Asia & Oceania group posting on GLOBOsapiens

Help - sunshine, good beaches, diving + local culture?

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downundergal Premium account Joined: Jun 02 Points: 12936 Posts: 221 Posted: 2003-09-13 09:13:00    Anyone out there with a tip for a two week break the end of November? I really want a destination with the following: * sunshine - I don't want to land somewhere in the middle of the wet season * good beaches * good diving (& snorkelling) but not so I have to do it every day like a lliveaboard * local culture & shopping * local food and reasonabley priced & drinkable booze * some nightlife but not where there is a heap of geriatrics that are in bed by 8pm but not a full on rave party neither * reasonable day to day expenses * comfortable accommodation pref with hot water but not blowing the budget I was really keen on the Perhentian Islands in Malaysia but it seems that it is the wet season or Langkwai but it seems too touristy. Then I thought, Thailand but have heard that Phuket & Samui are really touristy, maybe Kho Tao but have read negative reports about the diving. Has anyone been to Koa Lanta or some other fantastic island that you would like to share your secret with me? Thankx, Kerrie --- Where to next? Reply    Reply with quote    Contact downundergal   marianne Premium account Joined: Sep 03 Points: 20248 Posts: 349 Posted: 2003-09-13 09:56:00    Novemeber is the rainy period for South east Asia, otherwise Indonesia is the best place. But you live close and have been there already as I read in your Kuta report. It may be a bit far away for but Egypt is a perfect place in winter / autumn. The Red Sea is full of the most amazing fish. It a country steeped in ciulture and very cheap if you avoid the big chain hotels and the tour operators. It is dead easy to travel as an independent traveller. a great country. --- “I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” Robert Louis Stevenson Reply    Reply with quote    Contact marianne   downundergal Premium account Joined: Jun 02 Points: 12936 Posts: 221 Posted: 2003-09-13 11:23:00    Thanks for the tips, Egypt is high on my wish list but unfortunately too far for a 2 week break from Oz. Apparently the east coast of Thailand is not supposed to be too bad at this time...you are right I would prefer to not go back to Bali simply because I have been there twice before. Kota Kinabalu was another idea but too wet also. Thanx anyway, Kerrie --- Where to next? Reply    Reply with quote    Contact downundergal   morc66 Premium account Joined: Jun 02 Points: 2383 Posts: 75 Posted: 2003-09-13 13:10:00    Egypt would be a good idea... I leave in a weeks time now. Just for diving, but culture etc is perfect off course, since Egypt had one of the earlie civilisations... Cheers, Maurice --- See more photo's: www.flickr.com/photo-s/27408834@N05/ See the current Diveblog: mauricedeboer.blogspot.com Reply    Reply with quote    Contact morc66   bear495 Joined: May 03 Points: 8634 Posts: 177 Posted: 2003-09-15 18:00:00    Kerrie, I have not travelled too much in November, but my best friend comes from Belize. There are some wonderful beaches, the second largest reef in the world (only bettered by the Great Reef in your country), decent parties, interesting food, and a mixture of cultures (British, African, island, and Spanish). All of the requirements that you mentioned can be found around Belize City and the islands off the coast. --- "Own only what you can carry with you; know language, know countries, know people. Let your memory be your travel bag." Alexander Solzhenitsyn Reply    Reply with quote    Contact bear495   downundergal Premium account Joined: Jun 02 Points: 12936 Posts: 221 Posted: 2003-09-18 02:55:00    I would be there tomorrow, but one problem with living in Australia, anywhere outside of Asia or the Pacific takes nearly 24 hours to get to and I only have a 2 week break this time around... But I have been chatting with some other travel mad folks and have received these suggestions, so if anyone knows more please let me know. 1. Tioman off Malaysia but weather unpredictable in Nov. 2. Samui & Koah Tao - but ditto 3. Koah Lanta and Koah Lak - anybody know more? 4. Malapacscua - this is the one I'm really excited about. Any body know it? I have been doing some research and it is in the Phillipines north of Cebu, looks fantastic, white sandy beaches, great snorkelling and diving, cheap but I am just trying to find more info. The other place was Alona Beach also in the Phillies. If I find out more and if I don't go I will post so other globos have the chance to check it out. Cheers, Kerrie [ This Message was edited by: downundergal on 2003-09-18 02:56 ] --- Where to next? Reply    Reply with quote    Contact downundergal   sam29anil Joined: Sep 03 Points: 44 Posts: 1 Posted: 2003-09-18 07:30:00    Hi friend how are you i am anil from bombay {india} any body who come india and see the iandian histrolicly place like mahar, taj mahal, and kasmir the proud of india hello friend you see india and plz replay my mail aderss which place you like i like agar this place is world most beautiful and lover place and heart of lovers Reply    Reply with quote    Contact sam29anil   kathmandukitten Premium account Joined: Sep 03 Points: 2729 Posts: 82 Posted: 2003-09-23 23:40:00    hi there, i was in thailand in November last year and it wasn't too rainy. I spent the end of november in koh lanta and had alovely time, although the sun burn had me unable to wear clothes properly for weeks. What little rain there was became a welcome distraction from the heat of the day. There are some good dive sites between krabi and koh phi phi, shark point, anemone reef and a ship wreck! Leopard sharks a plenty! There aren't so many tourists in krabi and koh lanta so the dive sites can be quite free of people, something of a rareity in koh tao. Check that the dive organisations have started their season though. all the best x --- Would you risk it, for a biscuit? Reply    Reply with quote    Contact kathmandukitten   downundergal Premium account Joined: Jun 02 Points: 12936 Posts: 221 Posted: 2003-09-26 10:44:00    Thanks for the info. Were you there early or late November? I would have thought there would have been loads more people on Krabi and Phi, Phi and than Tao. I have heard that the diving is not too good on Tao. Thanks, Kerrie --- Where to next? Reply    Reply with quote    Contact downundergal   kathmandukitten Premium account Joined: Sep 03 Points: 2729 Posts: 82 Posted: 2003-09-26 13:41:00    downundergal, i got to thailand in mid november and headed straight out of the heat of bangkok and down to koh lanta. Ko tao is really the dive centre of thailand, businesses compete and the prices are lower, however there are alot of tourists, dive sites are overrun and the trigger fish attack! If you want to be with loads of people then check it out! If you want a bit of peace then head towards krabi. KO phi phi is a tourist trap and i'd stay well clear but it's handy for the ship wreck and shark point dive sites. There's also really good rock climbing to be found down the coast from krabi. If you want total isolation, catch the boat from krabi to koh lanta, half way there long boats will appear from nowhere and offer accomodation, just climb aboard! alternatively koh lanta is an island thats just started to be developed, the town is small, it doesn't do late nights and there is accomodation for all budgets. good luck x --- Would you risk it, for a biscuit? Reply    Reply with quote    Contact kathmandukitten   Page: 1 2