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if you had a choice between various resorts ... would you go to all?
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| posted by harley 930 days ago |
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Husby and I are planning out next trip ... now we have Bali, Phuket, Koh Samui, Langkawi, Chiang Mai, Cebu or Boracay ... now with the exception of Chiang Mai, I believe the reset are all beach resorts, is that correct? Is it necessary to go to ALL of them or are they pretty much the same - a western mega lux resort type place?
Grateful for advice
We will go to Chiang Mai but out of the rest, which is the best ($$ is not a huge concern) ...
I am an American - born and bred. And I wouldn't want it any other way.
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| posted by FOTH 930 days ago |
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Bali has beach areas, but there is a lot more to it than that. Around Ubud (in the centre of the island) there is a lot of craft/cultural stuff, rolling green hills, dormant volcanoes, etc.
Boracay is quite a trek to get to (two planes plus road plus boat I believe). Diving is one of its main attractions, but if that's not your thing then it may be a bit much hassle for a short stay.
Cebu is pretty much a beach resort, with various resort hotels dotted around. There isn't a huge amount around there except the beach resort stuff that I am aware of.
Have you done Kota Kinabalu? That's high on my list of places to go next...
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| posted by The Cerne Abbas Giant 930 days ago (edited 930 days ago) |
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In Sabah there is loads to do other than beachy stuff or sitting around in a 5* resort. For example:
Climb Mt Kinabalu
Sandakan Orang Utan santuary
Awesome diving in Sipadan & Mabul (or Sangalaki further South)
Jungle river treks to see the colubus monkeys
Turtle Islands park
A lot of this is quite spread out though. That said, internal flights (for example tpo Tawau or Sandakan) are very cheap.
Watchu talkin' about Willis?
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| posted by tinybear 930 days ago |
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I've only been to Bali and Phuket. Both are nice. And yes, both are more or less the same. Phuket has the better food though.
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| posted by harley 930 days ago |
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Are there any differences among the beach resorts? I mean if I go to Bali, is there any reason to go to Phuket? I am going to India next month so I can skip all the cultural stuff in Indonesia (especially the temples and stuffs that orignated from Indian mythology) ... and the same with Thailand (yes I know that they are unique aspects but you have seen one temple or wat , you've seen them all in my book) ... What about Langkawi and Koh Samui - same as Bali and Phuket?
I am an American - born and bred. And I wouldn't want it any other way.
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| posted by Mr Benn 930 days ago |
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Agree with CAG, Sabah was fab. Snorkelling around the various outlying islands and visiting the Orang Utans were the highlights for me.
Been to Bali. Conrad in Nusa Dua.........the most chilled out holiday I've had. Fab place (if you like just chilling for a while!)
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| posted by n/a 930 days ago |
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Phuket....but then i loved bali enough to go 5 times from Oz..then I went to Phuket....good beaches nice people plenty to do but yes,beaches beaches bars ,green clean....cheap in July...
Miss P
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| posted by tinybear 930 days ago |
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Almost all the beach resorts in Bali and Phuket are luxurious. However, if money is no object, you can't go wrong with Four Seasons, Bali and Aman Resort, Phuket.
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| posted by The Cerne Abbas Giant 930 days ago |
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Krabi is also nice and cheap in the off-season.
Watchu talkin' about Willis?
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| posted by harley 930 days ago |
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I was thinking the Four Seasons in Chiang Mai in April ...
and then the Four Seasons in Bali sometime later in the year before we go back to the U.S. ....
and skip Phuket and Cebu and the rest ... if they are all the same ...
From a cultural perspecitve - are Cambodia and Vietnam vastly different from Thailand? And is Malaysia (KL specifically) vastly different from Singapore?
I am an American - born and bred. And I wouldn't want it any other way.
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| posted by tinybear 930 days ago |
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Not much to do in KL, although I was quite impressed by the Petronas Twin Towers (stayed at Mandarin Oriental, next to the Towers and a huge shopping mall). Cambodia and Vietnam are unexceptional, save for the Angkor Temples in Siem Reap. That is worth a visit.
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| posted by FOTH 930 days ago |
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If all you're going to do is sit in the hotels and do spas, beaches etc. then it really doesn't matter where you go, they are all pretty much the same...
To my mind it is ludicrous to say that Cambodia and Vietnam are unexceptional, but then most of the time my idea of a holiday is to use as much as possible whatever transport the locals use to get around, eat whatever the locals eat, and actually get to see the country.
