Explore Asia 2022 | Out of The Ordinary Tours for Everyone

Explore Asia Out of the Ordinary Tours for everyone

Content | Map 1 Abundant adventures in Laos Laos

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Qinghai

2 Elevated exploration in China China 3 Singaporeans plant a new future Singapore

Ethnic immersion in Indonesia Indonesia

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Hidden hideaway in Hong Kong Hong Kong Mine of attractions in Malaysia Malaysia Cambodia’s rejuvenation refuge Cambodia Enriching lives in Myanmar Myanmar

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Yangon

Alternative slice of Phuket life Thailand Vietnam’s subterranean world Vietnam

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Oudomxay

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Introduction

Explore Asia Explore Asia is published annually to showcase some of the diverse range of products we offer across our countries of operation. It is our goal to meet the travel requirements of every visitor. With this in mind, our teams have traversed to every corner of their home countries to develop exemplary tours for discerning guests.

The captivating bonds we have with our destinations have been created through expert local knowledge and a deep connection with host communities. This enables us to produce exceptional excursions – be it hiking through a pristine mountain wilderness, or staying with an ethnic tribe in a homestay.

The arrival of a new season enables us to reinvigorate our themed tours, including immersion in indigenous customs, viewing amazing art, or learning new skills, such as handicrafts and cooking. Join us as we set off on a new crossing across Asia.

Come explore with us.

Our Asian Trails We are not discoverers as discoverers search for the unknown. We are not adventurers as adventurers seek personal satisfaction. We are leisure explorers as we travel to unique places that provide inspirational and illuminating tourism experiences for all participants.

We have clear strategies to achieve this. We gather all the available information regarding a proposed activity, or place and embrace every angle to achieve perfection. It is then time to commence the trip.

Diversity is in abundance when guests set off on a tour with us. From picture-perfect scenery, cultural immersion, or interactive activities, our growing collection of trails surpass expectations. This ever-increasing portfolio provides the canvas for guests to be the focal point of all that we do.

Active Trails | Authentic Trails | Cruising Trails

Active Trails Put on your adventure gear and set off on a cycling, or hiking trip as we explore the great outdoors. We take guests off established trails so they can make a deep connection with nature.

Authentic Trails We embark on journeys that touch the inner soul of Asia.

We create colourful and exceptional excursions that reveal the true culture and natural splendour of our destinations so guests leave with treasured memories.

Cruising Trails Cruise ships, traditional Chinese junks, yachts, or riverboats – we have them all covered! Whether cruising on a luxury mega-ship, navigating under billowing sails, or travelling along a meandering river, we guarantee an inspirational voyage.

Culinary Trails | Essential Trails | Family Trails

Culinary Trails Are you interested in the diverse dishes available across Asia?

From fine-dining to hawker food, our tantalising trips cover every country’s cuisine and our local knowledge and contacts empower us to supply exceptional food and beverage themed excursions.

Essential Trails No visit to Asia is complete without visiting landmark attractions – the iconic structures that denote a destination.

We take our tours to a higher level through innovative design that ensures our guests gain a deep connection.

Family Trails Family-friendly is the basis of our fun-filled activities created for households on holiday. Our products take into account the needs of all family members, so kids and parents are kept entertained from sunrise to sunset.

Romantic Trails | Sustainable Trails | Wellness Trails

Romantic Trails The adage ‘couples who travel together stay together’ is at the heart of our romantic trails. From loved-up breaks in dreamy destinations to honeymoons, we keep the spark alive with bespoke excursions that cater exclusively for couples.

Sustainable Trails As part of a committed approach to leave a location in the condition we found it, our sustainable trails follow a pathway that is beneficial to our host communities – with minimal impact on their environment.

Wellness Trails We focus on the mind, body and soul on our wellness trails so guests can achieve a higher level of relaxation. The journey to complete rejuvenation is achieved through age-old therapies and modern treatments in serene locations.

