Holiday destination near Singapore?
Discussion
I'm going to be going to Singapore at the end of March along with my parents and girlfriend to visit my brother who lives out there, and am wondering where else we could visit whilst out there.
We're going to be in Singapore for ~a week and then head off somewhere else exotic for a week. We were originally thinking about Bali/Gilli Islands, but it seems it might be a bit rainy there during March, so we're looking elsewhere. Thailand has been mooted, but we've all been there before and my girlfriend spent 5 weeks there a couple of years ago, so would prefer to go somewhere else.
Obviously Malaysia is close by, but other than that little fact I know very little about it or anywhere else nearby!
Has anyone got any suggestions? My brother suggested Redang, but whilst it looks nice, it also looks like it might get boring...!
Ideally it'd be a nice place with clear sea, nice beaches, but also with something to do.
TIA
We're going to be in Singapore for ~a week and then head off somewhere else exotic for a week. We were originally thinking about Bali/Gilli Islands, but it seems it might be a bit rainy there during March, so we're looking elsewhere. Thailand has been mooted, but we've all been there before and my girlfriend spent 5 weeks there a couple of years ago, so would prefer to go somewhere else.
Obviously Malaysia is close by, but other than that little fact I know very little about it or anywhere else nearby!
Has anyone got any suggestions? My brother suggested Redang, but whilst it looks nice, it also looks like it might get boring...!
Ideally it'd be a nice place with clear sea, nice beaches, but also with something to do.
TIA
Bin tan is 40 minutes from Singapore by ferry. Very nice it is too.
http://www.banyantree.com/en/bintan/overview
http://www.banyantree.com/en/bintan/overview
Near Singapore. honost opinions below
Batam Bintan, OK but I wouldn't take my mother there, and I own two properties there.
Malacca is OK for a weekend, but no beach.
Tioman Islands, never been but they say the diving is good.
East Coast Malaysia, Kuantan and a little North, as I've said before boring, OK if you like staying in the resort, and the tidal rip on the beach is awfull, my wife and daughter wont go and is less than a 2 hour drive.
If you get on a plane anywhere in Malaysia South Thailand is near
Penang, George Town is good, if you want somthing as well as the beach, I don't like the beach as the water is coloured by the sand picked up in tidal rip around the is island.
Lankowi, is OK if you've never been, but if your on the plane Thailand is better, I lived In North Malaysia (penang Lankowi) and lankowi is OK but I wouldn't do 14 hours on a plane to get there, as I think its limited by the Malay culture.
Ko Sumoi, is good,
Krabbie, Ao Nang is good.
A bit further and Bali should be on for along weekend
Batam Bintan, OK but I wouldn't take my mother there, and I own two properties there.
Malacca is OK for a weekend, but no beach.
Tioman Islands, never been but they say the diving is good.
East Coast Malaysia, Kuantan and a little North, as I've said before boring, OK if you like staying in the resort, and the tidal rip on the beach is awfull, my wife and daughter wont go and is less than a 2 hour drive.
If you get on a plane anywhere in Malaysia South Thailand is near
Penang, George Town is good, if you want somthing as well as the beach, I don't like the beach as the water is coloured by the sand picked up in tidal rip around the is island.
Lankowi, is OK if you've never been, but if your on the plane Thailand is better, I lived In North Malaysia (penang Lankowi) and lankowi is OK but I wouldn't do 14 hours on a plane to get there, as I think its limited by the Malay culture.
Ko Sumoi, is good,
Krabbie, Ao Nang is good.
A bit further and Bali should be on for along weekend
As Berw says, plenty of one dayer / weekender places around Malaysia . Riau Indonesia.
Bintan is basically a Benedorm for Singaporeans and is expensive too.
Langkawi does have some nice resourts for just chilling out but if you get bored of the beach and run out of books it can get a bit boring.
Thailand has the best range of options TBH as suggested.
Some leftfield ones though
Do the temples thing Chang Mai - Thailand, Siem Reap - Cambodia or Bagen - Myanmar(Burma for those of BBC generation)
Vietnam has sone lovely places too and there are some good Vietnam Travel Guides in teh Asia section here courtecy of Phumy.
