In November and December 2012 we ran the popular Tiger Rally through Malaysia, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. As this colourful event progressed, the changes in the countryside, people, traditions and architecture, not to mention the road surfaces, became exquisitely evident.

Rally participants enjoyed the fruits of the extensive research and planning that goes into such an event, with many observing that they were extremely privileged to travel in such delightful cars to parts of the world that most tourists are unable to access, allowing first-hand experience of fascinating local cultures. Highlights abounded daily, from floating markets, temples, the famous Bridge on the River Kwai, the Mekong experience, superb scenery and visits to private car collections such as the Jesada Motor Technik.

Several participants nominated as a particular high point the breathtaking ridge road we drove in northern Thailand, where the spectacular views encompassed Burma, Thailand and Laos. Everyone certainly enjoyed the amazing rally hotels, which provided world-class comforts at the end of hot and dusty driving days, not least the lovely Anantara hotel in the Golden Triangle, where elephants greeted guests on the veranda at breakfast! Several crews, notably the Osheas, the Tooheys and the Harrisons, rode the elephants on safari and even washed them in the river. Yet along the whole, wonderful route, nothing prepared us for the ancient ruins of Siem Reap and the temple dinner at Ankor Watt, another once-in-a-lifetime experience on a truly unforgettable event.