Signature Collection 2012 - 2013
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Signature Collection 2012 - 2013 Operations offices: Ho Chi Minh City, Hue, Hanoi, Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Luang Prabang, Bangkok, Yangon. Thailand Myanmar Vietnam Cambodia Laos Bali Follow our trail. Create your journey. Dear Travel Partners, After twenty years in the travel industry and more than ten years developing Trails of Indochina into one of the leading specialty tour operators in the region, I would like to share with you my personal travel philosophy. I believe travelers are curious individuals, open to new experiences and to connect with people from other cultures. I know, because travel is my life. When our team designs your travel itinerary, we do so with excitement in our hearts, confident that we can deliver an innovative program which offers a highly personalized experience. One of my personal passions is to search for new opportunities to better present my country and its heritage. Most recently, I was involved in the rescue and renovation of five eighteenth-century garden houses in my hometown of Hue. In developing the Ancient Hue Cultural Complex, I am able to share with visitors the original architecture of the traditional wooden-house and a taste of fine Royal cuisine. As you read these travel narratives, I’d like you to remember we share this journey together. Some time back, fate took my sight but through knowing in my heart what your eyes will see and what your soul will experience, I see again. John Tue Nguyen, Founder & CEO, Trails of Indochina Introduction 3 Signature Collection, Bali Balinese Mask. Topeng or Mask dance is performed during ritual processions, drawing upon episodes of Balinese history as the theme. The dancer changes the mask according to the character in the story. 101 Trails of Indochina Signature Collection Bali 102 “The luxury of seclusion… I was completely lost for days after staying at your recommendations.” Signature Collection, Bali 103 Trails of Indochina Signature Collection 104 Trails of Indochina Signature Collection Bali 105 Bali “The Island of the Gods” is home to a devout and friendly people, a deep traditional legacy, intricate sandstone carvings, world-class dining and, of course, Java Sea Bali’s highest mountain the most beautiful beaches. The jewel of the Indonesian archipelago, Bali is SingaraJa Mount Agung, known as the more than a pretty face. Chinese, Hindu and Indian influences over the past Gilimanuk Lovina Beach “mother mountain,” which is two millennia have created a rich local culture that thrives today as much in Nusasari actually an active volcano. performing arts and special celebrations as in daily life. BALI The island is surrounded by coral reefs. Beaches in the south A dazzling selection of beaches awaits: reef-rimmed, cliff-lined, some of black Ubud Candi Dasa tend to have white sand, sand, others snow-white. Witness perfect sunsets over Kuta. Gorge on Jimbaran while those in the north and Bay’s famous fresh seafood. Ascend to Uluwatu Temple, perilously located on Seminyak Denpasar west have black sand. the tip of a steep cliff. Dive to the legendary shipwreck off the coast of Amed. Legian Sanur Admire frolicking dolphins from the glistening black-sand beach of Lovina. Kuta Beach Jimbaran Bay Nusa Dua Uluwatu Then take a topographical detour to serene Ubud, whose lime-green foothills and cascading ravines hold rich history and inspire artistry. Said to have been MYANMAR founded by a Javanese priest who meditated at its two rivers, Ubud is a mecca for THAILAND spiritual and artistic pilgrims. Home to white-water rafting, beautiful music and VIETNAM CAMBODIA painting, and fantastical stone carvings, not to mention those surreally verdant rice paddies, it’s Bali at its most breathtaking. MALAYSIA SINGAPORE For a different kind of awe, head to neighboring Lombok. It lies just across the INDONESIA Wallace Line from Bali, meaning crossing a mere 35 km-wide strait lands you in an entirely different ecosystem, more Australian than Asian. Look out for BALI Lombok marsupials and cockatoos. One thing that doesn’t change is the beauty of the beachfront. 84 Trails of Indochina Signature Collection Bali 85 Bali– A Bespoke Journey What could be a more ideal destination for your honeymoon? For an island known as the “Garden of Eden” what with stories of Bali’s artistic evolution. A nearby village Emerge onto Bali’s legendary coastline at Amed, Between beach towns, you’ll visit the maze of pools, better introduction to Bali than lush, charming Ubud, will delight you with a traditional dance performance. a remote fishing village with fabulous diving, a fountains, gardens and carvings comprising the Water the island’s cultural heart? To toast your arrival, you’ll submerged shipwreck waiting to be discovered, and Palace; the nine-directional temple Pura Lempuyang be greeted with champagne, chocolates, fresh fruit Spend a day road-tripping in