The Colours of Southeast Asia Bespoke Holiday Itinerary / Experience Tour

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This very special holiday includes our exclusive signature experiences in each and every destination. The itinerary will take you on a journey through the the most exciting sights of Southeast Asia, showing you them in a whole new way with access to local gems that few travellers get to see.

You'll discover the historical and cultural highlights of Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia whilst travelling by land, river and air. As you explore these diverse and stunningly beautiful countries with your guides you'll sample local delicacies, explore hidden temples and find yourselves immersed in local life. From the hustle and bustle of Asia’s largest cities to the majestic temples of Angkor and Bagan, this itinerary is an in-depth discovery of Southeast Asia and the trip of a lifetime.

Highlights include:

Exploring the remarkable temples of Bagan and those of Angkor in a unique way. Then trying to decide which is the most impressive!
Marvelling at the dramatic river gorge scenery surrrounding wonderful Luang Prabang
Tasting delicious street food on a walking tour around the hidden lanes of Chiang Mai
Cruising along the Irrawaddy River on a 3 day river voyage from Bagan to Mandalay
Discovering the contrasts of daily local life in the villages and cities of each of the four countries

As with all of our suggested itineraries, we can tailor-make your holiday to suit your budget, style and expectations. Find out about our exclusive ‘Journey Planner’ here.

DAY 1 DEPART THE UK

Depart the UK on your overnight flight to Yangon.

DAY 2-4 YANGON COLONIAL BUILDINGs AND gleaming PAGODAS

Your guide will meet you on arrival for the transfer to your hotel and the first afternoon is free for you to relax.

During your time in Yangon you’ll get an introduction to Myanmar and a sense of the contrasts of life in this fast changing country on our unique signature city tour. Observe daily Yangon life on a morning trip on the local “circle” train, enjoy a street food dinner with refreshing local beer, take in the faded colonial architecture, ride a rickshaw to a local market and visit the famous Shwedagon Pagoda, whose recognisable golden stupa dominates the city's skyline.

DAY 5 & 6 BAGAN EXTRAORDINARY ancient pagodas

From Yangon it’s a short flight to Bagan. Take in the astonishing archaeological zone and beyond with your guide. Our tours are always timed to include quiet moments away from the crowd and to give you a deeper insight than others.

DAY 7 & 8 IRRAWADDY RIVER CRUISE

Your river voyage departs from Bagan, travelling along the Irrawaddy River to Mandalay. Cruising along at a leisurely pace really gives you time to take in the wonderful Burmese scenery. Accommodation on board is comfortable and dining is of great quality. With expert guiding en route you’ll explore traditional villages and get a feel for local life.

DAY 9 & 10 MANDALAY BUDDHIST HERITAGE AND ANCIENT CAPITALS

Your boat cruise ends in Mandalay where you’ll spend 2 days exploring ancient capitals, colourful markets, Buddhist heritage, intricate carvings and sunrise at the famous U Bein Bridge, taking advantage of various modes of transport as you travel around with your guide.

On the second day an evening flight takes you south, across the border to Chiang Mai in Thailand.

DAY 11-13 CHIANG MAI Thailand’s bustling second city

You’ll spend 3 full days in Chiang Mai, enjoying guided tours with plenty of relaxation time built in. Highlights will include taking an evening food tour where your guide will introduce you to a range of delicious Thai dishes, and a morning visit to Doi Suthep temple where you’ll watch the serene procession of Buddhist monks collecting their alms at dawn against a backdrop of golden pagodas.

During your stay you could try your hand at whipping up some Thai delicacies at a cooking school or spend the day at the Elephant Nature Park where mahouts will teach you how to bathe an elephant and feed it from the viewing platform.

DAY 14-16 LUANG PRABANG Beautiful, sleepy heritage town

It’s just a 1 hour hop from Chiang Mai to timeless Luang Prabang, one of the highlights of Southeast Asia. During your 3 days here you’ll notice how different Laos is to the other destinations you’ve visited in terms of scenery and culture. The landscape is quite dramatic with river gorges and jungle-clad hills. During time with your guide you’ll head to the Kuang Sii Waterfalls for a picnic breakfast, explore the historic sites of the UNESCO town itself, take in the picturesque night markets and perhaps play a game of petanque with the locals (a popular sport here; a legacy of the French!)

Day 17-21 Siem Reap The remarkable Temples of Angkor

Your final stop is Siem Reap, the gateway to the Angkor Temples. Along with Bagan this is one of Southeast Asia’s most remarkable archaeological sites and few people have the chance to compare both in one holiday! You’ll spend 4 days in the area as there is a lot to take in, so much so that it’s useful to take your time and combine exploring with some relaxation at your hotel.

During your stay you’ll visit Angkor Wat, the ancient royal city of Angkor Thom and Ta Phrom amongst other quieter, less well-known sites. Our tours of the region are carefully timed and constructed to ensure you get the most out of your visit.

