Truly Unique Experiences
01-Apr-2026
Category: News Stories
I am fortunate to have so many travel experiences in my travel life, with several whilst moving around South East Asia. The region is rich in culture, scenic contrasts, heritage, cuisine , top class luxurious hotels and wonderfully authentic traditional tribal villages . Great beaches and sea activities.
And of course unique wildlife and nature experiences. I could go on at length about the options but just let us look at four that I have done quite recently.
First a couple that be done just for few hours. Walking with “ Giants “ (elephants) through the jungles of Northern Thailand. Just me, the mahout, two Elephants who roamed free – where they went I followed, scrambling through the bush they had partly flattened. Did this at the Anantara Golden Triangle, Thailand , suggested it to numerous clients and usual response is “ wow, thank you, incredible “.
Next would the jungle walk at the Datai in Langkawi, Malaysia. Accompanied by incredible guide, it can be done during the day or for something very different at night – the sounds offer something unique. The rainforest jungle is said to be over 10 million years old . That alone makes it amazing . Our numerous repeat clints to The Datai feel this experience is as important as the beach, jungle spa and superb views .
For a slightly longer nature encounter I would suggest the 3day ( 2 nights ) rainforest and lake combination offered by Elephant Hills in Khao Sok , southern Thailand, easily accessible from Phuket, Khao Lak and Krabi. A combination of Elephants, river and cave exploration, jungle treks, canoeing and a night spend in a floating tent. One of our most popular extension tours with as close to 100% satisfaction as you can get. It so much more than just being close to elephants, that is only part of it .
And of course unique wildlife and nature experiences. I could go on at length about the options but just let us look at four that I have done quite recently.
First a couple that be done just for few hours. Walking with “ Giants “ (elephants) through the jungles of Northern Thailand. Just me, the mahout, two Elephants who roamed free – where they went I followed, scrambling through the bush they had partly flattened. Did this at the Anantara Golden Triangle, Thailand , suggested it to numerous clients and usual response is “ wow, thank you, incredible “.
Next would the jungle walk at the Datai in Langkawi, Malaysia. Accompanied by incredible guide, it can be done during the day or for something very different at night – the sounds offer something unique. The rainforest jungle is said to be over 10 million years old . That alone makes it amazing . Our numerous repeat clints to The Datai feel this experience is as important as the beach, jungle spa and superb views .
For a slightly longer nature encounter I would suggest the 3day ( 2 nights ) rainforest and lake combination offered by Elephant Hills in Khao Sok , southern Thailand, easily accessible from Phuket, Khao Lak and Krabi. A combination of Elephants, river and cave exploration, jungle treks, canoeing and a night spend in a floating tent. One of our most popular extension tours with as close to 100% satisfaction as you can get. It so much more than just being close to elephants, that is only part of it .
For the true nature enthusiasts I would suggest visiting the twin Malaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah on the separate island of Borneo. Just under 2 hours flight from Kuala Lumpur, this is a very different to the more developed Malay Peninsula. Here is all about adventure and enjoying nature in a simple authentic way. Borneo is a huge island with not only these two Malaysian states but also the separate Brunei, and the southern 70% is actually Indonesian state of Kalimantan. Sarawak on its own is equal to the entire size of Peninsula Malaysia. The luxury here comes in the total experience of authentic nature, the sheer expanse of rain forest, rivers, unique flora and fauna and of course wildlife, most of which are only found here. The Borneo sun bear, pygmy elephants, Proboscis monkeys (funny how my nose size looked the same but that is where the similarity ended!) and of course numerous Orangutan. Just incredible and as yet off of the radar for most UK travellers.
I would suggest combining both Sarawak and Sabah as they have just as many differences as similarities. A tour can be done in about 10 days staying in comfortable atmospheric hotels & Lodges. Plus if time allows you can top your adventure by climbing Mount Kinabalu (2 day escorted hike with overnight camp stay) from Kota Kinabalu. Numerous touring options are available around Sarawak & Sabah but at Chic we rather like the service and originality offered by our regional partner Sticky Rice Travel.
With all of the suggestion offered it is important clients are truly comfortable with the realities with the sights and sounds of nature, and are reasonably fit and active and able to cope with jungle pathways, both up & down and the occasional discomfort is all part of the experience.
David Kevan of Chic Locations and UK PATA chapter board member.
I would suggest combining both Sarawak and Sabah as they have just as many differences as similarities. A tour can be done in about 10 days staying in comfortable atmospheric hotels & Lodges. Plus if time allows you can top your adventure by climbing Mount Kinabalu (2 day escorted hike with overnight camp stay) from Kota Kinabalu. Numerous touring options are available around Sarawak & Sabah but at Chic we rather like the service and originality offered by our regional partner Sticky Rice Travel.
With all of the suggestion offered it is important clients are truly comfortable with the realities with the sights and sounds of nature, and are reasonably fit and active and able to cope with jungle pathways, both up & down and the occasional discomfort is all part of the experience.
David Kevan of Chic Locations and UK PATA chapter board member.
