My husband and I are traveling to Hanoi on a round the world ticket in late Jan/early Feb and want to make a 2 day stop in Penang, and then have 4-5 days of R+R on a beach in Thailand. I'm looking for recommendations for hotels in Penang, and for islands/beaches/hotels in Thailand.

We prefer smaller boutique hotels to chains or resorts. They don't have to be 5 star, but a step or 2 above backpacker standard. For Penang, something situated near good restaurants, convenient to sight seeing since we have just a short visit. (any 1 or 2 day itinerary ideas also welcome).

For Thailand, we're making no pretenses about travelling and learning much about the country in just 4-5 days, it's just our last chance in a long time for a beach holiday. We'd love somewhere small, with a beautiful beach where we can just drink cocktails and swim for a few days. We'd like to be off the tourist track enough that we don't feel crowded by partying kids, but don't want to go so remote that it will take too long to get there, since we have such a short time. Neither of us has ever been to Thailand, so any guidance is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Take a look at the Old Phuket Hotel in Karon Beach. It's a 3 star we stayed in on JamesA's recommendation. A block walk to the beach. Try HuaHin.20m.com.

If possible (it may be a stretch for your budget), stay at the E&O (Eastern and Oriental) Hotel in Penang. It is a wonderful experience. It's an old Sarkie Brothers hotel which was closed and renovated, re-opening in 2001. It's all suites, and the suites have really retained the "old world" feel. I found the best price from the hotel website. We were able to get our room for half-price, and it included a wonderful breakfast buffet. We paid about US$150 a night. It's right in the heart of Georgetown, with plenty of fabulous and inexpensive food nearby. Read my recent trip report for more info on Penang. I'm glad to answer any other questions you might have about Penang. We had a wonderful time there.

Thanks for the replies! The E&O looks perfect for Penang! We could swing that price for 2 nights.

I'm still in the early stages of research, but I'm thinking Phuket might be too busy/touristy for what we're looking for. I like the idea of this resort http://www.thapwarin.com on Koh Ngai, but it looks like it might be tough to get to. Anyone have experience with this place?

Here is a site that shows how to get there
http://www.chateauhillresort.com/how_to_get_here.html

thanks, scotters. That looks like it might be a bit much for a quick trip. Can anyone suggest any islands that are similar, but slightly easier to get to?

ttt

Have you given any thought to Koh Chang. It is only a 50 min flight from Bangkok and it has not been overrun by tourists as yet.

The Cottages on |Koh Ngai look like a dream. Does anyone know a fast way to get from Pattaya to there|?? Or do we need to go to Bangkok??? We will be there in Pattaya October 20-27th and we would love a beach to just relax on the last week of our vacation. Thank you-Chris