FLIGHTS TO ASIA
Southeast Asia is blessed with a wealth of flights from the UK – helping this region maintain its enduring appeal,
Safe, cheap and irresistibly colourful, the cities of Southeast Asia have long been the go-to destinations for youngsters in search of gap year enlightenment. But increasing tour operator attention, especially at the luxury end of the market, continues to open up the region for all ages.
As you’d expect, the biggest hubs are well served from the UK, meaning plenty of choice – and with many cities relatively close and potential stopping points on a tour, agents can easily get creative to create keenly-priced packages for clients.
Brunei
Best-known as an add-on or a stopover on the journey to Australia, Brunei is one of the world’s least-visited nations. Yet the country has some of the finest Islamic architecture and oodles of untouched rainforest.
Cambodia
Usually paired with a visit to Vietnam, Cambodia doesn’t currently have a direct air link to the UK, but the nation does have ambitions to stand alone and recently unveiled plans to build new airports in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap to welcome 12 million tourists by 2025. Shaped by its turbulent past, Cambodia’s rich history – from the temples of Angkor Wat to the chilling Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and killing fields that reveal the horrors of the Khmer Rouge regime – should be visited now before the huge crowds arrive.
Getting there: There are no non-stop flights to Cambodia but one-stop options are available with airlines including Vietnam Airlines, Thai Airways, Malaysia Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, China Eastern and Qatar Airways.
Indonesia
More than 40% of Indonesia’s 14 million annual international visitors head for the beaches of Bali, but Indonesia has eyes on spreading the love and a long-term vision to create ‘10 Balis’ - highlighting the diverse mix of attractions. The country’s ancient Buddhist and Hindu temples, numerous tropical islands, the Mount Bromo volcano in eastern Java, and a national park that is home to Komodo dragons all have potential.
Getting there: Garuda international operates non-stop flights from Heathrow to Denpasar, Bali, three times a week. one-stop options include Qatar Airways and royal Brunei, which has a daily flight to Surabaya.
Laos
Landlocked Laos has only been open to tourists for 20 years and is lauded for its spectacular scenery, peaceful towns and traditional but friendly locals. Religion is a major draw - the UNESCO World Heritage town of Luang Prabang is packed with golden temples and visitors can rise at dawn to give alms to Buddhist monks.
Getting there: There are plenty of one-stop options available to the capital, Vientiane – flying via Vietnam or Thailand is the most seamless journey.
Malaysia
Whether clients have a yearning to meet orangutans, fancy stuffing their suitcases with designer gear or just can’t get enough of swimming in turquoise waters, there are plenty of ways to sell Malaysia. The country is a melting pot of cultures with influences from Malay, Chinese and Indian ethnicities, as well as architecture and customs from former Arabian and European rulers.
Getting there: Malaysia Airlines operates a twicedaily service from Heathrow to Kuala Lumpur, while British Airways flies there once a day. Among the one-stop options, Qatar Airways flies three times a day to Kuala Lumpur via its Doha hub.
Myanmar
Myanmar’s fledgling tourist industry has undoubtedly played a big part in helping raise living standards for locals, but moral questions still hang heavy over the country because of its on-going treatment of the Rohingya people. Operators generally encourage visits that help benefit local communities and the major cities are safe. Large parts of the country are off limits according to FCO advice, but these are well away from the main tourist trail.
Getting there: Yangon is served five times a week by Qatar Airways via its Doha hub.
Philippines
This archipelago of 7,107 islands – virtually every one is ringed with soft white sand and coral reefs – is not usually a first-timer’s choice but it should be. The Philippines is great for lovers of the outdoors, with the limestone stacks of El Nido, vertiginous mountain rice terraces and unrivalled diving all a must. And until you’ve ridden a Jeepney, one of Manila’s crazy-kitsch painted buses, you’ve never experienced public transport.
Getting there: Philippine Airlines flies five times a week from Heathrow to Manila. Gulf
Air flies daily via Bahrain; Qatar Airways flies twice daily via Doha and royal Brunei flies five times a week via Bandar Seri Begawan – all from Heathrow to Manila.
Singapore
The ‘Lion City’ of Singapore has got some serious tourism bite, thanks to its heady mix of swank and tradition. In the past the destination was a gateway to the beaches of Thailand and Malaysia, but nowadays this financial centre has the style to stand alone as a holiday choice. A host of uberchic hotels, like The Warehouse and Villa Samadhi, are taking modern colonialism to new levels, while the city’s rooftop bar scene is winning plaudits.
Getting there: Singapore Airlines flies from Heathrow three times daily and also has five services a week from Manchester. British Airways offers a double-daily service from Heathrow,
alongside a daily Qantas service. Budget option, Norwegian, flies from Gatwick four times a week.
Thailand
With more than 60 million passengers passing through Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport each year, this busy hub is the world’s most Instagrammed place.
It’s a fair bet that some of these pictures will have been taken by Brits – some of them perhaps stuck in the airport’s famously long immigration queues – given that all of the UK’s direct flights to Thailand head here. Options for increasing that capacity remain squeezed, but Thailand’s government has a one-billion-pound plan to build a new airport terminal.
Getting there: There is ample choice, with Thai Airways leading the way with a double-daily Heathrow service and both British Airways and EVA Airways flying daily to Bangkok. Saving money by taking a one-stop service doesn’t necessarily add much to the 11hr 30min flight time, given the range of choice the Gulf carriers offer, with swift onwards travel through their respective hubs.
Vietnam
A visa-waiver scheme makes things easy for intrepid UK visitors keen on seeking out a distilled Southeast Asian experience. Head to bustling capital Hanoi for mind-boggling congestion, wide boulevards with French colonial architecture and amazing street food washed down with beer at 17p a pint. Elsewhere there’s the chance to crawl through the Cu Chi tunnels of the Viet Cong, explore floating markets on the Mekong or have a suit tailored for peanuts in Hoi
An. For beaches, don’t miss Cam Ranh Bay, which has a new airport and is the hottest (and most beautiful) place to get some sun. It is served by a host of regional airlines.
Getting there: Vietnam Airlines is the only carrier with direct services to Vietnam, using its swish Dreamliner aircraft to fly four times a week to Hanoi and thrice-weekly to Ho Chi Minh City.