where to take friends on holidays

[ORS]

Hi

Got a family visiting next year and want to book a resort holiday for us all for a week. Want afforable luxury that is reasonably kid friendly (they are all 8yrs and easy to please) Can anyone suggest a good resort either Thailand, Malaysia etc....

Ta x

[hillview2006]

check this out - Thailand - koh Samui island
For malaysia - Pangkor island, Langkawi, tioman, OR kuantan cherating

[RimBlock]

First of all I think what is reasonable for one may not be for another so a rough price range would be good.

For Thailand, for beaches I would second Koh Samui. I have been there twice and stayed in 4 different resorts.

Chewang Beach is the nicest in my view but as it is there is a larger western crowd, it can be noisy at night especially near the centre. South of the main area or on Chewang Noi is quieter.

Lamai Beach is pretty nice and a little quieter. Lamai is not as built up (as most of the island apart from Chewang beach isn't). Easy enough to get a hop on or a cab from to take you around the island. I stayed at the Pavilion Samui Boutique Resort. Very nice place but can be quite pricey. Don't stay for the spa as it is just a couple of small rooms but the rest of the hotel more than makes up for it.

There is a small beach between Lamai and Chewang where I stayed at the Yacht Club resort (no there are no boats). The beach is a little rocky but not too bad. The rates were very good and you can stay in a beach front bungalow pretty cheaply. The bungalow was pretty good and not like a beach hut. It is a bit secluded and you have to walk 5 minutes to the main road to catch a hop on or if you are lucky you may be able to hail a cab. I am sure the hotel can book a cab for you if you are really stuck. There were also a couple of developments going on around there so it may be a bit more built up now.

The last place was at The Imperial Boat House Hotel is located on Choeng Mon Beach (north of Chewang Beach). It is close to the airport but I never had a problem with noise. Flights stop at a reasonable hour. If you fancy something different then they have teak wood barges that have been converted in to suites with a bedroom, dressing area and bathroom (ceiling skylight above the bath) downstairs and a large living room upstairs with a sun lounging area. They also have family barges with, I would imagine, two rooms. There is a taxi waiting point over the road and again the hop ons are usually quite easy to get.

One thing I would say is it would be better to take mosquito repellent as there seem to be more than a few around. You can buy the coils from the 7elevens around too.

Koh Samui also does not have much of a 'naughty' nigh life as long as you dont go late at night to Soi Green Mango where a large collection of clubs are in Chewang Beach.

From Koh Samui you can take boat trips to the other islands which are pretty close by. Th water is also warm and pretty shallow for a bit before it starts getting deep.

Ok, if you would like a more cultural Thailand experience then you should try out Chiang Mai. This is a beautiful area with hills around and lots of greenery. I stayed at Mai Rim which was about 30 minutes drive from Chiang Mai up in the hills. It was wonderful and relaxing but there was very little to do after the sun went down. No easy taxis to take you in to Chiang Mai so you need to book a car and driver for the day or hire your own car. Mai Rim has the monkey park, snake park and elephant park. By far my favourite was the elephant park. Chiang Mai it’ self offers Kantoke dinner with traditional dancing, multiple spa's, shopping, a large night market and a lively night life (but again not so much of the naughty side so no fear of stumbling on bars with ladies of negotiable affection when the parents or kids are in tow).

Taiwan was not my cup of tea but I hear good things about Cambodia and Vietnam (next on my list).

PM me for a link to Koh Samui which is pretty comprehensive (or just google Koh Samui).

Hope this helps.
RB

[ksl]

Taiwan was not my cup of tea but I hear good things about Cambodia and Vietnam (next on my list).

You sound like a Brit, on your first trip over seas, I would say never run a place down unless you have good reason, and even then it is your own opinion. Taiwan is a very beautiful place, if you know where to go, not only beautiful, the people are very warm and very sociable much more than Singapore, However there is a big difference between tourist Countries and business Countries.

Taipei is a mecca of business, to get away from it all, one must ask around and find the most beautiful areas of Taiwan, and there really is many. Taiwan is a very interesting place with heart and spirit to survive, and that you can feel, Not like here in Singapore!

So of course it all depends what one is looking for on ones travels. All Counntries cater for most things. But I rate Taiwan on many factors, it is exciting to mix with the locals, they are very eager to try something new, and the history is one of its kind, with a link in a chain of events that matter also today, and that is very important, to those that care about Taiwan.

