nature’s Best, starts at £40, including hotel pick-up.
dosomethingdifferent.com Splurge: If the thought of trekking through jungles for days at a time sounds a bit too hardy, why not sit back and let nature come to you? A cruise on Star Clipper through the Gili Islands, Lombok and Komodo means all passengers need do is hop off at their chosen port and find themselves immersed in tropical island scenery and one-of-a- kind wildlife. Mark Henderson, Travel 2’s senior product and commercial manager for touring and specialist, says: “While on the cruise, you can explore stunning reefs and marine parks, but the
SRI LANKA Canoe along a river surrounded by lush Sri Lankan scenery at Borderlands adventure centre at Cape Weligama, which opened last month at the luxury Resplendent Ceylon resort.
VIETNAM Take in terraced rice paddies, remote villages and the untouched scenery of Pu Luong Nature Reserve on Mercury Holidays’ new Walking Trails of Vietnam.
PHILIPPINES
Spot Yoda-like tarsiers in Bohol on Western & Oriental’s new Philippines programme, then follow with the Chocolate Hills or volcano-in- a-lake Taal Volcano.
BORNEO Trek through the jungle after dark on National Geographic Journeys’ new Best of Borneo tour, sold by G Adventures, then hike to a volcano, see orangutans up-close and look for the world’s smallest bear.
LAOS Stay in a tented riverside villa or go foraging in the
forest at the new Rosewood Luang Prabang in Laos, a jungle-set resort built around a natural waterfall.
24 May 2018
travelweekly.co.uk 53
PICTURES: ZINTIARA; JUSTIN MOTT/MOTT VISUALS; COX & KINGS; KRISHNA ADITHYA; SHUTTERSTOCK
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