Experience Travel Group Start Planning
Call Explore
Experience Travel Group
Experience Travel Group
Explore 020 7924 7133 Start Planning

CURATED BY US, COVERED BY MEDIA

ETG in the press


"The return of HBO series The White Lotus next month seems bound to do for its location - the Thai island of Koh Samui and the Four Seasons resort there - what the last series did for Sicily. Avoid the inevitable crowds and instead go to the lesser-visited island of Koh Phra Thong, holing up at Baba Eco Lodge... "Think The Beach more than The White Lotus," says Sam Clark of [ETG], which offers stays... as part of two-week trip, 'Southern Thailand's Hidden Gems'".

Escape the crowds

"[Elephants] rescued by the Mahouts Elephant Foundation, which runs ethical experiences in partnership with the Karen community, are the focus of Experience Travel Group’s tailor-made Elephant Encounters in Thailand trip... In between, guests can walk in the forest with a mahout guide to see the rescued elephants in their natural habitat – though no interaction is allowed. Profits go straight back into the community."

Walk with Thailand's mahouts

"In Cambodia, they are happily dancing again. It’s enough to make the most cynical travel writer raise his delicious glass of cold Angkor beer and toast a new moon rising over the Tonle Sap. [In Phnom Penh], you will find lavishly refurbed or remarkable new hotels. Take Raffles... a shining opal of a French colonial hotel. At its nadir, it became the hangout for all the war journalists in The Killing Fields; now it gleams with its exquisite pools and serene pavilions. Nearby is the new Rosewood Hotel. Recently voted the Best Urban Hotel in Asia."

Delve into Cambodia's capital

"One of the most scenic train rides in the world... celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. We are swallowed up and spat out by the landscape, careering through wide ravines watered by cascades, and squeezing into dark tunnels that burrow under palm-tipped mountains... As passengers talk in hushed tones, hawkers navigate seating booths and doorways, selling chilli mango and peanuts fried with curry leaves. A child waves at us from a river as we pass above him on a metal bridge, then dives under the caramel-coloured water like a fish."

Experience the spirit of Sri Lanka

Independent-logo - WildAid

"ChangChill is one of a new breed of ethical elephants camps in Thailand... In the eight-acre forest, there’s no riding, no touching, and the sharp bull hooks traditionally used by mahouts to exert control over their animals are nowhere in sight. Instead, we trek into the forest to watch elephants foraging from 10–15 metres away, chop sugar cane... and make energy balls of banana, tamarind, rice husks and the all-important medicinal herbs, which are fed to them by their mahouts, rather than us."

Get up to speed with Lauren Jarvis

hero profile

"'Without doubt, this is the greatest evening of my life,' I thought to myself as I galloped along 7km of deserted, unspoilt beach deep in a southern corner of Indonesia. A burning golden sunset cast the most beautiful light I’d ever seen, with only the sound of the Indian Ocean and the hoof beats of my native Sumbanese pony to accompany it."

Experience the joy of staying at Nihi Sumba.

Ride & Recharge in Indonesia

"The inaugural Gourmet Galle food festival features 13 internationally recognised chefs in a series of culinary events... set in the most picturesque properties in the region. Among the participants are culinary luminaries such as Karan Gokani, renowned for his Hoppers cookbook and three London restaurants, alongside celebrity chefs such as Mark Hix."

Get a feel for the food festival.

Gourmet Galle 2024

"Soon the grey wash of Snooky’s pollution gives way to emerald cleanliness, exuberantly silver flying fish and the occasional dolphin. After half an hour, we arrived at a private pier on the western side of Koh Rong island – and one of the most exquisite, jaw-dropping beaches I have ever seen."

Discover Cambodia's unspoilt islands through the eyes of Sean Thomas.

Head to Cambodia with Sean Thomas

"Actually the Pekoe Trail is not at all new. Its 200-mile, snail-shaped route starts just outside Kandy and weaves its way through the fertile Central Highlands up to Nuwara Eliya and the heart of the hill country. These tracks have existed since the British established the tea-growing industry here in the 19th century."

Find out what Louise Roddon discovered as she trekked the Pekoe Trail through Sri Lanka's tea country

Views and Brews - Sri Lanka's Tea Country

"It is one of nature’s truly heart thudding, soul shuddering experiences. No one forgets their first sighting of a Komodo dragon in the wild... Today, though, humans are the dragons’ biggest threat." 

Find out what happened when Robin Mckelvie met the modern-day dinosaurs, and how tourism will affect their future.

Overtourism: The Komodo Dragon

"This hospitality and food remains in my memory long after my visit to the teardrop-shaped island. Along with my new-found passion for fresh curry leaves."

Follow Audrey Gillan's culinary tour of Sri Lanka for National Geographic Traveller (UK) and find out her top 5 Sri Lankan staples. 

 

A Taste of Sri Lanka

"Finally I sat down with my family for a proper feast: green papaya soup with christophene (a knobbly gourd), chicken satay, steamed mahi mahi… And lots of rice. Yes, I’d found proper Balinese food, all right – and I’d cooked it, too."

Discover Les Dunn's journey to authentic Balinese cuisine, from the best restaurants to learning the ropes himself.

Where To Eat In Bali

"My declaration duly arouses a small cheer, which is swiftly drowned out by the rumble of an urban train, rattling down the road, two yards from the door of this splendidly ramshackle bar, hidden away in the kinetic, mazy, twilit streets of central Hanoi in Vietnam."

