Off the beaten track: Long weekend getaways in Asia

1. Staying in a private temple in Kerala

A private temple mentioned in the ancient fairy tales of Kerala, Chittoor Kottaram has a no-shoes, vegetarian food only policy. Here, you can sample cultural performances or simply enjoy a boat ride in the evening accompanied by a flutist. You can stay here for your entire trip, making day trips to town or go on the cruises of the backwaters of Kerala should you have a longer weekend.
Chittoor Kottaram (photo) is leased on a private basis only. With 2 rooms on its compounds, it is perfect for a small group of friends or for a couple.

2. Following in the footsteps of a sea goddess in Indonesia

Nyai Roro Kidul, a sea goddess that has inspired rulers from the Sultans of Mataram and Yogyakarta to contemporary rulers like Hamengkubuwuno and Sukarno (Sukarno received his spiritual inspiration from a tree that directly faces a hotel room that is maintained today as a shrine to Nyai Roro Kidul).
Patron saint to bird’s nest gatherers of South Java, the bird’s nest gatherers of some of the most rarefied delicacies in the world trust in her to keep them safe as they wait for and drop into a wave, allowing themselves to be swept into a cave as they grope in total darkness for bird’s nests. Strong waves and currents or a misjudgement of tides could spell deaths for these gatherers.
Travel from Jakarta to Pelabuhan Ratu in non-peak hours takes some 3 hours. Stop by Hotel Inna Samudra, which still maintains a shrine to Nyai Roro Kidul. Stay at the Kuda Laut (photo), a small resort with individual villas.

3. Waking up to Angkorian ruins in Cambodia

Why settle for just day trips to Angkor Wat? Venture out further to the less-visited (consequentially also less maintained), Angkorian complexes, where it feels like you have an entire complex to yourself, with the occasional village child assigning him/herself to you as your guide for part of the way as they nimbly make their way on top of and across the ruins before seemingly spiriting into the dense foliage covering much of these complexes.

Camp overnight and wake up to the full glory of these ruins in the sunrise. Urbane Nomads offers luxury itineraries for camping in the more remote Khmer temples. Assuming stable political relations between the two nations, this itinerary takes you across the Cambodian-Thai border, ending in a luxury, African-safari style camp complete with your own private in-tent Jacuzzi pool (photo).

4. Traversing through deserts and kitesurfing the coasts of Vietnam

Want to take up a new sport and explore landscapes not typically synonymous with Vietnam, or even South East Asia? Whether you’re a veteran or new to the sport, this is a great place to kite.
A 4.5-5 hour drive from Ho Chi Minh City, you can access the magnificent dunes of Mui Ne and kitesurf whilst being based at the Princess D’Annam resort (photos), Ancient Cham villages, the Champa museum and trekking along scenic streams flanked by red canyons and white sand cliffs are some of the other exploratory activities that will engage you during your stay.

5. Private trekking up the Great Wall of China

Don’t want to fight the tourist hordes up the Great Wall of China? The architecturally-distinguished Kempinski by the Great Wall offers a private route to the Great Wall where the only people you’d run into would be other guests, if at all. The architects who had worked on the complex is an instructional on the ‘Who’s Who’ regionally. With a kid’s club, a spa and a restaurant, this offers a great alternative to the typical Great Wall tour.

An alternative would be resort homes, some featured in the Architectural Digest, nestled within mountain villages, with a private garden and spectacular views of the Great Wall of China or go deep into the valleys and base yourself close to the ancient Great Wall Watchtowers, some dating back 2,000 years. Go trekking, biking or suss out secret swimming spots although the best way to spend your time here after you’re done mapping out the various ways to get to the Great Wall of China from your farmhouse, is to simply kick back, relax and enjoy a barbecue from the privacy of your garden.

Hajar Ali

An eternal traveller – and the first woman to ever cross the Empty Quarter – Hajar Ali is also the founder of Urbane Nomads, a travel company specializing in luxury travel to remote places, combining cultural authenticity with adventurous activities.