journey beyond the ordinarytm26bbab5d-1d51-4771-b674... · skilled in stone carving, lacquerware...

DISTINCTIVE CUSTOM TRAVEL & SMALL GROUP JOURNEYS TO ASIA & THE PACIFIC

Journey Beyond the OrdinaryTM

4 Call a Travel Specialist at 866-714-2041

Travel is such a precious purchase. Part relaxation, part education, part life-enriching experience, it can be the culmination of a lifelong dream. Here is why Asia Transpacific Journeys is the best choice to deliver on your expectations.

Why travel with us?

Photos: Rebecca Mazzaro/Asia Transpacific Journeys, Marilyn Downing Staff/Asia Transpacific Journeys, Nguyen Thien Phuc

History

We’re delighted to be recognized as the Asia/Pacific specialists since 1987.

Reputation Over 75% of our business is repeat or referral, a testament to our substance.

Credibility In addition to designing journeys for discerning individuals, we also design customized journeys for the World Wildlife Fund, and the Harvard, Princeton and Yale alumni associations.

Expertise Our Travel Specialists possess the most extensive first-hand regional knowledge of any U.S.-based company. No other company offers such expertise in the Asia/Pacific region.

Efficiency We’ve spent over two decades honing air arrangements, checking hotel quality and hand picking the best guides, so you don’t have to.

One-Stop ShopGet volume-discounted airfare, customized travel information and a perfectly arranged itinerary with meals, transfers and guides, then pay for all services on one bill.

Support Enjoy toll-free phone and email access to your own expert Travel Specialist, and customized reading, medical, cultural, packing and insurance information.

Security We’re in constant contact with our in-country partners while you’re traveling. If anything should go wrong with your health, well being or arrangements, we’re on it.

Peace of MindIt’s a priceless commodity, included in all of our trips.

No RegretsYou might only visit a destination once in your life; make sure you do it right.

Bhutan VietnamSouth India

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“Travel is always a luxury regardless of the destination or hotel address. But there is no price tag in feeling confident that you can just show up at the airport and turn yourself over to Asia Transpacific Journeys.”

Patricia Schultz, author ~ 1,000 Places to See Before You Die

“A family returning home in a canoe on Inle Lake.” – Peter Gassner, Asia Transpacific Journeys’ traveler

Your Journ ey Your Wa yOur Custom Journeys are completely personalized from scratch, not set itineraries off the rack. We take the time to listen to your interests then tailor the perfect itinerary just for you.

Depending on your destination, land costs average between $300-$500 per person per day and include expert private guides, private drivers, beyond-the-ordinary lodging, most meals, transfers, insurance and more.

Cus tom Journ e ys

Prefer to travel only with friends and family? Have specific travel dates in mind? Relish impromptu events, your own pace, or have some personal dream you’d like to pursue?

You’re in luck. We are the Custom Travel experts in the region—it comprises seventy percent of what we do. Call us to discuss your interests, timeframe, budget and options, then we’ll craft you a one-of-a-kind itinerary that’s Your Journey, Your Way™.

Tailor-made, privately guided, ultimately flexible

TM

Call a Travel Specialist at 866-714-20416

Photos Left to Right: Shopping in Shanghai is a delight; Bangkok’s floating market; “Exotic, welcoming smiles characterize India.” – Stacey Schultz, Asia Transpacific Journeys’ Marketing Director

ThailandIndiaChina

perSonAlized Trip plAnningTell us your vision. We’ll pull

together a totally personalized

itinerary that reflects all of your

requests. Unlike other operators,

we charge no upfront fees

for this service. It’s our way of

starting you off right on your

Journey Beyond the Ordinary™.

privATe loCAl guideS & driverSOur guides are the best in the

region. They are educated,

hospitable, friendly, and offer

cultural insights you can only

get from a local. Your own

private driver is also included

for all tours and transfers—a

luxurious touch befitting the

trip of a lifetime.

