AIRWAVES has taken its Far East programme more upmarket by dropping several mid-range hotels and replacing them with more luxury properties.
New to this year’s brochure are Amanresorts properties in Phuket, Bali and Lombok and the private island of Pamalican in the Philippines, which are featured by only a handful of UK operators. Airwaves offers a flight-inclusive lead-in of £1,270 for five nights’ room-only accommodation at Amanpuri in Phuket.
Also new and exclusive to Airwaves is Begawan Giri Estate in central Bali which has five residences, each with four or five suites, butler service, library and swimming pool. Prices start at £1,472 for five nights including private transfers and breakfast.
“Begawan Giri is indicative of where we are heading,” said Airwaves director Roger Craggs. “We want interesting, deluxe properties that offer a discreet, personalised service.”
The new hotels are featured in Airwaves’ first dedicated Far East brochure, which also includes a selection of tours.
Examples include a 13-night Visions of Vietnam tour from £1,750 and an 11-night Timeless Empires tour of Laos and Cambodia from £1,595.
“We have very good contacts in Indo-China which allows us to offer these tours with confidence,” added Craggs. “The itineraries feature the best hotels in the region but prices are not dramatically high.”
A new tour is the Luxury Java Express from Jakarta to Bali which costs from £1,940 for the 11-night train and air journey.