Beyond the temples, Siem Reap has some lovely restaurants to enjoy and you’ll also have chance to visit the quite unique villages on Tonle Sap Lake.

Day 22 Fly Home or Stay

Today you depart Siem Reap on your flight back to the UK. However, if you’d prefer to travel a little further in Cambodia or perhaps extend your trip into Vietnam, then the itinerary can be tailored accordingly.

As every holiday is unique to you, prices vary. To give you an indication, two-week holidays range from roughly £2,500 to £8,000 per adult, with an average price of £3,300. We also offer substantial child and seasonal discounts.

Fill in our Quote Request form to get your quick, no-obligations proposal.

As every holiday is unique - Call our experts on 1-888-577-8452 for an inclusive, personalised quotation for your preferred dates or use the quote request form below...

Inclusions

Your personalised quotation with Experience Travel Group will include:

International Flights (which can be omitted from your quotation if you prefer)
Accommodation as described
Privately guided tours and transfers
Original Experience Travel Group "Signature" experiences
Full financial protection (full ABTA and ATOL bonding)
Meals as described
24 hour in-country backup whilst away
Your own dedicated travel expert in the UK

For more on our pricing policy read here.

You can book this holiday tour on its own, with flights or it can be tailored for you.

Here are the hotels and villas within this holiday as standard...

Hotel at Tharabar Gate, Bagan

Stylish, contemporary hotel amidst Bagan's glorious temples

Hotel By The Red Canal, Mandalay

Superb boutique hotel with excellent service, a secluded location and tasteful design & decoration

Maison Souvannaphoum, Luang Prabang

Stylish boutique hotel in the centre of Luang Prabang

Rachamankha, Chiang Mai

Delightful boutique hotel in the centre of Chiang Mai

Shinta Mani Angkor, Siem Reap

Modern designer boutique hotel ideally situated in the heart of the French Quarter, Siem Reap.

The Savoy, Yangon

Intimate boutique hotel with stylish rooms, historic flair and a relaxed ambience on the outskirts of Yangon.

Also Included

Pandaw (Short) Cruises, The Irrawaddy River

Well established river cruise company with great reputation, quality boats and interesting excursions.

You can book this holiday tour on its own, with flights or it can be tailored for you.

Here are the experiences & activities within this holiday as standard...

A Lot of Thai Cooking School, Chiang Mai

Personalised and fun cooking school in Chiang Mai run by Thai celebrity chef.

Bagan, Bagan

The world famous Bagan temples are one of the 'must see' sites of Myanmar (Burma).

Elephant Nature Park, Chiang Mai

Sanctuary and rescue centre for elephants providing "elephant friendly" experiences (no elephant riding).

Evening Game of Pentanque, Luang Prabang

Join the locals for an evening game of Pentanque (Boules).

Explore ancient Ava (Inwa), Mandalay

Fascinating ancient capital on the Irrawaddy River.

Explore Mandalay's Colourful Markets , Mandalay

Explore the vibrant markets with your guide.

Explore the magnificent Angkor Wat, Siem Reap

Carefully crafted experience to ensure you get the most out of this iconic temple away from the crowds.

Explore Yangon on Foot, Yangon

Explore Myanmar's bustling capital city on foot with your private guide.

Lake Inle, Lake Inle

Cruise and explore the floating farms, stilted homes and one-leg fisherman on Inle Lake from your private boat.

Mandalay, Mandalay

Myanmar's second city and bustling cultural and religious hub.

The Shwedagon Pagoda, Yangon, Yangon

Myanmar's most important Buddhist pagoda, located in central Yangon.

The Shwezigon Pagoda, Bagan

Deeply significant sacred building in Bagan.

The Yangon Circle Train, Yangon

Departing from Yangon central, this commuter train is a great way to see another side of Myanmar.

Tonle Sap Floating Villages, Siem Reap

Visit the floating villages of the Tonle Sap lake, the largest in South East Asia and home to these unusual dwellings.

U Bein Bridge at Sunrise or Sunset , Mandalay

Famous footbridge that is particularly vibrant at sunrise and sunset.

Walking Tour of Bustling Chinatown, Yangon

Wander the narrow streets lined with shops overflowing with produce and old houses with wooden shutters.

Customer Feedback

Both our guides, in Cambodia were excellent. However, I would like to nominate Channak for an award because we felt he gave an outstanding level of service, showing us things that weren't on the itinerary which we would never have found by ourselves and going out of his way to do so. His general sociability and ability to talk to local people, including more reserved tribal people, meant that we had a much greater insight into the community than we expected and we felt privileged to be there with him. He also has personal experience (from childhood) of the Khmer Rouge regime which made our visits to Toul Sleng and Choeung Ek in particular even more poignant than they would have been otherwise.

- Susan

Customer Protection

The air holiday packages shown are ATOL protected by the Civil Aviation Authority. Our ATOL number is ATOL 9324. Please see our booking conditions for more information.

Southeast Asia Holiday Ideas