ACCommodATionS & CuiSineWhether you find yourself

staying in an exquisite restored

maharajah’s palace or a nomadic

ger camp, we emphasize authentic

local style—it’s as much a door

into a culture as any visit to a

museum. Our dining picks

likewise reflect our true-to-the-

land obsession and appreciation

of all things excellent.

THe Fine deTAilS are also included, such as internal airfare, daily activities and entry fees, ground transportation, private airport transfers, a customized Travel Guide specific to your upcoming journey, Emergency Evacuation and Emergency Medical travel insurance and more.

What’s included on a Custom Journey?


Photos Left to Right: “A temple along the Irrawaddy River in Burma.” – Peter Gassner, Asia Transpacific Journeys’ traveler; Child at the Ura Festival, Bhutan – Dimitra Stasinopoulou, Asia Transpacific Journeys’ traveler; Accommodations, whether luxurious or homey, always reflect our commitment to cultural authenticity.

BhutanIndiaMyanmar (Burma)


Is it possible to camp in the Thar desert of Rajasthan with an ancient tribe of peaceful vegans who defend trees to the death? Yes. Is it possible to take the kids to Borneo on a science-meets-adventure trip tracking orangutans in the wild with a primatologist as your private guide? Yes. Is it possible to have a curator’s tour of Hanoi’s most renowned art gallery? A private consultation with the foremost expert on Vietnamese avant-garde art? Dinner with the artist whose painting you purchased? Yes, yes and yes.

Our flexibility, connections and grasp of the possibilities are unmatched in the Asia/Pacific region. Simply put: It’s Possible.

It’s Priva teCustom Journeys include only your favorite people: your spouse, your children, your parents, your friends. It’s a private departure on your timeframe based on your interests.

It’s a time to celebrate with the ones you love through the shared experience of travel. It may be time to celebrate a birthday, graduation, an anniversary or retirement. It may just be time to celebrate life.

Cus tom Journ e ys

“In the early evening when most everyone else had left, I stopped to take one more picture of two monks returning home.” – Thomas Nevin, Asia Transpacfic Journeys’ traveler

“It’s Possible” is our Custom Journey credo. Go on, test us.

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indiA–A Silver AnniverSArY CeleBrATion

You’ve come this far together, why not go all the way to India?

Live like Rajput royalty by staying in maharajah’s palaces in

Rajasthan. Take in the sunset with a champagne cruise on Lake

Pichola in Udaipur then dine amidst the white marble and

strutting peacocks of the “floating” Lake Palace. Renew your vows

in a traditional Indian ceremony at an ancient temple, dressed in

a doti, a sari and garlands of roses. Make a dawn pilgrimage to the

Taj Mahal, built by Shah Jahan for his beloved wife Mumtaz, the

world’s greatest monument to love.

CAmBodiA–A BeYond-THe-ordinArY ConneCTion

While in the capital city, Phnom Penh’s spectacular Royal Palace

is a must, but you could visit an orphanage and delight the little

ones with magic tricks, blowing up balloons or a game of soccer.

When you visit Les Artisans d’Angkor—a network of craftspeople

skilled in stone carving, lacquerware and silk weaving—go to

their village and enjoy tea in their home. Arrive at Angkor Wat at

dawn for the best light, then journey into the countryside to

explore rarely visited ruins with an expert in Khmer architecture.

AuSTrAliA–doWn-under diSCoverY WiTH THe KidS

Children of all ages will love seeing kangaroos hopping on the

beach, visiting a koala hospital, and snorkeling with giant turtles

on the Great Barrier Reef. Cruise through the Daintree River and

watch the estuarine crocodiles slip into the water. In Tasmania

mingle with the world’s smallest penguin, wallabies, brush-tailed

possums, Tasmanian devils and wombats. In the Outback, stay at

a cattle ranch, learn how to make a didgeridoo and try Aboriginal

dot painting.

Picturing the PossibilitiesHere are some sketches of what your Custom Journey might look like:

Sma ll Group Trips

Enjoy the ease of joining a set itinerary with a group of like-minded travelers? Thrive in the company of expert Tour Leaders who possess unsurpassed knowledge?

