Narrow down my options (Asia!)

[Irie1980]

April destination (Asia) - help me decide!

Hi, planning to travel with the family this April for just over 2 weeks, I've 2 kids age 10 and 12 who are good travellers.

We've always loved Thailand but really would like to avoid huge crowds of instagrammers (if you get me!), and anywhere that's more seedy. We're looking for a bit of adventure, great food, and white sandy beaches with good snorkeling but somewhere with the option of nightmarkets and a bit of life in the evenings! I want to avoid areas where there might be box jellyfish (though I might be bordering on paranoia)

We will stay in mid range accommodation but would love the option to stay on a beach bungalow if possible.

I'm looking at either one of these combinations- any feedback?

1. Fly to Bangkok then Koh Samet and Koh Chang
2. Fly to Phuket, then Koh Lipe and possibly some smaller islands
3. Fly to Kuala Lumpur, then possibly Redang and/or Parhentian islands.
4. Fly to Kuala Lumpur, then Langkawi and Koh Lipe

I'm really flummoxed, would you recommend any of the above? Or is there an option 5 I'm not thinking of? Thanks!

Just go to Koh Samui 🤷‍♀️

That poster beat me to it - yes to Koh Samui!!!

Have a look at katie_ellison on Instagram, she did a Thailand trip last January with similar age children and looked great.

I would fly into Bangkok and spend a few days there - I’m keen to take my kids and do a food market tour. Have travelled around the Thai islands before but we’ve always flown in from Singapore, where we have family.

I think Perentian islands is meant to be amazing for snorkelling.

Not sure about weather that time of year but you could also consider Lombok/Gili islands - the islands are absolutely beautiful and we saw turtles snorkelling here.

Second Lombok and the Gilis!

Lombok is better in the summer months as is the rest of Indonesia. I would do East coast Thailand - so Ko Tao and/or Koh Samui.

How busy is Koh Samui though, have heard loads of reports that it's over developed and very expensive! I don't really want to feel like we're on the Costa Del Sol with high rise and just strips of resorts!

I love Phuket but it is now totally overrun with Russians. It ain't pretty and is SO much busier because of it. I would avoid on that basis sadly.

You need to pick the right location on koh samui - llamai beach is stunning with small hotels with bungalows/rooms very close to the beach. Ditto koh phang na - go away from the ferry terminal and over the other side to the jungle. Koh Tao is all about snorkeling. Enjoy planning.

This is where we stayed and it was so quiet around there
https://www.noraburiresort.com/

Look at Malaysian Borneo. Sabah and Sarawak. Beautiful, interesting and fewer influencers! https://www.amazingborneo.com/sabah/tours/sabah-sarawak-dual-states

Not pushing this specific tour, just suggesting the region.

A lot of these places are quite touristy now so you just need to research beaches and locations. A PP mentioned Phuket as touristy - it is but at the southern tip it's still lovely. Coming into rainy season in April though.
If you want an adventure take a look at Komodo and doing a liveaboard which would be stunning around April time.

Agree Borneo is a good shout. Can see the Orangutans which is an amazing experience and the snorkelling off Kalimantan would be good in April.

We flew to Phuket and are currently sat on the beach in Khao Lak. If you choose the top parts of the beach you’ll get plenty peace and quiet with very little photoshoots! (Although some small Asian men in budgie smugglers that pose for their camera has been experienced).
Main street is packed with restaurants and shops and you can do plenty activities from here.
Highly recommend!

Haha @Scandicc !

We've already been lucky enough to travel through Malaysian Borneo and see orangutans! We really enjoyed it but not really the type of holiday we're after right now.

I'm just so overwhelmed at this stage, argh.

I'll check out Nora Buri, thanks!

Ours were a bit younger but we did Bangkok, Chiang Mai then Koh Chang and that was really good for them. Check to see if it's the water festival, I can't remember the name of it but that was epic, basically everyone just shoots everyone with water pistols!

Can't go wrong with Khoa Lak, we've been loads and its a great place for families.
Fab hotels on the beach, night market, loads of amazing restaurants ( try the beach ones), not far for day trips, temple visits, James Bond Island etc, also very cheap when you get there!
I agree with Scandicc, highly recommend.

I’d veto Phuket too as way too touristy and built up. Maybe Krabi instead? While Krabi and Samui are both still touristy it still has a tropical Thai vibe. Saying that I do think that Thailand and Bali are very geared towards tourists now…. Vietnam still has a very authentic feel

It's certainly not high rise!

Nowhere has been untouched by tourists. You may think they are but they really aren't. 50 years of travelling the world has shown me this.

Songkran festival. Mid April

We're going to Thailand in the April half term with our two, 9 and 11. We're doing the following: Bangkok 2 days, Krabi 3 days, Koh Jum 2 days, Koh lanta 2 days and Phuket 6 days. We can be flexible with Phuket and if not for us go to another island.

We've been to Thailand before and went to Chang Mai, Koh Tao etc which was wonderful but wanted to travel to different parts this time

What about the Vietnamese Islands ?I forget their names , sorry.

The perhentian islands are absolutely gorgeous - still unspoiled and not overrun with tourists like many of the Thai islands. We took our kids there a few years back and it was their favourite part of our Malaysia trip. That also loved KL and Penang.

Just updating this thread if anyone is interested! We ended up going to Malaysia for just over 2 weeks! Just flew home this morning.

It was incredible! We spent 3 days in KL, then travelled to the east coast on an overnight bus. We did 3 nights at Laguna Resort on Redang island, then 2 nights on Cozy Resort on the Perhentians. We actually preferred Redang as the beach was more sheltered and the snorkling better but the trips were better from the Perhentians.

From there we spent 2 nights in Melaka and then our final 2 nights in KL.

Weather was mostly dry but extremely hot and humid! We travelled around using Grab (like Uber) which was so cheap and and convenient (like 2 euro for a city trip on average). Food was good, I wasn't a fan of their bony chicken but you can get anything and everything. Kids had a ball - we saw a snake in the wild, monkeys, turtles, sharks, fruit bats, lizards, etc.

People are incredibly warm and kind. Overall it's a very chilled vibe compared to places like Delhi or Bangkok, no hassle or beeping cars! Loved it!