Asia trip advice
 

Hello intrepid travellers!
Need help planning 6-8 mo. Asia trip starting fr SF/Oct. Looking for Asia & intra-Asia multi-stop air tix, FYI RTW airbrokers have not been able to provide multi-stop Asia travel... Places of interest include: Bali, Sabah, Jogykarta, S'pore (Indonesia), Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam. Please advise routing, we want to travel efficiently and economically. Would like to start off the trip at a yoga/meditation retreat, possibly in Bali or Thailand ~ can anyone make retreat suggestions? Also suggestions: diving/dive operators, silent meditations, 2-3 day hill tribe treks, info re: volunteer dive clean up would be greatly helpful! PS re: Thai beaches, have visited Koh Tao, Phuket & Koh Samui in past trips, would like to visit "new" islands, any suggestions?
Thanx for sharing your expertise!
HAPPY TRAILS!!!

I use Lonely Planet for the multiple stop trips. The site has a great program which allows you to put your suggestions into the flight planner. They will cost it and give the airlines ect. They will also come back with suggestions to save money or a more logical sequence based on fligts.

I'd suggest that you book your flights to and from Asia and your intra-Asia flights separately for a trip like this. So you might book a roundtrip to Bangkok (usually the least expensive hub) or, an open jaw such as into Bangkok and out of Singapore. You can buy intra-Asia flights fairly inexpensively once you get there. Also, with this length of a trip, you want built-in flexibility.

I agree with the above. Just buy a round trip ticket to Asia and then buy the other tickets within Asia...then you can use the internet to see what specials are being run and jump on the low cost tickets. Happy Travels!

Lizanne, 6-8 months! Wow!

I answered you regarding yoga retreats on your other thread. In addition to Bali and Yogyakarta, you might also take a look at Sulawesi, the northern area for diving and central (Tana Toraja) for culture. This is a wonderful dive resort, one of the best in the world for natural beauty and variety of marine life.
http://www.kungkungan.com/

I don't have a specific recommendation for trekking guide in Toraja but I can tell you that it is a fascinating and rewarding experience. This website will give you an idea.
http://www.merriewood.com/exindo/toraja.html

Yogyakarta and Borobudur is also a very special spiritual place. If you're able to splurge for a night or two look at the Amanjiwo and the Losari Tea Plantation. If they are out of your budget, there are other choices in all price ranges.

for the intra-asia flights i have had very good luck with eddie at sea tours in bkk

[email protected]

his trans pacific flights were not competetive however...