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Why South East Asia Now?

by Sheri Leigh

With all the negative media the tsunami regions have endured, we feel that the only way for travelers to really understand the true situation of tourism there, is to hear it from the companies regularly in contact or travelers recently returned.

So this issue is dedicated to getting travel to SE Asia back on its feet and really making a difference in the lives of those affected, not by handouts, but by putting them back to work.

The Hosts covered in this issue all have long ties to the region and all agree, the best way to help in recovery is for tourism to get back on track and thus reviving the local economies. Insuring that a second and worst disaster does not devastate the delicate balance of life struggling to recover from Mother Nature’s fury, is a task for all who believe travel really can change the world.

Name: A Touch of Class Tours
Location: Asia, Africa, Middle East
Specialty: Small group and individual journeys
Why We Like Them: Personal attention to details and the little extras that make a trip truly unique are provided by A Touch of Class Tours. Special interests such as textile visits to private art galleries, archeological excavations as well as university and alumni tours can easily be created to fit group or individual needs. By going the extra mile to insure that each trip is unique, the company earns loyal travelers and great reviews.
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Name: Adventure Center
Location: Worldwide
Specialty: Active vacations, safaris, treks and expeditions
Why We Like Them: Representing over 700 trips worldwide from a number of great companies, Adventure Centre can help you plan an active vacation to even the most remote parts of the world. Local hotels and guides insure the best possible benefit to the communities visited and the small group size provides travelers an up-close and truly personal idea of the local culture.
Article: Adventure travelers leave last, return first

Name: Wild Card Adventures
Location: SE Asia, China, Mongolia and Bhutan
Specialty: Custom tours of Asia
Why We Like Them: Custom designed tours to fit your special interest, be it birding and wildlife, traditional medicine, religion, cuisine, or archaeology. Do to the company’s strong personal relationships in the region excursions to rarely accessible places hill tribe villages, wild jungles or traditional markets can easily be arranged.
Article: Tsunami In Myanmar

Name: Go Differently
Location: India, Thailand, Bali, Sri Lanka and Cambodia
Specialty: Small group cultural journeys and volunteer programs
Why We Like Them: Dedicated to responsible tourism and making a difference in the lives of the people they visit, Go Differently is a great company for getting a taste of local life. Whether you’d like to volunteer with Thai elephants, teach English in a rural village or experience life in a local homestay, Go Differently can help you get there. Small group and individual holidays at the beach, in the jungle or general cultural tourism and adventure trips await you as well.
Article: Thailand… the magic continues…

Name: Asia Transpacific Journeys
Location: Asia and Pacific
Specialty: Group and Custom travel programs
Why We Like Them: Offering scheduled departures to single and multi-country destinations as well as custom trips, Asia Transpacific Journeys focus on superior accommodations and feature a maximum group size of 16. Special emphasis on marine activities, their small ship journeys offer additional chances to get close to the world’s underwater life. Dedicated to the people of the lands they visit, the company has a special foundation which has ongoing projects for disadvantaged children in the region.
Article: The Second Tsunami

Name: Trans Indus
Location: India and SE Asia
Specialty: India group departures and custom tours
Why We Like Them: U.K. based Trans Indus focuses on India. They have been a specialist to the sub-continent for 15 years and have a number of set departures to the regions most memorable destinations as well as independent travel. Occasional special guest lecture tours are offered to immerse the traveler in the history of Indian art and archeology. They also offer a great selection of pre-designed inclusive tours for independent travelers to SE Asia.
Article: Back to the beaches