Quiet, child-free hotel Bali (Nusa Dua) in July & July weather in Myanmar/Cambodia

[HundredMilesAnHour]

I was planning a 3 week trip to Australia next year as it's one of my favourite places and it will probably be my last chance for an expensive trip before I need to knuckle down and start paying a mortgage rather than gallivanting round the world on holidays.

BUT, one of my closest friends has just put a spanner in the works. She's invited me to her wedding in Bali next July (she lives in Sydney so I would have visited her on my Australia trip but now the wedding takes precedence). I want to go to the wedding (I'm really pleased that she's found a lovely man as she deserves some good fortune) so am looking for somewhere quiet to stay in Bali.

The wedding will be in Nusa Dua (not sure where exactly yet). I hate resorts. I hate the whole gated hotel thing with people just lazing around the pool / on the beach and eating onsite. It's pretty much my personal idea of hell, especially if it's full of families being noisy ("having fun", outrageous I know!) I much prefer to stay somewhere small, quiet and remote or be somewhere more urban with good cafes, shops etc. I just can't stand resorts (or package holidays!).

I've been to Bali once before ( I wouldn't choose to go back but.....needs must). Given a choice I would prefer to stay in Ubud or Seminyak (or even Legian) but the bride-to-be says Nusa Dua (she LOVES resorts).

Can anyone recommend a hotel in Nusa Dua that isn't rammed to the gills with people and kids clubs and just general noise but doesn't cost a fortune?? Ideally I'm not looking to spend more than £300/night.

Looks like my "big trip" will have fit around the wedding so Australia is probably off the menu (too cold in Tasmania and Kangeroo Island where I planned to go). Because of monsoon season in much of SE Asia, it's pretty limited where I can go before/after the wedding. Parts of Thailand and Malaysia will be ok (but these are parts that I've been to before unfortunately and I really would prefer to go somewhere new).

Has anyone been to Myanmar or Cambodia during the wet season in July? Just how wet is it? (I used to live in East Asia so I'm used to monsoons/typhoons but I'm not familiar with these countries' climates)

All the places I want to go to (there's a bucket list!) will be in the wet season. I'm considering stopping off in Doha or Dubai on the way out for a couple of days but in July the heat will be extreme and not much fun to be out in.

I love my friend and I'm so happy for her but the wedding is causing me a financial and holiday headache.

If anyone has any brights ideas, I'd love to hear them!

Is this any good?

To be honest - decline wedding invite, visit her as planned at a better time of year for you. Too far and too pricey to waste time in the wrong place.

Hi, for Myanmar I'm afraid the short answer is very very wet in July. Are you interested in Vietnam? I don't know it at that time of year but the North and South have different climates so one might work.

Thanks, I appreciate your input.

I don't think declining the wedding invite is an option I'm willing to consider. It's a very good friend, who has been through a very tough time (including death of her first husband in a car crash) and I will be very happy to be there to celebrate her wedding. The groom is a lovely guy and I'm delighted for my friend. So I will absolutely be there!

Shame about Myanmar but thanks for confirming my fears. I had a long weekend booked there a few years ago but had to cancel at the last minute due to work issues so it feels like Myanmar is unfinished business for me. But looks like not to be resolved on this trip!

I really like Vietnam - I've read that the Central area escapes the monsoon season in July so I might have to consider that. I like to go to a couple of new countries each year so must admit I was hoping to try somewhere new but maybe just a new area in a familiar country is a more sensible option.

I'm considering basing myself in KL or Bangkok (both cities I know fairly well) and using low cost airlines to fly in and out of Bali and wherever else I decide to visit (maybe Borneo and/or Siem Reap). I'd love to cover Myanmar/Cambodia/Laos but the weather sounds like it will be rotten in all of them. Still in torn between staying in Asia and flying down to Australia. Weather is decent in July in Koh Samui but I used to go on long weekends there when I lived in Asia so nothing new for me there. Maybe the simplest option is just to drop my obsession about going to new places!! And revisit a few old haunts instead.

Why don't you do Bali for the minimum amount of time (maybe doing the resort just for a few days) and then go to Australia? It would be a good time to visit the north - Northern Territory and the top of Queensland and also the northern bits of Western Australia if that appeals?

Or what about northern Japan - Hokkaido?

Or Borneo shouldn't be rainy season - though sounds like you have been there before?

Hoi an in Vietnam is dry then.
What about Java? Yogyakarta is a decent base for visiting mt merapi, Borobudur etc.
weather in north of wa is also lovely then - dry and low humidity. Bali to Perth is not a long flight and then it's a 2 hour flight up to Broome.

Thanks very much for the tips - and apologies for the slow reply! You guys have given me some great ideas so I'm right in the middle of doing some research about the places you've suggested. Now I have some hard decisions to make!!