Who decides which are the best beach holiday destinations? Generally speaking it would be the travellers. But then the most popular (and crowded) beaches would be considered the best for their beauty, sand or water. But best for who? Everyone is different and has a different selection criteria when choosing travel destinations. To help you plan your next beach get-away and ensure you don’t end up on a beach with a few hundred others wishing you hadn’t all read the same travel article, we’ve decided to poll (not a fake poll) the travel planning specialists at Smiling Albino on where they believe the best beach escapes are in Southeast Asia… and, importantly, why. Collectively, they plan dozens of customised trips each month for a variety of travelers – families, honeymooners, friends, adventurers, young and old. They have an intimate knowledge of the beaches and the resorts that enjoy them, having personally surveyed the locations to better match them with their clients.

Smiling Albino’s adventure consultants have each submitted their choice of best beach escapes in Southeast Asia for the type of guests they each specialise in. Thailand came in strong, but there were a couple of notable exceptions. Here are the results…

The Sarojin Khao Lak is an intimate and luxurious resort located on a secluded eleven kilometer long fine white sand beach facing west into the Andaman Sea (fabulous sunsets!). Sheltered by a coral cape headland, the Sarojin’s beach provides year-round swimming and water activities. A great choice for honeymooners and couples. The nearby Khao Lak Lam Ru National Park also offers a myriad of outdoor activities for thrill-seeking adventurers.

Pimalai Resort and Spa Koh Lanta sits on stunning Kantiang Beach. This resort is great for just about anybody who has the time to take a little bit more effort to get there. Accessible by private speedboat, this over one kilometer long beach is just remote enough to discourage day-trippers and feels quite private. It is sheltered and great for swimming all year round.

Six Senses Yao Noi is best suited for honeymooners and romantic couples. Here you’ll not stop marvelling at the postcard perfect views across the infinity pools out over the limestone islands jutting vertically out of the bright blue Phang Nga Bay. The desert island feel is complimented by an array of resort activities ranging from rock climbing to yacht expeditions to other deserted beaches.

Rosewood Phuket Due to open July 2017, this luxury resort stands out for its location. Unlike all of the other fabulous beach properties on this list, the Rosewood is not remote. It enjoys its own isolated beach but is only ten minutes away from the lively shopping and entertainment scene in Patong town. Every one of its pool villas and residences will enjoy uninterrupted views of the Andaman Sea and are just steps from the white sand beach. A perfect fit for honeymooners and families who like to explore the local towns after relaxing at the beach.

Soneva Kiri, Koh Kood in the Gulf of Thailand, is considered an excellent choice for families. Each villa has their own pool and the larger ones even have fun water slides. The resort provides a variety of activities – over water, under water or on land, like their open-air cinema paradiso and visits to nearby fisherman villages. There are two private beaches to choose from, one near the beach villas and the other a short boat ride away, but well worth it.

Six Senses Con Dao is a luxury beach resort on an island off the southern coast of Vietnam that comes highly recommended for honeymoon couples and families. The waters are crystal clear and excellent for snorkeling and scuba diving. From May through October, the resort can arrange for guests to experience the nesting and hatching of turtles on their quiet beach.

Song Saa Private Island, just off the coast from Sihanoukville in Cambodia’s Koh Rong Archipelago, is best for couples who really want to escape it all. One of the few totally private islands in the region, the resort focuses on eco-friendly practices and activities. Private pool villas with gourmet dining provide an exceptional base for outdoor activities around the pristine island or on and under the ocean.

Contact Smiling Albino and allow us to create a memorable travel experience at one of these great escapes – or somewhere that fulfills your beach dream.

The post Our 2017 Best Beach Escapes first appeared on Smiling Albino.

Bikes on Planes in Asia

Mention bicycling in Asia to a large enough group of people and you’re likely to get some incredulous stares. “Biking? In Asia? Are you insane?” For those who haven’t been here, this seems like folly of the highest order. Isn’t it too hot? Isn’t it too dangerous? How can you ride a bike in the jungle?

To the surprise of many, Asia is actually a really awesome place to ride a bicycle. Even in the capital cities, from Ho Chi Minh to Bangkok, the number of people riding has visibly increased over the past several years, with variations from city to city. But it’s when you get out of the cities that Asia’s potential as a bike riding destination really comes into focus.

