# Singapore / Bali / Thailand ?



## uop1497 (Apr 17, 2015)

Hello 

On our last family oversea trip, we did have a wonderful time to visit Thailand / Vietnam/ Cambodia in June .  Now, we are thinking to take another Asia trip in Jan / Feb time frame to visit Singapore, Bali, Thailand .  If anyone have done a similar trip, please give me some inputs and tips . We will have 3 full weeks there . 

Thank you


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## golf4hrs (May 2, 2015)

*Singapore>Phuket>Bali>Singapore*

I had a bucket list experience taking my family (5 adults total) to these 3 areas back in summer 2012.  We flew into Singapore because of my United mileage can be used on Singapore Airlines and I wanted to try their service.  Impeccable flight attendant service, great seat & excellent food choices even in economy.  

We spent one night in Singapore on the front end, just to unwind and check out the shopping.  I have been there several times before but it was a new city to the rest of our family.  We then flew Air Asia to Phuket and stayed one week at the Marriott Phuket Beach Club.  This was our second time there and still a world class resort.  Could have stayed in Phuket 2 weeks if time allowed. 

We then flew to Bali and stayed at a beautiful 4 bedroom villa rental for one week on a bluff overlooking the ocean with a decent size pool.  It was owned by a Singapore Airlines pilot.  The house was complete with multiple housekeepers, gardeners, chefs and of course a chauffeur to drive us anywhere.  Now I know what is a Bali Pool Villa.......

After the Bali experience, we flew Air Asia back to Singapore and stayed at the Marriott & Hyatt Singapore (Orchard Rd.) on free awards for 2 nights before the long journey home.  Singapore is a great destination and much to see.  We will return to Southeast Asia every 5 years.  Easy inter-island flights and inexpensive.  Never did rent or needed a car so it made up for all the southern CA driving.


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## uop1497 (May 3, 2015)

Golf4hrs, 

Thank you for sharing your trip  information with me . I picked the Singapore airline to plan my travel because I can do stop over .

Do you mind sharing the name and address of the villa you booked in Bali . I would love to learn good tips about Singapore , Bali, Thailand . 

Thank you


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## VacationForever (May 3, 2015)

golf4hrs said:


> I had a bucket list experience taking my family (5 adults total) to these 3 areas back in summer 2012.  We flew into Singapore because of my United mileage can be used on Singapore Airlines and I wanted to try their service.  Impeccable flight attendant service, great seat & excellent food choices even in economy.
> 
> We spent one night in Singapore on the front end, just to unwind and check out the shopping.  I have been there several times before but it was a new city to the rest of our family.  We then flew Air Asia to Phuket and stayed one week at the Marriott Phuket Beach Club.  This was our second time there and still a world class resort.  Could have stayed in Phuket 2 weeks if time allowed.
> 
> ...



Did you call UA or SIA to use UA mileage?  I have always wondered as to how it works.


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## golf4hrs (May 4, 2015)

If I remember correctly, one needs to call SIA at 800-742-3333 from the US to book the flights.  It was also very helpful to book the meals ahead of time, since you do get several meals and many excellent selections on the long flights.

Once you get to Asia, then Singapore Airlines and its affilate becomes more costly to fly within southeast Asia.  I would recommend looking at one of the low cost carriers instead.


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## golf4hrs (May 4, 2015)

uop1497 said:


> Golf4hrs,
> 
> Thank you for sharing your trip  information with me . I picked the Singapore airline to plan my travel because I can do stop over .
> 
> ...



I picked this Bali villa because it was away from the busy, noisy tourist areas of Seminyak, Legian and Kuta plus literally in the country.  The weekly rate was reasonable when we booked way in advance.  I am sure it can be negotiated.  The daily rate was a bit high for my budget.  

Yes, there were nearby villas but all we heard was peaceful silence, a few cows and loved swimming laps in the morning (12 meter infinity pool).  There was some new villa construction during the day nearby and it may be complete by now.  I would check with the owner and Singapore Airlines pilot, James Koh.  Since the rate included a driver for the car and we would tour a full day every day, then it did not matter to us.  Others may choose villas within walking distance from shopping, bars and restaurants.  However, this would limit you to one noisy traffic area and probably little or no view.

One of the highlights of the Bali trip was having fresh seafood dinners at night.  Tables with candlelight were set-up along the beach in front of about 20 restaurants, which seemed about a mile long in Jimbaran.  You literally have the driver recommend a good restaurant, pick out the live seafood, tell them how you want it cooked, they price it out by the kilogram and the servers bring everything to you (including drinks) on the beach with your toes in the sand.  Very romantic and quite inexpensive.  Musicians stroll up and down the beach.  Someone just got married and the wedding coordinator drew a big heart in the sand with red flower petals outlining it.  Fireworks were shot off right in front of us over the moonlit water.  Simply Wow!

