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Friends International in Cambodia

Visiting Cambodia with Travel Indochina will almost certainly involve a meal or lunch at Romdeng Restaurant in Phnom Penh. As well as dishing up some utterly divine Khmer cuisine this restaurant and its parent organisation, Friends International, are changing Cambodia for the better.

Still reeling from the horror’s of the Khmer Rouge regime, Cambodia has struggled to develop its way out of poverty which has hit the country’s young disproportionally hard. Friends International’s mission is to bring immediate hope, relief and sustainable personal development to Cambodia’s forgotten youth in an otherwise subsistence orientated world.

Read more about Friends International in Cambodia

Angkor Hosptial for Children

Located in Siem Reap in Cambodia, the Angkor Hospital for Children continues to deliver much needed medical assistance to disadvantaged Cambodian’s.

This year has already seen the Angkor Hospital for Children provide over 20 open heart surgeries; levels of treatment like this are not available in much of Cambodia making the hospital and indispensable resource. As well as focussing on prevention and treatment, the hospital also has an enduring and sustainable health care professional training program and has a specialisation in training its doctors and nurses training in much needed
neonatal care. continue reading….

My Asia since 2005 by Marina

Joining Travel Indochina back in 2005, Marina is one of our most experienced Asia Specialists. Marina’s holidays and research trips in Asia have so far taken her to Vietnam, Cambodia, China, India and Japan. We asked Marina few questions about Asia, her travels there and we also managed to get some great photos of her trips so far! continue reading….

Burma, more 2012 departures added

Departing in October, November and December 2012, we’ve added three more departures to our popular 13 day Burma Revealed small group tour.

Following positive developments within Burma we recommenced running small group tours to Burma earlier this year. Since their launch we’ve received incredible feedback from clients and colleagues alike about the country, its people and our style of travel there. continue reading….

Top 5 reasons to visit China

Escaping the crowds at the Great Wall and dining out on ‘Crossing the Bridge Noodles’ in Yunnan. We asked our China Product Manager, Jackie, to give us her Top 5 reasons to visit China. continue reading….

Getting dramatic, Purkal Youth Development Society & Travel Indochina

Purkal

Purkal Society, supported by Travel Indochina

As part of our commitment to making a difference in the countries in which we operate, this year we have again partnered with the Purkal Youth Development Society in Northern India.

Purkal runs a fantastic community centre focusing on education, mentoring and healthcare for young people in one of India’s poorest regions. The programs goal is to expand opportunities available to the regions young people through education – with a fully supported scholarship programme – and grass-roots community development.

In 2012, Travel Indochina is sponsoring the drama & arts program at Purkal. This funding will help to procure 4 sets of musical instruments, a projector, stage lights, and a music & sound system. Purkal’s Program Director explains: “we have an evening every month with all the parents of all our children attending. During this evening we use time for a Hindi and an English play, music, dance etc. We also have 2 – 3 events every year such as the school day, Sports Day and maybe a music performance. We strongly feel that dramatics helps to improve confidence and instils familiarity with language and helps in the overall development of the personality of every child.”

You can learn more about the organization’s work and some of the challenges facing rural communities in India at Purkal’s website. You can also watch a video on some of our other Responsible Travel programs in Asia on Travel Indochina’s You Tube channel.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Lake Palace in Udaipur - Travel Indochina

The Lake Palace in Udaipur

Starring Dame Judi Dench, Bill Nighy and an assortment of British films most established stars, the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel follows a group of retirees looking to see out their golden years on the Indian subcontinent.

Apart from a distinctly bleak opening scene shot in the UK, this film is exclusively set in Rajasthan, one of India’s most iconic regions famed for its natural environment, breathtaking Mughal and British colonial architecture and incredible temples epitomised by the Taj Mahal. Although home to characterful Heritage hotels, some of which are the finest hotels in the world, this particular group of grey-haired adventurers find themselves living in a hotel that falls short of their exotic expectations. Despite their predicament the characters embark on a journey of personal discovery. Watch the films trailer here.

The Highlights of Rajasthan

Our best selling small group tour to India. The 14 day Highlights of Rajasthan takes in the region’s most salient and enchanting sights. Starting in Delhi this tour includes a dawn visit to the Taj Mahal, intimate safari through Ranthambore National Park, a visit to the impressive Amber Fort at Jaipur, an overnight stay in a luxury desert camp in Osian and so much more. You can see a brand new 3 part HD video of this escorted tour on our You Tube channel.

New levels of satisfaction in 2011

If you have travelled with us before then you will know that after every small group tour we ask for your honest opinion of what you thought of your holiday. Questions asked include the performance of our Western tour leaders, whether you’d travel with us again and your suggestions on how we can improve our tours.

continue reading….

Meet a Geisha and experience authentic Japanese cuisine:

A Japanese Geisha

Whether you’re already travelling on, looking to join, one of our small group tours to Japan over the next six months can look forward to a complimentary Japanese kaiseki dinner, a private Geisha dance proceeded by a rare opportunity to sit and talk with her.

Elaborately dressed in their kimono and ghost-white make-up Geisha have become one of the most enduring images of Japanese culture and meeting them is truly rare opportunity. Due too our unique style of travel of having no more than 16 passengers on each of our tours means that this experience is even more intimate. Prior to this exciting Geisha encounter you can also look forward to a kaiseki meal at the Ganko Takasegawa Restaurant. Using seasonal ingredients and assiduously decorated, this fusion of art and food not only stimulates the tastes-buds but is emblematic of Japanese culture.

This unique experience is entirely complimentary and can be enjoyed on both our 10 day Highlights of Japan and 15 day Secrets of Japan small group tours that depart in the next six months*. As well as this unique insight to Japanese culture our small group tours also include a specially arranged tour of a high-tech Toyota plant, traditional tea ceremony, a romantic train journey to Arashiyama Valley, an innovative walking tour of Tokyo and so much more.

Take a look at our small group tours to Japan from Australia, the UK, North America and New Zealand.

*Meal excludes drinks

Explore Laos in 11 brand new videos:

Young Monk in Luang Prabang

Earlier this year we invited a film crew to join one of our Small Group Tours to Laos. Over the course of two weeks we captured some incredible footage and created 13 unique videos covering all aspects of Laos and our unique style travel there. continue reading….