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Suggested Itineraries
Singapore & Bali Twin Centre
12 Days Singapore - Bali
Days 1-3: Singapore Singapore is home to an eclectic mix of cultures, all of which should be seen and enjoyed. Choose from a wide selection of sightseeing tours on offer (see page 74) and explore highlights such as Parliament House, Singapore's oldest government building, City Hall, the Botanical Gardens, Little India and the award-winning Singapore Zoo. Visit the Raffles Landing Site and trace the history of the river and the Raffles Hotel itself before enjoying a Singapore Sling at its birthplace. Take a cable car ride over to the relaxed Sentosa Island and visit the Aquarium, one of the many fun activities available. Singapore comes to life after dark; don't miss futuristic Clarke Quay and the illuminated Boat Quay at the centre of the city's financial district. Days 4-12: Bali The second part of this twin centre starts with a 2.5-hour flight from Singapore to one of the most popular islands in Indonesia: Bali. If you are expecting to see rice paddies, soaring volcanoes and lush tropical jungle all in addition to beautiful beaches and warm clear seas, then the tropical island of Bali will not disappoint. Famous for its stunning
SINGAPORE
INDONESIA
Bali Lombok
southern beaches, Bali also has some amazing idyllic retreats around Ubud, approximately 1.5 hours inland from the airport and the southern beaches. Explore the Royal Temple at Mengwi with its impressive architecture dating back to 1634 or wander through the Monkey Forest at Alas Kedaton. If you think that one island will not offer enough then take the short flight across to sleepy Lombok where scenes of rural Indonesian life can be seen and surrounding coral reefs are perfect for snorkelling expeditions.
Borneo Wildlife Experience
Kota Kinabalu
Selingan
Yala
Sandakan
15 Days Kota Kinabalu Bako National Park Sandakan
Days 1-4: Borneo Beach The magical island of Borneo is famed for its rare wildlife and exotic and luscious rainforest. The Shangri-La Rasa Ria Resort (see page 65) set on the beautiful Pantai Balit Beach is surrounded by 400 acres of dense tropical vegetation and has it own nature reserve with resident Orang-Utans. Here you have the opportunity to interact with the rescued animals while they go through a rehabilitation process before being released back into the wild. Days 5-10: Bako National Park Kuching Nanga Sumpa Long House Kuching Continue the exploration of Borneo's wildlife with a trip to Bako National Park and journey through the jungle to Nanga Sumpa Long House community to learn about the native culture and enjoy some of their local rice wine. Continue hiking through the jungle passing the picturesque Enselai Waterfall until you reach the longboat that will saunter downriver to Kuching (see page 63 for details). Days 11-12: Kuching Kinabalu National Park The Shangri-La Tanjung Aru (see page 65) is a beautiful hotel in a fantastic beach setting; after your flight to Kuching
Kinabalu National Park
Kuching
MALAYSIAN BORNEO
Pensianga
INDONESIA
Bako National Park
stay here and take a guided walk around the Kinabalu National Park. Days 13-15: Kota Kinabalu Selingan Sukau Sandakan Fly to Sandakan to travel on to Selingan Turtle Island where, at the right time of year, you can spend the evening witnessing turtles laying their eggs. After that unique experience you can enjoy a cruise to Sandakan to visit the water village before finishing your once-in-alifetime trip in Kota Kinabalu.
Sri Lanka & the Maldives
14 Days Colombo - The Maldives
Day 1-5: Colombo & the Cultural Triangle Culturally rich and scenically beautiful, the compact nature and diversity of Sri Lanka makes it an ideal touring destination. From the vibrant city of Colombo you travel into the cultural heartland of the country exploring the once-great capital at Polonnaruwa and the imposing rock fort at Sigiriya before visiting the beautiful city of Kandy and the Pinewella elephant orphanage. Day 5-9: Nuwara Eliya & Yala Your tour winds its way into the hills as you head for tea country. Here there's a choice of accommodation, including the magnificent Tea Trails (see p 137) which makes an ideal base for enjoying a whole range of activities including mountain biking and hiking amongst the tea plantations. In Yala National Park you can journey into the jungle in search of leopard before driving back to Colombo for your final night in Sri Lanka. Days 10-14: The Maldives The tropical islands of the Maldives are just a short flight from Colombo and visitors to them find perhaps some of the best beaches, finest diving and most exclusive resorts to
Cochin
Chennai
INDIA
SRI LANKA
Kandalama Kandy Colombo
MALDIVES
be found anywhere in the world. Resorts cater for most tastes, from the larger, more lively resorts such as Meedhuppara, where accommodation is on an all-inclusive basis, to the small resorts specialising in barefoot luxury where service levels are unsurpassed (see p141-143 for suggestions). A stay on one of these Robinson Crusoe-style islands allows you the opportunity for total relaxation.
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