SE Asia vacation - where to go?

[lefty]

Originally Posted by m@T

Giant in East Coast Park?

Thanks, Matt.

We're considering a move back to SE Asia in the next year and Vietnam is on the short list. Mind if I send you a few questions?

lefty

 

[Matt]

anytime

 

[dtmt]

Originally Posted by aleksandr

Anyhow, if you (or anyone else on SF for that matter) happen to visit Singapore or pass through on transit, I'd be happy to entertain you for a bit. Not much to see, but LOTS to eat.
Thanks, I'm sure I'll be able to take you up on that offer someday eventually. I get so many emails from recruiters about positions in Singapore, I'm curious what it's like. Also, let me know if you ever come to Tokyo, I can take you to my favorite places here.

Originally Posted by m@T

Personally I am going to Con Dao again in a month, which is my favorite Vietnam chillspot.
Any other places you recommend in Vietnam? I have never been there, but I will definitely go someday.

 

[Matt]

I live in Saigon, which is a bunch of fun, but buttugly as a tourist city. Hanoi is the opposite. No fun, but a gorgeous tourist city. Sapa in the extreme north is stunning, forumite tiger02 and I did a motorbike trip there from Hanoi, unforgettable. Tom...I wish I knew how to quit you. Halong Bay is pretty amazing, but very heavily touristed these days. Hoi An is on the tourist trail, personally I despise the place. Hue is beautiful. Nha Trang = party central. There's a facebook group devoted to people who have been trashed there and lived to tell the tale. I am a member. Dalat = peaceful little hill place. Mui Ne = peaceful little beach place. Both are OK. Con Dao Island = my favorite chill spot...15 islands, like 2000 people. It's empty. Secluded beaches n all that. Note...there is nothing there. A couple of clean-but-not-fancy hotels (altho a 6* resort opening later this yr apparently), and everything happens at Con.Dao.Speed. You want room service dinner...should think about ordering at around three. I love it, and may buy some land there as an investment. Phu Quoc Island is its more developed cousin. Better resorts/food/service/entertainment options etc to be found there, but Con Dao has nicer beaches and better vibe for doing nothing for a few days. There you go, whole country covered in a single post

 

[Suits You Sir!]

Of your choices, I'd go for Thailand. Brilliant place for a beach holiday. Your money goes such a long way. Live like a king at peasant prices!

We stayed on Phuket but away from the main and rather tacky beach at Patong. It was a handy free bus ride/tuktuk ride into Patong if you wanted entertainment or supplies. Was called Merlin Beach Resort which nestled in it's own secluded cove overlooking a small beach and the Andaman Sea. The resort was a fairly big place but divided into three sections so felt much more intimate. Pools of each wing all interconnected. Fabulous service & beautiful restaurants in the resort. I'd thoroughly recommend it. Not too pricey either. Incidentally it featured heavily in the Tsunami footage 6 months later.... people getting plucked from the water by people on first floor balconies. Sadly we heard it was left with buses and palm trees floating inside the foyer. Thankfully it's since been restored to its former glory.

Other good places in Thailand? I hear the Banyan Tree there is glorious (and pricey) and Krabi is away from it all but with nice resorts.

Sadly I find it difficult to say anything good about Bangkok. Enormous sprawl, filthy, congested like you wouldn't believe and horrible hospitality in comparison with the resorts. People laud its cheap shopping. Forget it, unless you're in the habit of buying horrible tat. Okay, so the Grand Palace is quite a sight but incredibly rushed if you go with a guide and the canals are pretty interesting. But all in all the place is a tiring ****-fight and I've vowed never to set foot in the place again.

And Singapore? I adore the place. Keep going back.

It gets a bad rap from people saying it's sterile and boring but I find this view very outdated and unfounded nowadays. You won't find a better place to eat; Singapore has it all from cheap and cheerful to exotic and expensive. A real melting-pot of Asian cuisines.

Everyone fancies a stay at Raffles, but most can't afford it. We opted for the Fullerton on the Singapore River and it was a delight. If you don't know it must be one of the city's grandest old buildings; an imposing building with impressive doric columns - it was once the GPO before becoming a hotel. It's close to everything and the MRT. If you get a room on the good side you get a great view of the city skyline and the Durians; their new opera house. Things to do there? Shop till you drop on Orchard Road, visit the zoo (don't scoff, it's worth the trip and deserves it's famous reputation), hop over to Sentosa on the cable car (fab views) - much is tacky but there are some rewards, check out Chinatown and Little India, and of course.... eat, eat, eat - there's no way you'll run out of restaurants here.