Laos | Oudomxay | 4 Days | Active & Sustainable Trails

Nestled in lush rainforest scenery in mountainous Oudomxay province, the Nam Kat Yorla Pa Resort combines sustainability with adventure. This is perfect for those seeking serenity in the heart of nature, plus participation in exciting outdoor pursuits. The property is nestled alongside the Nam Kat River and framed by rolling jungle-clad hills. Adventure and eco-tourism is in abundance and accessed directly on site. The four-day escapade offers trekking, cycling and immersion in a pristine environment.

Abundant adventures in Laos The journey is part of the experience during a leisurely drive to this idyllic sanctuary. Guests are conveyed along a meandering road that cuts through a breath-taking landscape of dense rainforests and sprawling valleys.

The first two nights are reserved for discovery of the varied flora and fauna in the Phou Hiphi National Conservation Forest.

This refuge is a prime example of how Laos has a sharp focus on a sustainable future so a natural wonderland can be preserved for future generations. There is no better way to explore this area than through exhilarating activities that leave a minimal footprint.

The exploration continues to the picturesque village of Nong Khiaw. The crossing to this hideaway is by both vehicle and boat and via Muang Khua, a small town at the confluence of the Nam Ou and Nam Phak waterways. Overnight tranquillity is guaranteed with the soothing sounds of the nearby river.

The onward trip to Luang Prabang, the former royal capital and the country’s spiritual heart, takes in the historic cliffside Pak Ou Caves.

China | Qinghai | 4 Days | Active & Authentic Trails

The neighbouring provinces of Qinghai and Gansu in northcentral China take adventure and cultural discovery to an elevated level. Qinghai is a large, sparsely populated area spread across the high-altitude Tibetan Plateau.

Gansu is home to Jiayuguan, a city renowned for its ancient antiquities. For four days, intrepid tourists can hike, kayak and sleep at a homestay and absorb rich heritage. These two provinces contain some of China’s greatest must-see natural and man-made attractions.

Elevated exploration in China The discovery starts with a ride from Qinghai’s provincial capital Xining to the Khamra National Park, a gateway to the Tibetan Plateau. Guests are treated to an authentic experience, with delicious local cuisine and overnights in traditional retreats. A tour highlight is a two-day kayaking trip down the Luchu River, the natural border between Qinghai and Gansu provinces.

Qinghai is a place of strong spiritual faith. Amne Machin, a 6,282-metres high peak, is a holy pilgrimage site for Buddhist devotees. The province is also home to Qinghai Lake, a deep blue body of water and the country’s largest inland body of water.

Gansu’s link to Silk Road traders left a legacy of Buddhist shrines, paintings and sculptures, plus a wealth of ethnic diversity. A highlight of this exploration is Labrang Monastery.

This expansive site dates back to 1709 and it contains six colleges and 84 Buddha halls.

Exceptional activities are delivered on this tour by those who know these regions intimately. Be it interaction with venerable Chinese monks, or traversing an idyllic landscape on foot or by kayak – lifelong memories are guaranteed.

Singapore | Singapore | 1 Day | Family & Sustainable Trails

Singapore is famed for its diverse cuisine – from Michelin-starred delicacies to timeless hawker favourites. With nearly six million living on a compact terrain of just 720 sq-km, how does the country produce some of the food to feed its residents? The source of the island-state’s multi-cultural gastronomy is explored on a fascinating one-day tour that takes in experimental gardens and green spaces close to the futuristic urban landscape of towering skyscrapers.

Guests even get the opportunity to cultivate some new-age crops.

Singaporeans plant a new future Unbeknown to many, the glitzy metropolis does have farms in a semi-rural enclave and this family-friendly excursion reveals an alternative side to the high-tech Lion City.

The first stop is Kok Fah Technology Farm, the island’s largest vegetable farm where means other than soil, such as hydroponics, increase output by around 20 per cent, on much smaller cultivation plots.

