I’ve never traveled on a group tour before. Is group travel for me?

Many of our travelers are first-time group travelers. Our vacations are not conventional group tours. You’ll be traveling with a maximum of 15 people. The journeys are designed to provide you with a good balance of personal discovery and group activity with like-minded people. Small groups offer flexibility and access that can’t be achieved with large groups. We are against mass tourism and all its trappings – and we believe our style of travel will give you the very best experience of your chosen destination.

Is a certain fitness level required?

Most of our vacations are suited to anybody of normal fitness and mobility with a desire to get out and experience Asia – boots and all. Walking and optional leisurely cycling are common in our itineraries. Some trips feature long drives or more basic accommodation. This will be clearly marked as well. The most important thing is that you come with a positive attitude to the country which you’re visiting and a desire to experience Asia and its people first hand.

What happens if I’m traveling to Asia by myself?

Our small groups are a mix of single travelers, couples, families and friends. Single travelers can choose between paying a supplement for a single room, or paying the twin price and sharing with another traveler of the same sex. If we can’t match you with another traveler and you’re willing to share, you will travel in a single room without paying a supplement.

What type of transport is used?

The journey itself is very much a part of the overall experience. Local transport provides for great, unique experiences in cities and towns and you’ll find that we include everything from sampans in the Mekong Delta, elephants in Thailand, to cyclos in rural Vietnam. On longer journeys, local transport usually does not provide the flexibility or safety we are looking for so we use modern, comfortable buses that allow us to stop for a village walk or photograph a beautiful landscape. There is nothing more rewarding than a spontaneous stop in a village to mix with the locals – or to catch a magic photo in the fields.

What is the standard of accommodation?

We like to think that if you had the time to find the accommodations offering the best of location, value, cleanliness and atmosphere, you would make the same choices as we do. Our hotels are comfortable places to relax and unwind at the end of a busy day – and great starting points for exploring the places you are visiting. A typical hotel will feature clean and comfortable rooms, private facilities, air conditioning as well as great extras like a swimming pool and restaurants. From grand colonial properties in Vietnam and Cambodia to comfortable small hotels in rural China and lovely timber guest houses in Thailand, choosing the right places to stay is important to us. Your hotel should sit well with the tour you’ve chosen – as well as complement your vacation experience. Experiencing Asia is not about large gaudy international hotels devoid of local character, nor about finding the cheapest hotel available.

Some journeys have a “Superior” option. What does this mean?

Asia is home to some of the world’s most interesting, beautiful and historic hotels. With this in mind, we designed a range of “Superior” journeys. The emphasis by day is unchanged – small groups and an authentic experience of the people of Asia. At night however, you can choose to immerse yourself in the ambience of some of these specially-selected hotels. These are not “luxury” vacations. When staying in some of the finest hotels in the world, your focus will remain on meeting the people, tasting the food and taking in the rich history and culture of your chosen destination. Please note, in some places, superior accommodation is not available. In these cases we choose the best available hotels. This will be clearly marked in your itinerary. Single supplements apply to superior options.

Why is there a western tour leader and a local guide on these escorted small group journeys?

We believe our combination of local and western tour leaders provides for the best travel experience. Our local guides share personal insights that you can’t get from outsiders or guidebooks. Our western leaders call Asia home and have a network of friends and experiences to share. They also fully appreciate your needs and interests and make sure they’re being met. You will be inspired by their enthusiasm and passion.

Western tour leader based on 7 passenger minimum.

Are meals included?

Eating is one of the highlights of our small group journeys. We make sure you get to experience as much local flavor as you like – a wide variety of culinary experiences await. Food in Asia is often very inexpensive, so usually only breakfast is included in your tour cost. Group leaders have a wealth of knowledge on restaurants from the mainstream to the obscure. On most nights, your leader will join you at a restaurant or offer tips to those wanting to try something different.

Why choose Jetabout Asia Vacations?

We don’t know of any company that offers the combination of well thought out itineraries, tasteful accommodation, insightful western and local tour leaders, value for money and a base in the region to ensure we always know what’s going on. If you’re shopping around, ask about your accommodation, transport and the tour leaders who will take care of you. Also, look at the number of nights spent on trains and in hill tribe villages when checking out the value of your vacation. We don’t cut any corners!

Welcome Single Travellers! So you’d love to join a small group journey, but you’re alone?

Well, join many of our travellers who are in exactly the same boat! Climbing aboard one of our tours through Asia is a great way to meet like-minded people from all over the world, of all ages and interests.

Single travellers on our standard journeys have the option of paying a single supplement for a single room or paying the lower twin share price and sharing with another traveller of the same sex who is also willing to share. If we are unable to match you with another traveller, you will travel in a single room at no additional charge. We call this our willing to share option. Please note that this option is not available on our superior collection of journeys.