Best place to travel from Singapore, only have 6 days!
 

Hi everyone!

I am planning a 14 day trip in early October where I will first stop in Tokyo for just 4 days to visit my sister, and then move on to Singapore to pick up my friend so we can travel somewhere in SE Asia. I have been to Japan, but neither of us have ever been to SE Asia and am overwhelmed with all of the reccommendations. We will only have about 6 days to travel somewhere, and we want a cultural/local experience, a fun nightlife would be good, but is not a must (we are 23), but also would like to not have every second scheduled (we would like to have some down time). We realize we will only have time for one, maybe two places that are near each other and have heard great things about Bali and Vietnam, but can't decide.

Any suggestions for the best place to go in SE Asia when we only have 6 days?

Any input is greatly appreciated!

That's easy. Go to Malaysia. There are a huge range of places to go, including gorgeous beaches if that's what you want, or excellent rainforests. It's dirt-cheap, and you can enjoy a level of luxury there that you won't be able to afford anywhere in SE Asia.

I love Bali and completely enjoyed my trip there, but I wouldn't recommend Vietnam for this kind of quick trip.

bali would be a fantastic place for 6 days...

With six days, choose one place. Bali is the place that strikes me as the best option given your interests. One of the wonderful things about Bali is how accessible the culture is, even to the casual visitor.

I've been to lots of places in Malaysia, and I love Malaysia, but I'd still recommend Bali for this short trip.

Thanks so much for the replies so far! Do you have any specific reccommendations for Malaysia (i.e. beaches/rainforest regions) ? Also, I just recently heard Bali is very touristy...did you all find this true?

bali has every reason to be touristy, but i find it amazing free of any tourism---jump in your face.....

around the major tourist sites there are lots of vendors but they are restained....

i recently was in both bali and malaysia....we much preferred bali and also it is wayyyyyyyyy cheaper...

Bali has a well-developed tourist infrastructure. It is still lovely and has a unique and very accessible culture. I would not recommend that you (or anyone for that matter) stay in either Kuta or Nusa Dua, but there are plenty of places to stay that are very nice and not overrun.

Do read some of the recent trip reports about Bali (and there are plenty), and do browse a guidebook on Bali so you have some idea of the place before you decide whether or not to go.

Malaysia is a large country with diverse experiences to offer. With a mere 6 days, you'll want to choose one area. If rainforests appeal to you, consider Malaysian Borneo. The best rainforest experience, IMO is the Borneo Rainforest Lodge. You would frly into Kota Kinabalu and then fly onward to Lahad Datu, and be trnsported several hours by jeep to the lodge in the Danum Valley. It is probably the best place in the world to see Orangutans in the wild. Take a look at my report from a few years ago.
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34716301

You could spend a few days at a beach near Kota Kinabalu as well if beach is a priority.

You are also welcome to view our photos of many parts of SE Asia:
www.marlandc.com

Bali is the easiest option, logistically, and would likely be the least expensive as well.

Another vote for Bali. Tourism in Bali is confined to a rather small part of the island, mostly around the southern beaches. There you will find zillions of resorts, spas, restaurants, shops and a world class tourist infrastructure in a wide range of price options.

As you step out from the resort enclaves and into the rest of central and north Bali you get the pretty much unspoiled culture that is uniquely Balinese. Here the resorts are also worldclass, but are more spread out so that you can observe "the natives" at your leisure. Plus the natural beauty is profound. I think, barring Italy, there is no place on the planet that offers so much in the way of art and culture plus nature plus travelers amenities. It's accessible and exotic simultaneously.

Ubud, as lovely as it is, is very heavily touristed, so I don't think it's really accurate to say that all Bali tourism is confined to Kuta and Nusa Dua. But Bali has a lot to offer, and I would hardly turn down a trip there just because it was a popular tourist destination. However, I don't disagree for a moment that there are some genuine experiences to be had in Bali.

However, the reason I recommended Malaysia is that it has a big city with some nightlife (KL), beautiful rainforests (Taman Negara National Park), beaches in Langkawi and Penang, history in Melaka, the Cameron Highlands. The country has an excellent tourism infrastructure, with good roads, train and flight connections, and a large number of English speakers.

Bali is only going to be cheaper than Malaysia if you are on a backpacker-style trip, but then it can be pretty cheap. It's really up to you as to what kind of vacation you want.

However, I probably would not recommend Borneo. I'd stick with the main part of the country, which is very easily reached from Singapore.