The exploration continues to Inseccta Singapore where insects turn trash into treasure. Many countries face the problem of excess food waste and this enterprise uses black soldier fly larva to eat through an average eight tons of food surplus per month. The grubs can eat up to four times their body weight in food in a single day and the resultant by-product is turned into agricultural fertilizer to yield more crops – part of an ongoing cycle that sustains life for Singaporeans.

The enlightening excursion ends at an open farm community where kids can pet animals and see where food originates.

After helping to cultivate organic crops, a healthy lunch provides the physical connection between urban and rural settlements.

Indonesia | South Sulawesi | 4 Days | Authentic & Sustainable Trails

Members of one of Indonesia’s most compelling traditional cultures, the Torajans are renowned for their elaborate funeral rites and burial sites carved into rocky cliffs. The deep connection of this ethnic group with the spiritual world provides out-of-this-world experiences on this fascinating excursion.

Interaction with these people, native to a mountainous region of South Sulawesi, is further enhanced by the region’s magnificent rural landscape and participation in traditional handicrafts, including wood carving and weaving.

Ethnic immersion in Indonesia A short transfer from Palopo Airport to a quaint village near Nanggala signals the start of this four-day homestay package. The visual allure is immediate, with a journey through some of Sulawesi’s most spectacular scenery. The route takes in picturesque villages, with elaborately carved houses featuring boat-shaped roofs and elevated lush green rice terraces framed by jungle-clad hills.

This is a truly authentic and sustainable tour. Life is lived in the community so tourists gain an insight into age-old traditional practices. Activities include participation in local ceremonies, involvement in handicrafts and guided tours and exploration of hanging graves and ancient ceremonial burial sites. Interspersed with this rich cultural immersion, guests enjoy invigorating hikes and cycle rides on meandering trails that cut through an evergreen terrain of exceptional beauty.

Travel is all about connecting directly with the destination and its people and this exploration combines warm hospitality as guests eat, rest and play in the heart of the village. This home-sharing concept and days spent undertaking activities with the Torajans will leave captivating memories.

Thailand | Phuket | 1 Day | Family & Sustainable Trails

An outing beyond Phuket’s alluring beaches enables tourists to see another, more authentic, side of Thailand’s most popular holiday island. One such option is a trip to Baan Bang Rong Community, an enterprise that manages and promotes eco-tourism in nine villages on the north-eastern coast. This venture has a deeprooted mission to preserve traditional sustainable farming and aquaculture practices. Visitors will witness a life far removed from the glitzy resorts and take home unique memories.

Alternative slice of Phuket life An early morning departure takes guests off the well-worn tourism track to predominantly Muslim villages situated in rural locations and alongside a riverside mangrove forest.

This latter area produces abundant seafood and removes the need for fishermen to travel long distances to catch their bounty.

The mangrove forest once faced extinction through a previous policy to remove the wood for charcoal. A subsequent reforestation project restored it, as well as healthy shrimp, crab and fish populations and this success gave birth to the current tourism initiative.

A variety of participatory activities motivates visitors to learn about the local way of life. This approach helps the community’s younger generation to realise the importance of keeping traditions and careers alive – particularly when they are able to share these tasks with tourists.

With this in mind, guests learn how to create a local handicraft, a pateh bag, visit a pineapple farm, observe rubber tapping and help release female crabs back into the water to maintain the river’s eco-system. The morning ends with a delicious lunch cooked by the villagers.

Vietnam | Quang Binh | 3 Days | Authentic & Sustainable Trails

The UNESCO-listed Phong NhaKe Bang National Park offers travellers the most spectacular subterranean exploration on the planet. It is home to an expansive 104-km network of caves and rivers that wind through 400-million-year-old karst mountains, the oldest in Asia. The Hang Son Doong Cave, the largest cave in the world, has sections large enough to accommodate a 40-storey building and the Phong Nha Cave stretches over 44.5 km.

A three-day excursion reveals this astonishing location – both above and below the ground.

Vietnam’s subterranean world This exceptional adventure touches the inner soul of amazing Asia. Visitors have abundant leisure opportunities, such as trekking through deep rain forests, biking across challenging mountain tracks, and exploration of wideranging flora and fauna.