It’s easy enough to escape in a car and ride on the many quiet country roads in the ‘burbs, but as much as we love doing that, the landscapes usually lack anything resembling spectacular panoramas. It’s when you head out on a ride in the middle of the countryside or the outlying provinces that the scenery really begins to sing, and the fastest way to get there is by air.

The past few years have seen a giant uptick in low-cost regional airlines that zip across Southeast Asia on short hops lasting no more than an hour or two each. They include, but are not limited to, Cebu Pacific, Tiger Air, Scoot, Nok Air, Jetstar Pacific, and AirAsia (including all of its local variants, ie, Thai AirAsia).

Almost all of them allow bicycles as checked baggage, but this isn’t always guaranteed – some staff might not know the rules, be unsure and say no in an attempt to keep things simple, or cause random delays as they try and figure out what to do. To avoid this, make sure to check with your airline’s website ahead of time, and print or bookmark the page to show at check-in if any dispute arises (in multiple languages, if possible). Most airlines charge a small fee for sports equipment, but it’s usually not much and varies from airline to airline.

[Tweet “Take your bike with you on regional Southeast Asian airlines!”]

The easiest thing to do is get a travel bag, which can be bought at most bike stores. Failing this, you can use a thin cardboard box or – a method gaining popularity – a large plastic bag. Deflate the tires, remove the pedals, lower the seat, turn the handlebars 90°, and tie the wheels to the frame with string. Wrap that baby in plastic and run tape around it a few times. Bam. You’re ready to fly.

If that sounds like too much work for a weekend get-away, Nok Air, which flies all over Thailand and to Yangon, Myanmar, will check your bike as is for a 200 Baht fee (just be sure to let most of the air out of your tires so they don’t explode). And Bangkok Airways has recently announce their free bike check-in service on all their routes in Southeast Asia, South Asia and Hong Kong (some pre-check-in and packing conditions apply).

It really is hard to overstate how beautiful Asia can be on bicycle, and what a great way it is to get an unfiltered peek into life at ground level. Indeed, a group of foreigners rolling into a seldom-visited town on bicycles looking for some great food and new friends is likely a story that will be told long after you’ve left.

No matter if you’re rolling through the lush hills of northwestern Thailand, next to the ocean along the coast of Vietnam, or past millennia-old temples in Cambodia, there’s simply no better way to connect with Asia than by doing it on two wheels, where you can literally stop and smell the flowers. And these days, it’s even easier to get from A to Z by giving your bike a temporary pair of wings.

Want to add some cycling adventures to your next trip in Asia? Contact us and one of our adventure travel consultants can help you plan the perfect itinerary and connections!

The post Bikes on Planes first appeared on Smiling Albino.

There’s something primal and ageless in seeing the sun rise or set. It’s one of the few connecting tissues that crosses all barriers – time, class, age, race, location. For as long as we’ve been here, humans have been staring at that huge ball of fire in the sky and going “Whoa.”

Don’t get us wrong – watching the sun rise is pretty awesome too, but if you’re anything like us, you’ve seen plenty more sunsets in your life than you have sunrises. With that in mind, here are a few of our favorite spots to kick back and watch day become night.

Kuta Beach, Bali, Indonesia

Yes, it’s overloaded with tourists, but they come for a reason – Kuta is a truly spectacular beach that just happens to face directly west. Come sunset, that ball o’ fire in the sky starts to dip toward the horizon, and if the conditions are just right, your entire field of view gets lit up as if the sunset is actually happening inside your eyes. Great photo ops too, especially the ol’ ‘silhouetted-people-walking-on-the-beach’ kind.

Bagan, Myanmar

Did you know that in 1286 Kublai Khan – Genghis’ grandson – sent his Mongol forces into Myanmar and defeated the Bagan army? Perhaps they came for the sunsets. A few centuries later, the thousands of temples that remain scattered across the barren, grassy plain make for a superb backdrop as the sun drops behind the Arakan Mountain range, with each successive ‘layer’ of temples and hills fading into shadow the further away they get. Truly an amazing sight.

[Tweet “Did you know that in 1286 Kublai Khan sent his Mongol forces into Myanmar & defeated the Bagan army? Perhaps they came for the sunsets”]

Ko Lanta, Thailand

Because most of Lanta’s best beaches are on the west side of the island, almost any place with a view gives you a superb sunset. Our favorite is the rocky outcropping at the northern end of Kantiang Bay, where you can stand on a cliff overlooking the ocean and watch as the sun turns the sky from blue to purple to orange to red. It also helps that there’s a bar right there. You know, for soda and juice and healthy thinks like that.

