REMOTE LANDS CREATES EXOTIC WEDDINGS IN ASIA

NEW YORK, December 5, 2007 – For couples looking to celebrate the bond of marriage in unique, memorable destinations, Remote Lands is offering their signature insider access for wedding or vow-renewal experiences throughout Asia.  As America’s only provider of bespoke luxury travel focused exclusively on Asia, Remote Lands creates elaborate destination weddings or intimate vow renewal ceremonies – infused with unforgettable experiences incorporating local cultures.  The company’s wedding itineraries include a Hindu wedding in India, a three-day wedding celebration in Cambodia, an Iban tribal wedding in Borneo, and more.  

Wherever travelers choose to commemorate their special day, Remote Lands will design every detail of what promises to be a treasured wedding celebration or vow renewal.  Remote Lands can arrange everything from photographers to on-site wedding planners, floral arrangements, private jet charters, helicopters, and personal staff including private chefs and other professionals.  For travelers wishing to incorporate Western matrimonial elements, Remote Lands works closely with clients to find the perfect balance between Eastern and Western traditions, such as arranging for local folk music accompaniment to the first dance.

            A traditional, multi-day Hindu wedding can be arranged for those keen to experience the true romance of Indian culture in Rajasthan.  Remote Lands can offer traditional Indian clothing to all guests, including elaborate turbans for the men and colorful saris for the ladies.  Prior to the ceremony, the bride and her guests will enjoy a special sangeet, an evening of traditional wedding song and dance, during which their hands and feet will be decorated with intricate henna patterns.  The next day, Remote Lands will arrange for the groom to arrive on horseback, escorted by camels and elephants, to meet his bride for their wedding ceremony.  The nuptials will take place outdoors under a canopy known as a mandap in front of a havan, or small fire.  After the ceremony, Remote Lands will organize camels to transport the guests to an elaborately decorated pavilion in the desert where they will enjoy a delicious, multi-course Indian meal.  For post-wedding fun the following day, Remote Lands will suggest a celebratory elephant polo match with the bride and groom hitting the gong to signal the end of each of the two chukkas, or periods of play.           

In Cambodia, weddings traditionally consist of celebrations lasting three days and nights, an especially auspicious number for Cambodians because of its association with the three jewels of Buddhism. Clients of Remote Lands will be treated to a Khmer blessing followed by a wedding ceremony at sunset on the spectacular 12^th-century Elephant Terrace in Angkor Wat, a space not typically open to guests after hours.  Couples will revel in this extraordinary occasion that includes 10 dress changes for the bride and a performance by local musicians of a song composed in Khmer to tell the couple’s story.  The ceremony ends with the lighting of three candles, which are passed amongst the married couples present as they circle the bride and groom seven times to bless the new couple.

Couples will be treated to an extraordinary wedding celebration when they travel with Remote Lands to an Iban tribal village on the island of Borneo.  The ceremony, in a traditional longhouse, will begin in the early evening and continue throughout the night, fueled by the potent traditional drink, tuak, made from fermented rice water.  The bride will wear a tall crown of silver and an elaborate skirt and top while the groom will don a headdress of feathers, arriving at the village on a bamboo raft.  Remote Lands will arrange for a favorable blessing, an Adat bersading, to be bestowed on the happy couple as the ceremony comes to an end, before they are welcomed into a private chamber of the village longhouse, a communal dwelling housing up to 20 families, for their first night as husband and wife.           

Remote Lands can also arrange for exotic wedding or vow-renewal experiences in Bhutan, Bali, China, Laos or any other of the 16 countries in which they provide their signature insider access.

For inquiries or to make reservations, call (646) 415-8092 or visit www.remotelands.com. 

About Remote Lands

Remote Lands, Inc., the world's foremost luxury bespoke travel provider focused exclusively on Asia, is based in midtown Manhattan with offices in Bangkok and London.  The company specializes in extraordinary experiences in magical, far-flung destinations and insider access to exceptional people and exclusive events.  The venture capital-backed company was founded by seasoned business and travel entrepreneurs Catherine Heald and Jay Tindall, both of whom have lived, worked and traveled all over the world.  Remote Lands actively promotes socially responsible tourism that strives to bring an understanding of other cultures and helps to preserve their way of life.  Five percent of the company's profits go directly to local charities in developing countries.  For more information please visit www.remotelands.com