Our villa was also on the most southern point in Bali.  Kind of cool.  It did have a nice panoramic view of the Indian Ocean and an estimated 500 feet from a 200 ft high bluff.  You could hike down to the deserted beach if adventuresome (my daughter did) and simply watch the seaweed farmers, which was quite unusual.  There was also a private, mediocre beach club with food/drink which we chose to drive to.  I would also recommend getting happy hour drinks and hors d'oeuvres from the nearby Banyan Tree Resort in Ungasan (25 minutes away).  The view is second to none, especially at sunset.  If you enjoy 5 star resorts and have an extra large budget, then you might even stay at the Banyan Tree.

www.villakarungbali.com


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## Gaozhen (May 4, 2015)

*Thailand*

It's been over a decade, but I spent over a week in Thailand and loved it. 1 day in Bangkok, 3 days in the north hiking in the jungle (riding elephants and learning to cook and rafting over a waterfall, good stuff), and ~4 days in the south on the island of Koh Phangan (sitting on beach, mopeding around, learning to scuba dive). 

We didn't plan our travels ahead of time, and used a little local travel agency once we got off the bus in Chiang Mai to book the northern hike. Then we just grabbed a ferry and drove around until we found housing on Koh Phangan. We ended up at a small beachfront "resort" of about 3 stars, but had an open cabana which was fantastic. (Not sure I'd recommend going sight unseen anymore, but who knows? I was an impetuous young backpacker, so could have slept on the sand. )

Not much help, outdated, BUT highly recommend hitting both north and south if you can fit it in. Both are amazing, and both very different experiences. Jungle vs beach. Memorable.


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## uop1497 (May 6, 2015)

Thank you Gaozhen & golf4hrs for more information. 

Golf4hrs, 
I do not see the pricing listed on the website villakarangbali.com . I will contact to see what is the pricing for one week. By any chance do you know which month is consider low or high seasons.


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## golf4hrs (May 10, 2015)

uop1497 said:


> Thank you Gaozhen & golf4hrs for more information.
> 
> Golf4hrs,
> I do not see the pricing listed on the website villakarangbali.com . I will contact to see what is the pricing for one week. By any chance do you know which month is consider low or high seasons.



The rainy season for Bali is low season ie. Oct-Mar except for the holidays.  The rainy season for Phuket Thailand is April-November.  It might be a trade-off which month you choose to travel since you plan for multiple islands and the monsoon season varies.  

We usually don't mind some rain to keep the temperatures down.  One gets to enjoy the indoor activities like yoga, thai cooking class, excellent massages, crafts or even the gym.  It might pour for 1-2 hours and then the sun shines.  I've been known to take an umbrella in the pool and really enjoyed the rain.  The temperatures are still warm.

We traveled twice in the month of July to Thailand and Bali.  Probably do it again in July or try high season from Dec-Mar for Thailand only.  It also gets down to the number of tourists around and your desired budget.


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## PLL (Jun 25, 2015)

I love the 3 countries mentioned here. There are some amazing sights in Bangkok - the ornate Grand Palace, the Temple of the reclining Buddha, Jim thompson's house, shopping at the weekend Chutachuk market, MBK shopping center with great food court for good and cheap eats - had the best smoothie there.  Stayed at the Courtyard - good location but is setback from the main road so a hike to public transportation if the hotel shuttle is not available.  There is a mall nearby with a good food court and Thai massages.  From there we went to  Phuket and stayed at the Marriott timeshare- it was fabulous but didn't like the beach.  This was July and was told the beaches are better in Dec and Jan.  But IMHO, the beaches in SE Asia can't compare with those of the  Carribean or Hi.  I love SE Asia for other reasons.  The shopping and food in Phuket town could not compare to Bangkok's but enjoyed the tour to see James Bond island.  Super hot in  Bangkok in July due to humidity, much better in December - drier and a little cooler but still hot.

I love Bali also.  The gardens are beautiful. Do hire a driver to take you around.  Last July, we paid a driver $45 for the whole day, gas included. Love the Temple of Holy waters and shopping in Ubud especially the market stalls across from the Palace.  You can get silk sarong fabric, silver jewelry, and clothing for a reasonable price.   oK, I'm a shopper.   Went to the volcano? ,batik factory, coffee plantation, saw the rice terraces, had great meals and had a great lunch at the famous Roast pork place . We stayed at the Mecure at Sanur as we didn't want to spend an arm and a leg on hotel- super reasonable as we booked 6 months ahead.  I like that we could walk out to restaurants and shops.  Their spa is also good and reasonable.  With a very few exceptions, I didn't think the 'spas' along the roadside outside the hotel look too great but that's just me.  The weather in July is quite tolerable.  In fact, the plumerias were dormant- 'winter' month as Bali is quite close to Australia. 

