PRESS RELEASE
5 June 07

Kumuka Worldwide adds new South East Asia itineraries

Visit Vietnam’s must-see highlights or find fun on one of Thailand’s new festival tours

The cold of winter is a great time to think about your next exotic holiday and Kumuka’s new Vietnam tour and Thailand festival tours will inspire anyone to ready their luggage, strap on their boots and head to amazing South East Asia!

The popularity of Kumuka’s 15 day Vietnam Discovered tour has lead to the introduction of a 10 day ‘Highlights of Vietnam’ tour, priced at AU$1315. The tour travels the length of Vietnam from Ho Chi Minh City in the south to Hanoi in the north, including the bustling cities of Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi. It includes an overnight traditional junk cruise on Halong Bay, the Cu Chi Tunnels and incorporates two internal flights to maximise time spent discovering Vietnam’s highlights.

An increased interest in cultural festivities has lead to two new Thailand tours that offer a good dose of the festive culture. The first is an annual tour for the Surin Elephant Round Up Festival in November, which has an amazing 100 elephants display their grace, strength and intelligence in games of soccer, log carrying and tug-of-war. The festival tour also visits Kanchanburi and the bridge over the River Kwai, to the old capital of Siam, Ayutthaya, and goes to Khaoyai National Park. This tour, priced at AU$1165, is 9 days in duration and departs on 11 November 2007.

The second festival tour is the nine day ‘Loi Krathong’ (the Festival of Lights), which departs on 18 November 2007 and is priced at AU$1265. This festival is held on the full moon night of the twelfth lunar month and is one of Thailand’s oldest and best preserved traditions. Throughout Thailand, hundreds of thousands of ornately decorated krathong, or banana leaf floats, carrying candles and incense sticks are set adrift in rivers and waterways. In Sukothai province the festival also features a procession of offerings, a sound and light show and a firework display. This tour also visits Kanchanaburi, the Bridge over the River Kwai, Hell Fire Pass and the old capital of Siam, Ayutthaya. It also includes a cruise on a rice barge, and an overnight stay on a floating jungle lodge.

Kumuka tour costs are all inclusive, covering sightseeing and entrance fees. Tours are fully escorted by professional and knowledgeable tour guides who ensure that travellers get the most out of their trip to these fascinating regions.

Kumuka Worldwide is proud to support UNICEF. Kumuka donates AU$50 to UNICEF Australia for every Asia booking made from the new brochure. The money that is raised will be used by UNICEF for vital water and sanitation projects across Asia.

For more details on Kumuka Worldwide’s Asia tours see www.kumuka.com or call 1300 667 277.

For further information or to request photographs, please contact:

Amy Parry / Mark Roberts
Mango Communications
Tel: 02 8260 2855 / 2849
Mob: 0414 300 847
E-mail:kumuka@mangocommunications.com.au

Richard Gardner
Managing Director, Kumuka Worldwide
Aus / NZ
Tel: 02 9279 0491
email: richard@kumuka.com
website: www.kumuka.com

About Kumuka Worldwide
Kumuka is an African word meaning ‘the start of a journey’ or ‘a moment of awakening’. Kumuka Worldwide is a leading specialist in adventure travel and has been successfully operating exciting tours for the adventurous traveller for more than 23 years. Since its very first Trans-African trip, it has been focused on providing travellers with authentic and stimulating experiences of the destinations they travel to, while enjoying the value, quality and reliability Kumuka prides itself on consistently delivering. The Kumuka operation now spans six continents, where the wide range of tours focusing on culture, nature and active adventures, are globally accepted as some of the best. Kumuka is able to map out more than 240 itineraries across 60 countries, a number that increases each year with the development of new destinations, activities and adventures for our passengers.