Ultimate Asia – Singapore, Cambodia and Thailand

Welcome to South East Asia! After clearing immigration and collecting your luggage you’ll be met in the arrivals hall of Singapore Changi Airport by a private driver, who will then lead you to a private vehicle and transfer you to your downtown hotel. Transfer time will be around 30 minutes.

The Lion City’s cityscape is a mix of sci-fi skyscrapers and heritage shophouses, proudly showing the exotic mix of Chinese, British, Tamil, and Malay influences that made the city. Once you arrive at the hotel you have the remainder of the day to recuperate after your flight. You might want to relax with a drink in one of the rooftop restaurants overlooking the Singapore River or walk in one of the city’s heritage neighborhoods; when it comes time to dine, the incredible cuisine reflects the melding of cultures, with a wide range of delicious options.

This morning you’ll meet a local guide for a half-day walking tour of downtown Singapore, also affectionately known as the ‘Lion City’ or the ‘Little Red Dot’. The tour will take you through the city’s vibrant downtown quarter, introducing you to it’s fascinating multiculturalism and contrasts between both East and West, and old and new.

Pass through the National Gallery of Singapore, City Hall, and the marvelous architecture of the Supreme Court. You’ll enjoy panoramic vistas from the Arts House and the Victoria Concert Hall, where you’ll learn more about the founders of the city: Sang Nila Utama and Sir Stamford Raffles. Take a break and cool off with a refreshing local ice coffee or tea or lime juice. Cross the Cavenagh Bridge and visit the Fullerton Hotel, formerly the General Post Office. Marvel at the meticulously restored architecture of this world-renowned hotel. The Merlion Park is the tour’s final destination, where you will discover the story behind Singapore’s iconic mythical creature, the Merlion, created to promote tourism in Singapore.

Your guide will leave you at this point, with the rest of the day yours to continue exploring independently.

Singapore is one of the world’s most modern and highly developed cities with a public transport system to rival anywhere in the world. The MRT (subway) and bus systems are cheap and quick, with various apps available to make getting around as easy as possible. Fleets of taxis swarm throughout the city center. English is the island’s first language, spoken fluently by all and seen on all signage.

Part of the fun of any stay here is spending a day or two exploring under your own steam. In Singapore’s downtown neighborhoods, you’ll find bustling markets, art galleries, and independent designers. Beyond the city center, you’ll find protected reserves with canopy walkways, scenic nature trails, and abundant flora and fauna, as well as a wealth of public parks and reserves island-wide. The crown jewel of Singapore’s green scene is the Singapore Botanic Gardens – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – with the iconic Gardens by the Bay, and smaller Chinese and Japanese Gardens also warranting a dedicated visit.

The food scene of course needs no introduction. Singapore’s infamous hawker centers can be found in every neighborhood, serving up the world’s best cheap eats 24/7. For a high contrast, enjoy one of the city’s many high-class dining destinations, with some 44 Michelin-starred restaurants to choose from. First-hand food experiences include an array of cooking classes and passionately guided food walks.

After a leisurely breakfast, you’ll be transferred back to Singapore Changi Airport, where you’ll board a 90-minute flight over the border to Cambodia, landing in Siem Reap – home to the temples of Angkor. You’ll be greeted on arrival by your private English-speaking guide, and then a private driver, and together they will transfer you to your nearby hotel.

While best known for the temples and ruins of Angkor, once the world’s largest and greatest pre-industrial city, Siem Reap also offers opportunities to explore museums, markets, and buzzing nightlife. Once checked in you will have the remainder of the day free to rest and recuperate at the hotel, or jump in a tuk-tuk and head out to explore.

In the evening you’ll be taken to enjoy Siem Reap’s finest contemporary spectacle – the Phare Circus. Tightrope walkers, contortionists, and acrobats take to the stage for a dynamic artistic spectacle that blends visual art, music, dance, and circus skills. Phare arose from Battambang-based NGO Phare Ponleu Selpak, with all proceeds from the Siem Reap event going back to their mission of skilling impoverished children in the arts and performance. The NGO’s impact on rural Cambodia is genuinely remarkable, and the show itself hugely entertaining, so on all counts the 90-minute show (with private transfers to and from included) is an inspiring and invaluable use of your time.

