Total Asia - 50 Day Trip

Hop on a long tail boat and discover the abundance of goods on offer from clothing and local crafts to souvenirs and even homeware! We travel on to Kanchanaburi, where we take another boat ride. Just an hour away from Kanchanaburi is the majestic Erawan Falls, where we’ll spend the next day, take a dip in one of the many pools and have a delicious lunch. Perfection. This is an action-packed few days and we’ll be visiting the ancient capital city of Ayutthaya next. A bike tour is the perfect way to explore this World Heritage Site and see the jaw-dropping temples.

Arrive in Chiang Mai after catching the overnight and have some time to relax. First up, admire the views from Wat Pra Maha Doi Sutthep, a temple perched high in the mountains where you’ll feel on top of the world, literally! Next up, we head for a local village homestay, it’s a short hike through the jungle where we’ll spend the night living local and learning about the traditional farmers of the area and enjoying a traditional home-cooked meal by the local village family. A TruExclusive like no other. After saying goodbye to our new friends we travel in style via bamboo rafts as we float down the river, looking out for elephants along the way. We end our time in Chiang Mai with a heart-racing, adrenaline-filled zipline through the luscious green jungle! We’ll also be visiting an elephant rehabilitation sanctuary in Chiang Mai. Animal welfare is incredibly important to us here at Tru, so we’ll be visiting a sanctuary where elephants are free to roam around and not used for entertainment.

Note: The trek does not require a high level of fitness, but it can be a bit of a challenge, you’ll definitely earn the beers we crack open back in Chiang Mai!

Just a few hours from Chiang Mai is Pai. THE backpacker hotspot of the North! The next few days are spent relaxing in hot springs, chasing waterfalls and admiring the views of Pai Canyon at sunset.

Are you ready to cook up a storm? We’re heading back to Chiang Mai for another 2 nights and discover this crazy city at night but first, it’s foodie time! We’ll be taking a local Thai cooking class to learn how to slice and dice some of Thailand’s most delicious traditional dishes. Then we’ll spend a day slipping and sliding at a waterpark! After 2 amazing weeks exploring Northern Thailand, it’s time to head back to Bangkok and catch some zzz’s on an overnight sleeper train. Have you really experienced Thailand if you haven’t tried out a sleeper train? Once in Bangkok, we see the city via tuk-tuk and famous Thai longtail boats.

Goodbye, City life, Hello Islands! Khao Sok National Park awaits us as we catch a short train down to paradise. Floating bungalows at Khao Sok National Park are calling us! Home to some of the most breathtaking scenery you’ve ever seen - lush, limestone cliffs surrounded by an emerald lake, it’s like something out of Jurassic Park! Relax by the lake with a book, float the day away with a beer in hand or spend the day dipping and diving with your TruFam. Khao Sok has one of the best sunsets in Thailand, so jump in a kayak and explore. In the evening, we’ll sit down to a delicious Thai buffet in the floating restaurant.

Next stop, the magical island of Koh Tao! Koh Tao means ‘Turtle Island’ and is well known for its incredible marine life, beautiful beaches and laid-back kinda vibe. It’s only right that we see what it’s all about. Our first full day will be spent snorkelling the aqua waters, trying to catch sight of a turtle or two and visiting the beautiful island of Koh Nang Yuan! The waters are abundant with colourful fish and coral, so jump in and take a look. The next day, it’s time to chill, so spend the day exploring the island, hitting up the beach or checking out an incredible viewpoint nearby.

It just gets better and better. Koh Phi Phi is home to more fabulous viewpoints, white sandy beaches and of course, beach bars! Life is spent living on the beach when visiting Koh Phi Phi. So enjoy today how you please. After a chilled morning, we will jump on a boat to visit a stunningly beautiful spot called Maya Bay, which was made famous by Leo’s renowned film, “The Beach” which was filmed here many moons ago. Afterwards, we’ll stop to snorkel, swim and visit some beautiful spots nearby. We’ll watch the sun go down onboard, and reflect on an amazing few weeks in Thailand before we head to our final spot - Phuket!