Read all about Sean Thomas's trip to Vietnam to research the country's hottest new luxury hotels.

Luxury Vietnam

"Local tribes and the wider community are very much a part of the inspiring atmosphere at this wonderfully authentic lodge."

Travel writer, Catherine McCullin (née Fairweather) travelled to Sri Lanka with her husband, the legendary photographer, Don McCullin. Here she reviews a unique wildlife lodge. 

Gal Oya Lodge

"Her mummified body lay within a four-metre-tall duba-duba, a litter gilded with icons of buffalos, around which her encircled clan chanted a rowdy requiem."

What happened when Mark Stratton explored the fascinating funeral rituals of the Toraja people, Sulawesi?

Alternative Funeral Rituals in South Sulawesi

"The absence of air conditioning (first class only) was hardly an issue; thanks to the open windows we could breath in the refreshing, cool air of the mountains. We passed jaw-dropping scences of lush vegetation, the odd flash of a temple stupa hidden within".

Find out what Adrian Bridge saw on The Ella Odyssey, perhaps one of the worlds most scenic railway journeys

The Ella Odyssey introduced by Sri Lanka Railway



Experience Travel Group

~
Not sure what you’re looking for?
Let us inspire you
~

Every ETG journey is unique. Tell us your loves, your hates, your holiday ambitions, your hopes and fears, and we’ll share a suitcase so full of inspired holiday ideas you’ll need to sit on it to shut it tight.

Your next adventure starts with a conversation...

Start Planning

Call us 020 7924 7133

Call us 1-888-577-8452


ETG - immersive holidays that give back, since 2004.
Don’t just see Asia - feel Asia.
Newsletter

Join our mailing list to receive the latest updates and travel inspiration...

How it works
  • Get in touch
  • Booking with confidence
  • How much does it cost?
  • Financial protection
  • What happens if something goes wrong on my holiday?
  • Working with in-country partners
  • My Online Account
  • Come and see us
  • Request a Brochure
About Us
  • Why choose ETG?
  • Our Story
  • Meet the Team
  • Reviews
  • Our Promise
  • In the Press
  • Our Offices
  • Jobs
Information
  • Our Rating System
  • Exclusive Signature Experiences
  • Your Protection
  • Travel Insurance
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Package Travel Regulations
  • Foreign and Commonwealth (FCO) Travel Advice
Sustainability
  • Travel Better
  • Give Back Experiences
  • Partnerships
  • Carbon Roadmap
  • B Corp Certified
  • Our Counter-Carbon Pledge
Get Social

facebook.com/experiencetravel twitter.com/ExpTrav instagram.com/experiencetravelgroup

  • Visit us on Facebook
  • View @ExpTrav Twitter Feed
  • Visit our Travel Blog
  • Follow our Instagram page
  • Newsletter Signup
  • Book Club

© Experience Travel Group Ltd
Registered in England, Company No. 5071391 | ABTA Member | 9324 ATOL Protected
Site by Livingstone Creative

Website Terms of Use | Cookie Policy | Privacy Policy

  • Sri Lanka
  • India
  • Maldives
  • Nepal
  • Bhutan
  • Oman
  • Thailand
  • Vietnam
  • Cambodia
  • Laos
  • Indonesia
  • Borneo
  • Multi-country

Explore
  • Use our Smart Search
Get in Touch
Immersive Holidays
  • Bespoke Holidays with ETG
  • Immersive Family Holidays
  • Immersive Honeymoons
  • Holidays by month
  • Family Holidays by Month
  • Download Country Guides
Guide to South Asia
Your key to Asia
Insider guides designed
for curious travellers
Country Guides
Inspiration
  • Country Guides
  • Weather & when to go
  • ETG NEWSLETTER: INBOX INSPIRATION
  • Travel gems in the ETG blog
  • Explore Hotels
  • Experiences that give back
Jungle River Safari in South Asia
"The possible's slow fuse is
lit by the imagination"
Inspire Me
About Us
  • Our Story
  • Why Choose ETG?
  • The Important Bits
  • Meet the Team
  • Sustainability
  • Come and see us
  • Make an Enquiry
Get the Newsletter
  • Destinations
    • Bhutan
    • Borneo
    • Cambodia
    • India
    • Indonesia
    • Laos
    • The Maldives
    • Myanmar
    • Nepal
    • Oman
    • Sri Lanka
    • Thailand
    • Vietnam
    • Multi-country
  • Weather & When to go
    • Sri Lanka
    • The Maldives
    • Vietnam
    • Cambodia
    • Laos
    • India
    • Bhutan
    • Thailand
    • Myanmar
    • Borneo
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • Oman
  • About us
    • Why choose ETG?
    • Our Story
    • Meet the Team
    • Reviews
    • In the Press
    • Our Offices
    • Our Brochure
    • Travel Blog
    • Newsletter Signup
  • How it works
    • Get in touch
    • Booking with confidence
    • How much does it cost?
    • Financial protection
    • What happens if something goes wrong on my holiday?
    • Working with in-country partners
    • My Booking
    • Come and see us
  • Immersive Holidays
    • Immersive Family Holidays
    • Immersive Honeymoons
    • Ideas & Inspiration
    • Holidays by month
    • Family Holidays by Month
    • Download Free Country Guides
  • Sustainability
    • Travel Better
    • Give Back Experiences
    • Partnerships
    • B Corp Certified
  • Come and see us
  • My Online Account
  • Brochure
  • Travel Blog