Wake early this morning to enjoy the lesser-visited corners of the Angkor complex at their quietest time of day. Head first to Srah Srang, Angkor’s expansive 700m x 350m reservoir, which glows a deep orange at sunrise. Continue to the legendary jungle temple Ta Prohm, its crumbling ruins now held together with roots and vines. A 15-minute walk through the forest north of Ta Prohm then takes you to Ta Nei where you’ll be served a delicious picnic breakfast. At this time of day you’re likely to have the entire temple site to yourselves. A short drive then brings you to the final stop of the morning – Ta Keo, known as the ‘Mountain of Bronze Peaks’, with its impressive five-tiered pyramid structure. You’ll be dropped back at your hotel in the mid-morning and have some time to relax.

In the afternoon your guide will escort you out to the great Tonle Sap Lake: the richest freshwater fishing ground in the world, and a Cambodian national treasure. A privately guided boat tour will introduce you to the communities that live around the margins of the lake, who adapt to the continual variation in water levels by building their homes on floating stilts. Take the opportunity to pause at the stilted houses to learn how a subsistence fishing family lives between zipping through near-empty waterways with remnants of floating villages and flooded forests. Cruise through Meachrey floating village, cocktail in hand, listening to bird calls and watching rural life pass you by as the sun sets across this glistening water world. Choose to either sit inside the boat, or on the roof for more panoramic views. You’ll be returned to your hotel early evening.

After an early breakfast, you will head out to the great Tonle Sap Lake: the richest freshwater fishing ground in the world, and a Cambodian national treasure. A privately guided boat tour will introduce you to the communities that live around the margins of the lake, who adapt to the continual variation in water levels by building their homes on floating stilts. Take the opportunity to pause at the stilted houses to learn how a subsistence fishing family lives, before returning to shore, where you will find a picnic lunch has been prepared for you.

You’ll then be transferred straight to Siem Reap Airport in time to board a short flight over to Bangkok. On arrival, you’ll be met by a new local guide and driver team and then transferred to your hotel to have some time to relax.

Your guide will meet you again in the early evening, and you’ll then set off together on a voyage of culinary discovery. Traveling by tuk-tuk, you’ll whizz through the buzzing city streets and sample the best street food the city has to offer, including an authentic Isan (northern Thai) restaurant, a Michelin-listed chicken noodle stall, and a vendor who claims to serve up the best pad thai in the city.

In between bites, you’ll enjoy an intriguing nighttime visit to Wat Pho and a walk through the colorful flower market nearby. The evening finishes with a drink at a secret bar down on the river bank, facing the glittering Temple of Dawn. Your guide will drop you back at your hotel – unless, of course, you prefer to stay out and keep the night rolling!

After breakfast, you’ll be picked up by your guide and head out to discover the magnificent Thai capital. This morning will concentrate on the city’s key highlights. First travel by private car to Wat Pho, with its remarkable reclining Buddha, arriving just in time as the resident monks gather for their morning chants. Then continue to the Grand Palace, an icon of Thailand and the most famous sight in the country. Spend the morning exploring these culturally important sites in-depth, learning about the country’s regal history and the deep-rooted spiritual traditions of its people. Lunch will then be taken at a riverside restaurant.

Then delve even deeper into local Bangkok life, taking a typical long-tail boat into the quiet canals (khlongs) of Thonburi, on the more traditional and less-visited western side of the Chao Phraya. Pass by houses built on stilts and see how local life takes place on the water. Then return to the main Chao Phraya River to visit the impressive Royal Barge Museum, showcasing the many beautiful boats and barges used by the Thai Royalty on state occasions.

Your final stop is at glittering Wat Arun – arguably Bangkok’s most attractive temple. Admire the incredible glazed pottery inlaid in this towering stupa, and learn about its spiritual connections with the city. On the opposite side of the river, facing elegant Wat Arun, are numerous terrace bars which make a fine spot for a post-tour sundowner.

This morning your guide and driver will meet you at the hotel and then drop you back at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi airport, where you’ll board a short domestic flight up to Thailand’s northern capital, Chiang Mai. You’ll be received on arrival by a new private guide and driver, and then taken to your hotel to check in.

Meet your guide again around 5.30pm to enjoy a nighttime discovery tour of Thailand’s northern capital. Travel by tuk tuk to a local temple arriving to see the evening prayers as the sun sets and the temple is illuminated like a glistening diamond. Observe the monks chanting their evening prayers and join local worshipers in lighting incense and candles, and giving offerings of good luck and health. Continue to the Three King’s Monument, where you’ll learn more about Chiang Mai’s history as the capital of the Lanna kingdom, a separate country independent of Thailand. You’ll then dive into Warorot Market: even at this late hour it is a hive of activity, with stalls selling fresh flowers, clothes, and mouthwatering street food.

