GM8847_FAREAST_Layout 3 22/10/2013 15:08 Page 1 THE WORLD IS OPEN - SEE YOUR LOCAL TRAVEL AGENT FOR OUR FULL RANGE OF DESTINATIONS. USA & CANADA USA CANADA CALIFORNIA ALBERTA CHICAGO BRITISH COLUMBIA FLORIDA QUEBEC GRAND CANYON TORONTO HAWAII VANCOUVER CARIBBEAN LAS VEGAS WHISTLER NEW ENGLAND BALI MYANMAR & MEXICO NEW YORK FAR EAST BORNEO PHILIPPINES ANTIGUA CAMBODIA SINGAPORE BARBADOS LAS VEGAS CUBA JANUARY 14 – MARCH 15 CHINA THAILAND GRAND CAYMAN GRENADA HONG KONG VIETNAM JAMAICA MALAYSIA MEXICO DUBAI & INDIAN OCEAN ST KITTS GOLD MEDAL ST LUCIA ST VINCENT & THE GRENADINES DUBAI & ARABIAN PENINSULA THE BAHAMAS ABU DHABI TOBAGO DUBAI FUJAIRAH MUSCAT OMAN RAS AL KHAIMAH WWW.GOLDMEDAL.CO.UK INDIAN OCEAN MALDIVES EAST FAR MAURITIUS AUSTRALIA, SEYCHELLES NEW ZEALAND SRI LANKA & SOUTH PACIFIC AUSTRALIA ADELAIDE & SOUTH AUSTRALIA BRISBANE, GOLD COAST & SUNSHINE COAST FLORIDA CAIRNS & PORT DOUGLAS MELBOURNE & VICTORIA CLEARWATER & ST PETERSBURG NORTHERN TERRITORY FAR EAST FLORIDA KEYS PERTH & WESTERN AUSTRALIA FORT MYERS SYDNEY & NEW SOUTH WALES BALI MIAMI TASMANIA BORNEO NAPLES THE RED CENTRE CAMBODIA ORLANDO WHITSUNDAYS & GREAT BARRIER REEF CHINA PALM BEACH HONG KONG SARASOTA NEW ZEALAND MALAYSIA SPACE COAST NORTH ISLAND MYANMAR UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RAIL JOURNEYS PHILIPPINES WALT DISNEY WORLD RESORT FLORIDA SOUTH ISLAND SINGAPORE THAILAND SOUTH PACIFIC VIETNAM COOK ISLANDS FIJI FRENCH POLYNESIA OUR HOLIDAYS CAN BE BOOKED THROUGH YOUR TRAVEL AGENT, WHERE YOUR TRIP WILL BE TAILOR-MADE. TRAVEL AGENT INFORMATION TO CHECK AVAILABILITY, BOOK OR FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL THE EXPERT TRAVEL TEAM AT GOLD MEDAL 0800 014 7777 JANUARY 2014 - MARCH 2015 2014 JANUARY GMDFAR114 GM__Intro_FAR EAST_2014F_Layout 1 25/10/2013 09:58 Page 1 Koh Phi Phi, Thailand GM__Intro_FAR EAST_2014F_Layout 1 25/10/2013 09:58 Page 2 The world is waiting. Full of sights, sounds, colour THE WORLD IS OPEN and life. Travel with us to a truly remarkable and magical continent full of dramatic contrasts. From vibrant and thriving cities and cultural extravaganzas to dense bush, vast open plains and spectacular beaches, you will find a kaleidoscope of experiences to take your breath away. The world is yours to discover and the journey starts here. GM__Intro_FAR EAST_2014F_Layout 1 25/10/2013 09:58 Page 3 YOUR HOLIDAY, YOUR WAY We know that your holiday time is important to you, and you can rest assured that our travel experts will work closely with your travel agent to create your trip exactly the way you want it. Whether you’re looking for relaxation, adventure, excitement or indulgence, there is a hotel or resort that our experts have carefully selected that will be exactly what you want, and more. GREAT VALUE GUARANTEED Getting a good deal doesn’t have to mean choosing the cheapest option – high standards, quality and value come hand-in-hand when your travel agent books your trip with Gold Medal. With WE KNOW THE WORLD access to thousands of fares and routes from over 135 airlines, and special rates at over 40,000 hotels around the world, we work At Gold Medal we’ve been supplying hard so you can get a holiday you’ll love at a price you’ll like. scheduled flights, hotels, car hire, tours and excursions to independent travel