Stopovers to make you want to stop longer (video clip)

STOPOVERS TO MAKE YOU WANT TO STOP LONGER

We all know the benefits of a stopover on a long journey--it's good for your health and your well-being. But now you've made the decision to visit Auntie in Australia, or Nephew in New Zealand, where is the best place to spend those precious few hours?

Explore? Shop till you drop? Or just relax on a sun-drenched beach? Planning your stopover is just as important as planning your holiday Down Under and the variety of Asian cities will be sure to have one exactly right for you. So hold on to your hats... we're heading East to some of our favourites!

 

 

HONG KONG - awe inspiring, dynamic Victoria Harbour is instantly recognisable. The new airport is impressive and your approach to the city via a series of bridges and islands will be enthralling. Hong Kong is Chinese junks, neon lights and crowds! But its top sightseeing spots--Victoria Peak, The Star Ferry and Stanley Market will leave you wanting more.

 

 

KUALA LUMPUR - another exciting city with its famous Petrona Towers is great fun to explore. But Malaysian Airlines' new direct service to Langkawi will take you straight to a paradise island ' white sandy beaches, beautiful azure seas and deluxe hotels ' rest and relaxation.

 

 

 

 

SINGAPORE - safe and squeaky clean! Singapore is a shopaholic's dream! Malls with top notch designer labels, to the bazaars at Little India ' you can buy anything and everything. But tear yourself away and make time to have a coffee at the Marina in the quiet company of the famous Merlions, and enjoy a Singapore Sling in the old fashioned Long Bar at Raffles. And if you can steal an extra day, walk among beautiful Orchid Gardens, an incredible calming and relaxing experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

But THAILAND is the No 1 stopover ' there are 30 hotels in Bangkok at less than £10 a night. Palaces and temples abound for culture seekers. Life is laid back and easy, but the city is crowded, dusty and noisy. It seems that everything happens on the street! Working, eating, selling and buying ' they do it on the pavement! Pat Pong Night Market is a tourist's delight ' a spectacle of bars, restaurants and stalls ' fakes galore on offer from Rolex watches to Burberry bags ' but brush up on your bargaining techniques, this is serious negotiating and great fun!

 

Going West has other stopover opportunities--meeting Mickey Mouse or a movie star in LOS ANGELES, surfing at WAIKIKI or simply flopping on a deserted Pacific island beach in FIJI or RARATONGA.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I would say a stopover is essential--a punctuation mark between what you know at home and the adventures you've planned away. So with careful planning you can relax, revive and do something quite out of your usual style and routine--even discover a new you!

If you’d like to know more email me: charmaine@hallmarktravel.com

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