For a pure resort/chilling break (which I do do from time to time) then there really isn't much to choose on except price and convenience and weather - one 5* resort in Asia is pretty much the same as any other.
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| posted by tinybear 930 days ago |
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Yeah, precisely. Cambodia and Vietnam aren't that much different from each other or with Thailand. Hence unexceptional (save for Angkor Wat, that is).
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| posted by harley 930 days ago |
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quote:
Originally posted by tinybear
Not much to do in KL, although I was quite impressed by the Petronas Twin Towers (stayed at Mandarin Oriental, next to the Towers and a huge shopping mall). Cambodia and Vietnam are unexceptional, save for the Angkor Temples in Siem Reap. That is worth a visit.
Our goal is to visit every Asian country possible before we leave ... however we are trying to expedite our trip back to the U.S. so our plans are being curtailed a bit (we have already done the major cities in Australia, Indonesia (not Bali), Thailand, Singapore, The Philippines, Macau and Japan) .... so our real priority is China - to see the Great Wall. I frankly could do without Beijing or Shanghai just because I know the pollution is going to kill me and either city holds no fascination for me ... other than that and India, we want a 5* resort as one trip (though there are plenty at home in the Caribbean but we need some chill out time soon) - perhaps the Maldives? Anyone been there or is it way too far??? ... and some cultural stuffs ... so I want to pick what shouldn't be missed ... I know Angkor Wat is terrific (I saw the minuture version in Bangkok) but I really think I am all templed-out ...especially since I am going to see a gazillion of them in India which are just as if not more spectacular ... so ... I was wondering if the cultures/food/customs etc in Cambodia/Vietnam differ that much from Thailand that they warrent a trip (and then of course we will do Angkor Wat) ... and does Malaysia differ so much from Singapore that it to deserves a special trip - but if KL is just like any other big city there is no point and I am not going there just to see the Petronas Towers??? If not ... we have to look for alternatives ...
I am an American - born and bred. And I wouldn't want it any other way.
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| posted by tinybear 930 days ago (edited 930 days ago) |
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Well, Vietnamese food is pretty unique. Definitely different from Thai. Cambodian food resembles Thai. I was in Siem Reap for only 3 days though, so I might not have sampled enough Cambodian cuisine to comment on it.
I'd give KL a miss if I were you.
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| posted by harley 930 days ago |
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looks like a lot of misses ... the Philippines is out since the flights are all booked for the weekend we want to go ... and the flights to Chiang Mai take longer than I expected ... looks like it might be Phuket ...
I am an American - born and bred. And I wouldn't want it any other way.
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| posted by FOTH 930 days ago |
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The phrase "If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium" comes to mind... Does it really impress the chattering classes in NYC to be able to reel off a checklist of all the cities in the world where you have spent 48 hours in almost identical 5* hotels?
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| posted by harley 930 days ago (edited 930 days ago) |
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<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="verdana" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by FOTH</i><br />The phrase "If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium" comes to mind... Does it really impress the chattering classes in NYC to be able to reel off a checklist of all the cities in the world where you have spent 48 hours in almost identical 5* hotels?<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
I don't give a **** who it impresses - my goal is not to impress chattering classes (whatever that expression means) ... the husband and I realize we have a great opportunity here to travel and see a part of the world that would be quite difficult to do so when we are back home due to family obligations when we are there (and I will NOT elaborate any further) ... that is one of the reasons why we came out here ... and for you to assume that we have only spent 48 hours in cities at almost identical 5* hotels is full of crap ... you don't know my life and I am certainly not going to tell you where and when I have been to places ... all you know and are basing your UNASKED for opinions and RUDE comments on one business trip I took last summer ..
I asked a simple question to get some honest feedback since it looks like we are going home a lot sooner than I expected ... and what do I get ? UNWANTED AND UN-Appreciated **** from you FOTH. Please do me a favor. Don't respond to anything I post. Thank you.
I am an American - born and bred. And I wouldn't want it any other way.
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| posted by tinybear 930 days ago |
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You mean you're outta here sooner than September 1st 2006?
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| posted by FOTH 930 days ago |
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quote:
Originally posted by harley
see a part of the world that would be quite difficult to do so when we are back home due to family obligations when we are there (and I will NOT elaborate any further) ...
Eyup! Looks like Ms harley is up the duff 
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