Bali or Ko Samui or somewhere else with 9 mth old?

[nbryant]

Went to Khao Lak and Bangkok this Easter with 5 yr old and loved it. Can't wait to go back to SE Asia when baby is here but don't know where to go. Looking for a tropical paradise kind of beach that is quiet, not too full of crowds etc, lots of beach restaurants. We like to be semi active so not looking just for a resort, but somewhere where we can do/see sites outside the hotel. Would like to combine it perhaps with Singapore. Any beach suggestions?!

Bali is easy to combine with Singapore. Have not been to beach resorts there, but Ubud is lovely - lots of great restaurants, amazing temples and rice terraces.
Phuket - north part of the island is quieter and has some nice beach restaurants - hat nai yang I think. Phuket is easy to explore - temples, giant Buddha.

koh samui lovely- we have been a couple of times- second imd with DD1 when she was 2.5 years- stayed at the amari palm reef which was lovely. Bali is quite a bit further flight wise i think than thailand- possibly another 3 hours or so from singapore ( have been years ago pre kids), stayed in sanur and kuta beach but was backpacking with friends so couldn't really compare it for a family holiday. On balance I would personally go for ooh samui and singapore (can fly via bangkok airways) but that is just based on my personal preference!

It depends on current dengue fever stats and when you're going - but Bali had a dengue problem a couple of years ago, not sure if it's under control/still an issue. But I love Bali! The east coast is so beautiful, East Coast villages are paradise.
Koh Samui - I think the dengue problem is less there, it's a shorter flight from Singapore. I quite liked Koh Samui but I didn't love it (maybe we went to the wrong places but I found it overly touristy).

The weather will be better in Samui than Phuket at Easter. Used to live in Singapore and have a house in Samui that we rent out. North East Coast of Samui is gorgeous, quiet with nice beaches. Avoid Chaweng unless you are a party animal. Bangkok Airways and Silkair both fly direct Singapore / Samui. Recommend the 4 seasons if you are looking for a hotel ... pm me if you're looking for a villa.

Easter is a great time to visit Bali, the wet has just finishes and everything is lush and green. Head up out of the tourist ghettos and visit the north or east of the island. We went to Pemuteran and Amed this year, both were beautiful and quiet. No big golden sands, but the volcanic beaches have their charms.
Singapore is great, but staggeringly expensive. So much so that we probably won't return any time soon, you can get an equivalent hotel for a third of the price in KL. In my mind, cheaper daily costs mean more days on holiday, so that's a no-brainer for me!