Besides immersion into a mystical underground world, on foot and by boat, the itinerary includes a night spent camping at the mouth of a cave, swimming in pristine waterfall rock pools, kayaking along meandering rivers and hiking lush trails that traverse an idyllic jungle.

This is all enhanced through grass-roots knowledge shared by the local people. Keen conservationists in their own right, they will guide tourists along the way and exhibit a responsible tourism approach that helps to protect and preserve this 885 sq-km sanctuary between the border with Laos and the East Vietnam Sea. Their responsibility ensures a better future for native wildlife, including the Clouded Leopard and the Asiatic Black Bear, plus 314 bird and 2,700 plant species. This new excursion celebrates the diversity of nature and a recordbreaking natural wonder.

Hong Kong | Hong Kong | 1 Day| Active & Sustainable Trails

Hong Kong’s frenzied and staggeringly steep streets may not be the most bicycle-friendly on the planet, but cyclists have abundant countryside trails to enjoy a short distance from the towering metropolis. A pedal-powered excursion is the best way to escape the island’s urban hustle and absorb the serenity of low-lying wetlands, bisected by waterways that are brimming with plant and birdlife. The New Territories is an ideal place to accomplish a relaxing rural escape.

Hidden hideaway in Hong Kong A half-day, two-wheel jaunt takes guests to Yuen Long, a town closer to the mainland metropolis of Shenzhen than it is to Hong Kong island’s iconic skyscrapers. This is way off the tourist trail and it features an undeveloped landscape frequented by trekkers, bird watchers and nature-loving families.

The outing starts with a rendezvous with the guide at the Yuen Long Mass Transit Railway Station. Kitted out and briefed by an expert, it is time to ride alongside a tree-lined lane adjoining the Kam Tin River. The journey continues across the Sha Pui River on a small wooden ferry to Nam Sang Wai, an area that is home to a wealth of fish ponds and wafting reeds.

The route takes in tiny farms, mudflats and salt marshes – an environment that is a million miles away from Hong Kong’s frenetic life. After an average two-hour ride, the end point is Yuen Long Station. After a tasty lunch, travel back to respective hotels is by rail.

This sustainable activity uses local transport, wellmaintained bicycles and it financially benefits local communities.

Malaysia | Cherating | 3 Days | Authentic & Sustainable Trails

A multi-destination three-day tour that combines the heritage town of Sungai Lembing with beachside Cherating in the state of Pahang offers a true taste of authentic Malaysia. Pahang is a sparsely populated region with ancient rainforests, national parks, huge lakes and mountain ranges. Guests are delivered a true Malaysian experience with exploration of areas off the beaten track. The itinerary includes an insight into the tin mining trade and a stay along a pristine coast free from mass tourism development.

Mine of attractions in Malaysia Although the two destinations are only 70-km apart, they offer contrasting attractions. Once a booming tin mining hub, Sungai Lembing fell into decay when global tin prices collapsed. Through government investment, it has since enjoyed a rebirth and visitors can observe the golden age of tin exploration in a museum focused on the 1900s, when people came from afar to make their fortunes from subterranean metal deposits.

The mines were among the longest and deepest on Earth and their reserves made Sungai Lembing the richest town in Malaysia. The tunnel network stretched over 300-km and 700-metres deep. Visitors can get a scale of previous operations with a visit to a mine that was once the largest in the world.

Nature supplants industrial heritage on day two as an offroad adventure leads to deep caves and the aptly named Rainbow Waterfall. The final day offers serenity in sleepy Cherating. Besides lounging on the sweeping white sands bordered by coconut palms, options include the Cherating Turtle Sanctuary where visitors can help with the release of hatchlings. There is also the option to try handicrafts at the Pandanus Weaving Centre.

