Asia - Singapore or Phuket...

Anyone that can help me out, will be spending a few days in SIN late July. I do have roughly 2 days off by end of meeting. I would like to go to Phuket, and can get quite cheap tickets on Tiger and Jetstar (But Silkair is really expensive !!).
Is it worth spending a night in Phuket and flying back to SIN next day, or would you rather stay in SIN ?

Thinking about doing a few hours spotting either at Changi or HKT Airport, anyone with some tips for planespotting at these airports ?

Thanks for any suggestions.

Personally I would rather fly to Phuket instead of staying in SIN. SIN is a nice city, but one day is basically enough. Food is great there though.
You can relax by the beach in Phuket! ^

Definitely Phuket !

What you save on hotel accomodation might well pay for your flight to get there. Inview of your short stay, I suggest staying at the JW Marriott which is very close to the airport and you might be able to do some plane spotting (from a distance ;)) from the beach.

You can stay in a lot of places that are far cheaper than the Marriott near to the airport and the last poster is assuming money is no object for you, the Marrriot in Phuket is well over priced compared to other similar hotels near by, I suggest you check out tripadvisor for more reliable and unbiased info

Nothing comes close to the JW Marriott interms of luxury (and pricing) within 30min radius of HKT. The OP is staying for just 1 night and in late July which is low season when rates would drop to between USD100-150.

It would be useful if you could name some of the cheaper and better value places near the airport (if you do have any recommendation)

BTW welcome (back) to Flyertalk ;)

Phuket with out an ounce of doubt.

Been to both places plenty of times and SIN is great but it is a small place without the "culture" Phuket or really any place in Thailand has. Go experience Thailand.

Late July is low season in Phuket aka high chance of heavy rain. So not too sure if flying in for just 1 day is a great idea.

Just my $0.02.

I think just the opposite. 2 days in Phuket isn't enough for me to make the journey worth it. Compare the amount of time spent travelling on both directions, and relaxing at the right spot in SIN can be just as nice.

and relaxing at the right spot in SIN can be just as nice.

Sentosa :D ?

relaxing at the right spot in SIN can be just as nice.

To wind down the stress you had with your meetings, it would be good to relax for that night spend some time may be at Boat Quay ^

You may even take a day trip to Batam or Johor Bahru, come to think of it, you might even take a one night trip to these places, instead of HKT (as you have only 2 days) :D

To wind down the stress you had with your meetings, it would be good to relax for that night spend some time may be at Boat Quay ^

You may even take a day trip to Batam or Johor Bahru, come to think of it, you might even take a one night trip to these places, instead of HKT (as you have only 2 days) :D

I hope you are only joking :eek:

Late July is low season in Phuket aka high chance of heavy rain. So not too sure if flying in for just 1 day is a great idea.

Just my $0.02.

Those July storms can be rather nasty in Thailand. It's hard to make plans around a typhoon.

Thanks everyone for input, can´t really make up my mind yet, Phuket is appealing but the weather discussion seems a bit alarming maybe. Otherwise Mariott or other hotels sounds very nice...

Will dig in the flight options once more and think things over.

Thanks again for valuable information and discussion.^

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review?geo=293920&detail=586602&from=HACSearch&inMonth=07/2007&inDay=29&outMonth=08/2007&outDay=7&adults=1&hs=bak08w:10023

so many to choose from at trip advisor and I hardly call 100-150 dollars a bargain compared to so many great hotels in the area I feel that there is so many ways to determine what someone feels is cheap and spending a short time on trip advisor does help you find out what the downside of a hotel can be and they are usually un biased reports

1) JW Marriott is 10 min from HKT but the above referenced hotel is at Karon which is a good 60 min away. Return taxi fares would easily cost an extra USD20 to Karon and not a good idea for a short stay.

2) Though not quite an Aman, the JW Marriott is a true 5 star resort "on" the beach with beautiful rooms and grounds. Comparing it with a 2-3 star establishment with an inland location doesnt do the JW Marriott any justice.

3) I wouldnt describe reviews on tripadvisor as accurate and unbiased. Unlike Flyertalkers, most reviewers on TA are once a year vacationers or honeymooners who seem impressed with "2 bottles of water in the room". I once chose a hotel based on the excellent reviews there, and I had to check out first thing the next morning. The latest pictures posted on TA for the JW Marriott belongs to the timeshare apartment next door and not of the hotel.

Thanks everyone for input, can´t really make up my mind yet, Phuket is appealing but the weather discussion seems a bit alarming maybe. Otherwise Mariott or other hotels sounds very nice...

Will dig in the flight options once more and think things over.

Thanks again for valuable information and discussion.^

While its true that the weather in Phuket can be quite dreary during raining season, most of the time its cloudy and it would rain for only a few hours each day. Once in a while you would get terrible weather when it would rain continuously for days but you also cannot rule out such weather in Singapore where it flooded during last December. I would put the risk of continuous rain in Phuket as 1/5 while it would be 1/10-15 in Singapore.

For what you would pay at the JW Marriott in Phuket (which is a destination in its own right), your alternative accomodation in Singapore for the same price is probably a 3 star hotel along Orchard Road. The setting (and rooms)at the JW Marriott is beautiful and even if it rained continously, you are still likely to enjoy your stay there more than sweating it out along Orchard Road. Also bear in mind that you are paying less than half the rate that you would otherwise pay if you were going during peak season.

If you are able to get a cheap return ticket to Phuket, I would say go ahead and stay in a nice resort. If the airticket is going to cost you an arm and a leg, then its probably not worth it risking with the weather for just 2 days.

3) I wouldnt describe reviews on tripadvisor as accurate and unbiased. Unlike Flyertalkers, most reviewers on TA are once a year vacationers or honeymooners who seem impressed with "2 bottles of water in the room". I once chose a hotel based on the excellent reviews there, and I had to check out first thing the next morning. The latest pictures posted on TA for the JW Marriott belongs to the timeshare apartment next door and not of the hotel.

Agreed. ^^ Trip Advisor sucks. Reviews on FlyerTalk are much more reliable, although you don't always have as many to sift through, you can always get a discussion started, and the travelers on FT are much more discerning, usually giving vivid descriptions of the good and the bad. The Luxury Hotels forum hosts an extensive discussion of Phuket hotels. The only caveat is that hotels like the JW might get more discussion in the Marriott forum than in the Luxury Hotels forum, so worth checking in both places.

Soo, thanks everyone. Phuket it will be, make a booking for 2 nights at JW Mariott, read som rave reviews here on FT that made up my mind, rate of approx 6000 Baht per night incl breakfast seems very good.

Made an award booking on thai via BKK. Not the best option maybe, but LCC options Tiger & Jetstar had not very convenient schedules. Also have not seen the new BKK Airport (don´t know how much to be seen, but anyway will be fun.

Thanks again for all valuable information.^^