agents for over 40 years. We like to think COMPLETE PEACE OF MIND we’ve learned something in that time, You are protected when your travel agent books your trip with Gold Medal. All the flight-inclusive holidays in this brochure are and we use this knowledge to carefully financially protected by the ATOL Scheme. Our ATOL number is select the best range to offer you in each 2916. When you pay for your holiday you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that of our destinations. everything you booked (flights, hotels and other services) is listed on it. Please see our booking conditions for further information JOHN PELL or for more information about financial protection and the DESTINATION EXPERT ATOL Certificate, go to: www.atol.org.uk/ATOLcertificate THE FAR EAST… BROUGHT CLOSER The Far East offers a mystical blend of ancient cultures, holy temples, cosmopolitan cities and pristine, palm-fringed beaches. A journey of discovery here will tantalise the senses and evoke memories for years to come. THAILAND You’ll find a melting pot of contrasting experiences in Thailand, from the vibrant non-stop city of Bangkok with its temples, Buddhas, floating markets and colourful nightlife; to the stunning beaches of Phuket, Koh Samui, Krabi and Pattaya. Plus, if you want to escape the beaten track, look out for Thailand’s hidden gems and discover beautiful unspoilt areas. INDOCHINA The up and coming areas of Vietnam and Cambodia present travellers with breathtaking landscapes, beautiful coast lines and of course the story of their troubled pasts. Still relatively undiscovered, venturing here will definitely broaden the mind. MALAYSIA From Kuala Lumpur’s Petronas Towers, to the tropical rainforests and jungles of Borneo, from the picturesque islands of Langkawi to the white beaches of Penang; travellers who venture to this wondrous South China Sea destination are assured of a holiday of a lifetime. BALI & LOMBOK Set in the calm, warm waters of the Indian Ocean, these enchanting islands captivate visitors with miles of golden beaches, verdant rainforests, lush green paddy fields and stunning temples. The scenery here is quite simply gorgeous and perfectly complemented by the quaint villages with friendly locals, where you can experience true Balinese culture first hand. GOLD MEDAL IS GREAT CONNECTING INDUSTRY & EDUCATION BUT DON’T JUST TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT... This year’s brochure cover concept... ‘picture this...’ , has been created through collaboration with Graphic Design graduates from the University of Central Lancashire. Thank you for the inspiration! Travel Weekly Travel Weekly SPAA Awards Travel Weekly Best Trade Travel Bulletin Best Consolidator Best Long-Haul Best Air Ticket Best Consolidator Facing Supplier Seat Only 2013 Tour Operator Consolidator 2012 Website Company 2013 of the Year (Bronze) 2011 2012 2011 4 GM__Intro_FAR EAST_2014F_Layout 1 25/10/2013 09:58 Page 4 INTRODUCTION INDOCHINA THE PHILIPPINES WHY CHOOSE GOLD MEDAL 4-7 DISCOVER INDOCHINA 92-93 DISCOVER THE PHILIPPINES 162-167 WORLD CLASS AIRLINES 8-11 VIETNAM 94-101 CAMBODIA 102-105 HONG KONG FAR EAST DISCOVER HONG KONG 168-169 DISCOVER THE FAR EAST 12-15 MALAYSIA HONG KONG MULTI-CENTRE HOLIDAYS 16-17 DISCOVER MALAYSIA 106-109 