Phnom Penh awaits. We’ll get checked in, freshen up and enjoy dinner in the city, the choice is yours! Phnom Penh is home to a hugely important and eye-opening piece of Cambodian history, and if there’s one place that every person should visit at some point in their life, it’s the Killing Fields and S21 prison. It may not be an easy day, but it is an important one. We take the time to learn about the genocide that took the lives of millions, and we visit a prison where the Khmer Rouge held 17,000 prisoners. This is a huge part of Cambodia’s history that helped shape the country today, so it’s important we learn about it.

Today we’re heading out of the city and off to the riverside town of Kampot for a couple of days. First stop, kayaking down the river! Another day, another epic experience and our second day in Kampot is spent at a local pepper plantation where we’ll learn everything about farming the famous Kampot Peppers. Using this knowledge, we’ll go on to cook a delicious, Khmer meal in a traditional cooking class. C’mon you must be a pro by now!

We’re heading back to island life. Immaculate white sand beaches, clear turquoise waters, palm trees and beach huts lining the coast and boats bobbing lazily in the bay. We’ve got a full day of exploring on the cards as we hop aboard a long-tail boat and snorkel amongst the colourful coral and have a go at catching the fish we’ll eat for lunch! Our freshly caught BBQ lunch is served on a secluded beach with just TruFam around under the sun. A perfect lunch for a perfect day. Afterwards, we head back to the island for our final night in paradise!

Cambodia, you’ve been an absolute dream but it’s time to get ready for an unforgettable 2 weeks in the final country of our grand adventure, Vietnam! Enjoy a rest day in Phnom Penh before crossing the border and joining your Travel Ninja in Ho Chi Minh City. We’ll have the opportunity to discover more about Vietnam’s troubled past at the Ho Chi Minh War Museum and the Cu Chi Tunnels. Despite its past, Ho Chi Minh is one of Asia’s most interesting cities with some of the country’s best street food and exciting nightlife.

Note: As this tour is made up of multiple tours, there will be other travellers joining you in Ho Chi Minh City.

Wake up in the beautiful town of Hoi An. Most famous for its glowing lanterns, incredible tailor services and the stunning river running right through the centre. Hoi An is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and we’re going to see it all! We’ll try our hand at making our very own Vietnamese lanterns and take a visit to our local tailor to see how they create custom-made sustainable clothing. We'll also head out to the countryside and villages by bike and stop by the Coconut woods. Laugh yourself senseless on a basket boat (a crazy vessel used normally to crab fish). We'll stop for lunch with a local family before heading back to experience Hoi An by night. 

Dubbed one of the best coastal roads in the world, be prepared for some of the most magnificent scenery you’ve ever seen on the journey to Hue as we ride open-top jeeps along the famous Hai Van Pass. Once in Hue, we’ll explore the old Imperial City and head along the Perfume River to a tranquil garden where we’ll be cooking up a storm! Are you ready for the last cooking class of the trip? By now, you are absolute pros and know how to make 10/10 dishes from all 3 countries that’ll seriously impress your mates back home. We head on to Ninh Binh. Known as the Halong Bay on land, Ninh Binh is breathtakingly beautiful with emerald green forestry and rice paddies galore. We’ll board small boards to paddle through untouched caves and small islands before visiting Tam Coc Valley and later, to the incredible Hang Mua viewpoint. With 500 steps to the top, you know it’s going to be a good view!

You can’t say that we haven’t spoiled you - it’s been spectacular scenery after spectacular scenery, and you can expect exactly that from the famous Halong Bay. Directly translated as ‘descending dragon’, we’ll get to discover the striking limestone rock formations, floating fishing villages and viewpoints from the comfort of our traditional junk boat, this really is one of the most iconic experiences in Vietnam and one you will never forget!

After waking up amongst the limestone cliffs and emerald waters of magical Halong Bay, we travel to our final destination, Hanoi. Hanoi is an energetic city with plenty to see and do. We’ll start by tasting a traditional egg coffee and learning how it is made. The rest is up to you, wander the Old Quarter, Hanoi’s gorgeous Opera House or the countless other mega snappable spots in the city. In the evening, we get dressed up for our last BIG night out, and get ready to say goodbye. It’s crazy to think that the journey’s over. Don’t be a stranger and we’re sure that we’ll be seeing each other again very soon!