Help for Honeymoon BALI or KOH SAMUI--
 

I need your help on th subject of honeymoon destination. Would you recommend Bali or Koh Samui...I would love to learn pros & cons...

What are you looking for in a honeymoon?

Note that Koh Samui is an international beach resort location. Basically, you go there for the beach. If you want to experience Thai culture, you would want to stop for a time in Bangkok and perhaps add a northern Thailand location or a stop at Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

Bali has ok beaches, but it's not primarily a beach destination. If you went o Bali, you'd want to spend some time at a beach location and some time inland near Ubud. Bali is fascinating for how accessible its unique clutire is to the visitor. It is the only island in Indonesia that is Hindu.

I'd suggest you get guidebooks for both, do some reading and see what appeals to you.

kathie has very good info for you... i am in bali today and can speak to it....

both places it is very important that you pick your hotel carefully, not only for price but for location...

there should be bargains in both places... What month would you go as that is important and it might make your choice easier...??

in bali sanur remains my favorite place for the beach....ubud is wonderful too for a change...look at the gangga room at the alam shanti---you cannot beat it in my mind... bali hyatt is nice in sanur as well as many other hotels...
a villa rental can be fun too and many are affordable..

I have already responded to your other post about Koh Samui versus Turkey for a July honeymoon. I also see that you have posted messages about an October honeymoon to any island which is “best”, and a June/July honeymoon in Italy. It’s fine to be considering alternatives, but before myself or others spend more time answering questions on Bali, it would be helpful to know:

---the date of your trip (Bali has a rainy season)
--how long you have for the trip (Bali is quite a long flight, and for the Koh Samui post you indicated you only have 6 days which is rather short
--whether and why you have ruled out the other places in your other posts, as that may also rule out Bali (i.e., their beaches are not by any stretch of the imagination among the “best in the world”)

http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...honeymoon-.cfm
http://www.fodors.com/community/afri...oon-island.cfm
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-for-italy.cfm

Dear Cicerone, thank you very much for your interest, detailed information and help for the questions. Our aim was to spend our honeymoon in Koh Samui and Thailand between the dates June 25-July 3 2010. The reason which made us to consider th "Bali" alternative is the unpleaseant incidents in Thailand recently. I know that the curfew in Bangkok has recently been lifted, however I still cannot be sure if Bangkok would be suitable for a honeymoon. What we are looking for is a nice sea sand beach holiday and a touch of a different culture. The reason of ruling out European alternatives such as Crotia and Italy is to make our honeymoon memorable an unforgettable by visiting a quite different destination and experiencing a quite different culture.

Don't worry Otisaba, the unrest that was witnessed in Bangkok had nothing to do with Koh Samui. Would you cancel your holiday to the Canary Islands in Spain because of the unrest in the northern Basque State? No, don't think, so there was no reason to cancel your honeymoon to Samui unless it was to do with your insurance policy.
Bali is all right for your honeymoon if local culture and traditions are what you are seeking. However, if it's beach, sea, sun and sand then definitely Koh Samui.

Tourists were never in danger in Bangkok or elsewhere in Thailand. There were mostly just inconvenienced. I find it a bit strange that you would think Bali would be a “safer” alternative to Thailand. While I have no issues with safety in Bali, many people do (as well as some governments, read travel warnings), as tourists have been the target of terrorist attacks there in years past. As I said, I would and do travel there, but not because I think it is “safer” than Thailand. It’s a great place to experience culture, but I don’t think it beats Koh Samui in terms of beautiful beaches.

Going to Koh Samui won’t give you any chance to see Bangkok, as they are several hours apart by air. It’s possible of course to include Bangkok, but you have a relatively short trip and long flights, so you may feel too rushed trying to include both. As I said, the one drawback to me of Koh Samui is that you really won’t get much of a chance to experience Thai culture, other than food, which can of course be a good part of the experience. But you won’t really see temples, monks in the streets, handicraft areas, farmers in the fields, etc which you would see if you went to Bangkok or inland areas like around Chiang Mai.

Neither area has the lovely beaches which the Maldives have, but there is nothing in terms of cultural offerings in the Maldives. So really I think you have to decide what is ore important to you. If you just want to relax on a beach and have some nice Thai food and meet some friendly Thai people (mostly your drivers, waiters and hotel workers), that I would go to Samui. If you want exposure to music, painting, sculpture, dance and to see a mystical island, with perfectly nice but not outstanding beaches, then pick Bali. If you want stunning beaches but are OK with absolutely not leaving your resort island and having no activities other than water sports, eating and spa treatments, then pick the Maldives.

The Seychelles or Mauritius may also offer you beaches and cultural activities. I have not been so can’t compare them to the rest. I also think that beaches on the African continent, like Tanzania or Mozambique, would also work, as you could combine beaches with a safari, a quite nice combination. (South Africa is probably too cold for beaches, plus with the world cup probably is not a good idea for your dates.)

Wow, you are planning late! Have you checked air fares and availability. That may be the real clincher here.
Don't worry about Bangkok. You'll get a much better deal in BKK/Samui than Bali, I'd imagine, and because of the bad publicity you'll have less trouble finding rooms (and maybe airplane seats).
Fiji is another thought for both culture and beaches.

Just bear in mind that as far as I can tell, the OP only has 6 days, so sending him to Fiji is an even longer flight! I am already thinking he hardly has time to justify the flights to Thailand or Bali.....