1. Traveling to Southeast Asia is easier than you think, as long as you plan it the right way
The impression that SE Asia is an isolated, laid-back and underprivileged region may discourage some, yet this beautiful region is now embracing modernity more than ever before.
Construction projects involving new highways, airports and hotel accommodation (with A/C and swimming pools) are daily underway. Service quality is not only a concern for those in hospitality but everywhere else as well. Compared to China, the language barrier seems to be in decline, for ‘opening-up’ is a widespread trend, and more and more use of English is encouraged.
Let’s face it, however: a trip to such a vast region might be like driving a new car round an unfamiliar block. You need to figure out how to connect between different points, pass unexpected obstructions, prevent potential hazards and eventually end up safe and sound, contented and confident, back where you started.
All depends on how you plan the trip. An experienced travel agent like Asia Highlights has the know-how and clout to free you from hours of searching blindly on the internet and to ease you into a new destination via delightful surprises rather than dreadful suspense.
More 2. You can make your every penny count
Despite fluctuations in world markets, exchange rates have been friendly to western tourists in SE Asia. No matter whether you are looking for a luxurious stay with private swimming pool in Hoi An, or a simple standard room on Khao San Road in Bangkok, SE Asia is the right place to spend your money smartly and rewardingly.
While some SE Asian countries, such as Vietnam and Thailand, are constantly nominated as good value-for-money travel destinations, at Asia Highlights we’d recommend you forget the exchange rate for just a moment and broaden your horizons, because you know a good experience is not something on which you can put a price tag.
Having a catered picnic lunch in the woods of Angkor Wat, taking a small private boat along the Mekong River at sunset in Luang Prabang, or kicking back a martini at your private beachfront villa in Hoi An… none of these necessarily means you have to spend a fortune, provided you are in good hands. Our thorough study of your needs and budget, before integration of your trip components, delivers better value for your trip.
More 3.You can dodge the bigger crowds and soak up the authenticity of unexploited realms
SE Asia’s easygoing introversion has protected it perfectly from excessive exposure, providing you with the perfect opportunity to see what’s out there, and escape temporarily your more mundane everyday life.
Sure you might bump into a grocer playing Taylor Swift in Siem Reap, or meet two grandpas talking about the international oil price in Ho Chi Minh City, but the fact is that locals are content with and tend to hold onto their own way of life; and this is not likely to be altered by an influx of tourists, at least not in the short-term.
Or from another angle, you can be the beneficiary of cultural diversity. People in Myanmar devote their lives to building new pagodas as merit contributions; locals in Hanoi hang out at street-side cafés at noon of a Monday, instead of working at the office; monks in Luang Prabang march on the streets in the early mornings for daily food, come wind, come weather. All might seem bizarre at first. Once you get beyond frowning, however, such a different and dedicated lifestyle stimulates your mind and creates a better understanding of your own life.
It takes zest and flair to match up the untouched beauty with the comfort of SE Asia. Asia Highlights excels at this. Walk on untracked trails. Blend with the locals. After a trip to SE Asia, you’ll return home renewed and rediscovered.
More 4.You can feel good about yourself, not only in touring but in giving back
As you step onto the Bangkok flight, are you conscious of traveling into someone else’s life? You might be the first client your tour guide has ever served; you might witness a boat vendor on the Mekong Delta closing his first deal; your joke might make the day of a restaurant waiter. But people here are working their way to a better life, and there is more you can do to help than simply sharing a laugh.
Memories of a trip are comprised of little fragments. Why not make it even more rewarding? Dining at a training restaurant in Yangon that helps former street kids get proper training, drinking tea at a teahouse in Hoi An run by hearing-impaired locals, or stopping by a local bookstore in Luang Prabang that holds free book parties for village children, you will become directly engaged.
No fear of abusing your sympathy for charity at an orphanage (sad news is some orphangages in SE Asia have become a playact), or taking you shopping to an over-priced local workshop. Asia Highlights believes that the best way for everyone to benefit is to facilitate your meeting with those who will really benefit from meeting you.
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