Thailand or Indonesia?

[Choccyhobnob]

I'm planning on going somewhere for my birthday in June. We had said that we weren't going to have any more long haul holidays and were just going to save money and try and start a family - but 9 months on still nothing and I have itchy feet.

So...we'll only have 2 weeks and I had it all planned - 3 days in Bangkok in a 'naice' hotel, then 5 days a bit further North (i.e Chaing Mai) then a few days in the South (e.g Phuket/Koh Samui/Phi Phi/Koh Tao). Then a friend told me the weather would be crap in late June and suggested Indonesia!

I hadn't even considered Indonesia and now I look there are 17000 islands! How do I choose how to spend 2 weeks! I want culture, beaches and also a bit of luxury for at least a few days.

Can anyone who has been either 1) To Thailand in late June or 2) to Indonesia or 3) to both help me out?!

Thanks

The weather is not great in Thailand in the summer, but it is an ideal time to visit Indonesia.
Although I have been to Phuket in early July and it only rained for 2 days out of 10. Bali is great for beaches and culture and I recommend ubud - fab restaurants and lots of temples to explore. Kuta is awful, but friends of mine live in Jakarta and love the beaches in nusa dua.
Yogjakarta is on Java and is also interesting - explore Merapi volcano and the Buddhist complex at Borobudur ( amazing) and Hindu temples at Prambanan. Yogjakarta city is not great so would suggest staying at the Hyatt which is about 10km from the centre.

We did the same as your planning... Just bear in mind its a long way from North to South... We spent 2 solid days travelling from chiang mai to koh tao which is a big dent when you've only got 2 weeks.

Not sure bout time of year tho I'm afraid

I used to live in Indonesia and love it! Have also been to Thailand for a few months, but as my time there was around Christmas, I don't imagine it's particularly helpful to you. Bali is the big tourist centre in Indo as it's largely Buddhist (as opposed to Muslim, like most of the country). I'm not a major fan as it's sort-of one massive tourist trap... but then, that's where many of the nice hotels are. Lots of lovely hotels with private beaches in Nusa Dua, and of course Jimbaran/Uluwatu is stunning. Ubud has some cool hotels and rice padi tours/views. You can get a clean and comfortable pseudo-cultural experience in Bali, if that's what you're after. The Balinese are lovely.

If you want somewhere more off the beaten path, I'd suggest Lombok (Bali's less touristy neighbor), Mt Bromo, or possibly Lake Toba on Sumatera. Yogyakarta is interesting but also (IMHO) a bit hot and dirty and full of hawkers trying to flog tourist tat. Worth a day trip, though, if you're staying on Java.

Third option could be Malaysia? There are some lovely islands there.