Entertainment & Music Idyllic island/beach holiday - Asia

Discussion in 'Living Room' started by Lacrim, 17th Aug, 2017.

Join Australia's most dynamic and respected property investment community
  1. Otie

    Otie Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    26th Mar, 2016
    Posts:
    1,404
    Location:
    Vic
    I'd just do Ko Samui or Kata in Phuket. Beaches are good and you'll have plenty to do. You'll get flights return for under $400 per person, 2/3rds of that on sale with AirAsia
    We've done bali and Thailand what seems like a million times but we find there's so much to do in Thailand. You could fly into phuket and drive to Khao lak etc. Also check out Hua Hun, our kids loved it there and it wasn't as touristy as phuket.
    Accomodation in Thailand is much better value than Bali
     
  2. Otie

    Otie Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    26th Mar, 2016
    Posts:
    1,404
    Location:
    Vic
    I haven't been but apparently people who travel to Sri Lanka fall in love with it.
     
  3. Otie

    Otie Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    26th Mar, 2016
    Posts:
    1,404
    Location:
    Vic
    I think base yourself in Phuket and do overnight trips or day trips to those sorts of islands. I think the kids could get bored really quickly. In Phuket at least when your bored of sitting around the resort or beach there's always cinemas, markets, shopping centres, water parks etc
     
    Lacrim likes this.
  4. radson

    radson Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    4th Jul, 2015
    Posts:
    1,563
    Location:
    Upper Blue Mountains
    Flights are a killer but I cant wait to take my kids to Lord Howe when they are a bit older.

    Some other local beaches :)

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
    Adele, Sackie and EN710 like this.
  5. Lacrim

    Lacrim Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    25th Jul, 2015
    Posts:
    6,175
    Location:
    Australia
    What's the general appeal of Hua Hin? Beach looks like pretty average, or perhaps, less than average.
     
  6. Otie

    Otie Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    26th Mar, 2016
    Posts:
    1,404
    Location:
    Vic
    Beach wasn't anything special, but the hotels were beachfront and it was nice to lay on the hotel beach chairs on the beach of your hotel. We stayed at Marriott Hua Hun for around $140 per night, had a really good kids area and 3 nice big pools. Had nice little night markets and lots of cheap little restaurants concentrated in pockets at the markets and the main restaurant area which was along the water.
    Even though the beach wasn't as good as our Australian beaches, we found it was really calm
    And we could let the kids play in it where I wouldn't usually in most beaches because the beach frightens me! The bit of the beach the Marriott was on was nice clean white sand. We found Hua Hin unsleazy amd really chilled, liked that we could spend a few days in Bangkok buzzing around shopping and then two hour drive away we could chill out in Hua Hin. We only tried it because we have already done Samui, Phi Phi island, Phuket and Khao Lak and were sick of going to the same places

    We went to Boracay without the kids a few years ago and loved it. Would go back in a heartbeat but my hubby won't go with all the duterte stuff going on, having said that I disagree and think that Boracay is a bit of an exception and is more immune to the rest of the goings on of the Phillipines. It's a bit like how Aceh is a different world to Bali the way it's governed
     
    Lacrim likes this.
  7. Lacrim

    Lacrim Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    25th Jul, 2015
    Posts:
    6,175
    Location:
    Australia
    We were just flirting with the idea of Europe in summer next year and I said Barcelona/Spain to wife being more immune to the **** in France and UK....then read about the terrorist attack this morning :(

    Nowhere safe anymore with the exception of the South Pacific potentially.
     
  8. KinG3o0o

    KinG3o0o Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    17th Jul, 2017
    Posts:
    1,074
    Location:
    Sydney
    honestly, i wouldnt worry about isolated terrorist attacks, i've been to most major cities where there is a terrorist attack in the last few years. i mean they are horrible and you have to be very unlucky to be in that spot. dont let it get in your traveling plans.
    i would be more worried about traveling to countries where crime rates are high ie. america and south africa. you are gonna be so much more likely to see a shooting incident in the states than a terrorist attack in europe.

    3- 4 terrorist attack a year in entire Europe in the last year or so ?
    2 public shooting in san Francisco a day ( and its not even considered a high crime city in the states)

    im only speaking from experience of places i have been and
     
    geoffw likes this.
  9. Lacrim

    Lacrim Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    25th Jul, 2015
    Posts:
    6,175
    Location:
    Australia
    I agree with you but the thing with terrorism that stands out from violent gun crime in the city is that YOU are being targeted and the goal is to kill/maim at all cost. Women/children - it doesn't matter. I don't want this thread to turn into a terrorism discussion, just merely highlighting that it should be a consideration for families in particular. If I was single, wouldn't stop me.
     
  10. Anthony Brew

    Anthony Brew Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    18th Feb, 2017
    Posts:
    1,176
    Location:
    Australia
    What is exciting about Myanmar?

