Southeast Asia Tailor-made Holidays

The amount of time you have available to spend visiting Southeast Asia will determine how many destinations you can visit. In order to combine two or more countries in Southeast Asia for a holiday itinerary, 2-3 weeks is the minimum duration required. With two weeks you can combine the best of Vietnam with the temples of Angkor in Cambodia, or perhaps Thailand and Cambodia, or Thailand and Burma or even northern Thailand with Laos to end in Vietnam. With 3-4 weeks you can complete a circuit around Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia with just a few flights and lots of overland adventure. The possibilities are endless!

Whether it's spectacular archaeological ruins, colorful temples, steamy jungles or pristine beaches, there's plenty to see in Southeast Asia and knowing which of the sites are a definite must on your list will help our tailor-made team plot out your ideal itinerary. Depending on your holiday duration, some compromise may have to be made if you're looking to cover three or more countries in a short amount of time but with excellent flight connections around the region it is possible to pick and choose your top spots.

Depending on the distances that need to be covered and in what duration, flights between cities may be the best option, saving time spent travelling and getting you from A to B as quickly as possible. However, the journey can often be as equally as important as the journey so if time allows consider a leisurely week-long cruise from Saigon to Siem Reap visiting floating markets and royal cities en route or a boat trip on the Irrawaddy River between Bagan and Mandalay. Trains are another great option with comfortable sleeper berths available between the main destinations, travelling overnight so you can save on a night's accommodation while getting to where you need to go.

Short on time with a long list of must-sees? If so, the pace of your tailor-made tour will be fairly full on with action-packed days of touring seeing all the sights and lots of checking in and out, whether it's at the airport or a different hotel each day. If this is not your cup of tea then consider dropping a few destinations to allow a bit of free time and slow down the pace. There are plenty of ideal spots for a bit of R&R in Southeast Asia, whether it's the idyllic islands of Thailand or the attractive merchant town of Hoi An in Vietnam, so it's worth factoring in a few days at leisure where possible to ensure a more enjoyable experience with time to reflect on all the amazing things you've seen and done. We include English-speaking local guides at all the places you wish to visit so that you can make the most out of your time there, learning about the history and culture of the place you're travelling to though we understand that everyone likes a few days simply lying on the beach or the odd morning lie-in and afternoon doing their own thing and will happily arrange your itinerary to include as much or as little as you wish.

The choice of accommodation in Southeast Asia is superb whether it's practical city hotels, boutique properties full of character or glamorous beach-side resorts. There's also plenty of unique accommodation options worth considering from romantic floating lodges in the jungles of Thailand to beautifully constructed junk boats that cruise the waters of Halong Bay in Vietnam. There will be something to suit all budgets in all the main destinations with comfortable 3 star properties at the lower end of the price range to luxurious 5 star properties packed with facilities at the higher end. Our tailor-made team will select the best value properties that suit your budget but let us know if there's a particular hotel that you want included, a particular location in town you want to be close to or a night spent somewhere a little more special.

With such a varied and flavorful cuisine, Southeast Asia is the perfect place to try your hand at a cooking class whether it's perfecting a Pad Thai in Chiang Mai or preparing a lunch of vegetable rolls with a local family in Vietnam's beautiful countryside. There's also ample trekking opportunities with ethnic hill tribes in the north of Thailand and Vietnam or the lesser-visited area of Luang Namtha in Laos. Take to the waters of the Mekong in search of the rare Irrawaddy dolphin or hop on a saddle for a scenic bike ride in rural Vietnam. Head to the skies for a bird's eye view of the temple-strewn plains of Bagan or watch a water puppet show in Hanoi. Whatever tickles your fancy, we'll design your dream itinerary to include just that.

If you're on a tight budget you can make your money go further staying in 3 star accommodation, travelling by overnight train where possible and visiting destinations in the low or shoulder seasons when prices are lower. Knowing your budget at the outset will help determine the most suitable accommodation and modes of transport to use to ensure your holiday stays within your budget.