A Small Group Trip is right for you. Our 30 signature trips capture the essence of each destination by combining famous sights with hidden jewels. We offer a Small Group Trip to nearly every country in our region.

Our group trips have been included in the ‘50 Best Trips’ by National Geographic Traveler, and National Geographic Adventure named us one of the ‘Best Tour Operators on Earth’.

Just Join InOur Small Group Trips offer the ease of an itinerary perfected after years of research and fine-tuning. These signature offerings represent the best of the region, exploring the iconic, must-see destinations with areas off the radar but deserving of fame.

Extend itSince so much of our business is custom travel, we can offer full-service pre- and post-travel arrangements.

Intimate in size, like-minded travelers, expert leadership


Photos Left to Right: “Young monks peer out from a beautiful old wooden monastery.” – Barbara Pilert, Asia Transpacific Journeys’ traveler;“I joined the group with two dear friends from home, and returned with several others.” – Stacey Schultz, Asia Transpacific Journeys;“This infant, soundly asleep at the festival in Jakar, will always remind me of the beauty and serenity of Bhutan.” – Sharon Szabo, Asia Transpacific Journeys’ traveler

IndiaBhutan

Myanmar (Burma)

experT Tour leAderSHipBlending a powerhouse

of destination knowledge

with the warm

accessibility of a trusted

friend, our Tour Leaders

will make your trip come

alive. See their bios on

the following page.

Superior HoTelS & moST meAlSSuperior, often stunning

accommodations are

a standard feature of

our group trips wherever

possible. We favor

authentic local style,

excellent location and

sheer beauty. Cuisine is

varied, fresh, authentic

and delicious.

diSTinCTive, pre- plAnned iTinerArieS We’ve spent decades

perfecting our group

trips—they receive rave

reviews from our

travelers and accolades

from industry pros. We’ve

thought it all through, so

all you do is pack your

bags and join us.

SmAll SizeBig groups are unwieldy

and preclude an intimate

style. That’s why we limit

our trips to 18 travelers.

THe Fine deTAilS are also included, such as a distinctive itinerary with special touches for your group, expert local guides at each destination, daily activities and entry fees, visa fees, tips to local staff, airport departure taxes on group flights, ground transportation, private airport transfers, Emergency Evacuation and Emergency Medical travel insurance, and a customized Travel Guide specific to your journey.

What’s included on a Small Group Trip?


“India’s women are a rainbow of color at every turn.” – Debbie Jefkin-Elnekave, Asia Transpacific Journeys’ traveler

Suzanne Noakes

Our Tour Leaders are the best in the region, experts in art, culture, anthropology, history, religion, geography, politics, linguistics, and the elusive (but extremely important) field of human interaction. Their competence ensures smooth logistics. Their intimate knowledge and passionate enthusiasm will make your trip come alive.

pAdmAjA BHArTi holds a Master’s Degree in International Relations and an MBA. She is currently pursuing a doctoral degree at the Centre for American and West European studies. She is formally trained in Indian classical music, as well as ancient, medieval and modern Indian history, contemporary world history, Indian philosophy, geography and politics. Padmaja has been leading tours around India for a decade as a certified guide, trained at the Indian Institute of Tour and Travel Management. In addition to her keen intelligence, she possesses a gracious yet bold character, rare among women in India. An enlightened, insightful perspective informs her in-depth discussions on a wide range of culturally sensitive issues. Her impeccable skills and knowledge ensure a wonderful journey throughout India.

Ari BondT was born and raised in Southeast Asia and educated in Europe, studying languages and geography. Throughout his lifetime of study and travel he acquired native fluency in eight languages, and a working knowledge of many others, including several Asian languages. Ari’s experience in the industry is unsurpassed.

He has planned, managed and directed tours and expeditions for over 30 years on all seven continents, including pioneering trips to Indochina, Tibet and the Silk Road when these areas were just barely opened to foreigners. A veteran explorer of the most far-flung places on Earth, Ari is the embodiment of the sophisticated, cosmopolitan Tour Leader, bringing a polished, intellectual eye to the field and exuding warmth in his personal style.

