The Golden Arc

Burma or Laos / Cambodia / Indonesia - 15 days/14 nights
Main Season: October-February

		Itinerary
1.		Overnight flight to Bangkok
2.		Fly Angkor Wat (4 nts) Car & Driver (4 days)
3.		Fly Bangkok (1 nt)
4.		Fly Luang Prabang (3 nts) Car & Driver (1 day)
5.		Fly Bangkok (1 nt)
6.		Fly Yogyakarta (3 nts) Car & Driver (3 days)
7.		Stay Borobudur (2 nts)
8.		Return Flight

Budget

Excluding international return flights to Bangkok & Jakarta
Inc other flights within South East Asia

Singles from £1,230/$1,750
Sharing from £920/$1,305

Throughout recorded human history, between a half and three-quarters of the world's population have always lived in Asia. The volume of world history and culture residing in Asia is commensurate with this fact. Enormous empires and cultures have flourished and fallen throughout the millenia. To begin to grasp the scale of these events, the Golden Arc itinerary visits the world class cultural sites of Borobudur in Indonesia, Angkor Wat in Cambodia and Pagan in Burma/Luang Prabang in Laos.

Yogyakarta in Indonesia, the acknowledged cultural capital of Java, is centre of a region enriched by its varied cultural, artistic and spiritual legacy - from a Buddhist and Hindu past through to the Islamic Society of the modern era. The enormous 8th century Buddhist monument of Borobudur, and the fine carvings of the 9th century Hindu temple of Prambanan serve as focal points for a deeper enquiry into Javanese culture.

No less impressive are the extensive archaeological remains of the 500 year long Khmer Empire (9th-3th Century) centred around the world famous Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia. A local car and driver can be hired at reasonable rates and is especially recommended for convenience and value.

The picture would be completed by exploring the fascinatingly beautiful remains of the 11th-13th century Buddhist city of Pagan in Burma. However, democratically elected leader and Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has made it clear that tourism only further prolongs Burma's military dictatorship. World Spirit supports her invocation: 'not to travel to Burma...yet...'.

For the time being, the itinerary visits the World Heritage listed town of Luang Prabang, ancient royal capital of Laos and considered by French colonialists as second only to a posting in Tahiti. With its sumptuously restored 13th century Buddhist Temples and its picturesque riverside and tropical hill country setting, with its relaxed Lao lifestyle, Luang Prabang presents the classical romantic view of Indochina.

Travelling through three countries with varying visa requirements, the main international flight will require the extra expense of being routed to both Bangkok and Jakarta. The three other return flights inside South East Asia (Bangkok-Angkor Wat return, Bangkok-Luang Prabang return, and Jakarta-Yogyakarta return) are included in the stated budget. The exact time spent in each place varying slightly with flight times and availability.

World Spirit believes that the depth of perspective gained, by combining these high quality locations within one itinerary, fully justifies the extra cost of the main international routing.

The budget also provides for hiring a car and driver for eight days of the itinerary.