Where No One's Going (Yet!) - Asia's Secret Under-Rated & Un-Touristy Trio

Do you have a persuasion for all things Asian? Then return your tray table to its upright position and prepare for take-off! We’re shining the spotlight on three underrated destinations that deserve a place on every curious traveller’s radar. Fair warning — you might just fall hard for all three….

Sri Lanka, Laos and Cambodia!

These three destinations are each so deserving of being on your bucket list, (we’ll dive into why in a sec) and on the verge of exploding in popularity which is why the team has gone next level and planned the dates so you can choose to do one country, two, or all three in one hit.

And why wouldn’t you?

With shorter flight times and better exchange rates, (sorry Europe!), it’s cheap as chips to make the hop, skip and a jump, and thread them all together. Speaking of threads…

Hello, ‘t-shirt weather’!

You won’t be needing much else, though you might want to accessorise your outfit with a chequered Cambodian ‘krama’, splurge on a Sri Lankan sapphire, (blue, to match your eyes!), or stock up on handcrafted Laotian textiles to decorate your dining table.

If you’ve travelled with us before or have been following us for a while, then you already know that ritz and glitz isn’t our jam. We’re travellers, not tourists! We take you where others are reluctant to tread so you can truly ‘feel’ a destination, not just ‘see’ it, and sometimes that means facing some uncomfortable truths along the way.

Hang onto your hearts because the pages of modern history have not been kind to these nations; Sri Lanka’s civil war, Laos’ secret war’ and Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge regime all ravaged the landscapes and the lives of their peoples for generations to come.

Whilst these events alone may have kept tourism at bay, the tide is quickly turning! Once you experience the warmth and generosity of the locals, you’ll return home, forever grateful to have received it – and in awe of the human spirit.

Now, let’s dive into what the team has cooked up for 2026…

Sri Lanka – 16-Day Buddhism-Inspired Cultural Adventure

The Kandy to Ella train ride is considered one of the most beautiful in the world. You’ll pass through mountains, tea plantations, waterfalls and over the spectacular Nine Arches Bridge.

Supermarket brand tea bags will taste like boiled bark once you’ve steeped yourself high in Sri Lanka’s tea plantations on our 16-Day Sri Lanka Adventure. But not before you’ve ridden one of the world’s most scenic tracks to get there on the Kandy to Ella train. Windows down is the only way to ride!

The climb up Sigiriya Rock Fortress is a steep one but so worth the views from the top.

Breathe in that rush of cool mountain air – you’ll be needing to fill your lungs with a few gulps of it for the climb up the UNESCO-listed Sigiriya Rock Fortress, otherwise known as ‘Lion’s Head’. Whilst this ‘lion’ may be made of stone, it’s not the only big cat you’ll spot on this trip… if you’re lucky!

Leopards are notoriously elusive, but Yala National Park is renowned for having one of the highest population of the big cats in the world. Fingers crossed you’ll spot one!

Leopards await you on a 4×4 safari in Yala National Park, along with a gathering of a trunk-load of elephants. I mean ‘truck’ load’.The ‘Teardrop of India’ has been in some hot spots of bother in the past, but now, areas like Jaffna that were previously a ‘no-go’ zone for years during the country’s civil war are back on the map. Your local guide will open your eyes with stories of these troubled times. Best to visit now before the queue to listen gets longer.

Dambulla Cave temple complex, also known as Royal Rock Temple, consists of 5 caves and is the largest and best preserved in Sri Lanka. It has been a sacred pilgrimage site for 22 centuries.

Whilst you may experience a spiritual awakening when you visit the temples of Anuradhapura and Dambulla Cave, it’s the spicy secrets of Sri Lanka’s curry’s you’ll be cooking up with a local family that will set fire to your soul. Peppered with their heartfelt hospitality, you’ll come home hungry for more!

Laos – 12-Day Off the Trails Adventure (opens in a new tab)

Young children in the remote villages of Laos show off their colourful traditional costumes.

Over being harangued by touts and tourists in other Asian destinations? You won’t find that in Laos. Only the shy smiles of the locals curious to meet you!

Time slips by unhurried here along the banks of the Mekong River, with daily life unfolding calmly and patiently in the cities and remote rural villages.

A photographers dream scene! Laos’ karst mountains seem almost prehistoric as they tower over riverside communities.

What most of the world doesn’t know (yet!), is that hidden within its landlocked borders, are some of the most spectacular and un-touristed landscapes you could ever hope to find; towering karst mountains, the temple of Pak Ou Caves and the rice paddies of Vang Vieng that are so green, they make ‘Kermit the Frog’ look like a toad.