Cambodia | Koh Krabey | 5 Days | Romantic & Wellness Trails

A five-day escape to the Six Senses Koh Krabey, off the Cambodian coastline, combines romance, wellness and indulgence. The resort is famed for its ultrasustainable approach that provides guests with a lavish lifestyle, without disruption to the pristine environment. This sanctuary for the mind and body blends into the environment and actively safeguards the ecology, creating a refuge for birds and butterflies.

Guests can choose serenity and solitude, or a more active lifestyle.

Cambodia’s rejuvenation refuge The journey to this ultimate tropical paradise starts with a speedboat journey from Sihanoukville. Overnight is in one of 40 immaculately designed pool villas, with a personal ‘guest experience maker’ on call. After arrival, options include a swim in the private pool, sun lounging, or a nature walk through the surrounding jungle.

Afterwards, relax in the sauna, or hot tub, luxuriate with a traditional Khmer foot massage, experience a rejuvenating Cambodian-style spa treatment, or join a yoga, or fitness class. A perfect day gets better with dinner at AHA Restaurant overlooking the glimmering sea. Alternatively, opt for Khmer classics at the Treehouse Restaurant, with organic ingredients sourced from the resort’s own farm on the mainland.

Next day, after a sumptuous breakfast served in the villa, more indulgence awaits with spa treatments, or an organised activity. The choices include a castaway picnic, an exclusive fishing trip, a workout in the ‘Jungle Gym’, or a Cambodian cuisine cooking class. Guests can also join in with sustainability programmes so they leave the resort rejuvenated and with increased awareness about responsible tourism practices.

Myanmar | Myanmar | 1 Day | Sustainable & Authentic Trails

Myanmar is a country that has become a role model for our ‘giving back’ initiatives.

Asian Trails’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes play a major role in this nation as we work to repay the hospitality of our hosts and help local people through sustainable endeavours that benefit the less fortunate. Two particular CSRs of note are a care home for the elderly in Yangon and a water donation project in Zee O near Bagan.

Enriching lives in Myanmar Situated near Yangon’s iconic Kandawgyi Lake, the Little Sisters of The Poor Home for The Aged is a care home for over 140 elderly residents unable to care for themselves. It is run by a devoted group of catholic nuns who bring comfort into the lives of their aged compatriots.

Asian Trails helps this non-profit, faith-based organisation, with food and medicine supplies. Christmas is a highlight date when our Myanmar team delivers Christmas cheer with song performances and seasonal gifts.

Another Asian Trails’ CSR activity helps a village near the temples of Bagan with the essential source of life. Rural Zee O lies on a dusty and arid plain that encounters perennial water shortages outside of the monsoon season from mid-May to late October. This area receives just 30 per cent of Yangon’s average yearly rainfall.

To help combat this microclimate drought, our team accompany a tanker truck filled with potable water to supply residents’ drinking water needs during the dry months.

Asian Trails is pleased to support communities in Myanmar during these difficult times. Please contact us if you want to help with donations and our country team will facilitate all aid provision.

Australia | Map

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Australia | Introduction

Explore Australia The land Down Under requires no introduction; an immense vastness that includes remote and isolated rural communities in the Outback and an expansive coast dotted with stylish resort towns. On offer is an eclectic mix of cities and small communities with a true Aussie vibe, intermingled with ancient indigenous culture and modern Western elements.

Any trip to this amazing country involves walking in the footsteps of the original inhabitants; the Aboriginal Australians.

Their respect and knowledge of the land and cherished values of age-old traditions and creativity, mirrored through their art, will leave visitors spellbound. Australia offers exceptional experiences – captivating cities with fascinating attractions and diverse dining and an expansive Outback ‘backyard’ with dingoes and dreamtime.

With the travel professionals of Australian Tours Management at the helm, your Aussie adventure will involve a ‘true blue’ (authentic) experience.

Come explore with us.

Australia | Tasmania | 4 Days| Active & Sustainable Trails

Connect with nature, wildlife and an ancient culture on a self-drive tour of tantalising Tasmania.

