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38 39 Both Hong Kong and Macau have a subtropical climate characterized by hot, humid summers and cool, relatively dry winters. October, November and most of December are the best months to visit. This enigmatic city of soaring towers, ancient rituals and action movies is safe, friendly and wonderfully well organized. You can find yourself swaying along on a double-decker tramcar one moment, then cheering with the hordes at the city-centre horse races, or simply gazing out at the magnificent harbor. Spend a full day in Macau, visiting heritage sites that represent its Portuguese and Chinese influences, as well as its modern establishments like Macau Tower. HONGKONG & MACAU Arrive Hong Kong - Harbour Cruise with Symphony of Light Show Full Day Trip to Hong Kong Disneyland Onto Shenzhen - City Tour of Hong Kong, Visit to Madame Tussauds Visit to Mineral Museum and Bamboo Market Onto Macau - City Tour of Macau with Macau Tower Day Free at Leisure Drive to Hongkong airport, Departure INDONESIA (Java, Sulawesi, Flores, Komodo, Bali) Day 12 : Day 13 : Day 14 : Day 15 : Day 16 : Arrival Jakarta Flight to Yogjakarta, City tour Yorobodur & Prambanan temples Yogjakarta-flight to Ujung Padang (Sulawesi island)- -Ujung Padang-flight to Bali Bali-flight to Maumere (Flores Island)-Moni Moni-Keli Mutu-Bajawa Bajawa-Bena-Ruteng-Labuhan Bajo Labuhan Bajo-by boat to Rinca and Komodo island- Labuhan Bajo Labuhan Bajo-flight to Bali Bali: Tanah Lot temple Bali: Kintamani, Besakih temple Bali (free day) Departure Straddling the equator, Indonesia tends to have a fairly even climate year-round. The best time to visit is in the dry season. Visit the huge Prambanan complex was erected in the middle of the 9th century - around 50 years later than Borobudur. A trip to is like a cultural documentary brought to life. Sweeping and elaborately painted houses with boat-shaped roofs dot terraced rice paddies where farmers work the fields alongside their doe-eyed buffalo. Experience Bali which has beaches, surfing, diving, and resorts great and small, but it's the essence of Bali - and the Balinese - that makes it so much more than just a funin-the-sun retreat. The inhabitants of this small island are indeed a generous, genuinely warm people.
40 41 The best time to visit Japan is spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November). Spring is the time when Japan's famous cherry trees (sakura) burst into bloom. The peak holiday season known as Golden week is from late April to early May and Mid August O Bon are extremely popular. Japan is a world apart - a cultural Galápagos where a unique civilization blossomed, and today thrives in delicious contrasts of traditional and modern. The Japanese spirit is strong, warm and incredibly welcoming. From the splendor of a Kyoto geisha dance to the spare beauty of a Zen rock garden, and traditional culture is only half the story. Savoring the delights of Japanese cuisine on its home turf is half the reason to come to Japan. JAPAN Land oft he rising Sun Kansai Airport - Osaka. Sightseeing Osaka - Okayama - Kurashiki Kurashiki - Seto Inland Sea - Hiroshima Hiroshima - Miyajima - Hiroshima - Kyoto Kyoto - Visit Kinkakuji & Ryaonji & Kiyomizu Temples Kyoto - Kanazawa By bullet train Kanazawa - Shirakawago - Takayama Takayama - Matsumoto - Lake Suwa Lake Suwa - Mt Fuji - Hakone - Tokyo Tokyo - Nikko - Tokyo Departure THAILAND, CAMBODIA LAOS Arrival Bangkok, PM tour Bangkok Bangkok-Damnoen Saduak-Kanchanaburi-river Kwai River Kwai-Ayuthaya-Chiang Mai (train or flight) Chiang Mai Soft trekking to the tribals (optional) Chiang Mai-Bangkok Bangkok-Phnom Penh Phnom Penh-Siam Reap Angkor Wat Angkor Wat Day 12 : Angkor Wat-Luang Prabang Day 13 : Luang Prabang Day 14 : Luang Prabang, Pak Ou Day 15 : Luang Prabang-Vientiane, city tour Day 16 : Departure The best time to visit most of Thailand is between November and February, This period is also Thailand's main season for festivals, like Loi Krathong. In Bangkok visit, Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Housed in a fantastically decorated bòht (chapel) and guarded by pairs of yaksha (mythical giants). Visit Chiang Mai -piercing the foothills of northern Thailand, and snuggling up to Doi Suthep, It contains hundreds of sacred temples. Ascend to the realm of the gods, Angkor Wat. Descend into the hell of the Khmer Rouge at Tuol Sleng. The yet charismatic capital of Phnom Penh is a hub of political intrigue, economic vitality and intellectual debate. Colour is the first of Luang Prabang's virtues to greet travellers. Encircled by mountains, and set 700m above sea level at the confluence of the Nam Khan (Khan River) and the Mekong River, It is now Laos' foremost tourist showpiece.