Vang Vieng, Laos

This popular backpacker town used to be like the Las Vegas of Laos, but after a social order crackdown, things have calmed down a bit. If you’re able to head up into the hills to the east of town, you’ll be rewarded with a superb view across houses and temples, over the Nam Xong River, and into to the Luang Prabang mountain range as the sun dips behind the limestone peaks. Just make sure you bring a flashlight for the trip back home.

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Let’s be honest – this stunning, massive temple complex would be amazing even if you had to explore it by touch alone. But standing on top of a centuries-old temple looking across a thick jungle canopy to the setting sun is a pretty spectacular way to experience the end of the day. The bad news is that everyone knows it’s awesome and lines up with cameras ready. The good news is that Smiling Albino knows a few secret spots that the masses don’t…

Ngwe Saung Beach, Myanmar

It’s hard to find an awesome beach with a great sunset that allows you a people-free picture (see Bali, above), but when you do, oh mannnnn, it’s great. Whenever SA heads to Myanmar, we try to make it to Ngwe Saung Beach, which is in the southwest corner of the country. Only recently opened to tourism after decades of isolation, this part of the country has almost no development, thus, no buildings or huge crowds to cramp your style as you watch the sun set.

Cameron Highlands, Malaysia

The endless, rolling tea plantations of Malaysia’s central highlands are a stunning place to watch the end of the day. If you manage to get to a place where there’s no traffic (which is fairly easy up here) you can enjoy the event in almost total silence as the light filters through clouds and casts mountain shadows across the tea leaves in striking, changing patterns.

[Tweet “The endless, rolling tea plantations of Malaysia’s central highlands are a stunning place to watch the end of the day”]

Plan For the Perfect Sunset

Have someone on the ground plan the perfect trip and help with knowledge of the best spot and best time to watch the sunset. Contact Smiling Albino info@smilingalbino.com.

Check out our upcoming Myanmar tour “Asia’s Golden Land” with founder and Adventurer-in-Chief Dan Fraser this November 2014.

The post Best Spots to Watch Sunset in Southeast Asia first appeared on Smiling Albino.

Travel is good for kids. But do you know why?

Travel teaches our children things they couldn’t learn any other way. Things like confidence, competence, and cultural diversity.

Travel shows our kids that the world is bigger than they are, and that people are different… and very much the same. Taking our children traveling is an investment into their future, and into the type of person they will become.

Here are a two of travel’s major benefits and a couple of tips for making travel with kids easier on you.

Travel Enhances Brain Growth

Studies show that the greater number of experiences you introduce a child to (or an adult, for that matter), the greater — and faster — their brain develops.

Mothers have known this instinctively, which is why they shake rattles, talk to their babies, and have them touch different textures.

“Everything a child sees, hears, thinks, and touches transfers into an electrical activity. Each time the brain is stimulated, the experience rewires the brain.” 

Parents will take their children to the petting zoo, the park, aquariums and museum, with the intent of expanding their minds by introducing them to new experiences.

Travel takes that concept one step further, because it helps to increase the amount, and diversity, of new experiences in your child’s life, literally increasing neural pathways and enlarging your child’s brain.

So instead of petting zoos, it’s safaris, crocodile preserves, and elephant rides; we can still visit the the aquarium, but there’s also beaches and snorkeling; Latin or Asian music; Hindu temples; boat rides and plane trips.

[Tweet “The greater number of experiences you introduce a child to (or an adult), the greater and faster their brain develops.”]

Travel Builds Confidence

We’ve all seen our child’s confidence grow when they master a new skill. It starts when they can dress themselves, read a book on their own, or swim across the pool.

Traveling together offers additional opportunities for them to move beyond their comfort zone and learn new things. Whether it’s converting into the local currency, or saying ‘hi’ to a friend in a different language.

Even something as simple as learning a language has huge implications for your child’s development.

Jessie Wise, in her book The Well-Trained Mind, states that,

“The study of language shows a young child that his world, his language, his vocabulary and his way of expression are only one way of living and thinking in a big, tumultuous, complicated world.”

Exposing children to new languages contributes to an expanded global perspective, sharpens their cognitive skills, and increases understanding of their native language. Plus they’ll develop a greater appreciation of cultures, and most importantly, the ability to make friends of other nationalities.

