Getting under the skin of a country on a holiday can be a challenge. With that in mind, we've rounded up the tour operators focusing on lesser-known destinations and meaningful cultural experiences for travellers
A specialist in Southeast Asia since 1999, All Points East offers both scheduled and tailor-made trips. With an in-depth
knowledge of the region, the company aims to balance visits to the country’s must-see spots with some of their hard-earned
secrets and interactive tours to little-visited villages. One
highlight of the Cambodia itinerary, for example, is a trip to
the seventh-century forest capital of Sambor Prei Kuk. A trip that pairs Vietnam and Cambodia is a tour with Gary Latham,
a regular photographer for Food and Travel, or lensman Jeff
Perigois. It offers a new perspective on the countries and emphasises the ethics as much as the aesthetics. allpointseast.com
Bamboo Travel has been creating innovative bespoke itineraries across Asia since 2006. It was started by Tim Milner, who returned inspired from a ‘flashpacking ’ tour of Asia and decided to launch a company that offered the rich, life-enhancing type of experience he had enjoyed himself. Today, it offers custom-made tours, including a range of family-friendly options, that provide unique experiences while ticking off all those big-ticket items, such as cycling the picturesque backroads to Angkor or eating your way around a street-food safari. bambootravel.co.uk
Jacada operates at the more luxurious end of the spectrum and offers a fascinating range of experiences across this part of Asia: take its gastronomic tours with culinary experts, or insightful cultural journeys. In Cambodia, for instance, once visitors have seen the amazing Angkor site, Jacada can organise a break to Song Saa, a private island known for its glorious beaches lapped by turquoise waters. jacadatravel.com
As the name suggests, every tour by this operator is designed specifically for the individual. A dedicated specialist will then develop an itinerary to your budget that offers something out of the ordinary, alongside the significant highlights. In Cambodia, say, there are opportunities to visit a wildlife-release station, a two-hour boat ride downriver, to help set up camera traps, or head north-east and learn about the heritage of the Kreung and Tompuon tribes of Ratanakiri. holidayarchitects.co.uk
For more than 40 years, the focus for World Expeditions has remained the ‘paths less travelled’, paired with a genuine concern for the protection of local communities and natural wildlife. It has a particularly strong presence in Southeast Asia as well, visiting the main Unesco-listed sites across Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar (Burma). Some of the most interesting itineraries take the slow route, combining hiking, biking and kayaking, meeting local families and getting deep into those hard-to-reach locations across the region. worldexpeditions.com
InsideAsia’s philosophy is simple: ‘to get beneath the surface’. It does this by offering small-group tours – specifically tailored travel and cultural experiences that go far beyond the usual Southeast Asian experiences. It provides expertise in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar (Burma) across a variety of themes from classic cultural excursions to the principal Bagan and Mandalay sites, as well as a sunset cruise on the Irrawaddy River. There are plenty of opportunities to interact with the locals, too. Family holidays can include cooking freshly caught fish with local families and swimming in the invitingly clear waters of the Bay of Bengal. insideasiatours.com
The long-established KE Adventure Travel has developed a superb reputation for tours across the globe, often with an adventurous cycling or trekking element. Many of these are to Southeast Asia, where a focus on quality and value for money really shines through. A Myanmar itinerary includes a day-long boat ride down to the temples of Bagan, and a chance to get a close-up look at life on the river. One of the most enjoyable holidays in Cambodia and Vietnam is cycling the meandering backroads. This slow travel offers unbeatable opportunities to meet people, including Bahnar and Jarai people of the rugged Vietnamese highlands. keadventure.com
Specialising in Myanmar, as well as several other Asian countries, Panoramic Journeys hand-crafts each trip specifically for the client. Founded on ethical principals, it focuses on cultural exchanges In Myanmar, visits often include homestays and fascinating adventures deep into the country’s lesser-visited areas, and involve unconventional ways of travelling, such as trekking into the hills or chartering a yacht to visit the Mergui Archipelago. The itineraries can include anything from a four-day trek through small villages to joining the fishermen of Inle Lake, who employ a very distinctive foot-rowing technique and use traditional conical nets. panoramicjourneys.com
Tailor-made holidays are a blank canvas – an opportunity to accommodate even the tiniest of details. They also provide the chance to enjoy unique experiences. Since 2006, Selective Asia has been sending people to enjoy those tricky-to-find experiences across Southeast Asia: a night on a desert island, maybe, a cookery masterclass, or a wildlife encounter. In Myanmar, if you’re lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of a dolphin in the Irrawaddy River with some of the men who fish it daily . Other opportunities include sailing to the country’s Mergui archipelago, home to Moken sea-nomads, and birdwatching in the Moeyungyi Wetlands Resort. selectiveasia.com
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