We're planning a 2-3 week visit to either Thailand or Malaysia in January. Can anyone recommend an itinerary or suggest some great places to stay? We love beaches, scenery, walking, interesting cuisine and a little bit of culture too! Any suggestions would be most welcome. We have a medium budget..... i.e. no camping/no 5*!! Many thanks, Jo

Thailand hands down - it has it all. You can do beach (Pattaya- forget all the bad press it can be great and its only 2 hours by car from Bangkok so you don't need plane tickets)and then do Bangkok- plenty of hotel choices. 2 weeks - I would do 4-5 days Pattaya and then the rest in Bangkok.

Both Thailand and Malaysia have a lot to offer. Either one could be a fabulous vacation. But we really don't have enough info to be able to be helpful. This is like saying I want to spend two or three weeks in France or Italy can anyone recommend an itinerary or suggest some great places to stay?

Do a bit of research about Thailand and Malaysia. They have very different cultures. Read trip reports here, buy a couple of guidebooks.

Also, non one knows what you mean by medium budget (US$50 or US$250?). Once you've decided where to go, if you give us a price range per night we can be much more helpful.

If you're interested in playing golf in Thailand let me know and I can give you the names of the best courses open to the public.

just one side note, generally you will find thailand less expensive..

golf is good in both places..

around maleka malaysia there are many courses...renaissance is a decent hotel there

Heya,

I haven't written anything about Thailand yet, but I do have an article with two recommendations for 2 week + itineraries for Malaysia:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/art...ia.html?cat=16

As for choosing between them, it depends on what you go for. If you are looking for a luxury resort that transplants Hawaii to Southeast Asia, then Thailand is your place. If you are looking to do really easy shoestring backpacking, then Thailand is also your place.

Malaysia is also a middle-income country, but it isn't as overdeveloped as Thailand. The result is that the services are good, but it is more authentic in that almost nothing there feels like it was built from the ground up with Western comforts in mind. So, for example, as a moderately conservative Moslem country, Malaysia doesn't have the hedonistic party scene that Thailand does, but that also means it is largely free of touts, scam artists, and prostitutes. It is also a bit more expensive than Thailand.

The food is great in Thailand, but in Malaysia you get great food from three different cultures: Indian; Malay; and Chinese. Once again, it depends on your tastes. If you adore Thai food then you know where you ought to go.

Basically, you will find what you want in either country. I think choosing between them is about what you want the most, or perhaps what you do NOT want to deal with.

P.S.

That article I cited is heavily cross-linked. So, if you are wondering about Melaka or the Perhentian Islands, just click the link from the first reference I make to the place. I wrote a lot about Malaysia. One day I'll get to Thailand

John, if you have information to give, please do so. It appears you have some experience traveling in Asia. But I find your persistent pushing of your articles elsewhere on the web to be annoying. I understand why you do it, I know how Google ratings work, I understand about back links, and I guess that's why I find it so annoying.

I agree with Kathie. Please give your info and stop with all the links.