I'm not the Asia expert here; a lot of our posters are much better versed in this region than I am, so I'd urge you to keep an open mind.

Doug, there is no doubt that Ubud is a popular destination for travelers to Bali. But unlike many "tourist" destinations, there is still much of the flavor of Bali to be had in Ubud. Ubud is a place a person can have genuine cultural experiences on Bali. I cited Nusa Dua and Kuta as places that are exclusively (or almost exclusively) tourist enclaves, so have little to offer in terms of cultural experiences. Bali is still a bargain for travelers, especially those from the US. For very moderate prices, maybe US$100, one can stay in a lovely and uniquely Balinese setting (Read Bob and Andy's recent reports on their stay in the Ubud and Sanur areas). On Bali, basically, the whole island is accessible to someone staying in Sanur or Ubud, for instance.

I've traveled to Malaysia many times and very much enjoy Malaysia. In my experience, for comparable lodging, I pay considerably more in Malaysia than in Bali (about 50% more, in fact). The fall of the US dollar has made a bigger difference in Malaysia than in Indonesia. You've listed many lovely places in Malaysia, but it is a large country, so for 6 days Kristen would need to choose one place, or make a two of day stop in KL then move to another area close by. You mentioned the beaches of Penang, though they are not really special, but the historic Georgetown area of Penang is fascinating and the hawker food is justly famous. Really, the best beaches in Malaysia are on the east coast or Malaysian Borneo.

Actually, both peninsular Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo are easily accessible from Singapore. There are daily flights from Singapore to both Kota Kinabalu and Kuching. So you might argue against Sabah and Sarawak, but not because they aren't easily accessible from Singapore.

After some reflection on prices in Malaysia, I decided my estimate of it being 50% more than Bali was perhaps an exaggeration. I'd say the premium in Malaysia over Bali is more in the 25-30% range.

I've traveled quite a bit in Malaysia and I don't think Malaysia::Bali is an apt comparison. In the first place Malaysia is a country covering and extensive peninsula plus part of a separate island. You can get a variety of surrounding but you need to travel by train or air. Bali is a small self contained island. It's all right there: nightlife, spas, shopping, beaches, countryside, culture, arts and crafts.

Malaysia is primarily Islamic, though it does have a large Chinese Christian/Buddhist component. Bali is Hindu. Not meaning to disrespect anyone's religion (and I live in an Islamic country) but the art, culture and religious pageantry can't compare! Bali hands down.

Indonesia IS still quite inexpensive, though we are seeing some weak dollar related increases. You can spend whatever you want in Bali and have a quality experience. I think that's the main point: Your money goes farther because of the aesthetic and tradition of hospitality and serenity.

I'm not particularly fond of the town of Ubud but I think the resorts in the surrounding area -- both the high end and the backpacker range -- offer a superb opportunity to experience unspoiled nature and a fascinating culture, with some relaxation and pampering on the side.

Wow, I just leared that a colon plus a capital B results in a scary face! Revise that to read Malaysia -- Bali.

i would have to disagree with the editor about bali prices and high malay prices applying only to backpackers.....at the lux level there is also quite a difference...

Dear Kirsten,

I have travelled around SE Asia quite a bit and the place which immediately came to mind when you wanted a cultural/nightlife experience is Bangkok! You can even do island hopping from Phuket to Pattaya to Krabi. Beautiful!

Culturally, the Thais have one of the best experience I have ever had. Need I say more about nightlife, it is COLOURFUL!

From Thailand, it is easy access to Vietnam to explore post war ruins and to see how a French culture is embedded into an Asian country like Vietnam.

As for Bali, it was disappointing for me in terms of how touristy the place has become. Kuta beach is a big NO! Ubud too!!! Beautiful as the place maybe, it is marred by people touting their wares.

Hope you have fun in Asia!

bottlenoses, perhaps you missed the point that Kristen has 6 days. In that time you are going to take her to Bangkok (my favorite city in the world), island hopping and VietNam? I don't think so.

thanks so much everyone for your input! we are definitely using all of it to make a decision in the next few days!

Kuching and Damai Beach, perhaps? Very cheap flights from Johor Bahru just over the border of Malaysia - the trip from Singapore by taxi to JB was easy and not nearly so complex as everyone indicated. And not that expensive, either.

Bali is definitely the place that you will surely won't miss to visit. This has been already one of the tourists destination in Malaysia aside from the great beaches.

Any thoughts on Laos vs. Bali? We are deciding between these two now. We've heard Laos is a little more adventurous...