Singapore is a good jumping off point with western comforts but hotels are very expensive.  On one trip, we flew to Bangkok first, then to Penang, Malaysia, then to Singapore on Air Asia. With the recent downing of the Air Asia flight from Indonesia to singapore, I'm not so sure of Air Asia anymore though they are cheap and had been reliable for us on two trips.  From Singapore, we flew to Bali.   The local food in Singapore is wonderful.  That is why all the celebrity chefs had shows there.  It's Malay, Indian and chinese food and a wonderful fusion of Malay and chinese called Nonya or Perarakan or Straights Chinese- must try. Eating  out at the hawker centers and food courts(air conditioned) where the best food could be found, is a national pastime. Food stalls are clean and cheap.  I've stayed near Chinatown and Orchard road and find that I like staying near Chinatown better as it's more interesting than Orchard Road which is more upscale and more westernized.   I also like going to Little India and Arab Street.  The Gardens by the Bay is wonderful- Google it and you'll see some wonderful images.  I took some photos and am amazed everytime I look at them.  Travel by MRT is easy, very efficient and reasonable.  I don't think you need as much time in Singapore as the island is very small and there are not as many sights as Thailand and Bali but it is a very safe city.


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## PLL (Jun 25, 2015)

I had used UA ff miles to Bangkok and Singapore.  With UA, you don't having to return to the same city to fly home.  For example, fly UA  from LAX to Bangkok, then take Air Asia to Penang  and to Singapore and than UA from Sinapore back to LAX.  I think you can do this on-line.  If not, call UA


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## uop1497 (Aug 7, 2015)

Thank you everyone for good tips. 

I am still  searching for more information to plan . Waiting for DS to give me an O.K to book air tickets.


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## Jimster (Aug 7, 2015)

*Info*

I have been to all those places and more but I am not a real big fan of Bali.  There are many other better places to go in SE asia.   I stayed in the Conrad in Singapore- very fine accomodations, but don't go across the street to Outback- I paid a $100 for a steak so bad I couldn't eat  it!

If you want all the information you can use, go to flyertalk and click the destinations tab and scroll down to the appropriate city/country and you will have all the practical info you will ever need.  If you don't get your questions answered, just start a thread and you will get answers from people who have actually been there.


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## Dori (Aug 8, 2015)

Our son, daughter-in-law and grandbaby just moved from Seoul to Ho Chi Minh, where he was hired by the American International School. I have a feeling that they won't fly home for Christmas this year, so it looks like we will probably be going to Vietnam to visit this fall. 

Any information about Vietnam would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Dori


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## Jimster (Aug 8, 2015)

*ho chi minh*

1.  As above, go to flyertalk.com and check out the destinations tab.  Plenty of info there and you can ask whatever questions you  have.

2.  I will add a quick tip of my own since i have recently been to VN.  Be careful not to convert too many dollars to their currency because when you leave VN their currency is virtually worthless.  

I think you will enjoy yourself there.  Over 1/2 the people alive there are too young to remember the war and they are very happy you are there.  You will find their beaches are better than those of Bali mentioned above too.


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## uop1497 (Aug 9, 2015)

Jimster,

Thank you for letting me know about flyertalk and other tips.

If you have more tips about other countries in Asia, please share . I would love to learn as much as I can . I heard people mentioned about famous Chili crab and Singapore frog porridge. Have you tried these foods . If so, do they really delicious 


Dori,

Airfare to Ho Chi Minh City is very cheap in the Fall . If you visit your son in Vietnam in December, you can take a bus or fly into  Cambodia you can see the famous Angkor Wat .


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## VacationForever (Aug 9, 2015)

uop1497 said:


> Jimster,
> 
> Thank you for letting me know about flyertalk and other tips.
> 
> ...



You need to try both the chilli crab and black pepper crab in Singapore.  In addition, if Sri Lankan crabs are in season, make sure you ask for Sri Lankan crab.  It can be huge, meaty, firm and very flavorful (average weight is like 4 to 6 lbs).  The vendor/restaurant will take out a live crab or two and ask if the size is acceptable.   Don't know anything about Singapore frog porridge - it cannot be common.  If you are a foodie, make sure you try local food. Local food being food that you have not heard of before.  You won't find them in restaurants outside of Singapore or Malaysia.  Food courts or restaurants in the hotel are a good place to start - soy sauce duck rice, Hainanese chicken rice, fried hokkien noodles, rojak, yong tofu (stuffed bean curd but most items are not bean curd), there are too many to name...  If you want a lot more Singapore info (places to see), you can PM me.  I like Thailand and definitely not a fan of Bali.


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## PamMo (Aug 9, 2015)

Dori said:


> Our son, daughter-in-law and grandbaby just moved from Seoul to Ho Chi Minh, where he was hired by the American International School. I have a feeling that they won't fly home for Christmas this year, so it looks like we will probably be going to Vietnam to visit this fall.
> 
> Any information about Vietnam would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> ...



What a small world, Dori! Our kids and grandbabies moved to HCM City this year, too. We've already got our flights booked for a good long visit. I just read, and can recommend this book on local food - "Eating Vietnam Nam" by Graham Holliday. It's a fun read, and it definitely whetted my appetite for Vietnamese street food!


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## Dori (Aug 10, 2015)

PamMo, it certainly is a coincidence! When they lived in Korea, we visited 4 times. We enjoyed each trip so much, but are looking forward to a new adventure in Vietnam, if they find they can't come home for Christmas. Having children and grandchildren so far from home is very hard, but thank heavens for Facetime!  Enjoy your trip!

Dori


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