From touring Thailand to watching the eclipse in China, Joanna Booth reports on some of the adventures to be had in Asia in 2009
Whether you’re heading to an established destination such as Thailand, an up-and-coming one such as Laos or somewhere unpronounceable that ends in -stan, UK tour operators have plenty to offer.
Thailand
There’s a reason Thailand is a perennial favourite. Great food, balmy beaches and friendly folk make it hard to beat. But it doesn’t just have to be about sunbathing or dancing at a full moon party.
Exodus’s 16-day Dynamic Thailand tour demonstrates how diverse the country is. You’ll see hill tribes in Chiang Mai, ride elephants, sail on bamboo rafts, see waterfalls and jungles and rest on stupendous beaches in Krabi.
From £1,653 departing February 14 2009.
Vietnam
Once seen as a backpacker’s haunt, Vietnam is now full of luxury accommodation as impressive as its stunning sights and scenery.
On Cox and Kings’ 15-day Vietnam in Style programme you’ll stay at the top international hotels and restored period properties, while experiencing everything from the bustling, moped-filled cities of Hanoi and Saigon to the beautiful Halong Bay and the fruit orchards of Dalat.
From £3,695 departing from January 1 to April 30 2009.
Cambodia
The vast and magical temples of Angkor Wat are rightly seen as the jewel in Cambodia’s crown, but this friendly country has plenty more to offer.
TransIndus’ 14-day Cambodia Explorer programme tours the country, showing you the ornate temples and palaces of capital Phnom Penh and the floating villages on Tonle Sap lake as well as the site of the infamous killing fields and the Angkor temple complex. Prices lead in at £2,895.
Laos
Rapidly losing its status as Southeast Asia’s best kept secret, Laos is peaceful, charming and full of natural wonders and religious temples.
On Imaginative Traveller’s 15-day Magical Laos programme you’ll explore the Mekong by boat, discover a four-mile-long cave in the forest of Hinboun, visit the mysterious Plain of Jars (no one knows why they’re there or where they come from) and check out the golden temples in the Imperial City of Luang Prabang.
From £1,875 departing January 10 2009.
China
The Beijing Olympics have fuelled the healthy interest in this Asian superpower. Next year there’s an extra reason to visit – you’ll be able to see the longest total eclipse of the sun this century from the Qiantang River on July 22.
Wendy Wu has a range of eclipse departures, including the 16-day China and Eclipse Experience, which visits Shanghai, the panda reserve at Chengdu, the terracotta warriors at Xian and Beijing, as well as a cruise on the Yangtze.
From £2,460 departing July 2009.
Japan
Cradle of early civilisations and one of the most high-tech nations of the world, Japan is a land of contrast.
Abercrombie and Kent’s 12-night Signature Japan tour brings you the highlights of the main Honshu island. In Osaka you can shop on Shinsaibashisuji, a 1.3-mile bustling drag and view the city from the Umeda Sky Building, and in Tokyo visit the Imperial Palace Plaza.
You’ll take a trip up to Takayama in the Japanese alps and see Mount Fuji, as well the Hiroshima Peace Park.
Prices lead in at £6,995.
Indonesia
For a real tropical paradise, head for this long chain of 17,508 islands, separating the Indian Ocean from the South China Sea.
You’d be pushed to visit even a fraction of them, but Explore’s 16-day East Indies Seatrek lets you hop from Bali down to Flores on an elegant two-masted schooner.
You’ll stop off at Santonda to see flying foxes, Komodo for the dragons and Kelimutu to see coloured crater lakes. There’s further evidence of the islands’ turbulent geological history at Sangean, where an active volcano towers 2,000 metres above the sea.
From £2,360 departing in March 2009.
Malaysia
Multi-cultural Malaysia is split between the provinces on the island of Borneo, and the mainland, on a peninsula south of Thailand.
Travel 2’s 13-day Around Malaysia trip tours the more developed mainland, showcasing Kuala Lumpur, the Taman Negra National Park where you can traverse the longest canopy walkway in the world and the cool tea plantations and flower gardens of the Cameron highlands before heading to Penang for well-deserved beach time.
From £915 twin-share excluding flights, departing January to March 2009.
Borneo
Famous for the cute but endangered orang-utan population, the island is also home to elephants and crocodiles.
Intrepid Travel ’s 19-day Borneo Unearthed tour gets you up close and personal with the apes at a rehabilitation centre and takes in the rest of Sabah and Sarawak, including climbing Mount Kinabalu, exploring Kuching city and staying in villages to experience traditional life.
Prices excluding flights lead in at £995.