And whilst there, maybe a hop over to Bintan is an option? We did it (5 days there, 5 days Singapore), and it was a treat. Beaches were surprisingly pretty being so close to Singapore (fast ferry takes one hour) - uncrowded tropical, clean and stunning sand; a real surprise. The island doesn't really have much to do - unless you're big into golf (courses by Gary Player & Greg Norman I believe) - it's just a good break away from the city, kick back and relax round the pool, at the Spa or if you're inclined, some sailing or waterskiing.

We stayed at the Angsana Resort & Spa on Bintan... pretty place but not really up to much. Service terribly disappointing, as was the food. However, that would all change if you stayed just a minute's walk away at the Banyan Tree, where we often went to eat. If you can afford to stay, go for it, you won't be disappointed. All rooms are secluded villas which have stunning hillside views of the ocean. The staff there are wonderful and the food at their restaurants was divine. Oh, and it's not as pricey as the Banyan Tree in Phuket.

So, Thailand for relaxing on the cheap is a winner.

If you want city/beach go for Singapore/Bintan... you get best of both worlds.

Might give you something to consider. Bon voyage.

 

[Nonk]

I lived in SE Asia for a few years.

I would recommend you visit Brunei, but I don't hate you.

Personally I think Bali is a tourist hell dump, and Boracay, while having nice beaches is dull.

My advice would be try a nice resort somewhere in Malaysia.

 

[acidboy]

Originally Posted by Nonk

I lived in SE Asia for a few years.

I would recommend you visit Brunei, but I don't hate you.

Personally I think Bali is a tourist hell dump, and Boracay, while having nice beaches is dull.

My advice would be try a nice resort somewhere in Malaysia.

I wouldn't call Boracay dull, if you know what it is and isn't. Boracay still has one of the best beaches in the world, imo. Really, I've rarely seen sand that powdery and white. And the water's great year round, except during typhoons of course. It has become more like Bali with the nightlife and all, so if someone's looking for a quieter place- Bohol, and Palawan in the Philippines are places I'd strongly recommend.

 

[lefty]

Originally Posted by acidicboy

It has become more like Bali with the nightlife and all, so if someone's looking for a quieter place- Bohol, and Palawan in the Philippines are places I'd strongly recommend.

I'm on my way to Bali this week after a 10 year absence, so I'm hoping it hasn't become too crazy. I'll be in Ubud and the north, so I plan to be far away enough from the drunk lads in Kuta.

lefty

 

[aleksandr]

Originally Posted by lefty

alexsandr, there used to be a seafood restaurant along the road from the airport to downtown Singapore with a huge sign that read, "If it swims, we got it." Always thought that summed up the cuisine pretty well. I'll be passing through for about three hours and would love to load up on some of my favourite dishes. Anything close to the airport (or even at the airport) you can recommend?

lefty

There's a pretty big cluster (4-5, if I recall correctly) of seafood restaurants about 10 minutes into town from the airport. And yeah, most of them have an amazingly wide variety of fish, crustaceans and shellfish on the menu, cooked in a multitude of ways. I personally like this placed called Red House. PM for more details

 

[lefty]

Originally Posted by aleksandr

There's a pretty big cluster (4-5, if I recall correctly) of seafood restaurants about 10 minutes into town from the airport. And yeah, most of them have an amazingly wide variety of fish, crustaceans and shellfish on the menu, cooked in a multitude of ways. I personally like this placed called Red House. PM for more details

Will do. As it turns out I now have about 8 hours to kill, so can stray a little farther into the city.

lefty

 

[SamIam33]

Originally Posted by Suits You Sir!

Of your choices, I'd go for Thailand. Brilliant place for a beach holiday. Your money goes such a long way. Live like a king at peasant prices!

We stayed on Phuket but away from the main and rather tacky beach at Patong. It was a handy free bus ride/tuktuk ride into Patong if you wanted entertainment or supplies. Was called Merlin Beach Resort which nestled in it's own secluded cove overlooking a small beach and the Andaman Sea. The resort was a fairly big place but divided into three sections so felt much more intimate. Pools of each wing all interconnected. Fabulous service & beautiful restaurants in the resort. I'd thoroughly recommend it. Not too pricey either. Incidentally it featured heavily in the Tsunami footage 6 months later.... people getting plucked from the water by people on first floor balconies. Sadly we heard it was left with buses and palm trees floating inside the foyer. Thankfully it's since been restored to its former glory.

Other good places in Thailand? I hear the Banyan Tree there is glorious (and pricey) and Krabi is away from it all but with nice resorts.

I would love to be able to visit Thailand... I've heard a lot of good reviews similar to yours. I was looking at hotels in Phuket on Royal Holiday's site and the Royal Lighthouse Villas looked pretty nice-- it was about 30 minutes away from the Patong beaches. I definitely prefer somewhere less touristy.