style, in an open-top stretches of empty beaches fit for frolicking. Nearby Luhur; and the “Mother Temple,” at the foot of Bali’s and flowers. The first of many thoughtful, aphrodisiac VW 181. It’ll give you panoramic views of the island’s Candidasa is a haven of tranquility and not far from highest volcano, Mount Agung. Here, a Hindu priest accoutrements, from private breakfasts to candlelit dinners. verdant interior and ferry you the 1,700-meters-above- the island’s finest white-sand beach, Amlapura. will offer you a blessing as protection against illnesses sea-level Kintamani the crater-lake Batur, which fuels and other bad spirits and an inducement of prosperity, Ubud is synonymous with the unbelievable Tegallalang an underground network of streamsand hot springs. Bali’s newest luxury destination, Uluwatu is marked by longevity and happiness. rice paddies, fields so magnificently terraced you might cliffs that tower over the sea, a divine spot for a temple think you walked into a fantasy world, if you didn’t and a sunset. In Jimbaran, your private butler waits to know they were also functioning farmlands. A local serve up an indulgent seafood dinner on the beach. artist will welcome you to his home and regale you 86 Trails of Indochina Signature Collection Bali 87 Signature Days– Bali Bayad Eco-Trekking. A 6-km walk through Bayad yields Underwater World Experience. No scuba experience Mt Batur Sunrise Trek. Start hiking pre-dawn to make Bali’s Craft, Cuisine and Culture. The artisans of an overindulgence of caves, waterfalls, flora and fauna, required for this day of full submersion. Frolic among the striking sunrise from atop 1,717-meter Gunung Singapadu village create marvelous wooden, gold and plus the Hindu statues of the Goya Maya. You may fish and coral while sporting a special sea helmet, and Batur. The surrounding volcanoes, Lake Batur in the silver handicrafts. In Mas you’ll visit a local woodcarver’s choose to plant your own tree, nurturing this most- snorkel Bali’s most kaleidoscopic underwater spots. distance and the mystical hot springs make this an workshop, and partake in a hands-on cooking class to spectacular scenery and leave your legacy to nature. experience not to be forgotten. make your own delectable Balinese lunch. Birds and Beasts. One look at the magnificent formations of Balinese Daily Life. Rice and Coffee. White-Water Rafting. Immerse yourself in the village Kokokan birds, and you’ll understand why the Petulu villagers The Balinese have traded rice and With abundant beautiful of Tunjung, where you’ll visit a school, work with a call them sacred. One meeting with the painting elephants of coffee for centuries and today export both the world gorges, valleys and untamed rivers, rafting is one farmer, witness coconut-tree climbers and learn about the Taro Park, and you’ll wonder if their skill is divine. over. Visit a farmer in his landscaped paddy and a of Bali’s most popular adventure activities. Enjoy Balinese kitchen that prepares you a home-cooked meal. coffee plantation, learning the history and process the scenery on the quiet stretches and the thrill of behind Arabica and Robusta. exhilarating white-water rapids. 88 Trails of Indochina Signature Collection Bali 89 Jimbaran Puri Bali, Jimbaran Bay Ubud Hanging Gardens, Ubud For a breathtaking Balinese beach experience, search yet supremely romantic, Jimbaran Puri Bali’s talcum- Terraced into a high hillside, Ubud Hanging Gardens jungle, using local ingredients and ancient techniques no further than Jimbaran Puri Bali by Orient-Express, soft sands have everything that travelers dream of in is a haven of peace and tranquility among the smoky in its holistic approach to well-being. Stay in one of its set along a crescent of sparkling azure waters. A little an exotic escape: a vista of the evening sun slipping volcanoes and emerald rice fields in the heart of Bali. 38 luxury pool villas, built in traditional style as if in village full of warmth, with 42 cottages and 22 lavish beneath the horizon, fishermen out at sea, and two This Orient-Express hotel perches on a plunging gorge a Balinese village, each with a heated, private infinity private-pool villas, it features a horizon-edged pool restaurants beside the water where the scent of grilling with an exquisite temple on the opposite cliff and the pool, and truly feel a part of this gorgeous destination. with cascading water fountains and sublime spa fish entices you to your table. Kick back and let the lush rainforest all around. The spa draws on the vitality bookings available waterside or in your room. Simple spirit of the island come to you. of the Ayung River and the fertility of the tropical 90 Trails of Indochina Signature Collection Bali 91 Choosing Trails of Indochina Trails of Indochina was established in 1999, the We have grown considerably since our inception, Our range of Signature Experiences, something Our determined voyage has seen Trails of Indochina realized vision of Mr.