CHriS gold has spent most of his life zigzagging across the face of the planet. Born in South Africa, educated at Oxford University, he rode an ancient British motorcycle across Africa before hitchhiking from London to Bangkok in the late 1970s. He now lives in northern Thailand with eight orphaned kids adopted from the hill villages along the Burmese border. A veteran Tour Leader with a wide-reaching knowledge of Asian culture, Chris is passionate about sharing his knowledge and deep personal connections with fellow travelers.

dr. STepHen HAlKoviC has a Ph.D. in Inner Asian Studies, specializing in Mongolia/Tibet/China from Indiana University, where

he taught for 14 years. While teaching at IU, he started to lead tours to Soviet Central Asia and Mongolia. By 1984, he began guiding tours full-time throughout Asia and remote regions throughout the world. He has led 100 trips to China, over 50 to Mongolia, more than 15 to Tibet, and dozens to Central Asia, beginning in the 1970s when these countries were behind the Iron Curtain. He is conversant in Mandarin Chinese and Mongolian, and his unsurpassed knowledge and infectious laughter make him a superb travel companion.

STeve merCHAnT began traveling worldwide at age 16, when he drove from London to Kathmandu. He received a degree in engineering before becoming a Tour Leader at 26. Having suffered the searing heat of the Sahara and three winters of camping in -12C in Argentina, he settled in Thailand with his Thai wife. An expert on Southeast Asian culture, his expansive intellect roams with ease through topics as diverse as history, geography, religion, art, flora and fauna. An unsurpassed rapport with the locals makes him an excellent liaison and cultural interpreter.

Ari Bondt Chris Gold

Sma l l Group Tripswith the region’s best Tour Leaders


www.AsiaTranspacific.com

SuzAnne noAKeS has been in Melanesia for the last two decades, leading trips in Papua New Guinea for private groups, university alumni and conservation associations, and has developed a deep understanding of Papua New Guinea’s people, culture, flora and fauna. She owns a tourism policy company that lobbies overseas governments to alleviate poverty through tourism initiatives, and is pursuing her master’s degree in this field. She sponsors initiatives such as the Karawari coconut soap press, teacher scholarships and improved water collection projects within the Milne Bay region. Her expertise, exuberance, rapport with the local people (she speaks Tok Pisin) and warm personal style receives the highest praise from our travelers, making Suzanne an unsurpassed Tour Leader in the Land of the Last Unknown.

dAvid rAnd enjoyed an unconventional childhood in Hawaii’s Buddhist community that nurtured cultural sensitivities from an early age. He graduated from the University of Hawaii, then took up worldwide travels, honing a gift for languages that has made him conversant in seven. A long-time

resident of India and Nepal, his experience and knowledge spans Asia and includes the founding of grassroots charitable projects. A veteran Tour Leader with three decades of experience, he brings a seasoned, connoisseur’s eye to the field, when not sauntering through the abandoned palaces of his home in Orchha, India.

mArilYn doWning STAFF is the Founder & President of Asia Transpacific Journeys. She earned degrees in environmental biology and sociology before setting off on worldwide travels. She spent some years living in Thailand where she adopted her Thai son, and founded the company over two decades ago. She is the veteran of far-flung adventures that span three decades in the most remote corners of the region. An accomplished photographer and engaging speaker, she’s a frequent expert lecturer at museums, universities and conferences, and leads tours throughout Asia.

gordon mArSH has been leading educational tours worldwide since 1983 for some of America’s top institutions, including the American Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian. As architect and Tour

Leader for the World Leader Symposiums® his itineraries featured in-depth interpretation of cultures, and included lectures by renowned experts such as Mikhail Gorbachev and Madeleine Albright. He holds degrees in German and Chinese from the University of Hamburg and Leeds University. In addition to fluency in English, German, Mandarin and Cantonese, Gordon speaks French, Italian and Arabic. The veteran of hundreds of tours throughout Asia and Oceania, he possesses an academic, polished demeanor which belies a dry British wit and a natural exuberance for facilitating cultural interaction.

