About Us

Why Travel With Remarkable East

At Remarkable East, we believe small group travel offers a more rewarding way to explore Asia. Established in 2017, our tours are designed for a maximum of 12 travellers, allowing for flexibility, comfort and genuine connection - both with the places we visit and the people we meet along the way. Travelling in a small group gives us access to experiences that larger tours can’t offer: intimate cultural encounters, meals in family-run restaurants, boutique stays, and time to wander rather than rush.

With a dedicated tour host accompanying every journey, our travellers enjoy a supported, relaxed environment where details are taken care of and the experience always comes first. Each itinerary is shaped by current, first-hand knowledge and refined with care based on what works best on the ground. We know our destinations well, because we’re there often. We design our tours to reflect the way we like to travel ourselves: thoughtfully, comfortably, and with a real sense of discovery.

  • Two hikers sitting on a step in front of a rustic wooden building with weathered green shutters. They are wearing outdoor gear, with backpacks and hiking poles nearby.
  • A woman with short gray hair, wearing black sunglasses and a black tank top, leaning out of a blue train window, smiling and laughing, as the train travels through a scenic landscape with green trees, hills, and a partly cloudy sky.
  • A man standing in front of a traditional Japanese torii gate at a shrine surrounded by trees with sunlight filtering through. The torii has Japanese characters on a sign at the top and purple banners with Japanese writing beside the path leading to a small shrine building in the background.
  • Woman sitting on a white bench in front of the Taj Mahal, with tourists walking in the background and the iconic white marble mausoleum visible behind.
  • Four tourists sitting on ancient stone ruins, having a conversation with a local guide, with green trees and historical stone arches in the background.
  • A man with a mustache wearing a beige cap with sunglasses on top, a light blue polo shirt, khaki shorts, and a silver watch, sitting outdoors on a wooden bench, holding and about to eat a sandwich. Behind him are tropical plants and a street scene with parked cars.

From Our Founder

The remarkable journeys offered to you are tours for travellers, designed by travellers. Remarkable East tours are refined year to year. Our itineraries are contemporary and designed on current, first-hand knowledge - insights gathered when we visit each destination several times per year.

Our frequent travel allows us to uncover new experiences and hotels: to discover restaurants that have just opened, to test activities first hand, and to ensure we have the best local guides. This guarantees that our tours are innovative and current. We offer unique itineraries each year, and every part of your itinerary is tried and tested by our team.

We take pride in what we do, our tours are considered, and every detail is important. Remarkable East won’t show you the ordinary, only the remarkable.

When I travel personally, I want to explore each location in depth. To see key attractions, but also uncover the lesser-known destinations. I love to engage with interesting guides and local characters along the way. I seek new experiences, enjoy the simple pleasures of everyday life in another country, but also enjoy stylish accommodation.

Whether it’s riding commuter trains in Mumbai, sipping arrack at a local bar in Colombo, or cycling through the fields of Japan, my travels are a mix of the things I love about the countries I visit. Over the years, I’ve discovered that there are many other people who want to connect with destinations like I do. It’s become my life’s work to share these experiences.

Remarkable East tours aren’t developed sitting around a table in an office. Each tour evolves from extensive travel - whether it’s personal travel, reconnaissance or leading tours. When we are developing a tour, we visit every location and hotel. We test every activity. Importantly, we know what works because we see the response of our travellers first-hand when we are on tour.

The tours of Remarkable East are a reflection of the way we like to travel, refined after twenty years traversing Asia. We’ve distilled all that we have learnt and discovered from travelling - the places, the people, the experiences - and have personally crafted these remarkable tours. This is Remarkable East. I invite you to experience it with us.

Lincoln Harris

How We Work

  • With over two decades of operating tours from Australia, we know Asia well. While our primary base in in Melbourne, we also have regional offices for our operations staff Vietnam, India and Sri Lanka. We firmly believe that our first-hand knowledge is what sets us apart, and our team members located across multiple destinations help to keep our operations running smoothly.

  • With a maximum of 12 guests, our take on small group touring allows easier access to places larger groups can’t reach. It’s a more flexible, personal way to travel - ideal for exploring tucked-away spots, connecting with locals, and enjoying a shared experience without the crowds.

