(EUR) Topdeck | ASIA 2016-17

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AWESOME ASIAN ADVENTURES

I N T R O D U C I N G

CAMBODIABALI

VIETNAMTHAILAND

AND MORE

11JAPANE X P L O R E

4WAY S TO C H I L L I N S T Y L E PAGE. 6

ASIA | 2016-2017

BANGKOK | TOKYO | KOH SAMUI | GILI ISLANDS | ANGKOR WAT | MEKONG DELTA SIEM REAP | PHNOM PENH | HANOI | HALONG BAY| KYOTO

04 BUCKET LIST All good things start with a list.06 4 WAYS TO CHILL IN STYLE Recline with tropical fish, coconuts and sunshine.08 EAT, SLEEP, REPEAT And then eat some more.

46 SOCIAL

48 TERMS & CONDITIONS49 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

51 HOW TO READ OUR ITINERARIES50 MAPS, TRIP CODES & PAGE NUMBERS

12 TRAVEL HACKS & TRAVEL BUDGET Because you want to save money.

14 ASIA Big trips. Big Buddhas.22 VIETNAM Pho. Pho. Pho. Pho.28 INDONESIA Swaying palms and island hopping. Yass.32 THAILAND Land of smiles and spicy salads.40 JAPAN Robot geishas and powder snow.

Stories

Reference

Trips

10 THIS IS YOUR WORLDTLC + freedom = trip of a lifetime.

#DREAMBIG

Together with our local partner, we have created a range of epic adventures across the Asian continent just for you. Topdeck delivers an all access pass including stylish accommodation close to the action, mouth-watering local food and premium, fit for purpose transport that will allow you to go where others cant. Our local team has more than 20 years experience helping make travel dreams come true, so pick your favourite trip and lets go exploring.

WE ARE TOPDECK

OUR ASIA TRIPS

We do Asian adventures, epic Eurotrips, Big Game safaris, American road trips, sailing trips, pyramid expeditions, and other awesomeness around the world for travellers between 18-39.

We realise that everyones different, which is why all our trips include heaps of free time to play and explore. Its your trip, your way.

Your trip includes all the must-see, must-do activities and top-notch local fare to recharge those batteries between stops, which means you can spend your money where it matters and well take care of the rest.

You will hit the road on modern, WiFi-equipped coaches, stay where the action is and hang out with other young explorers bent on seeing the world.

And thats just how we got started. We had a group of mates, some wheels and enough wanderlust to make most mothers worried.Forty years into it, were still discovering new places to see and unforgettable travel experiences to make our passengers trips just that little bit more awesome.

Ready to pack your bags? Lets talk.

THE GREAT ASIAN BUCKET LIST | 05

0 3 GILI ISLANDS. They look like three inconsequential dots off the coast of Lombok. But these three islands have been

drawing a castaway crowd for years. While turtles

pop up for air on the fringing reefs nearby, Gili

Trawangan keeps the backpacker crowd partying,

Air (ah-ee-rr) flaunts its assets to the boutique

crowd and Meno remains an untouched slice of

paradise almost void of development. Expect white

beaches, turtles and swaying coconut palms.

PAGE. 30.

0 4 ANGKOR WAT. Angkor Wat was originally built as a tribute to the Hindu god Vishnu and then gradually transformed

into a Buddhist temple towards the end of the

12th Century. Youve probably seen the sunset a

thousand times, but watching a thousand year old

handcrafted piece of human ingenuity in person

serves as a stark reminder of what our species were

capable of before Facebook. We understand if you

still want a selfie though. #nojudgment

PAGE. 16,18.

0 5 HANOI. Thinking of food? You wont be disappointed. From the pho stalls and bahn mi trucks of the Old Quarter to the OMG-I-

want-to-eat-everything feasts of Quan an Ngon,

this is the best place in the world to eat, sleep,

and dodge motorbikes. Get some refuge from the

frantic traffic at the Temple of Literature, pick up

some propaganda posters and explore the Parisian

tree-lined boulevards and alleyways of one of Asias

most delectable cities.

PAGE. 16, 24, 26.

0 6 TOKYO. Home to Hello Kitty, more Michelin stars than any other city in the world and a public transport that has never

been late ever. This sprawling metropolis offers

a curious mix between feudal heritage, street

fashion and the most hi-tech toilets youll ever see.

Dont miss: World-class ramen in Nakano, Elvis

impersonators in Yoyogi Park and next-gen fashion

in Harajuku. PAGE. 42, 44.

0 1 BANGKOK. I BKK. Said just about everyone ever. Just like its cuisine, Bangkok is a welcome assault on the senses, where

tuk tuks fight for inches with black Lexuses and

street noodle stalls rub shoulders with luxury

department stores. Embrace the fun-loving chaos

making this city Asias answer to NYC then retreat

for a dose of temple serenity or climb a skyscraper

for a sunset drink at a swanky rooftop bar. PAGE.16, 18, 20, 38.

