Bali or Thailand?

[Tiredemma]

Looking to do a long haul beach holiday in April 2021.
DP really keen on Thailand but on looking yesterday I also care across some reasonable deals to Bali ( looking at 2020 prices though) .

We would have DD(age 7 then) with us so would want somewhere family friendly. I'm not sure either if you can fly direct to Bali?

Any advice or recommendations much appreciated!

Well I'd do Thailand personally, because it's closer with direct flights (you'll need to transfer for Bali) and the Thai beaches are just as stunning, if not more so than the Balinese ones. Don't get me wrong, Bali is beautiful and there's loads to see and do, but I think Thailand might have the edge if it's mainly beaches and easy transport you're after.

Thank you

Appreciate your advice

I've been to both and liked Thailand much more.

Probably not helpful given the above, but I've also been to both and much preferred Bali!

I went to Bali late last year and it was a let down . The sea was really really polluted ( snorkel with lots of diapers and tampax dirty ) There were beautiful parts, great restaurants and shopping but the beaches were blurrrgh.
I't wasn't school holidays downunder so may be slightly skewed but it seemed full of selfie , up the butt swimmer posing crowd rather than families.
Thailand is far better in my opinion, the food is lovely and it's so chilled.
This year I'm heading back to Thailand .

I don't rate Bali's beaches at all, but Thailand has some truly exceptional ones.

There are some great family friendly resorts in Phuket - look at Angsana Laguna (or any of the resorts in the Laguna complex) or the Marriotts - there are a few but all good.

Koh Samui is nicer in my opinion but less to do and the resorts are smaller so children's facilities more limited. It's better for a couples holiday.

Oh and if you’re looking for a family friendly hotel chain in Thailand, the Centara Grand is good. They are lenient on their max room occupancy policy with young kids, kids clubs, etc.

Another vote for Thailand! Plus the journey will be easier as there’s no direct route to Bali.

Thank you all. Looks like Thailand

Some of Bali is like Magaluf for Aussies so if you do go there, choose your resort carefully!

Garuda are doing direct flights to Bali from Heathrow but on return it's via Jakarta for a short stop. We loved Bali but you wouldn't want to stay anywhere near Kuta, it's awful. Likewise re Thailand, some areas in Phuket eg are not so nice. Krabi is stunning, we loved it there too.

I'm a big fan of Bali, we try to go at least twice a year, but we live in Sydney so obviously it's not long haul for us. Our son got married on the beach at one of the Nusa Dua resorts a few years back and we had a ball but I wouldn't usually go for a resort and would probably choose the shorter flight to Thailand in your shoes, I would avoid Phuket though. Both countries love kids, last time we were in Thailand ours were 3/8/13 and we were so much more popular as a family than the bratty backpackers We stayed on Kho Tao which is fab but not easy to get to. Bangkok is fun for a few nights before going somewhere to chill out but can be a bit overwhelming for kids, it's the only place I have travelled where I put one of those "alarm beeps if they wander off" tags on DD.

Ive been to both and loved Bali, not necessarily for the beaches but I found the people warmer and the general vibe much calmer.

I absolutely adored Chiang Mai though and if I were to go back to Thailand I'd head straight north.

April is a good time to go to Koh Samui. You probably know this but avoid Pattaya at all costs. Personally I much prefer Thai food to Indonesian food so tend to favour Thailand over Bali. Bali traffic can also be horrific and immigration is a shit show.

We're off to Thailand this summer for our summer trip. Staying in a resort off the coast of Phuket. Not been to Bali yet but have heard the Magaluf comparisons before so think you need to be very careful where you stay.

Not been to Bali yet but have heard the Magaluf comparisons before so think you need to be very careful where you stay.

This is really only true of Kuta and it's more "backpacker/surfer party town" than Club 18-30 but yeah, it's pretty lively and not somewhere I'd go on a family vacation. Seminyak is nice and Ubud, whilst inland, has some nice villas and boutique hotels. The north of the island is less developed but the beaches are black, coarse sand (volcanic). Could also consider Lombok.

I have been to both - thailand.