    That's bad luck.
    Speaking from someone up in the north, normally the rainy season has wound up by October. Also, this year the weather has been really weird - hot season never really occurred, it was like cold season faded out incredibly slowly and kind of morphed right into rainy season, and not even much rain this year either. Weird and unexpected (and nice). Again up north, not sure about the islands down south.
     
  11. Poppy

    Poppy Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    7th Jul, 2017
    Posts:
    197
    Location:
    Sydney
    I really like Samet because it had an urban vibe and was easy to get to - I used to go to Samet, Chang and Hua Hin regularly for a little beach fun and relaxation. Koh Tao is also lovely, as is any island off Bali. Too sleepy for me though.

    Cambodia would be the place to go for a "less touristy" vibe if that's what you like, or Hoi An, which I used to go to a lot as well, for the charm.

    My fave is probably southern Italy as it's a fraction of cost of Sydney and fabulous food and people and fun...and very reliable weather..
     
  12. Otie

    Otie Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    26th Mar, 2016
    Posts:
    1,404
    Location:
    Vic
    You could check out "Hoi An" in Vietnam
    We have a trip booked there next year to see what it's like. I can't comment because I've never been but from what I've seen I'm excited to go
     
  13. KDP

    KDP Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    22nd Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    475
    Location:
    Melbourne
    Go to Vietnam. A couple of nights in Saigon and then you can head to Danang, Nha Trang or Phu Quoc for the beach.
     
    Blacky likes this.
  14. geoffw

    geoffw Moderator Staff Member

    Joined:
    15th Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    11,655
    Location:
    Newcastle
    I absolutely agree.

    This year we travelled in Jordan, Israel and Egypt. Really, you are far more likely to hit by a car - crossing a street in Cairo can be quite scary. A tourist was killed by a Palestinian in Jerusalem on one day when we were there- but that was Good Friday, when there were hundreds of thousands of tourists in the city. We travelled down the Sinai peninsula, where ISIS is active. But there are security checks everywhere; millions of people visit these places every year, many more millions live there- so the chances of getting hit by a terrorist are miniscule. In fact it's a good time to visit- they have half the tourist numbers from ten years ago, so there's no queues and very small crowds (apart from Jerusalem at Easter). Security is good. I never felt worried anywhere for my security. (There's more to worry about people trying to sell you stuff, but that's another story).
     
  15. Fargo

    Fargo Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    23rd Jun, 2015
    Posts:
    1,304
    Location:
    Vic
    We went to Boracay without the kids a few years ago and loved it. Would go back in a heartbeat but my hubby won't go with all the duterte stuff going on, having said that I disagree and think that Boracay is a bit of an exception and is more immune to the rest of the goings on of the Phillipines. It's a bit like how Aceh is a different world to Bali the way it's governed[/QUOTE]
    But Duterte has made the Philippines a very safe place it is much safer now, and much safer than the worlds most live able city. It is a very child friendly place every-one takes responsibility for looking after kids least of all the parents. You cant leave a kid alone in Australia for 5 minutes you could leave a kid alone for a week in the Philippines and know the community will look after them.
     
  16. Poppy

    Poppy Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    7th Jul, 2017
    Posts:
    197
    Location:
    Sydney
    If you're concerned about terrorism I wouldn't be flying through Manila right now.

    I would not take children to the Philippines either - just check out Interpol. I know it sounds like I'm being paranoid, but I don;t care, when there are plenty of easier option to take kids.

    I've taken babies to Hoi An and travelled there about 30 times over the past 20 years; food 10/10 old town = unesco world heritage 10/10. It's a very popular place to go packed with US and Chinese tourists, not quiet anymore, but still charming with rich history, fabulous tailors and a lovely beach where hawkers bring you anything you can imagine :)
     
  17. Mick Butterfield

    Mick Butterfield Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    15th Jan, 2016
    Posts:
    739
    Location:
    Bermagui NSW
    What about Sri Lanka? You can get some really nice beaches out of Colombo. Great food also.
     
  18. Lacrim

    Lacrim Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    25th Jul, 2015
    Posts:
    6,175
    Location:
    Australia
    Have considered Sri Lanka but prob not in July and from what I hear, its a lot more expensive than a few years ago.

    OK Vietnam is on the list - including Hoi An - has anyone been to Vietnam in July? Was the weather generally good that time of year? Scouring Tripadvisor the consensus is the weather isn't the best and hot to the point of being very uncomfortable.
     
  19. Lacrim

    Lacrim Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    25th Jul, 2015
    Posts:
    6,175
    Location:
    Australia
    Hmm ok might look into it - but I feel like an El Cheapo trip in July bc we're doing an expensive one this coming January.
     
  20. Lacrim

    Lacrim Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    25th Jul, 2015
    Posts:
    6,175
    Location:
    Australia
    I know the odds Geoff and it is extremely unlikely but I don't think I could live with myself if something happened to the kids and it was something I knowingly invited. I mean we've done Bali multiple times (with kids) over the last few years - but each time we have a new incident, I lose a bit more appetite to roll the dice.