Indulgent Indochina - Absolute Asia Tours

On arrival in Myanmar, you'll be met by your private guide, who will accompany you to your Yangon hotel. 

In the evening, it’s time to ‘Go Local’ with one of our Burmese friends. Take a stroll with your companion, stopping for a drink in a local café or bar, before immersing yourself further into the country’s culture and enjoying the company of a local friend, who’ll be ready to show you a side of Yangon that only locals know. Perhaps enjoy some street food and live music, join your companion at their local temple, or even to share a drink and some food with their family or friends.

Explore the lively India Town market before hopping aboard the ‘circular railway’ commuter train as it weaves its way through waking neighbourhoods. Disembark at Hledan to visit the huge reclining Buddha at nearby Chaukhtatgyi Paya and, after lunch, go downtown to the ancient Sule Pagoda, where you can see fortune-tellers in the small rooms surrounding this highly significant site. Continue to Mahabandoola Park and Burma’s Independence Monument, then walk along the river bank, past the Custom House, the British Embassy, the General Post Office and evocative The Strand Hotel, once home to the likes of Orwell, Kipling and Somerset Maugham. Mingle with the locals over a cup of sweet chai in a traditional tea shop, before visiting Myanmar’s most iconic site: the majestic Shwedagon Pagoda. Try local flavours at the surrounding makeshift food markets, and see the pagoda magically illuminated as night falls.

Spend your morning at Three Good Spoons, a not-for-profit organisation offering relaxed, fun cooking classes, whose profits help disadvantaged local women. Start at Yaetarshay Market to buy fresh, local ingredients, before returning to prepare three delicious Burmese dishes under the expert tuition of Chef Kevin, and enjoying the fruit of your labours for lunch. The remainder of your day will be at leisure.

Take a flight to Kawthaung this morning, where you will be met by the team from Wa Ale Resort and transferred to the jetty for a 2-hour luxury speedboat journey to the island. On arrival you will be welcomed by Wa Ale staff and guided along a man-made rock pathway to the Main Pavilion for check in. Then it's time to explore, or simply kick back and relax.

Your stay at Wa Ale Island Resort can be as active as you wish. Snorkel, dive, kayak or paddleboard around the stunning coast, trek inland to explore the jungle trails, or simply relax on the deserted golden sands.

Today you will journey from the pristine beaches of the Mergui Archipelago to the bustling city of Bangkok; travelling first by boat, crossing the Thai border, then on by car to Phuket, and finally a short flight. Having arrived in Bangkok you will be met and transferred to your hotel where the remainder of your day will be at leisure.

Start the day with a visit to the stunning Grand Palace, the most important royal landmark in Thailand, where you can see some of the buildings used for different occasions, including the Funeral Palace, Reception Palace, Throne Hall, Coronation Hall, Royal Guest House, and the Emerald Buddha, the most revered Buddha image in Thailand. 

Continue on to Wat Pho, home of the famous reclining Buddha that measures a staggering 45 metres in length. This Buddhist temple complex is also home to one of the oldest Traditional Thai-massage schools in the country, where you will enjoy a one hour traditional Thai massage. Practised for centuries to de-stress and revitalise, this traditional massage is given through clothes. Following your treatment, feeling suitably relaxed, transfer back to your hotel. 

Board your long-tail boat at the bank of the Chao Phraya River for a cruise along Bangkok’s ‘River of Kings’. This is a crucial lifeline for the city, and there’s no better way to discover the true heart of Bangkok, and learn more about its local ways of life away from the busy city centre, than aboard a traditional boat. Enter the labyrinth of ‘klongs’ (small canals), where you may notice a slower pace of life as you pass by old teak houses, countless temples, vendors selling vegetables from wooden boats, and children splashing around at the canal edge. Disembark for a spell at the Royal Barge Museum, which houses some of the ornately carved royal barges used by Thailand's Kings on state occasions, and learn about the craftmanship required to build them. Your final stop will be the majestic Wat Arun, the ‘Temple of the Dawn’, which is one of Bangkok’s best-known landmarks with its a distinctive 70-metre tall central ‘prang’, encrusted with coloured glass and porcelain. Having had a good look around, return to your hotel.

Transfer to Bangkok Airport where you will be met by a representative from Soneva Kiri and board the resort’s private plane for the hour-long flight to Koh Mai Si, followed by a 5 minute luxury speedboat transfer to Soneva Kiri’s jetty. Located on one of Thailand’s most pristine islands, Soneva Kiri is one of the top barefoot luxury resorts in Asia. Having checked in to your private pool villa, the remainder of your day is at leisure.

Your day is at leisure. If you can drag yourself away from your private pool villa you may wish to explore Koh Kood’s idyllic bays by speedboat, spend the day snorkelling or kayaking, trek through the island’s rainforest, or simply indulge in a treatment in the Six Senses Spa. If you’re looking for a memorable meal be sure to book the unique Treepod Dining experience.

Taking the boat and private plane back to Bangkok, check in for your onward flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia where you will be met by your guide, who will transfer you to your hotel. 

This evening you'll visit the Phare big top to experience the Cambodian Circus. Phare is not your average circus experience: the performers are all graduates of Phare Ponleu Seplak, an NGO offering training opportunities for disadvantaged youth, and they use theatre, music, dance and circus arts to tell uniquely Cambodian stories. The nightly shows are both inspiring and entertaining. Once the show has finished you will be transferred back to your hotel.

Set off early from your hotel for a day of temple exploration by bicycle. Cycling is a great way to traverse the area, allowing you to control the pace of your day, and thanks to the flat terrain the going is easy. Take a leisurely loop around the temples, taking time to appreciate the ancient craftsmanship and humour in the bas reliefs. Break for lunch at a local restaurant, and see the fabulous Ta Prohm Temple overtaken by 100 year old fig trees and giant creepers. Afterwards, there’ll be time to relax back in Siem Reap.

You'll be collected just before 5am (it is worth it!) and driven to the shore of an expansive lake within the Angkor temple compound, which was historically used as a place for ritual washing. Here, a gourmet breakfast will be awaiting your arrival. Arranged by the renowned kitchen at the Heritage Suites (arguably the best in Siem Reap) the menu includes treats such as freshly baked croissants, fresh seasonal fruits, eggs any way and Cambodian fried rice, served alongside fresh juice, tea and coffee. Enjoy a leisurely breakfast as the sun rises over the water, before beginning your exploration of Angkor Wat, and the complex of ruined temples and palaces around it. You’ll be driven between them, so you can fit quite a few in (if you want to), and our guides know when to see the ruins at uncrowded times.

Transfer to the airport in time for your flight to Sihanoukville. On arrival you will be met by staff of Song Saa Private Island Resort and transferred by car and speedboat to the resort, located within Cambodia’s untouched Koh Rong Archipelago. 

Song Saa Private Island is as seductive as the name implies, and the resort spans the islands of Koh Ouen and Koh Bong, connected by a footbridge over a marine reserve established to safeguard the islands’ reefs and marine life including turtles, seahorses and exotic species of tropical fish. Having checked in, it's time to kick off your shoes and sink your toes into the sand!

Enjoy a few days relaxing on the beach.

Your day is at leisure until transferring by speedboat and car to Phnom Penh airport in time for your onward flight.