Hello, All!

DH and I will be going to Thailand in January, and are pretty well set for CM and BKK. But -------!

Would someone -- or several someones -- please recommend places other than Phuket for beaches, etc. We are more "lookers" rather than "beachbums." What about Krabi or Samui?

Any help is appreciated as I recognize your knowledge in Asian travels.

Thanks.

Sandra/mcbeanie

Krabi is beautiful. The weather will be much better there than in Ko Samui. Khao lak is also a possibility.

the amari vogue near krabi is fantastic....its neighbors are also new hotels, but i don't have any names

meridien at khao lak is really nice too and a huge place with good beach access and two wonderful pool areas and more...

amari emerald cove at koh chang is very nice as well

WHOOPS!

By "lookers" in the original post I meant that we enjoy seeing the sand and surf, but don't really use a beach. I realize that the original post could be misinterpreted.

Thanks Gpanda and rhk for your comments. We will look into this. What about Hua Hin?

Sandra/mcbeanie

Hua Hin is great, and may not be as overpriced in January as the other destinations get. You can also get there in less total time than it takes to fly to other places. I like the beach, but I like beaches with a few boulders and other things to make them interesting. There are also some nice nature parks nearby.

Don't overlook Pattaya- forget all the negative stuff- it can be fun and they have a great resort there- Royal Cliff Grand and Spa- we were there in January and had a blast! And its only a 3 hour drive from BKK!

Hi
We have been to Thailand quite a few times (we live in singapore). We generally go to Krabi as we have a small child but we also had our honeymoon there at Rayavadee. If you stay OFF the mainland you have to take a boat - check out Rayavadee and the Railai Beach Club just up the beach from it.

Agree that Pattaya can be nice. I have a particular fondness for Dongtan beach in Jomtien, because it's the one beach I can sit on all day without worrying about sunburn - they place the umbrellas so close together that no sun gets in.

And then there's Rabbit Resort, which is right on the beach and a very nice place to spend several days.

BTW, if it takes you 3 hours to get to Pattaya, you're going the wrong way. It shouldn't take you more than two hours.

It took us about 3 hours due to the construction on the way and traffic. Maybe that has improved since then.

Somebody suggested Hua Hin, I would say sure if I had not been to other beaches in Thailand, Hua Hin beach is dirty the water is dark and not crystal blue and there are jellyfish everywhere..... I would suggest Phi Phi

www.thailand-travelonline.com

I assume from your post that by “non-beach person” you mean that you don’t really have any interesting in swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, sailing, using a wave running or water skiing. You might want to walk on a beach from time to time, and look at the water and possibly have a meal by it, but not spend any appreciable amount of time IN the water. In my view that opens your choices.

In my personal opinion in January you may have a hard time at the prices you mention in Phuket as you are in high season, but give it a try. I would try the Marriott. There are also a number of new Marriotts/Courtyards which have opened or will open this year in Phuket and you may find rooms in that range, so do look on their website. I am also afraid you will find Phuket a little boring as it really IS all about the beach and water sports, IMO. There is very little of cultural interest there. I would not go to Samui in Dec or Jan as you will have a good chance of rain, and then you may be mightily bored. At least Phuket and Hua Hin you will have good weather.

My first suggestion since time is not an issue and since a beach is not a big deal for you is that you consider renting a villa in Bali, as you should be able to find one in the price range you mentioned which will offer more than just a hotel room, and Bali offers <i>so much</i> more to see and do beyond beaches – which I cannot say for Phuket/Krabi or even Hua Hin (although there is a nice butterfly reserve near Hua Hin). But if you want beaches on Bali they are there as well. I have rented a house in Seminyak and thought it was very nice. See
http://www.laksmanavillas.com/villajemma/index.html. This is a compound of several villas of varying sizes and prices. I have rented Villa Jemma with friends on two occasions in the last few years. Each of the 5 or so villas which comprise the compound is set in its own garden and has a good-size pool, the furnishings, etc are in good shape and nicely done. There is a full kitchen that is well fitted-out. They can provide a cook for meals if you want or you can self-cater. The prices for meals does by the cook are actually quite reasonable, and it is so lovely to come back from the beach or sight-seeing and have lunch made for you!! There are also several good restaurants nearby. You might also try vrbo.com. (You may also find villas for rent in Phuket or in Thailand on this site.) I have not rented from them in Bali, but have had very good luck with them in other locations. For Bali, although I don’t know it, I am in love with Villa Jepun which comes with its own <i>boat and skipper</i>!! http://www.villajepun.com/. You could also rent a house with a pool inland in the hill area of Ubud and enjoy some really beautiful rice paddies views, but no beach access of course. But you can walk or bicycle to all the cultural events and great art galleries, etc. My one caveat is that Dec and Jan are part of the rainy season; however, again as you aren’t there to get a tan I don’t think that is a big issue, and this is not a monsoon season where you will get deluges, although you will have clouds and rain. see weatherbase.com for rainfall amounts. Bali is really a magical place. Even in the rain. (And I say that about very few places. Hong Kong is worse in the rainy season for example.) And even in the rain there is a TON to do, Bali is <i>not at all</i> about the beaches, they are like an add-on. Some people never even go to the coast but stick to the inland areas.

You might also try Hainan Island, which is the “Hawaii” of China (a bit of a stretch perhaps, but still quite a lovely island). Temps will be a bit cooler than Thailand in January, but still very pleasant in the high 60s low 70F, see weatherbase.com; however as you don’t want to do water sports (and probably won’t be laying out in the sun for a tan) I don’t think this will be any issue for you really. There is a quite nice Marriott and a very nice Hyatt. There is a new Ritz-Carlton which I have not seen. There are others too. You can explore the island, which has some inland highland portions which some native areas. It would be quite a different experience from your trips to Thailand.

Finally, I would suggest maybe a longer stay in Hong Kong (which I know is on your itin) in lieu of a beach, as the Dec and January weather is so, so wonderful in Hong Kong and there are many, many wonderful beaches and opportunities to take boat trips. These are beaches you can go at look at, stroll on, have a meal by, picnic on, see a temple located nearby or boat in/on. You won’t want to swim in them in January temps. We also have some lovely reservoirs. I would say our really most beautiful beach requires a hike to get to (Tai Long Wan) but if you want to hire a boat you can get to it as well (not a cheap option though); but there are many other beautiful beaches reachable by bus, including about half a dozen right on Hong Kong Island (Deep Water Bay, Repulse Bay, Stanley, Shek O and the lovely Big Wave Bay). You can take ferries to outlying islands like Lamma or Lantau and get to some very nice beaches as well (and good beachside restaurants too). In general in Jan you will have sunny weather and temps in the 70s, esp in the first 2 weeks. Sometimes we have clouds and a little rain, but that is more towards the end of Jan. Mostly it is really wonderful weather. December is generally our most beautiful month.

It sounds like Krabi, and especially Koh Phi Phi are your thing. However, the thing to remember is that EVERY Thai beach stop - even modest little Koh Tao - has some sort of posh, exclusive, luxury resort with a private beach. So check out Phi Phi and Krabi, and if you aren't happy, start looking at the 4 and 5 star resorts elsewhere.

Thank you to everyone who responded. Cicerone, we hadn't even considered the HK islands(beaches), but the idea is intriguing, and I will check it out.

You are correct -- the only water sport we enjoy is sailing -- and maybe a walk on the beach.

You have expanded our options.

Sandra/mcbeanie