CHenCHo TSHering is a native Bhutanese whose guiding experience spans two decades. He received formal training as a guide for two years in Singapore, and when Bhutan’s travel industry was privatized his enthusiastic entrepreneurial spirit took hold. He decided to pursue his passion and put his vast experience to work and became one of the country’s most sought-after guides. Chencho’s engaging personality and deep knowledge of Bhutanese history, religion and art make him an incomparable guide in his beloved homeland.

“In my 30 years of very extensive traveling, I’ve never had the pleasure to meet and work with anyone

like Asia Transpacific Journeys’ Tour Leader. He literally set a new standard.”

Peter C. Keller, Ph.D. ~ President, Bowers Museum of Cultural Art

David RandSteve Merchant

Chencho Tshering

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We’re with you a ll the wa y

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It starts with a dream of travels far and wide. When it’s time to make it a reality we’re with you all the way. Let us walk you through the process of an Asia Transpacific Journey.

our experT TrAvel SpeCiAliSTS have extensive firsthand knowledge of our destinations and have worked at Asia Transpacific Journeys an average of nine years. They’re patient, friendly and trustworthy, and delighted to discuss our corner of the world in detail.

To experience the level of service that sets us apart, email [email protected] or call 866-714-2041.

You may take one look at a page in this catalog and decide it’s the destination or even the Small Group Trip for you. Call and sign up, or request a free deTAiled Color iTinerArY for a Small Group Trip or Custom Journey. You’ll receive in-depth, day-to-day descriptions and answers to frequently asked questions. We’ll continue working with you to choose a group departure, or build a custom trip from scratch that’s right for you.

Once you decide on the destination and whether you prefer a Small Group Trip or Custom Journey, we’ll be in regular contact to finely tune all the details of your journey, including your AirFAre. Our volume contract rates with the world’s best airlines mean savings that are passed on to you. You’ll receive CompreHenSive predepArTure mATeriAlS, including a customized, detailed Travel Guide that our travelers rave about.


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Our long-standing relationships throughout the region constitute a web of contacts. Once you arrive in country they will greeT You And provide SupporT THrougHouT Your Trip. Our Tour Leaders on group trips and local guides on custom trips are knowledgeable experts within the respective countries and trusted friends of many years. You not only receive superb interpretation of the people and places you encounter, but are treated like a member of an extended family who has come to visit.

With authentic lodging, watertight logiSTiCS and the inTimATe inTerpreTATion of the land and people provided by your guides, you feel at once that you’re traveling beyond the ordinary.

Our hard work behind the scenes will make your trip unfold smoothly. But if fate takes an unexpected turn We’ll Be THere For You WHen iT CounTS. We’re in constant contact with our in-country people, and will help solve any problems that might arise. Whether your eyeglasses get crushed and need replacing within 24 hours (this actually happened) or an emergency situation necessitates a Flight for Life medical airlift, we’re there if things get rough.

Photos (left to right): Stacey Schultz/Asia Transpacific Journeys, Oberoi, Roger LeMoyne 17

Li-A

n Lo

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Pin

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, Chi

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At its most thoughtful, travel can foster the preservation of ancient cultures, benefit local communities and help protect the environment. Our connection to the region became a commitment to these goals long ago. Here is how that commitment has played out over the last two decades:

WAlKing THe WAlK Asia Transpacific Journeys’ owner Marilyn Downing Staff adopted her son from a Thai orphanage 18 years ago, forging a lasting connection. She created the Asia Transpacific Foundation in 1998. This volunteer-driven 501(c)(3) non-profit has funded an orphanage for children whose parents have died of AIDS in Thailand, the building of classrooms at refugee camps on the Thailand/Myanmar border, and recently our highly successful Clean Water Initiative.

