angelnot1

I am looking for a month or so "away from home" - ONLY MOI! Thinking Thailand or similar

Health renewal, pampering ,shopping ( clothes, textiles), experiences .....

Open to anything at this stage.... a mix of relaxation and adventure, so would welcome any suggestions -middle of the road to totally left field. Would probably spend at least 1 month in one place.

Thanks Kathie for suggesting the new thread and Carol, your comment re trip to Australia/Fiji reflects what I am looking for (plus pampering!)

Cicerone

I’d like to know the month you are thinking of, as weather and local festivals would probably affect my reccos. But generally I think Bali is a great place for a month and what you seem to be looking for; one of the main reasons being you can rent a house so easily which IMO makes a big difference to living in a hotel and eating all meals out, etc. Plus you get to know the place better when you shop in local markets. You can bike and walk around, language is not an issue. See vrbo.com and other sites. I am sure this is possible in places in Thailand, but I think you will have to go to smaller towns to do this and away from the main tourist beach areas and of course Bangkok.

I also am beginning to think that Vietnam would be very good for this as well, language may be more of an issue and not sure about house renting, but in their smaller towns (Hue, Hoi An) I think you could really have an interesting experience.

South India, esp a place like Kerala, would certainly offer everything on your list. The invented most ayurveda techniques as well as and yoga, so you really are at the source, and then there are ashrams for meditation. Weather would be an issue there if you want to avoid the monsoon. I know you could live quite cheaply there for a month. You could even live on a rice houseboat for the month and just wander the canals and backwaters.

I would check something like Lonely planet for accommodation ideas for long-term.

Kathie

It depends on whether you want to go one place and stay for the month, as per Cicerone's thoughts, or whether you want to travel. If you want to stay put for a month, Cicerone is right, it would be hard to beat Bali. Bangkok is my favorite city in the world. I could easily stay there a month! There are many lovely hotels to choose from or you can opt for a serviced apartment. And the list of spas seems endless. Bangkok is justly famous for the shopping.

If it were me, I'd probably want to stay in two or three places. I immediately think of the Anantara at the Golden Triangle as a place with a beautiful setting and a lovely spa. The Anantara has hotels in several places and they sometimes offer packages that allow to you stay at different locations (Hua Hin, Koh Samui, etc).

One of the best destination spas in the world is located at Hua Hin, the Chiva Som. I've not stayed there (it's pretty pricey) but I did stay nearby at the Hyatt and walked over there for full day or half day spa packages. I understand the Hyatt now has a lovely spa, but it would be hard to beat the Chiva Som!

Tell us more about where you've been and any places you've always dreamed of visiting...

Mango7

a/s/l?

simpsonc510

I'm glad you started this new thread, angel. It will be much easier to get input from many more people! Good luck with your plans. I still say, Bangkok would be a great destination for a month. If you could meet new friends, such as Maeng, I think it would make a big difference for you.

Carol

Cicerone

Oh, I totally agree that if you could spend time at Chiva Chom, that would be wonderful. But the area may not fit your other requirements, esp shopping, clothes and textiles.