rhkkmk

good choice, as we need someone to pick up the tabs

filmwill

thanks, guys. now on to the PLANNING!

Smeagol

Fingers crossed for you Bill, Eva air (my favourite biz carrier to BKK from the UK) has just release AMAZING deals to bkk in November such a shame i spent 100,000 virgin miles and ££££ getting upper classs seats to HKG!!! (but i have never flown Upper which i hear is a treat) sometimes it doesn't pay to be too early!

Gpanda

Smeagol-just pay the change fee for the Virgin flights, move that trip to the spring and join Bob and me in BKK in November. I'll bring the ring that binds them all.

Smeagol

Not sure how much its going to costs me though (at least 25k miles i would guess) one tix was reward 1 was discounted and i think non refundable (although i will be visiting my friend in spring in HKG so that could work!!) mmmm i need to check this out.

rhkkmk

nik---see you in ubud!!

ginny22

Hey I see you are having doubts about where you want to go. I am Australian and I have been to both countries and I would pick Japan hands down. Bali is fine if you want the typical Asian hassles of people trying to sell you everything from time shares to cheap DVD's. The beaches are nice but again hassles by locals. A westerners haven they are everywhere. Cultural experience NOT!. Good for 1 Week to chill out in a nice resort!! and now we always worry about bombings too!! Especially with the latest in Jakarta July 17 09! Now Japan Culture,Culture,Culture!! We purchased a train pass before we went to Japan (Can only purchase outside Japan)We saw so much. It has wonderful places to see and do. You really do feel like you have left the west behind. The older people are so helpful if they see you looking lost. They will come up and try and speak english to help you. Kyota was my favorite place but you will love it all. There is so much to see and do in every place and all the places are only hours away from each other by train. Tips: Do your homework and work out an itinerary before you go. Eat in the underground train stations at cheap eateries and in the basements of big Dept Stores. They all have yummy foods wonderful and cheap. Sleep at a Ryokan fantastic experience there are cheap ones if you look on the web. See a Summo Museum in Tokyo will see guys practicing so cool. Good Cheap accommodation is at the Business hotels but you have to book weeks ahead before you go as they are very popular and they include breakfast. Good traveling!!!

Hanuman

"Kyota" is that Australian for "Kyoto"?

Kathie

ginny, where do you hang out in Bali? No culture? It must be Kuta or Nusa Dua. Anyway, if you've read the full post, you'll see that Filmwill has no doubts as to where he want to go, he was only having trouble with booking free tickets. He and David are now booked to Bali.

filmwill

After all this, I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings (well, not so bad at the end of the day)...but we'll be pushing our trip to Bali off a bit.

Some of you may know that David's dad has been quite ill. Luckily things are looking up now...but he has a pretty lengthy recovery ahead of him. As a way to help cheer him up, we came up with the idea of a taking his family on a trip to Paris (his Mom and Grandmother are both French)...

So we've already switched our tickets (we were luckily able to confirm both of us in biz) to Europe for May of next year.

That said, Bali will be pushed most likely to December of 2010, if we can manage it financially. A few folks have mentioned it may not be the best time to go, but it's the ONLY other time we can go. I'm pretty convinced that being in Bali is amazing bar-none, so I don't really care if it rains (even torentially) here and there. We actually used to go to Kauai a bunch in Novembers and it was always rainy then, but that's part of what makes the experience a bit more real for us (far more lush in November than any other time I've been there.) I guess we'll cross that bridge when it gets closer.

I will start posting my inquiries for our upcoming trip over on the Europe board (yikes! I've spent 3 years straight on this board only so the idea of posting elsewhere is strange.) We're flying into Barecelona for a week on our own (possibly Barcelona and Morocco) then heading up to meet his family for a week in Paris together.

It's exciting to mix things up a bit and go somewhere different, but I'm still having a hard time getting used to the idea of planning something outside Asia. In the little research I've done so far, I keep looking for the kinds of places we like to stay in Asia trips and find myself scratching my head and wondering why every hotel looks like my grandmother's house. Oh well, I'll get used to it.

lcuy

Sorry to hear your plans for Bali have to be postponed, but at least now you can do Paris AND Bali! And what a nice thing to do with his family.