The karst mountains and rice paddy fields showing off at sunset in Vang Vieng, central Laos.

They’ll leave you breathless, not just because of how truly spectacular the views are, but also for the unimaginable truths you’ll learn from your guide as they share ‘wish-it-wasn’t-so’ stories of how Laos became the most heavily bombed country in the world during the years of its ‘secret war’.

Known as Tak Bat, around 200 monks participate in the morning alms giving in Luang Prabang, Laos.

If your spirituality reserves are running on empty, UNESCO listed Luang Prabang with its French influenced architecture will fill your cup. Dawn is when it happens, whilst you’re filling the bowls of the passing parade of robed monks receiving their morning alms.

The night market here in this neck of the woods is legendary and one should never shop on an empty tummy! Lanterns light the way to barbecued fish with lemongrass and bamboo leaves filled with larb. Cue the food coma! Then it’s time to hit the blanket-line streets filled with local handicrafts for those textiles we mentioned earlier.

Getting to meet the locals and learning about village life is all part of the fun!

Polite bartering is appreciated and there’s time to try your own hand at making some along the way.

Oh lovely Laos! Its raw, unembellished beauty has a way of a way of sneaking up on you in ways you can’t even imagine.

Cambodia – 12-Day Adventure of Ancient Khmer Heritage

Built in the 12th century, it took over 300,000 workers and around 6,000 elephants 30 years to build the the temples of Angkor which cover an area of 400 acres.

Kingdom of Cambodia? How about Kingdom of Wonder!

The world let out an astonished gasp, when, in 1860, French explorer Henri Mouhot untangled Siem Reap’s thicket of jungle vines concealing the largest religious temple complex in the world, Angkor Wat.

Decades later, that astonishment turned to anguish as the country descended into unimaginable darkness at the hands of Pol Pot and the brutal Khmer Rouge regime. For years afterwards, Cambodia’s reputation as the ‘Wild West’ kept it off the arrival cards for most, except NGOs and aid organisations.

Now, younger generations of Khmer are determinedly writing new chapters in their history books, reclaiming skills and knowledge that were lost during those dark years through ventures like the Smiling Gecko Project, on their way to building a much, much brighter future. The ‘Wild West’ isn’t so wild anymore…

The Royal Palace, Phnom Penh survived the Khmer Rouge regime and is the official royal residence of Norodom Sihamoni, King of Cambodia.

Less than 20 years ago, no building in Phnom Penh’s capital could be higher than the 4-storey Royal Palace, home to the Silver Pagoda. Today, towering sky-rises inch up faster than the flowing waters of the Tonle Sap and Mekong rivers that wind their way beneath them. It’s not quite on the same scale of other Asian mega-metropolises. Yet. Which is exactly why you’ll love it now.

Curious about Khmer cuisine? Taking little pinches of flavours from China, Thailand and Vietnam, Cambodian food has a taste all its own.

Local Khmer women serve up tasty treats at a market stall. Dishes like fish amok, fried noodles or rice dishes typically cost from US$1-$3.00.

It’s a street food safari filled with fresh fish, chili noodle soups and only THE best pepper you could ever hope to slam into your tastebuds – Kampot pepper! Grown in the south, blend it with a squeeze of lime and you might just summon enough courage to chow down on the local delicacies of fried spiders and crunchy crickets. Darers go first!

Just like the beers and local wines you’ll find (which the brave amongst your Fencox travel buddies will probably use to wash down those critters!) in the fancy bars, restaurants and international hotels popping up daily in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, Cambodia has temples on tap.

Besides the showstoppers of Angkor; the Bayon, Ta Prohm and the Elephant Terrace, we’re giving you the royal treatment, (whoops!) we mean, ‘rural treatment’ so you can spend time getting to know the locals in the villages far from the big smokes on this adventure too.

You’ll explore rural villages on bicycle and experience Khmer life one pedal push at a time.

But it will require some pedal power on your behalf if you want to see Sambor Prei Kuk by bicycle! You’ll pump your pins at a leisurely pace through villages and rice fields getting flashed with those big, wide smiles Cambodians are famous for. They’ll rival your own massive grin when you buckle in for a blast on Battambang’s Bamboo Train. It’s not what you’d expect, but then again, neither is Cambodia.

We’re so thrilled to welcome Sri Lanka, Laos and Cambodia to the Fencox family! Which of these uncut diamonds will you be telling tales about to your friends in 2026?

Will it be one, two or all three?

If you’re curious to know more, get in touch with us here – we love a chat!