42 43 The best time to visit Myanmar is between November and February. Contemplate the 4000 sacred stupas scattered across the plains of Bagan. Stare in disbelief at the Golden Rock teetering impossibly on the edge of a chasm. Meet multitalented monks who have taught their cats to jump, or feisty elderly Chin women, their faces tattooed with intricate designs. Discover a culture where holy men are more revered than rock stars. Drift down the Ayeyarwaddy in an old river steamer, stake out a slice of beach on the blissful Bay of Bengal, or trek through pine forests to minority villages scattered across the Shan Hills. Dig into the myriad dishes of the local cuisine, Swap cocktails and canapés for snacks and tea at teahouses. MYANMAR Arrival Yangon, PM: city tour Yangon Yangon-flight to Heho-Inle Inle lake Inle-flight to Mandalay Mandalay, Mingun Mandalay-Amarapura-Sagaing-Ava-Mandalay Mandalay-boat to Bagan Bagan Bagan, Mount Popa Bagan-Ngapali beach Day 12 : Ngapali beach (free) Day 13 : Ngapali beach (free) Day 14 : Departure MALAYSIA, BORNEO, BRUNEI, SINGAPORE Day 12 : Day 13 : Day 14 : Arrival Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur-flight to Kuching (Borneo Island) Kuching-Batang Ai Batang Ai (tribal area) Batang Ai-Kuching-flight to Kota Kinabalu NP Kinabalu Kota Kinabalu-flight to Sandakan-Sepilok (Orangutans)-Sukau Sukau Sukau-flight to Brunei via Sandakan/Kota Kinabalu Brunei Brunei-Kuala Lumpur-Melacca-Singapore Singapore Singapore-departure KL's temperature ranges from 21 C to 33 C and the average humidity exceeds 82%. Visit Kuala Lumpur -a 21st-century metropolis dominated by the tallest skyscrapers in Southeast Asia. Visit Borneo -with untouched jungle, misttopped mountains and amazing wildlife. For an insight into traditional culture, take a longboat to Batang ai where Iban tribes people follow a way of life little changed in centuries. Known as the Roof of Borneo, 4095m-high Mt Kinabalu is the island's highest peak and a constant presence, catching the clouds and shading valleys. Visit Brunei with its soaring mosques and picturesque water villages. Finally In Singapore dive with sharks at Underwater World on Sentosa, mountain biking around Bukit Timah, leopardspotting at Singapore Zoo's magical Night Safari, waterskiing or wakeboarding on the Kallang River, gokarting and rock climbing.
44 VIETNAM Flight to Saigon city tour Visit Cu Chi tunnels, city tour Excursion to Mekong Delta Saigon-flight to Danang (central Vietnam)-Hoi An Hoi An-Hue visits & boat on Perfume river Hue-Danang-flight to Hanoi Hanoi city tour, folkoric, water puppet show Hanoi-Halong Bay (sleep on the boat) Halong Bay-Hanoi Departure from Hanoi The best time to travel to Vietnam are the months of April, May or October. It gets pretty crowded from November to March and in July and August during high season. Some travelers like to time a visit with Vietnamese New Year, the biggest festival in the calendar, which falls in late January or early February. Blessed with a ravishing coastline, emerald-green mountains, breathtaking national parks, dynamic cities, outstanding cultural interest and one of the world's best cuisines, Vietnam has it all. Cruise an azure ocean pierced by surreallooking limestone islands in Halong Bay, the bewitching backwaters of the Mekong Delta. Experience the energy of big-city life in Vietnam's capital Hanoi, the grand old lady of the Orient, and Ho Chi Minh City, the engine room of the economy and the nation.