Been done, done that. You are in a group of seasoned travelers, and a fast growing one in Malaysia who are getting increasingly tired of the group and FIT tour packages to popular holiday destinations.
Chances are that you would not take a second look at mainstream tour print ads with the so-called new re-packaged itineraries and private tours. And you would not get excited either with the increasing number of cheap fares by Air Asia or the more aggressive Middle East airlines.
Some of the bigger local tour operators have put some decent efforts to introduce customised tours and exotic destinations but none caught my attention as much as El Sol Travel and Yongo Travel.
Continue reading if off-the-beaten and exotic destinations like Tibet, Sapa in Vietnam, the Bhapa Pass in India and Yunnan’s red earth are your cup of tea.
Yongo and El Sol are obviously run by people who are passionate about travel and have turned such interest into a commercial venture. I have bumped into David Lim of El Sol some years at MATTA Fair and I have visited his website regularly.
I recalled David talking enthusiastically about his tour offerings and he is certainly not a typical tour consultant you would find in most travel agencies.
El Sol, like Yongo, has started to offer tour programmes three to six months ahead, giving adequate time for people to plan their holidays. The good news is that such exotic tours are no longer as expensive as they used to be.
Check out some of the upcoming trips and these holidays will certainly be a refreshing change from the usual and predictable vacations.
