Mexico or Bali

[bluefineliner]

I have a big birthday next year in July and DH, DD14 and I are going for 2 weeks on holiday to celebrate. I can choose where I want to go, and it needs to be a family holiday, with things to do, but relaxing too and beautiful hotel as well.

From my current research, hotels in Mexico look amazing and seems plenty to do, weather ok too. Now however, I've been looking at a few days in Singapore, then on to Bali, as it looks amazing. Any advice from those who have been to either or both?

Bali travelling time might be an issue going for 2 weeks, but I may be able to add a few more days on if I can get AL at work for it.

I've had a quick look online, but not sure where is best to get ideas of price etc apart from the obvious like BA, Virgin etc. Any help appreciated.

I haven't been to Mexico but I've been to Bali and I wouldn't recommend it for a big expensive lovely holiday. It's the Ibiza of the southern hemisphere. Parts of it are lovely (just like Ibiza) and parts are party central.

Mexico in July is very hot and humid, Bali is perfect (high 20s and generally dry). Are you planning to stay in an all inclusive hotel or travel and stay in different locations? If it’s a beach hotel and all inclusive I’d go for Mexico, if you’re wanting to explore more then Bali would be great, but I think you’d need more than 2 weeks (we did 26 nights this summer)

I’ve just got back from Bali and I was really disappointed and probably wouldn’t go back.

Singapore is great! But only for a few days. Would you look at exploring Malaysia or Thailand from Singapore?

I don’t think Bali is what you’re looking for.

Mexico for sure

Thank you for the replies, this is what I need. I had read about Bali being a destination for young Aussies and party central, which is not us. I am very open minded about where to go, and although we do have a budget, it is very flexible.

My main concerns are weather in July, I would have looked at the Caribbean but know it is more rainy season then, even though Mexico doesn't appear to be as bad?

I'll have a look at Thailand too, never been longhaul other than Barbados, so lots to consider. Any recommendations of other destinations welcome.

I was about to suggest Barbados but you've been there...

If you choose Mexico, avoid Cancun. Tacky, party central for Americans.

Mexico is gorgeous. Are you thinking of Yucatan?

I think Bali is overrated. Used to be magic 20 years ago but it turned into a traffic chaos and the beaches are not that gorgeous. Yes great waves if you are a surfer, nice sunsets, but the pain to get anywhere stuck in mad traffic sucks the pleasure out of it. If by chance you are thinking of Bali because of the movie ticket to paradise, it was filmed in Australia and Bali doesn't look like that.

Thailand is way better. Phuket or Koh Samui.

Consider Barbados, Bahamas or Dominican Republic. There are amazing hotels in the Dominican Republic. The Caribbean Sea is warm, lazy palm trees on the beach.

Don’t write off Bali, it really depends on where you go (we stayed on one island with about 20 tourists in total!) There are some amazing jungle hotels and fabulous snorkelling. The cultural sights were amazing. 2 weeks just wouldn’t be enough to really enjoy everything and relax. We stayed in Ubud, Amed, Gili Trawangan (5 mins away from the party bit), Senaru in Lombok, Selong Belanak in Lombok, Gili Gede and Uluwatu. It took a lot of planning but was the most fantastic holiday. Our children loved every second (DD14,DS10)

In July, I would stay in Europe or go to the States, it's rainy season in Thailand etc.

I've been to Bali and loved it but went to mexico with 4 kids in August and it was amazing. We went for two weeks and flew to cancun on United Airlines - go direct to their website as cheaper. We flew to cancun and got a boat to cozumel. Snorkelling, beautiful beaches, there are jeep safaris etc if you want. Then flew to mexico city - amazing. Flew to puerto escondido - surfers paradise but lots of smaller beaches with surf lessons and public beaches. So beautiful. We visited the turtle sanctuary, and bioluminescience. Then to oaxaca city - amaxing food and culture. Then to tulum which was OK and visited chichen itza - amazing and the cenotes which were super fun. We didn't like tulum as much because cancun and tulum seems engineered for mass tourism and felt fake but we wanted to see thr ruins there. So many places I wished we could have gone.
We booked internal fligjts direct from airlines online. I really recommend not going through travel agent as my first flight was cancelled and they didn't even tell me so luckily united airlines got me a similar flight out of London. Could not even speak to anyone from travel agent! Also we used Airbnb to stay and houses with pools close to the action

Cross post. To be fair, Greece and Sardinia are quite specular and July is the best season.
You could do a couple of Greek Islands, Mykonos and then Crete, staying near Elafonisi , doing the Samaria Gorge . Don't do the north of Crete.

There at different parts of Bali. I would avoid somewhere like Kuta, full of young, drunk Aussies. Nusa Dua is very nice.

We went in a big family birthday holiday to Mexico this July and although it hadn't been top of my list we had an amazing time! Hotel and beach was great we did some excellent snorkeling with turtles, saw some Mayan sights, went swimming ina cave pool (google cenotoes) was fab would definitely go back. It was hot and humid and we maybe had 2 or 3 days when it thundered in the afternoon but nothing to bad that stopped us from doing much. We tended to do our teios before it got super hot then chilled in the pm.

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Mexico is a big country and it depends where you go.

DS was working in the tourist industry there this summer (in a popular well known area) & there were drug cartel shootings on the streets.

I wouldn't do mexico again because of the sargassum. Looking out on a sea of brown and yucky to swim in. Definitely Europe in July.

We went to Bali this year and like other PP, we were disappointed. It is an undeniably beautiful country and the hotels we stayed in were amazing, but it really is the party place for Australians and that comes through.

It's also massively commercialised.

As others have said I would recommend Thailand instead. Absolutely stunning and an authentic experience. We loved Koh Samui and also did Bangkok and Chiang Mai which was amazing.

Dominican Republic is beautiful too but be mindful that it is set up so that all the hotels are on beaches and you just stay there unless you are leaving for excursions. When you leave, seeing the abject poverty is devastating and in stark contrast to the luxury of the hotels.

We are going to Mexico next year and from our research it looks amazing so we're very excited!

What's the budget? That may help people with suggestions

You went to Riviera Maya, right? Between the South of Cancun and the North of Playa del Carmen, the sea vegetation makes it impossible to swim. Playa del Carmen is gorgeous and no sea vegetation, same with Isla Mujeres and Cozumel.

Probably up to about 10K in total. I'm going to have a good look at Thailand now. I hadn't any particular area in Mexico in mind, hadn't got that far but just knew the hotels were luxurious. Sargassum was something I was unaware of too.

When we were in Cancun this July we had no issues with sargasum on the resprt or at the snorkeling beaches but i think they did have people clearing the beach at times. The sea was beautiful. However I had heard this before we went and had been a bit worried wonder if it is seasonal or localised.

I was quite disappointed by Bali. It’s a heck of a long way to go for that. I found it a bit grubby and sad. There are some lovely places to go and things to see, the rice terraces, temples, but it kind of left me cold. People seem to like Ubud a lot but that was one place I really didn’t like, just a bit dank and dreary with that horrible monkey forest and so, so, so very many t-shirt shops.I avoided Kuta, but that sounds like a tropical Faliraki.
I’d either go elsewhere in Indonesia, Borneo say, or Mexico.

I also thought the Gillies were grotty, so much drug use and despair among the local young people. 2 or so families owning everything so little opportunity for anyone to break that stranglehold. A dull, predictable backpacker scene, everyone convinced other people are having a better, cooler time than them. I was glad to leave.