From Hong Kong to Beach Resort...Where?
 

Hi,
At the end of what I expect to be an exhausting three weeks in China, ending up in Hong Kong, I was thinking it would be nice to relax at a lovely beach resort (island?) that would be an easy flight to and from Hong Kong before returning to the US. Any ideas? My first thought was to see another beach resort in Thailand (we'd visited Koh Lanta two years ago) but that probably isn't an easy flight in and out. I'm just not that knowledgeable about resorts in Asia.

The Philippines has excellent beaches and is an easy flight from Hong Kong. You could fly to Cebu or even Boracay, though that requires an extra little flight.

there are direct flts to phuket from HK---beaches: phuket, krabi, khao lak

From your other posts, I believe your trip is in mid October, so be careful with Thailand as you can run into rain in those months on both sides of the isthmus. Check weather websites. The Philippines is just coming out of the rainy season then, and can still get a typhoon at that time, they did get some bad ones in Oct and November last year (and quite unusually in December), so bear that in mind. It is also a bit of a pain to get to the really nice beach areas of the Philippines (which does not include Cebu IMO), so if you only have 2-3 days it may not be worth it. For Borocay, you generally have to fly to Manila, change to a local flight and then often a boat trip is required. But someplace like the Shangri-La in Borocay may work.

I would also say to consider Hainan Island off the south coast of China, which is the “Hawaii” of China --a bit of a stretch perhaps -- but still quite a lovely island with very pretty beaches. There are many non-stops from Hong Kong and the flight is only about an hour. Weather is good in October, esp the second half. You want to go to Sanya, where there are numerous beach resorts, like a Hilton, Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, Renaissance, etc.

I can also say that just relaxing by an outdoor pool in Hong Kong may be all that you need. I can think of several hotel pools in Hong Kong which would fit the bill nicely. You also have the opportunity to take day trips to various beaches in Hong Kong, including some really gorgeous quite remote ones;(altough some of these require a trek or a private boat), take ferry trips, kayak or hire a junk, and do walks and hikes (which can be combined with beaches), so you don’t necessarily have to make a trip to a beach resort to relax. The Dragon’s Back walk combined with lunch on the beach in Big Wave Bay or Shek-O may be an excellent substitute without any added expense.

When I lived in Hong Kong I was always stymied by the same challenge -- how to find a beach destination that can be reached in one short flight. Phuket, Ko Samui and Bali are the best choices. The Philippines has some lovely spots, like Boracay and Palawan, but they're a schlepp to get to.

Hyatt Sanur Bali
asiarooms.com
best for me
that time of year
weather2travel.com

Thanks to all of you for supplying such great info! By the time we get to the beach, it would be about Nov. 7th, so I'll have to look into weather at that time. I'd love to see another country like the Philippines if it was easy...and I'll look into Hainan Island too, altho I had read a negative article about it becoming so overdeveloped. And, maybe we just do stay put in Hong Kong, but it did sound like the good beaches were quite a trek. If I recall our last trip, it was about a four flight from Bali to Hong Kong, connecting thru Kuala Lampur, so Bali would be probably out.

qwovadi, thanks for the link to weather2travel.com! What a great site...I'd never seen it before.

Cathay Pacific offers a nonstop 5-hour flight from Hong Kong to Bali. There's no connection in KL.

But definitely check the weather in your destination at that time of the year. It can still be iffy in several places.

I know you were in Bali not too long ago and may not want to repeat just yet, but for the record, Garuda (and Cathay as mentioned above) both fly non-stop about 5 hours.

November is the cusp of the rainy season. Generally expect good weather.

Thanks again for more info...I think I've decided to skip the beach getaway. It would add too much complexity to this trip. Since it's the closest, I looked into Hainan Island, Sanya, and again, reports of the beaches were mostly just OK. So, we'll focus on the best of China....mountains anyone?

I am planning, for the same reason, to stop in Bali at the end of my trip (India with short stops in HK and BKK). Would really like to stay someplace Balinesian (sp?) rather than a Hyatt (not to mention a bit less expensive) -- a little room on stilts kind of thing (a la Anthony Bourdain, without the sarcasm).

Any recommendations?

Newbie12

Which area in Bali? We have just come back from staying in Ubud, which was lovely but where we stayed may not be for you( small and it really was fabulous but it wasnt on stilts or anything) there have been a few regulars here who have stayed at alam shanti which looks heavenly.

You're right, it does look fabulous! And I may well stay there if I can't find a Balinese place lol

What about Boat trips -- the one night boats where you sleep and eat on board? Has anyone done any of those?

Many thanks for that name, again, it looks amazing!

Newbie12

india, you're not going to find huts on stilts in Bali but there are several charming small inexpensive options with plenty of ambience. I'd also recommend Alam Sari in the Ubud area and Desa Seni and The Colony in the beach area.

You should also look at Lombok.

I don't know any sleep aboard boat options. Did you mean Bali?

You may want to check out www.climatefinder.com - it shows you a world map of the places with the exact climate you want.

FYI, I've decided to add Hainan Island and stay at the Marriott at Yalong Bay for 4 nights in between Shanghai and HK. Good flights possible. Haven't booked room yet because it's too early for early/mid Nov. Any suggestions for Sanya area...or recommendations for a different place to stay?

Looking forward to your future review of Hainan island. I've always wanted to visit there!

Hanuman,
I'll write it, but with all your superior Thai beaches, why bother?!