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Five Ways to Spend the Holidays in Southeast Asia
The festive season coincides with one of the most rewarding times to explore mainland Southeast Asia, when much of the region enters its cooler, drier months. Across Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand, ancient kingdoms, gilded temples, dramatic landscapes, tropical coastlines, quiet riverside towns and modern metropolises create a remarkable range of possibilities. Every Remote Lands journey is bespoke, shaped around each traveler’s passions, pace, and priorities. The five itineraries below are therefore intended as inspiration — from in-depth journeys through a single country to wide-ranging adventures that cross borders and cultures.
FIVE WAYS TO SPEND THE HOLIDAYS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
The festive season coincides with one of the most rewarding times to explore mainland Southeast Asia, when much of the region enters its cooler, drier months. Across Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand, ancient kingdoms, gilded temples, dramatic landscapes, tropical coastlines, quiet riverside towns and modern metropolises create a remarkable range of possibilities. Every Remote Lands journey is bespoke, shaped around each traveler’s passions, pace, and priorities. The five itineraries below are therefore intended as inspiration — from in-depth journeys through a single country to wide-ranging adventures that cross borders and cultures.
CLASSIC SOUTHEAST ASIA
View of Luang Prabang from Phousi Hill
For first-time visitors, this 20-day journey brings many of Southeast Asia’s defining experiences together. Begin amid Bangkok’s temples and street life before moving north through Thailand and onward to Indochina, where mornings in Luang Prabang begin with almsgiving to the Buddhist monks and days unfold between tiny villages, historic temples, lovely waterfalls, and the surrounding lush green countryside. Vietnam shifts the tempo again in Hanoi, with a vintage Vespa scooter-led exploration of the capital’s celebrated food scene, before Cambodia brings the journey to Angkor and the monumental remains of the ancient Khmer Empire. Stays including Amantaka and Capella Hanoi add another layer to a journey built on variety.
Explore the itinerary: Classic Southeast Asia
THE HEART OF SOUTHEAST ASIA: A 20-DAY MEANINGFUL JOURNEY
Sunrise over Bangkok, Thailand
Created to mark Remote Lands’ 20th anniversary, this new journey is built around deeper connection — and the idea that travel can have a positive and even life-changing impact on travelers as well as the host communities. In Vietnam, explore the jungle-clad Cham ruins of My Son and rural life around Tra Que before meeting deaf artisans creating contemporary designs at Chula Fashion in Hanoi, followed by cocktails with influential art curator Suzanne Lecht. In Luang Prabang, receive a blessing from the head monk at Wat Xieng Thong and visit Big Brother Mouse, where travelers can meet local students and support its literacy work. In rural Cambodia, help fund a clean-water well for local families before continuing to Siem Reap and the temples of Angkor, where you'll stay at Amansara. Throughout, encounters with artists, monks, villagers, and social enterprises turn sightseeing into deeply meaningful encounters.
Explore the itinerary: The Heart of Southeast Asia: A 20-Day Meaningful Journey
CLASSIC VIETNAM
Limestone landscapes of Ninh Binh, Vietnam
Vietnam is a deceptively large country stretching over 1,000 miles from north to south, and it rewards travelers who give it time. Beginning in Hanoi, this in-depth journey heads into the stunning karst landscapes of Ninh Binh, where bicycles thread between rice paddies and a climb up Hang Mua mountain opens onto sweeping countryside views. From there, board a private junk for an overnight cruise among the limestone towers and emerald waters of Halong Bay. Central Vietnam brings the Buddhist sanctuaries of the Marble Mountains, the lantern-lit streets and merchant houses of UNESCO-listed Hoi An, and time to slow down at Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai. Saigon provides a final change of pace, with markets, street food, and layers of modern Vietnamese history.
Explore the itinerary: Classic Vietnam
CLASSIC CAMBODIA
Traditional Apsara dancer at Angkor
Angkor Wat is reason enough to visit Cambodia, and this journey allows ample time to explore its temples while staying at Amansara, the former royal guesthouse of King Sihanouk. But the journey reaches far beyond Siem Reap. After Phnom Penh, head deep into the Cardamom Mountains for Shinta Mani Wild, Bill Bensley’s imaginative tented retreat within an 865-acre private nature sanctuary. Arrive by zipline, join an anti-poaching patrol, forage in the jungle, or travel along the river by expedition boat. The final shift comes on Cambodia’s southern islands, where Song Saa's private villas offer an easy conclusion to a journey of unusual variety.
Explore the itinerary: Classic Cambodia
AMAN JET EXPEDITIONS: DISCOVER SOUTHEAST ASIA
Airbus ACJ 319
For those looking beyond the festive period — or considering an extraordinary gift for someone with Southeast Asia in their sights — Discover Southeast Asia offers a very different way to experience the region. Departing February 21, 2027, the Aman Jet Expedition begins at Amanoi on Vietnam’s rugged Vinh Hy Bay, where guests can hike through Nui Chua National Park, explore by off-road bike, or cruise the bay for lunch at a floating seafood restaurant. A private Airbus ACJ 319 then whisks travelers to Amantaka in UNESCO-listed Luang Prabang for a traditional Baci ceremony and deeper exploration of Laos. Next comes Amansara in Siem Reap and the temples of Angkor. The journey concludes in Thailand, with stays at Amanpuri in Phuket and Aman Nai Lert Bangkok. With just 19 seats aboard an aircraft normally configured for over 130, this is a rarefied way to experience the region’s greatest hits.
Explore the itinerary: Discover Southeast Asia 2027
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