Best Asia destination in September for 1 week side trip from HK?
 

My husband's getting flown to Hong Kong for work meetings, with the opportunity to plan a vacation week afterward in Asia. He must get back to HK for his return trip, and prefers not to have too long a flight back the day before from his vacation location.

He planned this time to include me (and my planning assistance), but my own work makes it not possible to join him.

He especially would like destinations where he'll also be near natural beauty, and not only be in densely populated cities (we live in NYC). I'd be grateful for any shared ideas for where might be good for him to plan to go that's around 2 or 3 hours flying time from/to Hong Kong. If it's not an oceanside location, I know he'd love being where contemplation of the natural beauty of the area is possible - without him feeling like he's contributing to ruining it.

Does this place exist?

I know the time of year would make some destinations work better than others. My thanks to any who'd share your thoughts.

Does he have any idea whatever? A great deal of Asia is within 3 hours flight time of HKG. For a small interesting city with natural beauty nearby I'd suggest Kuching in Malaysian Borneo. I prefer smaller places myself and found Kuching charming. While my forays into the wild were farther afield than he'd have time for, I know others here have had interesting day trips/short stays out of the city if the location appeals.

That's a fine suggestion, MmePerdu. We loved Kuching. Other places that came to mind for me were the Temples of Angkor in Cambodia; Luang Prabang, Laos; Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia. September would be a fine time to visit Indonesia, though the fight from Hong Kong would be longer.

Flights between Hong Kong and Bali (Denpasar) are somewhat over your target -- 5 hours -- but they're non-stop and there's a wide range of fare options. And since Bali is fairly compact island you can have an assortment of experiences within about an hour of car travel. September is a great month for Bali: generally clear weather and low season for toursim.

Your husband could split a week's time between one of the southern beaches and inland around the the town of Ubud. Bali offers profound natural beauty -- the ocean, the rain forest, the mountains -- and a whole array cultural activities -- religious pageantry, performance arts and arts and crafts --- as well as active pursuits such as hiking, climbing, swimming, surfing, snorkeling, biking, golf. Plus plenty of spa and wellness opportunities like massage, yoga, meditation, afternoon naps.

Chiang Mai Thailand: many non-stop flights daily, less than 3 hrs away from HK. Check it out.