Travel & Holidays Holiday ideas - Bali and Phuket

Hi Everybody,
I saw some cheap Airasia flights so I went what the hell, just do it so I've decided to travel to Bali then to Phuket and back to Aus.

I've never been to Bali or Phuket so I'd like recommendations?

I haven't booked anything to help me connect the two locations as yet and I would like help on that. I fly into Bali on 22nd Oct and back to Aus on 8th Nov so its close to 3 weeks in total away.

Any ideas for any additional destinations that make sense in this plan is welcome and any must see/do tips will be appreciated....
Ta

 

Yeah. Don't go to Phuket. If you are able to, change your ticket and go to Chiang Mai instead.

 

I've been to Bali about 10 yrs ago and Phuket in April this year.
Did I enjoy my time? Yes, but mainly because of the people I went with and the activities we did.
Would I go anywhere near those 2 places again? No I wouldn't.

They're cesspools of people trying to sell you stuff every 2 metres. You can't even have a drink in a pub without them trying to sell you more drinks, or women, etc.

 

Go to Singapore instead

 

Phuket is great.

Patong is hideous. Important distinction to make. Phuket town is interesting place geared for locals. Down the south towards Cape Panwa is much more laid-back.

It's like saying Sydney is horrible because of Kings Cross.

 

Sydney is horrible despite Kings Cross.

 

Would highly recommend a few days up in Ubud - up in the jungle/hills of Bali (away from all the Kuta tourist strip stuff). There's great elephant safari park you can visit (and go for a ride, if you want to), plus I hired a taxi one day (about $20AUD for 4 hours), so I could take trips to a silversmithing workshop, and batik/fabric weaving place. Plus we spent some great time just chillin' by the pool at a gorgeous hideaway on the side of the mountain.

I felt totally safe the whole time. It was just me and my youngster, and yet I never felt 'worried' about being approached by anyone, or getting sucked into anything dodgy. Loved it

 

Thanks everybody.
Just so you know when coming up with ideas I've been to Chiang Mai, (yes, nice), Bangkok, Singapore (hate to say but it's relatively boring....its like an Asian Sydney but just very hot all the time), Laos, lots of Malaysia (incl. KL, Malacca, Kuching (Kuching is nice), Kinabalu and including walking up to the peak of that mountain), Vietnam (esp. love Hoi An and Halong Bay), Southern China and some other parts of China (some nice scenery), HK twice, Japan, Taiwan (love Taiwan!)

Havent been to Cambodia, Nepal, Burma or the Philippines or seen any of the rest of Indonesia but I don't think Indonesia would appeal to me. (Chinese heritage Australian).

Haven't seen too much of the rest of Thailand either.

 

Thanks @KayTea

 

Stay out of Kuta in Bali, and off Patong in Phuket. It gets exponentially better from there.

Singapore IS boring. But sometimes that's what you are after. (I stayed at Marina Bay Sands earlier this year. So soulless and the pool was cold.)

 

Ubud in Bali and Koh Tao in Thailand.

 

The first time I went to Thailand, my friend and I were really shaken up. We didn't realise how crazy selling the locals could be but at the same time very poor. Definitely an interesting place to go. alot of places to visit there, the only place I wouldn't want to go is where they have the wild animals like lions etc. don't like the idea of a wild animal being drugged up so people can touch it and take photos

 

It really depends what sort of a holiday you want. Gili Islands are worth going to in Bali, very relaxing, great diving and snorkeling. Nusa Lembogan is good if you want surf. Ubud is much less busy than Kuta, I can't stand being in Kuta.

The airport is pretty interesting to navigate first time around. The official looking guys trying to take your bags are not official by any means, they're just trying to make a dollar. Unless you organise airport transfers beforehand the taxis will sting you.

 

Might as well stay in Sydney.
Actually, Sydney in my eyes is much better than Singapore. Similar prices a cooler temp and a far better harbour.

 

This.

 

Been to Bali, but not Phuket.

Bali was ok, but you can get some heat, some beer, some bikini clad girls, some surf, some good food here too.

At least you don't get swarmed by beggars/private taxi drivers called Katut/drug dealers/masseurs/postcard sellers/watch sellers, every 100 yards here.

Stay here and save a few jobs....Rivers Clothing just sacked 100 workers yesterday.

 

Ummm... really don't care about getting some Bikini clad girls ... urrrggghh maybe I have to go back to a previous avatar.

You reckon I should not go overseas and spend all my money here instead? Geez... you must think i'm trying to experience something more than a 18 day break outside of Oz? In that case, ban all holiday makers from leaving here.


FWIW, I am on a clothes buying diet... Its been a long while since I've bought clothing except for a pair of jeans to replace a few others (they were getting holes in the backside) but I splurged my money at an op shop. I've realised I've suffered consumer overconsumption in the past so don't buy so much any more. Clothes don't wear out that quickly.

I'm more inclined to spend money on things such as properties and things related to properties. I'm a buy and hold (plus renovate) property investor like many others here who contribute to our high domestic property prices. So with that in mind, do high property prices help our economy?
I don't really think so too much except it makes the haves feel richer and the have nots... well, it keeps raising the entry bar unfortunately.

So to wrap up, if you are looking to save Rivers jobs afraid I'm not really the one to do it. Ditto MacDonalds jobs etc. I had only ever bought Rivers shoes about 10 years back. 1 pair of shoes fell apart immediately (on about the second wear), the other has been barely worn (maybe a dozen times) but is still going strong.

 

I was referring more to the tourism and hospitality jobs, actually.

Rivers was just the latest example of the jobs disappearing that has hit the news .

 

Agree..I hate those hands on experience! It is why I always read the terrible reviews of venues.

 

I have an aversion to heat & humidity - don't ask me.