Our travelers directly support our Foundation with donations and we thank you for your continued generosity. Asia Transpacific Journeys provides office infrastructure and direct subsidies to the Foundation.

www.AsiaTranspacificFoundation.org

preServe And proTeCT When thriving ecosystems are advantageous to local economies they tend to be protected. When our travelers snorkel over a live coral reef in Micronesia or see an orangutan in the jungles of Borneo, they have improved the chances of preserving that habitat by providing a realistic economic alternative to hawking coral necklaces and deforesting for timber. The World Wildlife Fund feels the same way, and that’s why we design trips for their members.

HeriTAge AWAreneSS Travel can educate, engender respect and provide the economic engine for conservation. By incorporating UNESCO World Heritage sites on our Small Group Trips and Custom Journeys, we help foster local community pride in, and protection of, their cultural heritage. Thus, historic treasures are unearthed and preserved.

BreATHing eASier For all its benefits, we realize that international travel has an environmental impact. Learn about conscious travel and how to offset your carbon footprint.

www.AsiaTranspacific.com/offset

By choosing Asia Transpacific Journeys you support our ethic of stewardship and volunteerism, and we appreciate it.

Our E thicConscious travel through stewardship and volunteerism

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Photos Left to Right: “I’m gratified that our Foundation has helped so many.” – Marilyn Downing Staff, Asia Transpacific Journeys’ Founder & President; Resident of a rehabilitation center in Borneo. – Steve Morello; “Travel creates a connection and a desire to protect what one has seen.” – Rebecca Mazzaro, Asia Transpacific Journeys’ Travel Specialist

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Find us on Facebook and become a fan Facebook.com/AsiaTranspacificJourneys

Our blog contains travel tips and inspiration http://blog.AsiaTranspacific.com

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Asia Transpacific Journeys’ traveler’s photo contest winners: 1st place, boy riding camel at sunset in Pushkar, India © Annie Katz; 2nd place, women on a wall in India © Susan I. Cohen; 3rd place, two boys watch a ceremony in Bhutan © Scott Carroll

Our traveler photo contest reaffirmed our belief in the power of travel to inspire and connect. Visit www.AsiaTranspacific.com/photos to find inspiration from fellow travelers.

We love to travel, and by the looks of things, so do you.

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3rd


Stay connected

99www.AsiaTranspacific.com

Find us on Facebook by searching ‘Asia Transpacific Journeys’

View photos from Asia Transpacific Journeys’ travelers and staff at www.AsiaTranspacific.com/photos

Recen t AccoladesWe’re pleased that our outstanding trips have received recognition as among the world’s best.

TRAVEL + LEISURETrAnSFormATion vACATionS | November 2009Cultural Odyssey: Vietnam

“Asia Transpacific Journeys, with over 20 years experience in the region, is the ultimate guide to the country’s history and culture. This journey takes you to some of Vietnam’s greatest landmarks—along with lesser-known places such as the hill-tribe villages and markets of the northern highlands.”

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ADVENTURE 25 BeST neW TripS For 2010 | November 2009Laos—An Off-Limits Jungle

“Guests can leave the planning to Asia Transpacific Journeys, the first (and so far, only) outfitter to run trips here. Spend four days exploring the region’s trails by bicycle, foot or four-wheel drive, and venture into untouched Ahka villages.”

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELER50 TourS oF A liFeTime | May/June 2009Three Faces of Buddha

“From the raked rock gardens of Kyoto to the temple architecture of Laos to the traditional paintings of Bhutan, explore how Buddhism informs three different cultures in this ambitious journey inspired by a longstanding interest of the operator’s founder. Highlights include an overnight in a shukubo

(traditional Japanese temple lodgings) and a hike to the cliffside Tiger’s Nest Monastery in Bhutan.”

Our ‘Cultures of Buddhist Asia—Japan, Laos, and Bhutan’ trip (page 55) is named in the top 50 Tours of a Lifetime by National Geographic Traveler magazine. Previous award recipients were ‘Exploring the Undiscovered Waters of the Mergui Archipelago’ (2008) and ‘Burma: Land of the Golden Pagoda’ (2007).

journey beyond the ordinarytm26bbab5d-1d51-4771-b674... · skilled in stone carving, lacquerware...

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