South-east Asia is one of our favourite destinations both for a dose of winter sun and for year-round magic; our thrilling, customisable itineraries in the region include once-in-a-lifetime holidays in Bali, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines.
A great way to get to South-east Asia is with award-winning Qatar Airways, which serves not only its Middle Eastern home but also further-flung destinations.
Reclaiming their leading position as the World's Best Airline 2024, for the eighth time, at Skytrax 2024, as well as being voted World's Best Business Class, World's Best Business Class Lounge and Best Airline in the Middle East.
The array of options open to you in South-east Asia with Qatar Airways and Travel Counsellors includes the following wonderful itineraries.
Our eight-day Bali Explorer trip invites you to discover the best of this enchanting island, from its ancient temples and villages and its rainforests and crater lakes to the cultural hub of Ubud. Highlights include trekking to a village of the Bali Aga (the island’s first inhabitants) to learn all about their traditional lifestyle and customs, experiencing authentic local life during a morning in Marga village when you’ll join farmers in the fields and help them to collect coconuts, and receiving a blessing from a Balinese Hindu priest at Pura Lempuyang, ‘The Highest Lantern’, which is one of Bali’s most sacred temples.
Our nine-day Classic Malaysia tour leads you to Penang via Malacca, taking in bustling street markets, tranquil countryside including highlands tea plantations, and the wildlife-rich jungle of Taman Negara with its river, waterfalls and wild swimming. En route you’ll spot the Dutch, Portuguese, Chinese, Indian and other influences that make Malaysia the culturally rich wonder that it is today, as well as visiting religious marvels including Kek Lok Tong cave temple with its remarkable Buddhist figures.
Our Thailand itinerary is a round-trip from Bangkok, and as well soaking in the cultural delights of the country’s hectic capital, you’ll discover such gems as Ayutthaya on an island between three rivers. Once capital of the Kingdom of Siam, it now contains the ruins of the old city in its Ayutthaya Historical Park complete with palaces, Buddhist temples, monasteries and statues. Other highlights of this magical tour are the underrated province of Uthani Thani, Sukhothai with its stupas and temples, Lampang the ‘horse-cart city’ and Chiang Mai with its temples in a stunning mountainous setting.
Starting in the buzzing capital, our intense 20-night round-trip gives you a taste of the vast array of experiences this archipelago has to offer, which include the Banaue Rice Terraces – a UNESCO World Heritage Area and global landmark in historic civil engineering – Cebu with its marine wonders to discover on a snorkeling trip by motorised outrigger banca, and the paradisiacal island of Boracay with its famous beaches. Along the way, you’ll meet local artisans, market stall holders, farmers, schoolchildren and others, and in doing so get under of the skin of this unique destination.
Over four days, our Iconic Explorer trip covers all the major sites of Singapore, including the futuristic Gardens by the Bay with their Supertrees and Flower Dome and the old ethnic enclaves of Kampong Glam, Little India and Chinatown, where temples and mosques stand side by side. You’ll also get to hop aboard an authentic bumboat ride down the Singapore River and indulge in the local favourite dish of chilli crab, as well as sample some of the city state’s world-famous street food while rubbing shoulders with locals at its renowned hawker centres and its craft beer stands.
Most journeys are designed to get you somewhere as quickly as possible. The Blue Train does the opposite. Over three days and two nights, it travels roughly 1,600 kilometres between Pretoria and Cape Town, turning the distance between the two cities into an experience in its own right.
Europe is packed with iconic destinations, but some of its most rewarding holidays begin just beyond the well-trodden tourist trail. If you've already ticked off the big-name cities or simply fancy somewhere that feels a little different, there are plenty of places offering beautiful scenery, fascinating history, and memorable food without the queues. From medieval towns on the Adriatic coast to volcanic islands in the Atlantic, these lesser-known corners of Europe prove that sometimes the best trips are the ones you weren't expecting.
Summer might get most of the attention, but autumn can be one of the most rewarding times of year to travel. Cooler temperatures make days outdoors more comfortable, landscapes shift into rich seasonal colours, and many destinations settle into a quieter rhythm once the peak summer crowds have gone. That’s where the ‘cool-cation’ comes in. Instead of chasing the heat, these trips are all about crisp mountain air, lakeside walks, dramatic scenery, cosy food, and the kind of weather that makes you want to pull on another layer and keep exploring. From the Italian Alps to the Canadian Rockies, here are seven destinations that come into their own in autumn.
Finding your match...