Tioman Aur and Cebu are very prety but there is not a hell of a lot else to do there than diving.
Bintan is basically a Benedorm for Singaporeans and is expensive too.
Langkawi does have some nice resourts for just chilling out but if you get bored of the beach and run out of books it can get a bit boring.
Thailand has the best range of options TBH as suggested.
Some leftfield ones though
Do the temples thing Chang Mai - Thailand, Siem Reap - Cambodia or Bagen - Myanmar(Burma for those of BBC generation)
Vietnam has sone lovely places too and there are some good Vietnam Travel Guides in teh Asia section here courtecy of Phumy.
Tioman Aur and Cebu are very prety but there is not a hell of a lot else to do there than diving.
XJSJohn said:
Myanmar(Burma for those of BBC generation)
My missus says that there are some amazing 5 star resorts in Myanmar. Shame I'll get killed for ever going near there.I liked Langkawi, but agree that there are probably better places to go if you've made the effort to come out here.
XJSJohn said:
Bing o said:
XJSJohn said:
Myanmar(Burma for those of BBC generation)
My missus says that there are some amazing 5 star resorts in Myanmar. Shame I'll get killed for ever going near there.
He's now a democratically elected member of parliament. Even better.
John Burma is not just for the BBC generation, the Forign office have (or had) asked that it is refereed to as Burma, and not Mayanmar,
Can you get a visa easy? I know there is a 24 hour one at the river crossing. The Burmese waitresses in the Green Man advise me that if you go to Burma go as an independent not on an official tour as all the money from the official route goes to the government.
Can you get a visa easy? I know there is a 24 hour one at the river crossing. The Burmese waitresses in the Green Man advise me that if you go to Burma go as an independent not on an official tour as all the money from the official route goes to the government.
Berw said:
John Burma is not just for the BBC generation, the Forign office have (or had) asked that it is refereed to as Burma, and not Mayanmar,
Can you get a visa easy? I know there is a 24 hour one at the river crossing. The Burmese waitresses in the Green Man advise me that if you go to Burma go as an independent not on an official tour as all the money from the official route goes to the government.
Yep, it's still Burma on the UK government immigration website. Visas are easy enough to get as far as I know. I'll ask the missus where she recommends to stay tomorrow. Can you get a visa easy? I know there is a 24 hour one at the river crossing. The Burmese waitresses in the Green Man advise me that if you go to Burma go as an independent not on an official tour as all the money from the official route goes to the government.
As to the OP, if you've not really done SE Asia I'd do Chiang Mai for a week, should give you a good taster, and Thai food is simply stunning.
Just leave the ManU shirts at home - though I think John has an interesting take on that!
Bing o said:
Berw said:
John Burma is not just for the BBC generation, the Forign office have (or had) asked that it is refereed to as Burma, and not Mayanmar,
Can you get a visa easy? I know there is a 24 hour one at the river crossing. The Burmese waitresses in the Green Man advise me that if you go to Burma go as an independent not on an official tour as all the money from the official route goes to the government.
Yep, it's still Burma on the UK government immigration website. Visas are easy enough to get as far as I know. I'll ask the missus where she recommends to stay tomorrow. Can you get a visa easy? I know there is a 24 hour one at the river crossing. The Burmese waitresses in the Green Man advise me that if you go to Burma go as an independent not on an official tour as all the money from the official route goes to the government.
As to the OP, if you've not really done SE Asia I'd do Chiang Mai for a week, should give you a good taster, and Thai food is simply stunning.
Just leave the ManU shirts at home - though I think John has an interesting take on that!
Bring USD, iron every one of them so that they look like crisp brand new dollar bills, credit cards dont work.
Your phone won't work, there is limited internet, internal flights are bought with cash at the counter. (although i gather you can book a flight in advance now)
Its a very interesting place to visit with some very nice people. 5* resourts are about $150 / night and probably owned by Bing o's outlaw with the shovel and the shotgun!
eta yea, 2 Farangs in red T shirts driving a red Toyota Fortuna up to Suvarnabhumi Airport in the middle of the first big redshirts uprising got some interesting looks from the army boys. We just hadn't thought about it having driven there from about 2 hours east of Korat at the time
Edited by XJSJohn on Friday 28th January 02:48
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