BTW, does this mean next year's LA GTG will take place in places like Cobras & Matadors or Taix?

Kathie

Sorry you have to postpone Bali, but I'm glad you are getting an extended family trip to Paris.

Bali and Lombok are nice in December - I, too don't worry about the rain there.

By best wished to Davids father for a good recovery.

Kristina

Ahhh, Paris! Good any time of year. While the people on the Europe board aren't like they are here, they are still a good group.
I've been to Paris a couple of times in the last few years (Oct 08 and 06). Check my website if you're interested in my trip reports. We should get together and talk Paris (and Vietnam!) before you go.
Oh yeah, and Barcelona is a great food city too! Lucky you!

Smeagol

But FW, Paris is SO amazing and May is a great time to go. I havent been for a year or so but Muffin and i used to go every year for his birthday in August.
I just bought the Luxe guide to Paris for a friend and it's as good as the Asia ones. Enjoy the planning and just think, you have the lovely dilemma of having Bali to plan for later in the year......
Great news about Davids father.

dogster

Sorry film: I was looking the other way and missed your cry for help way, way back there. Very remiss of me - next time, eh?

magical

Hi filmwill,
I've been following you on this thread,,,just have been behind the scene. As you know we are also looking at going to Bali, perhaps Feb 2010. Don't know if that's a good time weatherwise either.

But as far as your choice of Paris...well, let's just say it's our favorite city...we have been there atleast 8 times in the last few years. You really can't go wrong there...and with the state of the economy, you might find some decent deals too. Which part of the city do you stay in Paris, usually?

Great news about David's father.

DonTopaz

I've only been to Paris 30 or 35 times. I'll admit that at this point I enjoy places in France outside Paris more than the capital itself (Annecy last year, headed somewhere in Alsace or the Vosges in March).

My favorite part of the city is all of them. Great city to walk and explore, with only the vaguest of destinations in mind. Best city in the world for people watching (ok, tied with a few, mostly in Italy.)

Neighborhoods where people live are much more interesting than sections like the Champs-Elysées and Opéra. There's a nice hotel on the pedestrian street Rue Montorgueil, a couple of steps away from Les Halles, the Pompidou, the Marais, and the Horel de Ville. The hotel is overpriced, but still not a bad spot. The best item to eat in the entire world, bar none, is a sorbet from Berthillon on the Ile-St-Louis. You could finish your framboise-et-citron vert cone and get run over by a truck, and, Piaf-like, you would have no regrets. BTW, Piaf's old neighborhood near Père Lachaise has become a not so bad place to hang out. All Paris hotel rooms are minuscule; a very good way around that is to stay at one of the Citadines apart-hotels throughout the city. Everyone thinks that to get from one part of the city to another you need to take the metro; take the bus, instead. It's slower, but 1000 times more pleasant.

Paris is wonderful in May, but that is also when it can be the City from Hell. That's coz May is the prime month for strike in Paris (and France) -- when les Français and les Françaises get their first whiff of sun and warmth after the drear of winter, and when they decide to invoke their Dieu-given <i>droit de la grève</i>. No way to get around, just roll with the punches.

filmwill

Thanks, all for your support--and suggestions! I have to be careful not to turn this into a Paris thread or the editors are going to banish me to another forum.

Kristina, I will DEFINITELY take you up on that offer...let's get somethin on the books!

Smeagol, I plan to buy the Luxe guide. I'll have to shelf the Bali one I just bought 2 weeks ago

Thanks for all the tips, rizzuto! We're actually planning on renting an apartment and I've started the somewhat overwhelming search already (so much to choose from--so many different areas!)

Kristina

The apartment selection is the hardest part! Do you need one big enough for the whole family? Beware of fold out sofas in the living room being listed as one of the "bedrooms."
There are a couple of lengthy threads on the Europe board discussing Paris apartments. I can recommend a couple, but only if you are looking for a studio or 1 bedroom.
Send me an email soon, let's get together for dinner or weekend lunch. My David keeps saying we need to get together with you and your David. ;-)

Smeagol

They also have a couple of apartments on www.i-escape.com (they are mixed in with hotels but when Muffin and i were looking to go this Aug i spotted them when i looked through te Marais district)