MULTI-CENTRE HOLIDAYS 170-171 MALAYSIA MULTI-CENTRE HOLIDAYS 110-111 HONG KONG 172-179 THAILAND KUALA LUMPUR 112-115 CHINA DISCOVER THAILAND 18-21 PENANG 116-119 DISCOVER CHINA 180-182 THAILAND MULTI-CENTRE HOLIDAYS 22-23 LANGKAWI 120-124 CHINA MULTI-CENTRE HOLIDAYS 183 BANGKOK 24-31 MALAYSIA’S HIDDEN GEMS 125-129 CHINA ESCORTED TOURS 184-185 NORTHERN THAILAND 32-37 BORNEO 130-133 PHUKET & KOH PHI PHI 38-49 BEIJING 186-187 KHAO LAK & KHAO SOK 50-53 SINGAPORE SHANGHAI 188-189 KOH SAMUI & ISLANDS 54-65 DISCOVER SINGAPORE 134-135 XI’AN 190-191 INTRODUCTION PATTAYA, KOH SAMET & KOH CHANG 66-70 SINGAPORE MULTI-CENTRE HOLIDAYS 136-137 INFORMATION HUA HIN & CHA-AM 71-76 EASTERN & ORIENTAL EXPRESS 138 ESSENTIAL HOLIDAY INFORMATION 192-193 KRABI & KOH LANTA 77-81 SINGAPORE 139-147 CLIMATE CHART 193 MYANMAR BALI & LOMBOK BOOKING CONDITIONS 194-195 DISCOVER MYANMAR 82-91 DISCOVER BALI & LOMBOK 148-150 BALI MULTI-CENTRE HOLIDAYS 151 BALI & LOMBOK 152-161 Beijing KOREAKO JAPANN Seoul CHINA Tokyo Xiʼan Shanghai Chengdu Lʼhasa Myanmar Kunming Guilin Taipei TIWANTI Hanoi Hong Kong Chiang Rai PACIFIC Borneo, Malaysia Hainan Island OCEAN Chiang Mai Yangon THAILAND Manila CAMBODIA Danang Bangkok VIETNNAM Cha-Am Pattaya Nha Trang Philipines Hua Hin INDIAN Ho Chi Minh City OCEAN Phuket Koh Samui Krabi Langkawi MALAYSIAM Kota Kinabalu Penang Kuantan Kuala Lumpur Kuching Singapore BORNEO INDONESIAON A Bali Lombok Phi Ta Khon Festival, Thailand WHEN TO TRAVEL In Thailand, high temperatures and humidity levels are common throughout the year, with the hottest months between March and May. The monsoon season runs from June to October. The coolest time, most favoured by travellers, tends to be November to February. Vietnam has three distinct climatic areas - north, central, and south. The north is cooler than the rest of the country. Winter, November to January, can be quite chilly, especially in mountainous areas. The central coast follows an opposing monsoon pattern to the north, with warmer weather during July to October, and wet, colder weather November to May. The south, around Ho Chi Minh City, is steamy-hot year round with only bursts of rain and dry weather. Malaysia has a tropical, humid climate which rarely gets too hot. Major season changes are marked by the arrival of the monsoons. In Langkawi, this falls between July and September. On the whole, days are quite warm, with fairly cool nights. Bali and Lombok are hot and humid year round, but cooler inland than along the coastal regions. The monsoon season spans December to March and the dry season, the best time to visit, is April to October. For a full climate information, please see page 193. Vietnam 5 GM__Intro_FAR EAST_2014F_Layout 1 25/10/2013 09:59 Page 5 CHOOSE THE HOLIDAY YOU WANT, AND WE'LL PUT IT TOGETHER YOUR WAY CHOOSE YOUR CHOOSE YOUR CHOOSE YOUR IDEAL DESTINATION FLIGHT ACCOMMODATION Whether you know where you want Working with over 135 airlines, All the properties in this brochure to go, or are looking for ideas and including the world’s elite, have been selected by our team of inspiration, Gold Medal offers a Gold Medal can find you flights destination experts, to provide you wide range of exciting worldwide which offer flexibility, superb service with a wide choice of accommodation destinations.