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Old Sep 2, 2022 | 7:45 am
  #291  
m0hamed
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Originally Posted by paladin732
My husband and I are planning on a trip to either Bali or Thailand.

If we do Thailand, I believe we will do the Phuket region with Trisara and AmanPuri.
If we do Bali, based on this thread and TripAdvisor, looks like we would do Soori and Amankiri. (Unless you have other recommendation?)

About us:
- We enjoy relaxation and privacy
- Trip will be in Feb/March/April timeframe. We don’t have any firm dates and are flexible.
- Looks like both Bali and Thailand are ok for gay couples? (some countries are less then ideal, these seem safe from what I can tell)
- We would like to do some outings, but we prefer them to be more on the curated side. Sounds like Soori has some and they are reasonably priced?
- Past hotels we have been to that we absolutely loved: Milaidhoo in Maldives, Las Ventanas Al Paraiso (rosewood) in Mexico

Wanted your opinions on if Soori and Amankiri would give what we are looking for, and if this I a good time of year to visit them. From some quick research it’s the tail end of rainy season, and in general it is more of the “short heavy tropical rain” vs “losing entire days at a time”? How crowded are the hotels during this time?(ie: the free category upgrade from AMEX likely to actually happen?)

edit: knew I forgot something! Is it worth paying for the premium arrival service from Aman ( Or Soori/ I assume they have a similar item)? Some airports are a pain, and some are not, and we have never been to the Bali airport, so not sure if there is value here.
As a gay couple we much prefer Thailand’s welcoming culture, acceptance and freedom over Bali.

Of course, in a luxury resort you will be welcomed, but it still is Indonesia and Indonesian laws apply. We never felt 100% truly welcome or comfortable in Bali and while many LGBTQI+ travellers are happy to visit, we decided we would never return.

Everyone has a different tolerance, so you may feel differently.

The need for Meet & Assist at DPS is much greater than Thailand, but they are inexpensive so recommend booking. Pre Covid, immigration could take hours and recent reports are that it’s getting busy again. DPS has a specific exit where your hotel car or van will be waiting kerbside.
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