Ultimate Asia, 63 Days

Airport pickup and a transfer to a guesthouse in the Khao San Road backpacker district. Meet your group and trip leader before the adventure starts.

Explore Bangkok's canals and floating markets, visit some of the city's well-known temples with local experts, and ride tuk tuks through the streets.

Learn the secrets of Thai cooking in a hands-on class, then board an overnight train with fully reclining beds heading south.

Cruise by long-tail boat between limestone cliffs to your floating bungalow in Khao Sok National Park, then spend the day kayaking, tubing and spotting monkeys.

Arrive on Koh Phangan, the island known for its full moon parties, and check in to beachfront bungalows with an infinity pool and a yoga space.

Laze on the beach or by the pool, explore the island or swim. A Thai massage is included.

Visit some of the island's well-known spots and quieter beaches, then finish with a beach dinner.

Pick a Muay Thai boxing class or a private yoga session. It's your last night on the island, so the group heads out together.

Leave Koh Phangan for the Phi Phi Islands, arriving late afternoon to check in to your resort before dinner and drinks.

Boat around Phi Phi Leh with snorkelling, kayaking and an after-dark underwater light show. Entry to Maya Bay can be closed by the government at certain times of year.

Hike to the Phi Phi viewpoint in the morning, then take a private boat to the Paradise Islands to snorkel. Phi Phi's nightlife is on tonight.

Take a boat to Phuket and settle in for a sunset dinner and drinks.

Fly to Chiang Mai, the cultural capital of northern Thailand. Explore the city, relax by the pool or shop, then browse the night markets.

A full day out to Doi Suthep Temple, a Thai-style lunch and the 'sticky' waterfalls.

Trek past rice paddies and waterfalls to a remote jungle stay, where you'll experience life with a local hill tribe.

Finish the trek, then raft back on a bamboo raft. The evening is yours to relax or go out in Chiang Mai.

Spend the day at an elephant sanctuary, learning how to feed and care for the animals.

Fly to Hanoi, where your Vietnam trip leader meets you at the airport and takes you to your guesthouse. Time to relax with the group.

Tour the city on foot and by rickshaw, eat your way through street food and spring rolls, then head out for dinner and drinks.

Cruise Ha Long Bay's emerald water and limestone peaks, kayak into hidden caves and coves, then spend the night on a boat with a hot tub and bar.

Take in the rice paddies and limestone mountains of Ninh Binh and sleep in traditional riverside bungalows at a local homestay.

Cycle through rice paddies, row through rivers and caves, and hike to the Dragon Mountain viewpoint. Tonight you board an overnight train to Hoi An.

Arrive in Hoi An, check in, then spend the afternoon exploring, shopping or getting a custom suit or dress made by a local tailor.

Ride a basket boat with locals through the coconut groves, then cook Vietnamese dishes in a hands-on class.

Make your own lantern, then head to the coast for a relaxed beach afternoon with lunch at a beach club.

Fly south to Ho Chi Minh City. The rest of the day is free to explore.

See how locals live and work on the Mekong, visit villages and stay the night in a local homestay.

Visit the hand-dug tunnel network that served as supply routes, hideouts and living quarters during the Vietnam War.

Take the bus across the border to Phnom Penh, arriving in the afternoon. Dinner and drinks follow.

Tour Phnom Penh by tuk tuk, then visit S21 Prison and the Killing Fields with a local guide to learn about the Khmer Rouge era. It is confronting but important, and the evening is a night out.

Head into the Kampot countryside and check in to a traditional riverside guesthouse, then kayak down the river in the afternoon.

Visit a Kampot pepper plantation, learn to cook classic Cambodian dishes, then finish with a sunset river cruise.

Travel by train and fast ferry to Koh Rong Sanloem and check in to island accommodation owned by the village chief. Watch the sunset from the Cliff Bar.

Board a private long-tail boat to find the island's snorkel spots and secluded beaches.

Spend the morning on the beach, take the ferry to the mainland for dinner, then board an overnight bus with reclining beds and air con to Siem Reap.

Arrive in Siem Reap and head out to traditional floating villages among rice fields, lotus flowers and flooded forest.

Explore Angkor Wat and Ta Prohm with a local guide. This afternoon you meet the APOPO hero rats, trained to detect landmines, before a final dinner and night out.

Your Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia leg finishes in Siem Reap, and your trip leader helps plan onward travel.

The Philippines leg begins. You're met at Manila airport and taken to your hotel, with time to recover from the flight and meet your group.

Fly to Cebu, take a ferry and drive up the coast, stopping at one of Cebu's most impressive waterfalls.

Go canyoneering at Kawasan Waterfalls, leaping into its brilliant blue pools.

Snorkel among millions of sardines at Moalboal's sardine run, with a chance of spotting sea turtles. The afternoon is free.

Stop at the castle-like Simala monastery for a look at the Spanish colonial era, then fly to Busuanga Island and check in at Coron.

Snorkel Coron's turquoise water among schools of fish, then experience the town's nightlife.

Free morning by the pool or in Coron Town, then a short hike up Mount Tapyas for bay views and a sunset soak at Maquinit Hot Springs.

Set off on a 3-day expedition by traditional Banca boat, visiting deserted islands and white-sand beaches, snorkelling, meeting local tribes and stargazing. Accommodation is simple beach huts with a mattress, mosquito net and bucket shower.

Keep sailing past uninhabited beaches and swim in very clear water. With no wifi, it's swim, snorkel and sunbathe, then sleep at a beach camp. There's a beach clean-up and, when it's open, a stop at a local school.

The expedition ends in El Nido on Palawan. Spend free time on the beach and see what El Nido's nightlife offers.

Walk a jungle canopy trail above El Nido, then enjoy an included Filipino massage. Choose how to spend the evening, from a sunset bar to a relaxed dinner.

Tour El Nido by jeepney, visit a local organic farm and have lunch on the beach with a traditional dance by the local community, then head to Nacpan beach.

The Philippines leg ends. Check out and head home, stay longer in El Nido or keep travelling in the Philippines, with help planning onward travel.

The Bali leg begins. You're met at Denpasar airport and taken to your hotel in Canggu to meet your group.

Explore ancient Balinese temples, watch the sunset from a beach club, then hit the dance floor for a night out Bali-style.

Hit the waves at Canggu, one of the world's well-known surf spots, with local Balinese instructors.

Visit temples, swim at a waterfall and see the Jatiluwih Rice Fields with a local guide before reaching your mountain stay with infinity pool views over rice paddies. Next day, cruise out in a traditional outrigger boat to look for wild dolphins and visit a local family.

Take the fast ferry to Gili Trawangan for a free afternoon and an island-style night out. The next day, explore the island by bicycle, beach-hopping before sunset.

Boat around all three Gili Islands with plenty of snorkel stops for turtles and other marine life. The next day, ferry back to the mainland and on to Ubud.

Visit Ubud's markets and its Monkey Forest, a centuries-old temple complex home to wild macaques.

Start early for a sunrise hike up an active volcano with a local guide, finishing with breakfast at the top, then unwind with a traditional Balinese massage. The trip ends the following day.