Malacca Trail

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- Internal flights from Krabi - Penang
- 12 nights hotel accommodation
- 1 night accommodation aboard an overnight train
- 13 breakfasts, 6 lunches & 2 dinners
- Touring by air-conditioned coach
- Assistance of a tour guide & driver
- Touring & sightseeing of all sites as per itinerary

* High season supplements starting from an additional R1375 per person applies for set departures between 30 OCT 2016 -  19 MAR 2017.

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Bangkok, Thailand

First off the bat: free time to explore like a Bangkokian (it's a word). Fill up on culture at one of the 100+ museums, immerse yourself in a new religion at one of the royal temples, & get your food & shopping fix from one of the 100,000 street vendors to last you until tonight, where you get to eat for 4 hours at the street eats experience. All. the. food.

Included today: Street eats by tuk tuk

Meals: Dinner.

Bangkok

Kick off your Bangkok rush hour with a full day visiting some of it's most iconic sights. Tick off ALL the transport & make your way around via car, boat, skytrain & tuk tuk. Visit Jim Thompson's house - the Thai silk businessman & designer who helped revive Thailand's silk industry from total extinction before he disappeared in the Malaysian jungle in 1974. Then boat along the Chao Phraya River & stop at the Grand Palace (once home to the Emerald Buddha), & tuk tuk it to the grand buddhist temple Wat Pho to grab a foot massage. Lunch like kings at a local restaurant. Check out Khao San Road for handicrafts, paintings & fruit during the day, & bars, music & barbequed insects at night.

Included today: Skytrain to Thaksin pier, Chao Phraya River boat cruise, Bangkok city tour & foot massage

Meals: Breakfast & lunch.

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Bangkok to Surat Thani

You last free day in Bangkok - use it well. Get a massage, hit up one of the city's mega malls or join locals playing Sepak takraw ('kick volleyball'). Tonight all aboard the overnight train to Surat Thani.

Included today: Overnight train to Surat Thani

Meals: Breakfast.

Surat Thani to Krabi

Wake up in a different province before you roll into Krabi, one of the oldest continued settlements in southern Thailand. Check out its amazing beaches, hike to the Tiger cave temple or enrol yourself in a Thai cooking class & apply for the next Masterchef. Then hang with the giant crabs along the Krabi River for the best view of the Khao Kanab Nam mountains jutting out of the water.

Meals: Breakfast.

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Krabi

Do the optional & pinball your way around the Phi Phi Islands - Thailand's island superstar, former coconut plantation & film location for The Beach. These are some of Thailand's most insanely beautiful islands. Split your time between Phi Phi Lay, Loh Sama, Tonsai Bay for lunch, Phi Phi Don & Bamboo Island. On the way back stop at Chicken Island - which literally looks like a giant moss-covered bush turkey casually nestled in the water.

Meals: Breakfast.

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Krabi

Another free day to explore at your will. Wander further to Railay Beach's caves & lagoons, & nail-bitingly watch on as rock climbers take on the cliffs. For the adventurous there's always kayaking at Ao Thalane - a small fishing village teeming with mangrove ecosystems & limestone karst formations. Take your pick.

Included today: Free day

Meals: Breakfast.

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Krabi to Penang, Malaysia

Fly to Penang, thriving urbanised state & food capital of Malaysia (what we like to hear), known for its "hawker food" - a mix of noodles, spices & fresh seafood dishes served al fresco. Tonight meander through the Batu Ferringhi night markets & grab a bargain.

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Penang

Navigate Georgetown by trishaw (human-powered tricycle) through narrow lanes offering a closer view of historical sites such as the Kapitan Keling Mosque, St George's Church, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Star Publication House & Kuan Yin Teng Temple. In 2012 Georgetown began a street murals project which has since taken off with multiple artist contributions - admire & snap the amazing artwork (there are cats involved). For lunch, local food tasting is on the cards.

Included today: Georgetown Murals Trail

Meals: Breakfast & light lunch.

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Penang to Cameron Highlands

Make a mad dash down the coast to the Cameron Highlands through Perak State & Simpang Pulai. Today is all about nature. Soak up the scent at a tea plantation & veggie farm tour, & feel healthy for just being near them. Then tonight: listen out for the insect orchestra on a jungle trek & spot Giant Stick Insects, Great Green Nymphs (the largest beetle in Malaysia), & scorpions.

Included today: Cameron Highlands tour & night trekking

Meals: Breakfast & lunch.

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Cameron Highlands to Kuala Lumpur

Wind your way down through Kampung Raja to Kuala Lumpur. Stop at Malaysia's biggest cave temple Sam Poh Tong - snap the giant reclining Buddha, stare in awe at the various Buddhas interspersed among the stalactites & stalagmites, & balance your karma by releasing a turtle into the resident pond. Lunch is in Ipoh before kicking on to Perak's Ubudiah Mosque & the Perak Royal Museum.

Meals: Breakfast & lunch.

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Kuala Lumpur

Today you get to experience village life in Kampung Sungai Sireh - local producer of fruit, flowers & natural products. Start your village education with a paddy field tour, & see the way locals process their rice if you've come during harvest. Peek inside a typical village house, tuck into lunch with local dishes such as "ulams", then get your artist on with coconut leaf ornament making & batik painting. This afternoon it's back to Kuala Lumpur.

Included today: Kampong Sungai Sireh village experience

Meals: Breakfast & lunch.

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Kuala Lumpur to Malacca

This morning you're off to the Batu Caves in all their 400 million year old limestone goodness. The most popular Hindu shrine outside of India, this one's worth a look-see. Then on to Malacca, home of Portuguese influence & descendants of Chinese settlers known as "Nyonya". Lunch is in a Peranakan restaurant, with flavour explosions in the form of laksas & curries thanks to Chinese, Malay & Thai influence. Work off lunch with a tour of Cheng Hoon Teng temple, then boat around Malacca for the afternoon.

Included today: Boat tour around Malacca

Meals: Breakfast & lunch.

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Malacca to Singapore

Get a taste for Singapore's best with a jaunt in Chinatown. Wander down lantern-lined streets where medical herbs & souvenirs line the stalls. Stuff yourself with famous dishes like Or Luak, Char Kway Teow & Satay at the Chinatown Food Street, then hit up the street side bars in Club St or Duxton Hill for a farewell drink.

Meals: Breakfast & dinner.

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Singapore

Take one last longing look at the futuristic city before it's Zàijiàn to Singapore.

Meals: Breakfast.

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