This is my first posting. I am an avid reader of the forum and am in need of some advice from the Asia experts.

My husband and I will be flying out of Portland, ORE for Bangkok on 10-4-08 for a two week trip.

We had originally planned on traveling on to Bhutan and staying at the Amans. However, we have had a change of heart for two reasons:

1) We read (and thoroughly enjoyed) "Dogster’s" posting on his unfortunate experiences with his tour company / guide / itinerary / etc. in Bhutan.

2) We have just returned from a trip to Egypt and had a very similar experience to "Dogster’s" there.

Long story short...we need to give the highly structured type of vacation a rest for awhile.

Our goal is to visit two locations. We have decided to take part of the trip and travel to Java and stay at Amanjiwo.

I would appreciate hearing your recommendations for a second location to visit.

Here is some background:

1) We have recently visited Bali - August 2007, stayed at Amankila and Amandari, hired Putu as our guide and had a fabulous time. This was our first trip to Asia, so there is still a lot that we have not seen.

2) Weather is an important consideration for us. October offers some challenges in and around Thailand – monsoons do not offer any attraction for Oregonians.

3) We prefer countryside to big cities. Enjoy local markets, local cuisine and lots of exposure to different cultures. We like to take morning runs with our cameras in search of beautiful scenery and snippets of everyday life.

4) Nice beaches are a plus but we grow restless spending more than an hour or so lounging by the pool or ocean so there needs to be other attractions besides sand and water.

Note: we are investigating the possibility of shifting our flights and using Singapore as a base depending on our selection of a second location.

Thank you in advance for your advice and expertise.

djd2, Regarding your time in Java: The Islamic holidays following Ramadhan will take place this year October 1/2. In Indonesia this holiday is called Idul Fitri or Lebaran.

All of Java will be on the move the first two weeks of October. Transportation will be overloaded and a lot of facilities will be closed for the holidays.

I wouldn't say that it's impossible to travel in Indonesia during Lebaran but you should be aware that this holiday affects some 100 million people on Java alone and that it is no insignificant event.

I adore the Amanjiwo and would encourage you strongly to visit Central Java; however, if your dates are early October I'd suggest that you call the manager, Sean Flakelar, and ask him how his facilities and the local attractions will be affected.

Bali is less influenced by the Islamic holidays, except that a lot of people who are on holiday in the rest of the country will be vacationing there so accomodations are tight.

Otherwise, October is usually still the dry season. You'll get some rain, but not the rainy season in full force.

Given Marmot's comments, you may want central Java to be the second part of your trip. (By the way, I love central Java and would gladly spend a week there!) Having traveled in Malaysia during Hari Raya (same holiday, different name), I would try to avoid traveling at that time.

I'm really not sure what to recommend as your second destination. Since you are new to Asian travel, I would typically recommend Bangkok, my favorite city in the world. It is a busy, bustling, exotic city filled with gilded wats and warm, welcoming people. But, you point out you prefer countryside to city. Luang Prabang, Laos would be a wonderful destination (stay at La Residence Phou Vao). However, it would be a series of transfers from central Java (JOG-SIN, SIN-BKK, BKK-LPG) and I'm not sure whether you could do it in one day.

Another option would be Sabah and/or Sarawak (Malaysian Borneo). There are no Aman-type accommodations in this area. Read my Borneo trip report if these are of interest to you.

A third option might be to visit Cambodia for the temples at Angkor. If you are an Aman junkie, there is an Aman there.

I'm from Seattle, so I understand your comment about the monsoons. However, the rains in SE Asia are very different from our Pacific NW rains. They are much warmer for one thing, and they are short and intense as opposed to endless drizzle.

Marmot and Kathi –

Thank you both for your "heads-up" regarding our travel dates and the potential collision with religious holidays. Completely slipped by us since we originally planned the trip around the October festivals in Bhutan - shift of countries, cultures and religions.

We will get in touch with the director at Amanjiwo today and determine if Java is a "go" given our timing. Glad to hear you both recommend Central Java and the Amanjiwo.

Kathi - thanks for a Pacific NW insiders view of the rain - very helpful.

I will be back in touch after we do some additional research and make contact with Amanjiwo.

Thanks again for the advice. djd2

This will be a great trip, to stay at Amanjiwo resort in the rural area in central Java and closed to the grandeurs Buddhist temple "Borobudur" We highly recommend a local guide named "Jack, priyana" (he is the best staff in the excursion department).
Enjoy the different experience!

There's enough in Thailand that you don't need to go to multiple countries. Its awesome.