Next up – dinner. Cross the Ping River on foot using the ‘Indian Bridge’ and arrive at a picturesque riverfront dining spot, where you’ll enjoy a sumptuous meal of Northern Thai delights accompanied by live music. Round off the evening with a cocktail at a rooftop bar nearby, after which you can be dropped off back at your hotel or continue the night’s adventures independently.

This morning you’ll travel out in the countryside, around an hour north of Chiang Mai to spend the day at an elephant rehabilitation center that we have carefully selected thanks to its excellent conservation credentials, rescuing former working elephants and providing a beautiful natural environment for their rehabilitation. The park runs a ‘hand’s off’ visitor program, during which you can observe these beautiful creatures up close and help out with daily park activities – such as feeding, bathing, playing, and washing – but there is no riding offered. The day will also involve a tour of the verdant park grounds and the opportunity to meet other rescued species under the park’s care, such as buffalo, dogs, cats, horses, and tropical birds.

You’ll be out and about with the elephants for much of the day and likely to join them in their daily dip, so please make sure to bring sunscreen, mosquito repellent, a hat, and a change of clothes! Lunch is included during your visit.

After an early breakfast you’ll be picked up by your private guide and head out to explore the lush scenery and secluded villages north of Chiang Mai. Your first stop will be at the lively Mae Malai market, a well-known destination for various hill tribes who come down from the surrounding hills to gossip and trade.

After a quick walk through the market stalls you’ll transfer to a 4×4 and head off the main road and up to the remote village of Baan Thong Youa – the starting point of your morning hike. Take up a gentle path through the lush hill scenery, with your guide providing colorful insights on hill tribe groups and their culture, learning how the former opium trade has evolved into artisanal crafts, farming, and coffee plantations. You’ll hike for around 2.5 hours, stopping for a scenic picnic lunch along the way and eventually reaching the isolated village of Baang Phong Ngan.

After meeting the local Lahu villagers you’ll transfer onto a bamboo raft and begin a relaxing return journey, being gently paddled down the pristine waters catching sight of tranquil agricultural scenery and the occasional wading buffalo along the way. The rafting journey will be around 60-90 minutes, after which you’ll reunite with your driver and return to your Chiang Mai hotel by road.

After a leisurely breakfast, you’ll be transferred back to Chiang Mai Airport, where you’ll board your 90-minute flight down to Phuket. Thailand’s largest and most famous island is home to some of the country’s most enticing beach resorts. There are around 30 noted beaches, all featuring powdery white sands and cerulean seas, with visitors able to choose from busier or quieter locales depending on their interests. Interior Phuket offers a huge array of amenities and activities, with opportunities to indulge in legendary Thai massage, dine on fresh-caught seafood, hike in the interior, arrange water sports, or enjoy lots of great shopping.

Today you’ll embark on an enthralling day tour around the spectacular islands of Phang Nga Bay. The day begins with an early morning pick-up from your hotel before boarding a typically Thai longtail boat and setting off into the Bay. You’ll visit a series of remarkable limestone outcrops, taking in Talu Cave, the fishing village of Tak Dad, the 150-year-old Muslim village of Koh Panyi, and the natural beauty of Panak Island. A further highlight will be a visit to Tapu Island, now known better as James Bond island following its starring role in ‘The Man With Golden Gun’.

In between these stops, you’ll pause at a totally isolated cove for a picnic lunch on the beach. There will also be ample time to sunbathe and to swim and snorkel amongst incredibly clear waters and pristine coral.

Today is free to relax and enjoy Phuket. There are many excellent facilities on offer at your hotel, plus of course the magnificent beach, but should you wish to stay active we have a few ideas in mind. Another speedboat trip could take you out to the Phi Phi islands, or to dive or snorkel again in Phang Nga Bay. Staying on the island, dramatic hikes are available in the jungly mountainous interior, or you might like to indulge in some cultural immersion with a cooking class or village walk. Alternatively, head to one of the livelier beaches on the island for lots of shopping, dining, and nightlife opportunities. Make sure to ask your expert for their recommendations on how best to spend this day!

Sadly your adventures in  South East Asia must come to an end. At the appropriate time, you’ll be transferred privately from your beach resort to Phuket International Airport, arriving in good time to check in for your onward flight.

If you need to make extensions to suit international flight connections, for instance onward travel back to Bangkok or Singapore, please speak to your consultant who will be happy to assist.