Asia has long lured foreign travellers to
explore its wing- tipped temples, devour its spicy dishes and leave with its
luscious silks. Seen and done it all, or simply crave an extra kick in the
inerary? This vast region offers an equally diverse array of adrenaline pumping
adventures without sacrificing the luxuerious comforts for which Asia deserves
its indulgent reputation. Take a Himalayan trek across China’s wilder side.
Drive off road by jeep through Vietnam’s sand dunes. Trek into the Cambodian
jungle with eyes peeled for rare birds to spend a starry night alongside a
deserted Andkor temple. Dive with whale sharks at newly- discovered sites along
a marine superhighway known as the Wallace Line. Follow the pilgrim’s path of
the 9th- century monk who introduced esoteric Buddhism to Japan. Or
hover above it all with a helicopter jaunt over Hong Kong’s surprisingly
dramatic ancient rock formations. Whichever adventure suits best, rest assured
there will be plenty of pillow- top beds, attentive service, gourmet edibles,
five star massages and alluring souvenirs along the way.
Asia China: Peak of Perfection
Leave the country’s exploding cities far
behind by following the ancien cara van trail through a land of snow- capped
moutains and cobalt lakes in Tibet and Yannan
the
shiny skyscrapers
First- timers and business travellers tend
to climb the shiny skyscrapers of China’s exploding cities. Far wilder
adventures await those who make their way to the country’s rougher edges. The
appropriately- named WildChina (cildchina.com) travel company leads trekkers
along Tep Horse Road, the ancient caravan route into Tibet and up Abujee
Moutain in northwest Ynnan, a rarely- visited alpine landscape of wnow- capped
moutains and placid, cobalt lakes.
The eight- day trek with porters and a
gourmet chef offers view of Kawa Karpo, the highest and most sacred peak in
Ynnan, and winds its way past Buddhist temples and settlements of Naxi and Yi
nomads who named the mountain, Abujee, after their exclamtion of delight. They
believe its rocks, plants and animal life possess supernatural powers.
Descend to Zhongdian, recast by the
chinese government as Shangri- La to promote tourism, for a warm shower and
comfortable accommodations among the antiquities at Songtsam Retreat
(songtsam.com). the retreat recently launched a circuit of five boutique
properties in the surrounding area known as Three Parallel Rivers. Cover this
Himalayan route in Land Cruisers driven by the team at Aspera Explorations
(asperaexplorations.com), and step out onto this sacred terrain on Aspera’s day
trek to pastoral villages along the remote borders between Tibet, Sichuan and
Ynnan provinces. Return to Songtsam in the evening where staff and chefs from
the loacl community spoil guest with specialist home- cured Jinhua hams and
freshly picked mushrooms.
Turn up the luxury even higher on China’s
periphery by travelling onboard a Gulfstream 450. Touch down on the edge of
China’s Taklimakan Desert to explore the Mogao Grottoes at Dunhuang, filled
with Buddhist paintings and carvings dating between the 4th and 14th
centuries.
Kashgar,
China - Live market play
Continue on through the clouds to Kashgar’s
mosques and Yekshenba Bazaar the largest open- air market in the world with
over 100,000 vendors from as far away as Pakistan and Uzbekistan. You can also
head off on one of Remote Lands’ airborne caranvans west through Tibet and on
to Chengdu for a private audience with the pandas (remotelands.com)
Asia Hong Kong: The Height of Luxury
See the city’s famous skyline and
surrounding landscapes from the luxury of a helicopter, or get a closer look on
terra firma with a specialised out door excursion
The
Peninsula, Hong Kong
Adedicated elevator leads to Hong Kong’s
latest adrenaline- fuelled adventure, taking the guests of The Penisula Hong
Kong (penisula.com) to the China Clipper lounge on the top floor, lined with
aviator collectibles and jaw- dropping views over Victoria Harbour to Hong Kong
Island. Exit to the rooftop’s double helipad and climb aboard a twin- engine
Squirrel helicomter for a 45- minute panoramic trio from Kowloon to the
fascinating Hong Kong Global Geopark of China.
Designated by Unesco as part of its Global
Geoparks Network in September last year, this collection of eight distinct
geographic areas across the Sai Kung Volcanic Rock Region and the New
territories shocases Hong Kong’s aldest and youngest rocks, ranging from 400
million to 65 million years old.
Hong
Kong Global Geopark of China
Passengers fly over Devil’s Fist on Bluff
Island as well as the steep shale rock cliff and finely layered mudstones of
Ping Chau Island, once a hideout for opium and gun smugglers. This is island
was the first sight of freedom for fleeing mainland Chinese who swam here
through shark- infested waters during the Cultural Revolution.
Return for luch in the Peninsula’s lobby or
land on the helipad at Tai Long Wan, a beach- lined bay, before boarding a
yacht for a champagne lunch on the return cruise to the Star Ferry Pier, where
The Pen’s chauffeured Roold- Royce awaits.
For a more active immersion in Hong Kong’s
outdoors, hop on a stand- up paddle board (bluesky-sc.com), or into a kayak
(kayak-and-hike.com) from Sai Kung’s Sai Sha Beach or join a walking tour of
the park, taking in the Wing Dynasty Tin Hau Temple to the Sea Goddess, where
modern- day fighermen still make offerings here before heading out on the South
China Sea (walkhongkong.com)
