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Aug-Sep15
TRAVEL
Holidays can be two a penny when you live in
Hong Kong – some people seem to jet in and
out on an almost monthly basis. With such
hectic schedules, it’s often difficult to turn down
destinations like Phuket, Bali and the Maldives
in favour of more off-the-beaten-track locales.
However, there are definitely a handful of places
that warrant shelving your Koh Samui villa and
hopping on a flight (or two, or sometimes three!) to
experience these quieter, out-of-the-way spots that
haven’t been inundated by mainstream tourism –
yet. We asked the experts at
Lightfoot Travel
to
pinpoint five such destinations.
Cuba
Given that it’s one of the few remaining socialist
outposts, Cuba has a unique and authentic atmosphere –
one you won’t find elsewhere. With the thawing of US-Cuba
relations, tourism is already increasing as word gets out that
the country will likely change quite rapidly in the coming
years. At present, Cuba is a 1950s time-capsule: colourful
colonial buildings, classic US cars, few ATMs or credit cards,
and horses pulling carts along the cobbled streets. Roads
and buildings will soon be spruced up, and while this will no
doubt be a welcome change for many, for travellers looking
to experience the Cuba of Hemingway and Che, you’d better
hop on that indirect flight, asap!
Myanmar
Despite the rapid changes and opening up that have
taken place within the country since the release of politician
Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest in 2010, Myanmar
has still managed to avoid the hordes of tourists that have
tramped through the rest of Indochina. Yangon is often the
first stop on any itinerary, with its rough-and-tumble colonial
buildings, jade markets, and local Burmese wearing thanaka
– a yellowish cosmetic paste made from ground bark. In
mystical Bagan, it’s often still possible to explore temples
in complete isolation (unheard of in places like Cambodia’s
Angkor temple complex), and Inle Lake’s floating market is
the real deal, not set up just to bring in tourists. The big hotel
chains are already moving in, and with them will come crowds
and a more more commercial approach to what is now still
considered fairly authentic travel.
5
Cuba
Cuba
Myanmar
Myanmar