    As a result, smaller groups provide us with a different level of access. Our itineraries blend iconic highlights with off-the-beaten-track destinations, offering the best of both worlds. Carefully curated by our in-house travel experts, skip the crowds and discover lesser-known places that reveal a richer, more authentic side of each country you visit. We can travel differently with unique modes of transport that bring you closer to local life. Ride overnight ferries, hop on regional trains, or use smaller vehicles that reach places big tour buses can't.

    We go beyond the traditional tourist trails, and experience destinations beyond the surface through authentic encounters with locals. Join paper-making workshops, take part in grassroots NGO initiatives, or explore on guided walking tours. These activities offer real insight into daily life, traditions, and community stories.

  • Remarkable East is a part of the Unbound Travel Group, a collection of bespoke tourism brands that specialise in small group touring, private journeys and in-depth destination knowledge across Asia.

    ABN 74 608 656 800

  • Remarkable East - General Booking Terms and Conditions

    1. To make a booking please complete and sign the Booking Form (which incorporates these Terms and Conditions) and return it, together with the non-refundable deposit (as set out under 1.1 and 1.2), to Remarkable East, PO Box 255 Carlton South VIC 3053 (ACN 123 715 622).

    1.1 For tour/travel arrangements taking place entirely between 01 February and 30 November: The non-refundable deposit payable at the time of booking is 20%. If your booking occurs less than 60 days prior to the commencement of the tour/travel arrangements full payment is required at the time of booking.

    1.2 For tour/travel arrangements taking place partly or entirely between 01 December and 31 January: The non-refundable deposit payable at the time of booking is 30%. If your booking occurs less than 90 days prior to the commencement of the tour/travel arrangements full payment is required at the time of booking.

    2. To cancel your booking, you must do so in writing to Remarkable East. If you cancel your booking, you will be liable to Remarkable East as follows:

    2.1.1 For tours/travel arrangements taking place between 01 February and 30 November: If cancellation occurs 60 days or more before the commencing date of the tour, your liability will be the deposited amount plus any non refundable flights booked for you. 

    2.1.2 If cancellation occurs 30 days or more and less than 60 days prior to the commencing date of the tour, your liability will be 50% of the tour/ travel arrangement fee plus any non-refundable flights booked for you.

    2.1.3 If cancellation occurs less than 30 days prior to the commencing date of the tour/travel arrangements, your liability will be the full amount of the tour/travel arrangement fee plus any non-refundable flights booked for you.

    2.2.1 For tours/travel arrangements taking place between 01 December and 31 January: If cancellation occurs 90 days or more before the commencing date of the tour, your liability will be the deposited amount plus any non refundable flights booked for you. occurs curs 60 days or more and less than 90 days prior to the commencing date of the tour, your liability will be 50% of the tour/ travel arrangement fee plus any non-refundable flights booked for you.

    2.2.2 If cancellation occurs 60 days or more and less than 90 days prior to the commencing date of the tour, your liability will be 50% of the tour/travel arrangement fee plus any non-refundable flights booked for you. 

    2.2. 3 If cancellation occurs less than 60 days prior to the commencing date of the tour/travel arrangements, your liability will be the full amount of the tour/travel arrangement fee plus any non-refundable flights booked for you. 

    3. Remarkable East requires that when you make your booking, you obtain a comprehensive travel insurance policy, which covers, but is not limited to, claims arising out of loss through the cancellation of bookings, loss of baggage or personal goods, medical expenses, travel and other costs arising out of the death or illness of a close relative, costs arising out of cancellation of transport services. 

    4. Any decision made by you to cancel a tour/travel arrangements in contravention of the decision or advice of Remarkable East or their agents leaves you, pursuant with the conditions for a refund (Condition 2), liable for the full tour/travel arrangement. 

    5. No refund will be made if you cancel any of the tour/travel arrangement services (including, by way of example, meals, accommodation, day trips).

    6. If you request changes be made to a confirmed tour/travel arrangement, Remarkable East may, at their discretion, impose additional fees.

    7. Additional costs such as hotel accommodation, fare increases, ticket re-issue fees and/or additional transport requirements arising from cancelled, delayed or re-scheduled flights, trains or any other transport will be borne by you.

  • We certainly do! In fact, private touring with custom-made itineraries is an area we’re particularly passionate about. To explore more of Asia on your terms, please visit us at Asia Unbound, India Unbound or Sri Lanka Unbound to learn more.

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