Katiebask

Hello,

My friend and I are backpacking Southeast Asia in a couple of weeks and our original plan was to fly into Phuket and spend a couple of weeks there, traveling around to the various islands in the area, before moving our way up to Bangkok. We read previously that since it's the end of the wet season we would have mixed good and bad days and thought we would take our chances since most of the other countries we were planning on visiting (Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam) had similar weather patterns and we thought our best (and cheapest) bet would be starting in Southern Thailand. However, after monitoring the weather recently and doing more research, we're wondering if we've made a mistake. Would anyone have any ideas as to how bad the weather might be during this time? Is it worth it to stay and hope for good days to try and get water activities in or should we cut our losses and fly to Bali during this time instead?

On another note, we mentioned one of the reasons we chose Phuket during the end of rainy season was because prices would be cheaper. Are there cheap ways to explore Bali and neighboring islands during this time or do you think we'd end up blowing most of our money making this alteration to our travel plans?

Any advice would be great! Thanks so much!

K

rhkkmk

this is the end of the high season in bali

Kathie

Well, September/October is a rainy time in the greater Phuket area. You might get lucky and get some sunny days, and probably most days will have at least a little sun. But if you are hoping for water activities, go elsewhere. Many beaches in the Phuket area will be red-flagged during this time. Here is a good resource for historical weather info: www.weatherbase.com

Overall, Bali is a pretty inexpensive destination. Generally, Indonesia is less expensive than Thailand. If you opt to go to Indonesia, I'd highly recommend some time in Java. Central Java has Borodudor and Prambanam, both places are well worth your time. You might find our Java photos useful: http://www.marlandc.com/java-2012.html

How much time total do you have? Might you consider substituting Indonesia for mainland SE Asia? There are inexpensive flights to Bali from Bangkok on Air Asia.

marmot

September-October is a good time for Bali. Generally good weather and fewer tourists.

Your greatest expense will be airfare: Air Asia about USD300-400 (depending on date and time) roundtrip Bangkok to Bali/Denpasar. Flights between Indonesian destinations are in the USD50-150 range, one way, depending on the distance.

Train transportation is limited and I generally avoid ferries, except for the short hops like Bali to Lombok.

Once you're in Indonesia you will be able to find inexpensive accommodations -- USD40-50 range -- and food is quite cheap, though beer alcohol is expensive.

If you have at least a couple of weeks Java (Yogakarta/Borobudur) + Bali + Lombok is a great combination for culture, nature and beachtime. If you have more time there are plenty of farflung exotic destinations.

Bali alone can fill up a couple of weeks. The beaches aren't as stunning as they are in Phuket, but they're lively and a lot of fun. I'd suggest you look at the Seminyak/Petitenget/Batu Belig area.

You'll also want to spend a few days in the Ubud area -- either in town or in the surrounding countryside. (Be aware that the Ubud Writers Festival takes place October 1-5 and accommodations in the area will be tight.) This is the magical mystery and artistic center of Bali where you get lots of nature and culture.

If you have more time you can go farther north to places like Amed and Munduk.

LancasterLad

Katiebask. Me and the cook will be in Bali and Java in 14 sleeps time, for a month. We've not been before, and have great expectations.

Here's a thread I started recently, which has received a few comments...

http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...tober-2014.cfm