Asia travel advice
Language barrier advice
“For me, the interaction with the locals in China is one of the highlights of a trip. It’s hard to anticipate how little language you have in common, yet with body language and a sense of humour you can still have a meaningful interaction with people. A lot of people presume that Chinese people are quite rude and a bit standoffish, but they’re not at all. Where the Japanese are reservedly polite and don’t want to lose face by having bad English, the Chinese don’t care, they just speak Mandarin at you like you’ll understand it, which of course you don’t much to their amusement, but within that you find a way to communicate. There’s a lot of spitting in public in China, it’s just what they do, so leave your cultural baggage at the door and appreciate them for who they are.”
Our Asia Holidays
Vietnam holiday
Tour and learn about this beautiful destination
Rajasthan tours, India
Discover the evocative northern province of Rajasthan
Japan golden route holiday
9 night classic Japan trip: Tokyo, Fuji, Kyoto
Sri Lanka wildlife and whales tour
Whales and the wildlife of Yala National Park
Great Wall of China walking holiday
Trek along various contrasting sections of the wall
Silk Road holiday, small group
Discover amazing Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan
Borneo tour, Great Apes and Beach escapes
Explore bustling cities, lush jungles and paradise beaches.
Tiger tour in India, land of the Tiger tour
Wildlife tour through India
Japan tailor made tour on a shoestring
Japan's classic sights on a shoestring
Burma holidays, small group tour
The highlights of Burma visiting Rangoon, Bagan, Mandalay & Inle Lake
Golden Triangle with Ranthambore tour, India
Brilliant experiences including Tigers and Temples
Kerala homestay tour, India
Stay in homestays in various destinations in Kerala
Sri Lanka holidays, tailor made
Independent tailor made holidays to Sri Lanka
Japan small group holiday, Japan unmasked
Whistlestop Japan highlights with an expert tour leader
Borneo tailor made tour on a shoestring
The Best of Borneo: Wildlife, Adventure, Idyllic Beaches
Vietnam small group cycling holiday
The best of Vietnam on two wheels
Sri Lanka family adventure holiday
Sri Lanka active tour with children with best family hotels
Kayaking holiday in Indonesia, Komodo Dragon tour
Sea kayaking to some of the most remote beaches on earth
Vietnam holiday, South to North
From bright lights, to beaches and junk boats.
Borneo orangutan holiday
Trekking, wildlife and beach adventure holiday to Borneo
Golden Triangle small group holiday, India
India's 3 most popular destinations, Delhi, Agra & Jaipur
Japan self guided walking holiday, Nakasendo Trail
Self-guided walking along Japan’s ancient Nakasendo trail
Sri Lanka tour & beach holiday
Tropical island paradise with cultural tour
Elephant & wildlife conservation volunteering in Sri Lanka
Help wild elephants and wildlife in Sri Lanka
Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh City
Thailand to Southern Vietnam via Angkor Wat
Vietnam tailor made holiday
Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Hue, Hoi An, Saigon & the Mekong Delta
South India & Kerala holiday
Mysore Palace village stay Kerala Backwaters
Indochina tour, small group
Experience the diversity of Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.
Japan small group holiday by bullet train
Japan's must-see cities and beautiful, rural countryside
Environmental advice
“The problem with rubbish in Nepal isn’t monumental, but it is an issue. What we advise tourists to do is eat as the locals do: eat the rice, the lentils, the fresh fruit and vegetables. Tourists tend to bring with them plastic water bottles, packets of crisps and chocolate bars for energy, so without thinking, they are adding to the rubbish problem and the Nepalese are picking up on this – if they can sell you a Mars Bar for 50p, to them that’s massive money. It’s fine to eat foods like that, but take your rubbish with you back to Kathmandu and throw in the bin there because up in the Himalaya, they bury it in the ground, or they burn it – and that’s no good.”
Wildlife advice
Mark Huggins, from our supplier Undiscovered Destinations, shares his Burma travel advice: “Near Kalaw there is a locally-run project which looks after former working elephants. It was one of the best things I did – you learn about the elephants and help wash them in the river, which is amazing – and in a really beautiful setting. It also supports local community projects and microfinance initiatives. The elephants are very well looked after, a vet comes to see them every week, and only a certain number of tourists are allowed to see them every day. It’s not well promoted; the local people are just trying to use the project to protect the forest. After visiting hours, the elephants wander back into the forest, and the mahouts fetch them the next morning. It looked very well done; you can see the medical books for all the elephants with the vets' notes about their conditions.”Itinerary advice
Sophie Hartman, owner of our supplier Chinkara Journeys, who specialise in central India:“Do not attempt to cram in too much in too short a time – road travel in India is not its best feature, so much better to focus on a couple of places and stay there.”
Health & safety
HEALTH
SAFETY
For further information on health and safety in specific countries across Asia, please have a look at our detailed travel guides and visit the FCO or the CDC websites.
Our top Asia Holiday
Great Wall of China walking holiday
Trek along various contrasting sections of the wall
2021: 28 Aug, 11 Sep, 18 Sep, 16 Oct
2022: 9 Apr, 16 Apr, 21 Apr, 7 May, 21 May, 25 Jun, 23 Jul, 27 Aug, 3 Sep, 10 Sep, 17 Sep, 6 Oct, 8 Oct, 13 Oct, 15 Oct
Tips from our travellers in Asia
We have selected some of the most useful Asia travel tips that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your holiday - and the space inside your suitcase.


“Plan what areas you want to visit, discuss with your operator as to what you can see and do within the timeframe of your visit. They will have a better understanding of how feasible your plans are!” – Graham Goddard
“If you’re visiting The Great Wall, be prepared for some scrambling, and a little rock climbing in parts, but for the most be ready for lots of steps of varying heights. You will need plenty of energy, but it well worth the experience!” – Phyllis Ryan
“We did a homestay tour in Kerala and only stayed for 2 nights at each location. With hindsight, maybe 3 nights and fewer stops would have been better to really get a feel for each place.” – Brian Summers


“If you’re heading to Cambodia, consider adding a day at the beginning and/or end of the tour. You'll have a chance to settle in at the beginning, so it doesn't feel rushed, and at the end you can spend the extra day back at Angkor (you get a 3-day pass but only use 2 on the tour) or taking an optional excursion - as we did.” – Richard Evans