Pear shaped, frequently called Little England. It was England’s second settlement in the Caribbean way back in 1627 (St Kitts was the first in 1623).
One of the most developed of the islands. Its size is similar to the Isle of Wight, and with probably the best infrastructure making it the ideal introduction to the region. It also has one of the highest repeat followings, drawn by the excellent hotels, the superb restaurants, the good beaches particularly on the West coast where all of our hotels are located.
The main resort area of Saint Lucia is in the north west of the island, around Rodney Bay and Cap Estate, 90 minutes from the international airport which is located on the south coast. Here you will see the greatest development of hotels and villas and good selection of restaurants, shopping malls and some quite lively bars. Probably the best golden sand beaches, particularly Reduit at Rodney Bay which is long and expansive but can get busy, especially when cruise ships visit. The transfer from the international airport is scenic as you initially travel along the wilder Atlantic coast before crossing through banana plantations and dense forest before emerging onto the Caribbean (west) coast.
In our view, Bali Indonesia is one of the most romantic islands in the world. Add instant culture & an almost spiritual atmosphere. Despite increased tourism, once away from the busier resorts you still have a wonderful sense of tradition.
Malaysia is one of the most fascinating countries in the region with a rich diversity of cultures, scenery and resort variety. Peninsula Malaysia stretches down from the border with Thailand in the north through to Singapore in the south. On the separate island of Borneo you have the states of Sarawak and Sabah. Flying time from UK is approx. 12 hours to Kuala Lumpur (known as KL). Onward travel to Penang or Langkawi is one hour, two hours to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah and Kuching, Sarawak.
Singapore offers a fantastic selection of restaurants and night-life, as well as parks, museums, and on Sentosa Island, beaches.
The skyline is maybe more North American at first glance but, like Hong Kong, go below the obvious and it has some traditional and busy little street markets that offer a perfect contrast to the numerous shopping malls. In our view, Singapore is the very best introduction to the region for the first-time Asia traveller. Plan to spend at least 2 clear days as there is so much to see.