So travel is good for your kids, but how can you make it easier on you?

[Tweet “Traveling offers opportunities for kids to move beyond their comfort zone and learn new things. “]

Tip 1: Travel Longer

This may seem counterintuitive, but traveling longer with your children (taking mini sabbaticals) will make the entire experience more enjoyable (and less stressful) for the entire family.

Spending two months during the summer in one location gives you the chance to really ‘settle in’ and fully experience the local ‘feel’, without the pressure of ‘seeing it all’ during your two week vacation, which ultimately leads to burnout.

You can do this by setting up a home base, by renting a house or condo, and then take weekend and day trips from there. Imagine all the additional adventures you could be enjoying with your kids when you have time to stop and smell the roses.

Tip 2: Get Help

Don’t expect to do or know everything yourself. Get help from those who have been there or know the area. Research online, use guidebooks, find Facebook groups and ask them the best places and things to do. Take your spouse, or an aunt or uncle for extra hands and eyes. Hire tour companies to handle the details of your day or week trips.

The most important thing is to not get overwhelmed by it and create unpleasantries instead of lifelong memories. Know that when you travel you’re doing good things for your kids.

Written by: Rachel Denning
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Contact Smiling Albino.

The post Benefits of Travel for Kids: Plus Tips for Making it Easier first appeared on Smiling Albino.

Vietnam is an amazing country to visit any time of year because it has so many things to offer. Due to its shape – long and narrow, covering 1,650km – there are a vast range of climates and landscapes available, from sandy beaches to misty mountains to steamy, crowded cities. So when is the best time to go?

Well, that really depends on what you want. The good news is that since the country is so long and narrow, there’s something for everyone, which is even further enhanced by its extreme elevations – from 0ft above sea level in the South China Sea to 10,312 feet above sea level at Ngoc Linh, a mountain sitting in the northern end of the southern half of the country, if that makes any sense.

Roughly speaking there are five regions in Vietnam – the mountainous northern region, with the trekking hub of Sapa; the Red River Delta, which includes Hanoi and Halong Bay; the central region, which follows the long curving coastline south past Hue, Hoi An and Nha Trang; the highland region, which stretches back towards Cambodia and is known for its hill tribes, forests and national parks; and the southern region, which encompasses Ho Chi Minh City and the mighty Mekong Delta.

If you’re a fan of long walks, steep hills and amazing scenery, then the northern region is where you want to go. There are superb trekking, waterfalls and nature trails around every corner, but you have to be prepared. The dry season lasts from October to April and is the best time to head for trekking and such, although December and January can be bitterly cold and damp. April to September is the rainy season, and while the trees and grass and rice will be at their most verdant, the daily downpours and abundance of mud limit the amount of fun you can have.

If you’re okay with a bit of chill in the air, November to April is a good time to visit the Red River Delta, although December to March-ish can get very nippy. May to October is the rainy season, but if you’re in Hanoi or any of the bigger towns it’s easy to duck into one of the many cafes and wait it out. July to September is often the wettest, and this is when the weather can get stormy and downright mean.

If you’re more attracted to the coast, then a trip down the central region will reward you with beaches, UNESCO World Heritage sites and many charming little villages. January to August bring the hottest weather in this region, which is obviously the best time to hit the beach, although the temperature in the middle of the hot season might be a bit much to have fun in. Much like the Red River Delta, the rainy season brings daily downpours but can get hit hard during October and November when the odd typhoon rolls through to say hi.

The highland region is unique in that it hasn’t been blitzed (yet) by tourists, although this is changing. The most popular destination here, Dalat, is known as a place to escape the hotter weather on the plains, especially during the cool season from November to January. February to April is the hot season, while May to October brings some of rainiest weather in the country. Again, avoid the mud and rain during the wet season and try to show up at the beginning of the cool season for the best scenery.

Finally, a visit to the southern region is high on everyone’s list, and rightly so – Ho Chi Minh city is a fantastic place to visit and soak up the culture, people and food.  The climate here is very easy to plan around – it’s either hot and wet or hot and dry. From November to April is the dry season, which slowly heats up as it approaches May, and then from May to November it’s generally the rainy season.

No matter when you want to travel to Vietnam there is good weather somewhere! Ask Smiling Albino to help you make the most of the weather on your vacation, no matter what time of year!

The post Deciphering Vietnam’s Weather first appeared on Smiling Albino.