Separated from Australia by the Bass Strait, the island-state revels in its isolation. The pristine wilderness includes ice-age rainforests, glacially-carved mountains and perfect beaches.

Over 20 per cent is a World Heritage area and 40 per cent is protected by national parks.

Cultural exploration includes rock art created by the indigenous people and culinary discovery reveals some of Australia’s best cuisine.

Tour of Tasmania’s wonders The four-day journey departs the island’s capital Hobart for the northern city of Launceston. Although only a distance of around 200-km, a relaxed drive enables more time to explore the wealth of attractions en route.

Highlights include a bushwalk along the Three Thumbs Track, a 4-km loop through a eucalyptus forest. This is rewarded with a fantastic vista of Spring Bay and Maria Island. A stop at Kate’s Berry Farm perfectly replenishes energy levels, with diners treated to a magnificent panorama of Great Oyster Bay and Freycinet National Park.

More spectacular coastal scenery is unveiled at Coles Bay, framed by the Hazards granite mountains and Wineglass Bay, one of the world’s top ten beaches. This is all enhanced with impromptu treks and cafe breaks along the way. The drive concludes in Launceston, the island’s second largest city.

This epic road trip reveals a sprawling countryside that is home to ancient trees and unique animals, such as the Tasmanian Devil, the world’s largest carnivorous marsupial that is exclusive to Tasmania. This is an island that punches well above its weight when it comes to the delivery of exceptional experiences.

Slow paced travel Ever-changing times require fresh and inspired ideas to blaze new pathways in travel. Time-honoured core values in our country offices form the foundation to create these new opportunities that present our continent in a different light.

Travel is the ultimate enlightening experience – exploration of urban and rural landscapes stimulates the senses and shapes how we think about our planet and fellow global citizens.

This online publication casts the spotlight on our illuminating tours. Come and join us as we create new and exciting trails across ‘our’ Asia.

Sustainable practices (ESTEEM) We operate with strict adherence to a code of conduct that respects the environment and our host communities. This is known as ESTEEM: Eat locally; Stay eco-friendly; Transport alternatively; Experience meaningfully; Empower viably; Make a difference.

Our unrelenting commitment is to work with our partners towards a more sustainable world so we can collectively minimise negative impacts. You can book a tour with us, safe in the knowledge that your activity is handled with a deep respect for the location and its people.

Travelife partnership for a better world As a certified Travelife Partner, Asian Trails has received official endorsement that we follow responsible tourism practices and conduct sustainable operations in all of our destinations.

This approach enables us to help protect our part of the planet so future generations can continue to enjoy the pristine beauty we currently enjoy.

The Travelife standard is the leading global sustainability certification for the travel sector and it outlines key principles that denote socially accountable behaviour, including environmental and biodiversity protection and respect for human rights.

To ensure compliance to Travelife’s guidelines, we have appointed sustainability coordinators in all of our countries of operation. These trained personnel monitor our activities to ensure we follow a sustainability agenda, such as reducing the use of plastics, promoting animal welfare initiatives and cutting our carbon emissions.

We believe this proactive and responsible approach benefits the places our guests visit and the people they interact with.

A safer journey across Asia Safe and healthy travel is at the top of our agenda.

Our implementation of international health and safety standards has received official endorsement from the World Travel and Tourism Council’s (WTTC) ‘Safe Travel Protocols for Tour Operators’.

This prestigious validation is an important and powerful signal to stakeholders that we maintain a consistent, universal approach when implementing health and safety measures.

This is carried out in-line with World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines posted by the WTTC. These health and safety benchmarks apply to all Asian Trails’ destinations.

To maintain consistency and adherence, all of our offices have a designated health and safety officer. We also support incountry procedures linked to local government directives.

Ensuring the safety of our personnel and clients is of paramount importance and this ensures we can provide seamless experiences across Asia.

Explore Asia Out of the Ordinary Tours for everyone

Australia | Cambodia | China | Hong Kong | Indonesia | Laos | Malaysia | Myanmar | Singapore | Thailand | Vietnam