'Easy' holiday in Asia

[Lindos1]

Illness in our family has meant no hols/close to home for the last 5 years. However, family member looks to be on the slow road to recovery. At some point in the next year or two, we are hopeful they can do an 'easy' hol to Asia- to see something a little different. I'm thinking Thailand/ Malaysia/anywhere else? Would need to be a combination of gentle sight-seeing & rest by the sea. Need to avoid internal flights or too much travelling once there.
Any ideas for somewhere we can stay for two weeks that wld offer a bit of culture plus rest. Two adults & two teenage kids.
Many thanks...

Vietnam?
Incredibly beautiful country. Very cheap once you get there. And the food...
We went with Freedom Asia who were amazing. Picked us up from the airport and ferried us around where needed but then left us alone to explore at our own pace. I could have sailed around Halong Bay forever.

https://freedomdestinations.co.uk/asia/vietnam

We recently did a tour of Vietnam & Cambodia, but what might interest you is the cruise on the Mekong between the 2.
Absolutely fascinating, very restful, no packing,
Some excursions involved a coach, or transfer by tender, but nothing strenuous.

V helpful. Will look into. Many thanks

Phuket, I've not been in about 7 years, but you can fly from the UK via middle east without having to go through Bangkok or take any internal flights. Food is obviously great and there are a few sites to see around the island, we did a few days trips. I think Koh Samui on the other coast is a bit more authentically Thai, but it's harder to get to and you'd have to fly domestically in Thailand or transit in Singapore.

What about Bali?

Japan is the easiest Asian country to visit in my opinion and has some beautiful beaches and scenery. Thailand and Vietnam with careful planning or a package are stunning destinations.

Absolutely agree. It’s perfect. Just got back!

All great ideas thx. Re: Phuket, can anyone recommend any particular resorts/ hotels?
Many thanks

I’ve been to the slate hotel in north of Phuket - nai Yang beach, which is a quieter area. Was a few years ago, but worth a look.
www.theslatephuket.com/offers/family-getaway.html?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21336578601&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIvfmBot_7jgMV-ZRQBh1Z1gP_EAAYASAAEgK-2PD_BwE

Hoi An in Vietnam is lovely and more relaxing than Hanoi or HCMC. Nearest airport would be DaNang, which is about 45 mins away. I have stayed here many times:
https://lasiestaresorts.com/

Agree Phuket could be a good option- Khao Lak is lovely and about 80-90 min from Phuket airport.

Have a look at Bang Tao Beach area of Phuket. Really central for excursions, great local food and lovely hotels.
Thailand seemed a bit out of our comfort zone before we booked it, but Phuket was fantastic.
Emirates do package holidays and we used them. The flights, accommodation and transfers were all included and really straightforward.

We had a beach bungalow in Thavorn resort. Great food, great location, great service, 15 min to Patong, 30 min to Phuket old town. Loved every minute.

Excellent! Thanks all x

We've recently been looking for a similarly 'easy' Asian holiday with kids and did loads of research before booking Phuket with Trailfinders. There are some direct flights from UK to Phuket in winter - e.g. TUI fly direct from Manchester to Phuket from around November until April. There are far fewer flights without having to fly internally in Thailand over the summer which is low season in Phuket.

How about Langkawi archipelago in Northern Malaysia?Its quiet with good standards in comparison to many other resort areas in SE Asia.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langkawi

I’d do one of 2 things depending on the time of the year. Either fly direct to Phuket then head to koh Lanta and Krabi or fly to koh Samui and holiday there. Both v chilled and fun but plenty to do :)

We have just spent ten days in Vietnam/Cambodia. Hoi An is quite wonderful and next time we travel there, we will try Phu Quoc, an island resort which came highly recommended. We preferred Hanoi to Saigon. Another place I’d highly recommend is Lombok - the island next to Bali, very chilled, absolutely beautiful, cheap and as much or as little as you want to do. We fly to Jakarta and transfer from there.

V interesting ideas thx all.
Didn't know direct flight to Phuket vaguely possible...

Thailand is easy because they get so many tourists. Malaysia or Japan I hear very high things about too- Borneo is supposed to be especially lovely- and Sri Lanka and South Korea.

I found Vietnam less interesting that othe Asian countries. Halong Bay was beautiful but a big disappointment- it was full of other boats and jellyfish! Our boat recommended swimming but several people were stung so got out. I was very nervous doing our kayak expedition there as I could see the jellies around the boat and was hitting them with my oars as I paddled.

Exactly what I’m hoping to find.

How was the weather in August? Can I be cheeky and ask how much you paid? Thanks

The weather was changeable. Always hot, some rain. It was £1300 for 4 people in a beach bungalow.

Vietnam is the most wonderful country. I spent a few months there a few times. Peaceful and beautiful and lots of variety. Amazing food.

How long ago did you go?

id be thinking of booking for 2026 first week of July? @Jujujudo

this time last year we went! We were there most of July, popped to Koh Samui for a few days too