Help with deciding between Bali/Thailand
 

My wife and I are trying to decide on where to spend a two week vacation that lasts Feb 27-Mar 12. We have the option of flying in and out of either Bangkok or Singapore. We can fly into one and out of the other if necessary.

We were married in Bali last year and spent the honeymoon at the Rayavadee near Krabi. We don't care where in SE Asia we go this time, but the following are what we think we have narrowed it down to. Any help in choosing one or the other would be great. New suggestions are welcome as well.

Angkor Wat/Ko Samui/Phuket - If we decide to do this we would spend a couple of days at Angkor then ship off to Ko Samui for 5-6 days. The rest would be spent in Phuket. We wouldn't mind hopping around to a few islands from Ko Samui and Phuket and spending a day or two at each.

Bali/Lombok - I know we have already been there, but last time we were with friends and spent most of our time leading them around as they weren't very adventourous. We would probably stay in Lombok half the time and Bali the other half. Wouldn't mind going to Gili for a couple of days. I haven't seen much of the northern/eastern coast of Bali. I have rented a motorcycle every other time I have gone and we would probably just rent a Honda Tiger for the two weeks and drive around exploring.

I do have a question about the weather in both Ko Samui and Phuket at this time of year. We had solid torrential rain at the Rayavadee for our honeymoon in March of last year. The hotel told us it was very odd, but it would have ruined the trip had we not already been in Bali.

I would start with the weather research first based on your past experience. Then you can narrow locations from there.

Check out weatherbase.com. They have decades of temperature and rain stats for nearly every location in the world.

I would suggest u consider Thailand, Camb, Laos. Choose a beach in Thailand (either Koh Samui or Phuket depending on weather), then go to Siem Reap for 3 nights and then go to Luang Prabang. Is a lovely laid back city with hotels which are great VFM. From LP you could even go to an eco resort for a night if that kind of thing interests you. LP is also very well connected out of Bkk by air.

I just noticed that Feb/March is a very busy time in Phuket. We don't like to go when the big crowds are around so we might skip Phuket this time around.

I agree with Sameera the great bthing with Thailand is you can add places such as Angkor Wat or Luang Prabang easily. As far as Phuket being busy, yes, but it's a big island and many beach and resort areas are well spaced out you will not find a feeling of being crowded unless you head to major beach places.
It is always difficult asking people which they prefer, and thankfully most of us on this forum appreciate people's different desires and anticipations, however, personally I have been to Bali 3 times over the years and cut short to get back to Phuket !! Different atmosphere totally.

Hello
I just returned from Thailand 2 days ago. We spent most of our time on Samui. The island is lovely and has many things to offer for those seeking peace and quiet or for the partiers. We avoided Phuket because of its reputation as a part island. I would highly recommend that you go to Phi Phi Island for a few days. It's tiny and absolutely gorgeous. We stayed at the PP Princess hotel...very nice, with a very cool infinity pool overlooking the beach, and with a swim-up bar. There are no cars on this island...just motorbikes. If you go, be sure and hike up to the viewpoint...I am horribly out of shape, but it was well worth it! (take water)This island is truly what I consider to be a tropical paradise. Although families do go there, it appeared to be mainly couples.

In terms of Samui, it is very beautiful as well, but much larger. It has many tranquil areas, but you can also party it up in Lamai, and especially in Chaweng, if that interests you. We liked this island so much that we are considering purchasing property there. I can recommend a resort, if you are interested. Feel free to email me directly.

Leslie

Why did you avoid Phuket?

I'm sure Leslie meant they avoided Phuket because of its reputation as a "party island" - we made the same decision and also opted for Koh Samui, which we loved. There is still plenty of night life, if you seek it out, but you can also have a relaxing vacation if that's what you want.

For the original poster, I second the above suggestions to go to Angkor, regardless of wherever else you choose (although it's likely much more convenient from Bangkok since they have short direct flights). Angkor is an AMAZING place, and WELL worth a visit. I haven't met anyone who has visited Angkor and not come away absolutely raving about it.

I can't really answer your question regarding Koh Samui/Phuket vs. Lombok/NE Bali, because I haven't been very far north in Bali nor to Lombok (I think Chandidasa is the farthest I've been).

I suppose my only other comment would be that due to the bombings in Bali, tourism is REALLY suffering there, as are the people. We were there a few months ago, and everywhere we went, people stopped to thank us for coming to Bali.

Strange how 'reputations' arise. I would tern Chaweng on Samui as more of a Party place and Patong Beach on Phuket as more of an 'entertainment place'. Apart from some busy bars at Kata and Karon the only 'nightlife' area on Phuket is Patong beach, and the area covers 1 stree, some sois off that street and an area near Paradise.
The rest of the beaches areas are very quiet.

Sorry for the typo...yes, I meant "party island." You are right thought James, Chaweng is certainly party-central but as pointed out, one can easily avoid this. Maybe I should have been more open-minded about Phuket?

Leslie

We spent 2 weeks in Bali in July, including 3 nights on the north coast. We also spent 2 weeks in Thailand in 2000. The north coast of Bali is worth exploring if you are already there (exploring Lombok, etc.). Menjangan Island has great snorkeling/scuba. We stayed at Damai Resort, a small boutique hotel in Lovina, about an hour or so away from Menjangan. You can get up early in the morning and watch the dophins off of Lovina. Other than that, not much else to do. Hopefully, you have already spent time in Ubud where there is lots to do. I don't think I would go to Thailand just to visit Ko Samui and Phuket, even if I were to explore nearby areas. Angkor Wat is an easy flight from Bangkok and a very popular destination for travelers on the this forum who visit Thailand.

Leslie, you obviosuly has a 'Great' vacation, and that is brilliant, that's all that is important, your views are welcome by everyone, now you can look forward to your next trip!!
My first ever memory of Koh Samui was about 16 years ago, took the old clunking ferry boat from Don Suk at about 4 pm. Sat on the desk as the sun started to drop, passing small limestone outcrop islands, as the sun began to set I sat on the back deck listening on the headphones to Fleetwood Mac singing ' Everywhere'....
No memory could every replace 'that one'.
Treasure the memories and get back soon!!

Thanks for all the replies. We are close to a decision and it looks like we are leaning towards 2 days at Angkor, 5 days in Ko Samui and 6 days in and around Phi Phi.

We will spend quite a bit of time diving and relaxing on the beach. Not much of a cultural trip this time, but there will be many more trips.

We have one night each in Bangkok and Phuket and that will be plenty for us this trip.

I have a couple of free weekend nights that we will use at the Grand Sukhumvit in Bangkok and the Grand Laguna in Phuket.

The only negative we came up with against Bali this time of year is that it is the end of wet season. My favorite thing to do in Bali is rent a motorcycle and explore. Rain would seriously hinder that.

I would seriously think about whether it is worth it to go to Siem Reap (Angkor Wat) for just 2 days. U will barely be able to see anything and run the very real risk of getting "temple burn out". On the other hand u could do Luang Prabang for 2 days. Siem Reap IMO 3 days is minimum to enjoy the city and temples at a reasonable pace.