0 2 SAMUI ARCHIPELAGO. Lifes a beach. And good things come in three. Start your island hopping life on Koh Samui with snorkelling,

shopping and poolside comforts, then ferry across

to its sister Pha Ngan for a juxtaposition of beaches,

swaying coconut palms and full-moon parties.

Wrap up with a couple of nights on Koh Tao for

more island vibes and eat, sleep, dive repeat.

Beached out? You bet. PAGE. 36.

ASIA B U C K E T L I S T

0 7 KYOTO. Not far from the hustle and bustle of Japans second biggest metropolis Osaka, youll find yourself surrounded

by immaculate gardens, temples and a city that

turns her nose up at the glittery selfie machines

and frenetic pace of Tokyo. Embrace serenity

at Kinkakuji temple, watch apprentice geishas

recreate ancient folklore through song and dance in

Gion then get your samurai fix at Nijo Castle.

PAGE. 42.

0 8 KUALA LUMPUR. Malaysians take their food seriously. Below the seen-the-postcard Petronas Towers with its retail wonderland youll find an urban sprawl of Indian,

Chinese, Malay and colonial influences. Never

thought a food court plate of duck and rice could

change your life? Think again. Eat up then escape

the city smoke for a while, check out the most

popular hindu shrine outside India, then steam

around Malacca for a more colonial take on life.

PAGE. 20.

Kick back in pools so zen the water basically scoops you up in a lazy, warm, comfy hug. Weve got a range of sweet digs awaiting

your arrival leaving you to pull up a chair while one hand props up a book and the other holds your drink.

RELAX & RECHARGEgo

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4 WAYS TO CHILL IN STYLE | 07

CHAWENG BEACH FRONTED ROOMS, FRESH LOCAL FOOD AND THAT POOL. Why would you want to go anywhere when youve got this view and that coconut to finish? Watch the action unfold beneath you on the beach as you put your sunbed to perfect use.

OZO CHAWENG. SEE PAGE 36

HOVERING ABOVE THE ANDAMAN SEA, WATER ACTIVITIES IS CROWN LANTAS MIDDLE NAME. Lap up the free flowing swimming pool that winds its way through the resort like a lazy river and wonder how you hit the hotel jackpot. #winning.

CROWN LANTA. SEE PAGE 34

DOES THE NEWEST AND BIGGEST RESORT AND SPA IN THE GILIS SOUND LIKE YOUR THING? Secluded enough to not do your head in but close enough to the doof doof to put your hands up for Detroit and watch the sun set over Bali from your sunbed.

ASTON SUNSET. SEE PAGE 30

KOH LANTA: THAILAND GILI TRAWANGAN: INDONESIA

KOH SAMUI: THAILAND

THIS IS HOW SAMURAIS DO BED AND BREAKFAST. Like everything else in Nippon, Ryokans go back about a zillion years (to the Edo period). Get around on tatami floors, wear a yukata, bow a lot, eat Hida beef in your room and dont dare to ask for vegetarian.

LOCAL RYOKAN. SEE PAGE 42

TAKAYAMA: JAPAN

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DHOW I MET YOUR MOTHER

VIETNAMESE MOTHERS JUDGE THEIR SONS SIGNIFICANT OTHER on their broth making skills. Its serious business. Mix French

broth making skills with star anise, cinnamon and local herbs,

let it simmer for a day, then load up your bowl with your

favourite toppings. Go for beef, chicken, mint leaves, chillies

and lime if youre in the south or opt for the puritan Hanoi

approach of letting the broth do the talking. Either way, youll

never look at soup the same way again. WHERE: JUST ABOUT ANY STREET CORNER IN VIETNAM.

EXPECT: ORDERING MORE THAN ONE IS FINE. GO FOR IT.

KNOW ONE, TEACH ONE FROM A SIMPLE SANDWICH SHOP IN HANOI to a breeding ground for up-and-coming fine dining chefs, KOTO is not your average

restaurant. Behind the scenes youll find a fully fledged NGO

working to bring street kids out of poverty and help them build

the skills needed to launch a career in a 5-star hotel. Youll be

served a mix of courses blending traditional Vietnamese cuisine

with South East Asian and Western influences served with

lashings of promises of a better future.

WHERE: HANOI.

EXPECT: TOP-NOTCH VIETNAMESE FOOD AND THE CHANCE TO SUPPORT A SOCIAL

ENTERPRISE MAKING A DIFFERENCE TO YOUNG PEOPLES LIVES.

SUKHUMVIT SIZZLE

THE THAI KITCHEN, LIKE MANY OTHER ASIAN CUISINES, shows its full potential at a street side stall without a printed men