Elite Traveler Summer 2020

INSPIRE EPIC TRIPS

ASIAN ODYSSEY SOUTHEAST ASIA

Ancient temples, historical sites, paradisiacal beaches, lush jungles, buzzing metropolises and flavorful local dishes: Southeast Asia has it all, and more. Embark on a once-in-a-lifetime, month-long trip to the region on a truly epic journey, curated by one of Asia’s premier tour operators, ATJ, to discover its vast and diverse beauty and culture. You’ll visit Hong Kong, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Singapore; stay in charming boutique hotels and five-star resorts, including Four Seasons, Six Senses and Raffles; and you’ll be accompanied by English-speaking guides and chauffeured by private car. Learn about the region’s fascinating history through tours of Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital; Hue, the former Imperial capital that houses the Imperial Citadel and Forbidden Purple City; Ho Chi Minh City, where you can visit Viet Cong tunnels and Reunification Palace; Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s buzzy capital; and Singapore, a fascinating mix of cultures and cuisines packed into a tiny city. Your days aren’t just filled with history and culture; you’ll visit local markets and indulge in delectable street food, as well as Michelin-starred fare. There’s a mystical feeling throughout the countryside, where Buddhist shrines and temples are at every turn, and you’ll get to see the largest and oldest Buddha structure in the city firsthand. Cambodia’s Siem Reap is one of the most well-known Buddhist sites, where you can tour Angkor Wat and Ta Prohm. You will also have more intimate experiences, like meeting a Thai monk who will take you around his monastery and share his daily routine with you, or participating in a special morning ritual in Laos where bells chime each morning signaling the procession of barefoot, golden-robed monks who line the streets to receive their daily rice from citizens. But most of all, it’s the natural wonder of the region that will captivate you. There are pristine beaches with powdery soft sand and crystal-clear waters where you can break up your touring days and relax; a luxury cruise through Ha Long Bay, where dramatic limestone karsts rise from emerald-colored waters; and picturesque countrysides dotted with tiny villages. -ER From$25,645 per person. Contact Eric Kareus, sales director, ATJ, eric@atj.com, +1 800 642 2742, atj.com