[RimBlock]

You sound like a Brit, on your first trip over seas, I would say never run a place down unless you have good reason, and even then it is your own opinion. Taiwan is a very beautiful place, if you know where to go, not only beautiful, the people are very warm and very sociable much more than Singapore, However there is a big difference between tourist Countries and business Countries.

Taipei is a mecca of business, to get away from it all, one must ask around and find the most beautiful areas of Taiwan, and there really is many. Taiwan is a very interesting place with heart and spirit to survive, and that you can feel, Not like here in Singapore!

So of course it all depends what one is looking for on ones travels. All Counntries cater for most things. But I rate Taiwan on many factors, it is exciting to mix with the locals, they are very eager to try something new, and the history is one of its kind, with a link in a chain of events that matter also today, and that is very important, to those that care about Taiwan.

A Brit, yes. First trip abroad, no. I went to Taiwan with my ex who is Taiwanese. Of course I did not see all Taiwan has to offer, who can claim to have done everything in any country, and not speaking Mandarin limited me to a certain extent although my ex was obviously fluent. I didn't find the people any more friendly than anywhere else I have visited (which is not to say they were not friendly).

Taipei had some wonderful spots for a city break like the National Theatre, tower 101, the wonderful little restaurants up in the hills overlooking the city. I also found Taipei to be very polluted but I guess that would be all the mopeds buzzing around all the time. Tainan was also quite nice and the closest comparison I could draw would be the difference between Chiang Mai and Bangkok in Thailand. Tainan was cleaner, more spacious and just as fun. My wife has recently visited Taipei for a short break and loved it. Horses for courses. I would have like to have gone more to the center of Taiwan and visited the forests, done a bit of rock climbing but was not able to. Maybe I will go back some time but if a cheap beach holiday is what the OP was after then it would not be my first choice. If you like Chinese culture then it is a great place for that what with all the artefacts removed from the Chinese mainland during the Chinese invasion of the islands. What I didn't see was much information on the treatment of the indigenous population after the Chinese arrived but then it is the winners who write the history books.

I am not sure how 'not my cup of tea' is running a place down and I think it makes it quite clear that this is just my opinion, the 'my' in the sentence would tend to highlight that.

Anyway....... for a holiday with children in tow I believe there are cheaper, better suited places within easy reach of Singapore to visit especially with the current demonstrations against the Taiwanese president. This is of course only my opinion.

RB

[ORS]

Yep, you are right, what I'm after is a beach resort holiday. friends planning to visit for 3 weeks so a week in a cool hotel would suit us all!
Not sure how much the budget would be, perhaps up to (uk) £100 a night per room? with the cost of the flights over to Sin for them all they will have spent quite a bit already. Kids activities and a great pool area a must.

I travelled around Thailand many years ago, am sure it's changed a lot since then, and really loved it but haven't been anywhere else close by.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Hey ksl....... somehow mirror comes to mind.....

[RimBlock]

Yep, you are right, what I'm after is a beach resort holiday. friends planning to visit for 3 weeks so a week in a cool hotel would suit us all!
Not sure how much the budget would be, perhaps up to (uk) £100 a night per room? with the cost of the flights over to Sin for them all they will have spent quite a bit already. Kids activities and a great pool area a must.

I travelled around Thailand many years ago, am sure it's changed a lot since then, and really loved it but haven't been anywhere else close by.

£100 a night, oh that should be more than enough.

The Pavilion at Lamai beach (Koh Samui) will allow you to get a superior Spa room for just under £100 a night (depending on time of year ranges from around £70 -> 95). This is the one with the Jacuzzi on the balcony. They have a good family pool and are right on the beech. I am sure the kids would love riding in the back of the hop-ons as well. Have a look at http://www.sawadee.com/hotel/samui/pavi ... tures.html.

The Botanic resort at Mai Rim (Chiang Mai) is around £50 a night, has a nice pool and is close to the monkey park / elephant park. Again these I am sure would be a big hit for the kids. The rooms are not as 'plush' as the Pavilion above but then it is half the price. Can be quiet in low season. Maybe a couple of nights there and another 3 nights in Chiang Mai itself. Have a look here http://botanic-resort-chiang-mai.th66.com/

Out of the places I have stayed then those would be my recommendations. Say a couple of weeks in Samui, A week in Chiang Mai for some variety.

Regards
RB