Where for a stopover en route to NZ - Thailand or elsewhere????

[MaggieW]

We are hoping to have a fortnight's stopover on our way to NZ this July/August, but I'm not sure where is best to go. I've always wanted to go to Thailand but wonder where else you would recommend? Want some beach but an interesting, completely different place too. Also what's weather like there during that period please.

Bali? Very lovely, diverse island and good weather in August.

What about arriving in Bangkok (Thailand) travelling overland through Malaysia to Singapore, then flying from there to NZ

You could incorporate the Oriental Express www.orient-express.com/web/eoe/eoe_a2a_home.jsp

when I went to Australia I did a short stop-over in Japan.
i would LOVE to have a couple of weeks there, fascinating place

I take it you are moving here?

I wished I had sent everything over in advance and just done a big backpack around on the way.

As it was we went to Langkawi and lay on a beach for 3 days and that was nice. Singapore also held our attention for the 2 nights we were there - could have stayed longer. I would like to visit Hong Kong and Japan.

No, not moving there. Just a visit home but want to make the most of our time away and see another country too.

Wow, a fortnights stopover is impressive.

Will you be seeing much of NZ or have you done it to death?

Well I figure that we won't be going to France this year, so a stopover will be our beachy-type holiday and as at least the travel part will be part of the cost of the ticket to NZ anyway, it makes sense to take the opportunity - esp as the weather should be good! We're hoping to be away for the whole seven weeks of the summer hol's so will have lots of time at home in NZ, although I have to admit we don't tend to want to travel that much while we're there, as we're there primarily to see family, but we will do some small trips.

Could you go other way and do Los ANgeles and Hawaii?

We went t'other way and stopped in LA and Fiji.

Or what about Rarotonga?