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...

Laos is lovely. It will take more travel time, as I understand that Silk Air has discontinued their flights to Luang Prabang. So you'd ned to fly to Bangkok and then onward to Luang Prabang (and the reverse when you return to Singapore for your flight home). Your airfare is likely to be more expensive, as the flights from Bangkok to LP are only on Bangkok Air, even though the flights from Singapore to Bangkok are quite competitive.

The other thing to consider is that Luang Prabang has a real shortage of hotel rooms. People often cannot find rooms booking many months ahead. On the other hand, October is not high season, so you may be able to find a room.

Bali and Laos are very different experiences. You might want to look at our Luang Prabang photos at www.marlandc.com

Doug...You don't have to be a backpacker to get Bali cheaper than Malaysia.

And yes, Ubud can be touristy, but there's plenty to experience in Ubud and the surroundings without it being touristy. When I was in Ubud, the amount of tourists was not that bad compared to many other places in S.E. Asia. Happy Travels!

I would choose Bali hands down. Happy Travels!

Okay so we (finally) booked our flight to Bali! We are excited but sitll need to pick and area to stay. Any suggestions for which area to stay in or things/experiences that shouldn't be missed? I know we would like to see some wildlife and ride elephants if possible...has anyone done anything like this? Any reccommendations are appreciated!

Also, we wanted to possibly see Yogyakarta but once again have limited time...anyone know long the travel time is to Yogya? And is it worth seeing if only for a day or two?

Kristen, Bali is not the place to ride elephants or see wildlife. I do believe someone reported that a place on Bali had imported a couple of elephants for tourists to ride, but I wouldn't recommend it. If you want to ride elephants, go to Thailand and choose a reputable Elephant Conservation Center.

Do you have a guidebook yet? I'd highly recommend you buy one. We can't possibly cover all of the things to do here on Fodors.

With a mere 6 days, I'd choose either Bali or Central Java. Both are amazing, and the two are strikingly different culturally. You could do an overnight trip to Yoyga, and see Borobudor, but then you would have taken that much time from your few says on Bali. Many of us have spent two weeks at a time on Bali and haven't covered nearly all the experiences we wanted.

In May I went to Singapore and decided to visit Penang and Langkawi as a 4 or 5 day side trip. It was a good trip, but I think I would have more enjoyed returning to Bali.

There are cheap flights from Singapore to one or two of the beach destinations in Thailand.

Kristen, Basically, what kathie said.

Yogyakarta is only a short flight from Bali but with the airport hassles and delays getting there and back would use up too much of your 6 days. Save that trip for another time. You'll find more than enough to keep you busy in Bali.

My suggestion would be 3 night on the beach and 3 nights in the Ubud area.

I would definitely steer two 23 year olds toward Seminyak beach. I like the Legian Seminyak a whole lot, but I'd also recommend the Samaya and the Sofitel. The area abounds in restaurants, clubs, spas, shops. The beach is long, the waves crashing and the sunsets magnificent.

There are zillions of choices in Ubud and the good news is that most people recommend wherever they stayed, which is the sign of a satisfied customer. Personally I like the Alila, which is in the country side, beautiful views, expansive grounds, stunning pool, good food and enough activity to keep it interesting. The architecture is more contemporary than traditional which some people don't like.

When in Ubud you'll want to spend time sightseeing and attending cultural and artistic performances. There's always some festival going on and the guides will know where to take you.

There are plenty of options for nature focused experiences -- trekking, mountain climbing, rafting, waterfall swimming or just a walk through the rice paddies. Again, the guides know where to go.

Stay away from the monkeys!

Kristen,

"It's really up to you as to what kind of vacation you want."

I agree with you Doug's statement wholeheartedly. I think cost of holiday is subjective. It depends on what type of traveller you are ... Anthony Bourdain, Samantha Brown, Ian Wright ... etc.

Being a Malaysian, I wanted to jump in and defend Malaysia earlier but knowing that you are 23 yrs old and surely nightlife plays a big part in holidaymaking, I reckon Msia's won't come close to Bangkok's or Spore's, much less tweak Bali's. Msia's forte is nature sightseeing and multiculturism. I agree, Bali is a good place for young people and there are enough places to keep you on your toes for 6 days.

For someone who's middle aged (but tries to be young at heart), I find Bali very interesting. Mind you, as an Asian, I've seen a myriad of breathtaking temples, tropical sceneries and great cultures. Yet, Bali has the X-factor not found in any place in Asia and I find myself there annually for the past 6 years.

Bali island isn't easy to DIY, except touristy Ubud, Kuta, Denpasar or generally southern side. To access other parts of the island, you need to hire tour van which charges roughly USD30-50 per day (9 hrs); all hotels have contacts. Tell the driver where you want to go and sit back. He would most definitely try to coax you into some souvenir, batik or spice shops but you can politely decline.

Sorry to disappoint you but there's no elephant or wildlife appreciation hub in Bali though.

Like most touristy places in SE Asia, those in the tourism industry (hoteliers, bell boys, "friends" you meet along the way) will assume Caucasian tourists to come in clueless and veer you to well developed tourist traps. If you end up in some of these places, please don't conclude that Bali is touristy. It is not. Only a small portion of southern Bali is touristy.

Some of the best sightseeing experience I had was waking up real early in the morning and combing the backlane suburban neighbourhood in Kuta. Watching ladies all dolled up in "kebayas" for praying rituals, women making breakfast for their families in backyards, ornate "split" gates of temple entrances, taking a peek at beautiful Balinese home gardens ... those are the stuffs that give Bali flavour.

OK, enough ramblings. If you need names, here's my pick list ...
- Lovina (black volcanic sand beach)
- Lot Tanah Pura
- Ulun Danu volcanic lake
- Kinta Mani highland
- Bedugul farmland

Good local eats ...
- Babi guling (roasted piglet)
- Bakso

Good local beer
- Tiga Bintang

Important parting note - Locals think all young Caucasians who go to Bali are into hedonism (I know because I speak Indonesian). Some may try to sell you cannabis and "happy pills". This usually happens in nightlife spots, especially Kuta. So, take care.

And oh, I forgot to mention: You should really try to arrange a trip to visit a coffee plantation. This will edge you to some of the best countryside scenes in the island.

Thanks for the advice everyone. Travel twiddle, your reply has been very helpful, any more suggestions would be much appreciated as far as which area we should stay, or whether we should move around.