Looking for ideas where to go....
 

As the title indicates.... I'm looking for ideas where to go on my next two trips to Asia.

What I have planned (and booked tickets for) so far:

• 15 day trip, arriving in SIN on Nov 11 2012.
• 12 day trip, arriving in SIN on Jan 28 2013 (after having been in Australia for a week).

In essence I have almost 2x 2weeks starting in Singapore in November and February. I choose SIN as a staring point because it's fairly cheap to get to from Europe and has easy connections to almost everywhere else.
What I'm looking for is a mix of interesting things to do and some days at the beach. I haven't seen much in Asia except Japan/Korea/Hong Kong so those are probably of the list.

So far I have been looking at Malaysia, Bali, Bangkok and some beach destinations in Thailand, and spending a few days in Brunei. But I'm wondering what I missed by only looking at these more obvious destinations....
So I'm looking for your favorites and maybe some advice on what countries to avoid in either the two periods that I'm there in Nov/Feb due to weather or other circumstances.

Budget is flexible but I would like to keep it below €250/$300 a day excluding airfare. And I like a little luxury and some good food.

Thanks...

November-Feb is high season for SE Asia. With two weeks at a time I think I would probably pick a country or two to focus my time on.

If you have not been to Thailand you could easily spend 2 weeks there. Getting around is easy. Luxury hotels are relatively well-priced. Bangkok has a glut of top class hotels so rooms are plentiful. In addition to Bangkok a nice trip includes some time up in and around Chiang Mai for a different pace and to see a very different side of Thailand. And there are plenty of beach destinations.

The rest of mainland SE Asia are also favorites of mine. You could go to Myanmar before it changes even more. But there is little luxury to be found and the infrastructure is still pretty weak. If you have not been to Cambodia I would probably go ahead and see Angkor now. It is pretty overrun with tourists but that is not going to change. You could combine Cambodia with a visit to Laos, another pretty sleepy country.

I did not love Vietnam when I was there a couple of years ago. There are definitely some interesting places to visit but the whole place felt like a giant construction site to me.

I suppose a lot depends on what sorts of things you like to do. If all you want to do is lounge at the beach then that would probably steer you one way. If you want to see a lot of historic sites, temples, etc then that would be a different direction.

I don't think Brunei is an "obvious" destination by any means. I have not been there. The impression I have is that there's not much to it. So it could be off the path a bit.

I am headed to Taiwan for a week this Nov. I didn't know much about it when I booked and after I started doing more researched I wished I had set aside more than a week there as the island seems to have lots of different personalities and worthwhile places to go. So you might want to go there. Not sure they have much in the way of beaches. Seems to be more of a place for nature (in the mountains) and some historic cities.

Thanks... what would you say is the best time for exploring around Chang Mai, would there be much difference between Nov and Feb? I like to travel on my own and that seems possible here, but wouldn't want it to be too hot.

Brunei is indeed not one of the more obvious ones, and I'm also a little worried that it gets boring quickly. Need to do a little more research on that. But I guess that's the case for most places you mentioned.

I was in Taiwan quite a while ago... Taipei is nice for a day, but the countryside was better, with some spectacular places. Didn't see any beach when I was there :-).

Chiang Mai in December is cool season. The locals will be in jackets and coats. But for people used to temperate climates I think it is a welcome respite from tropical heat. It is in the mountains so it is pretty refreshing (from what I gather...my only visit was in September but I am headed back up there for a few days in early Dec this year). Even Bangkok cools off a good bit in December though as well...or at least that has been the case the last couple of years I have been there. So if I had to choose between Dec and Feb for Thailand I would probably go in December. By Feb things are starting to warm up again but still not too bad. http://www.1stopchiangmai.com/about_...onthly_weather

If you really don't like the heat then SE Asia may not be the best idea (other than those beaches I guess :-). It is the tropics for the most part. Unless you are headed to the mountains which can get warm in the day time and very cool overnight.

I think you would love Indonesia, India, Cambodia, Myramar and Vietnam. Indonesia has the most exciting history, and most of their temples in Java have been repaired and look marvellous, offering a contrast to the beautiful islands of Bali and Lombok which have daily palace rituals, lush rain forests and a laid back existence. India is where you go to to be spoilt for a fraction of the amount it would cost you at home and if you contain your visit to the south, the British influence lingers and the attention is greater. Cambodia is charming, I could spend the the rest of my days in Siem Reap, the people are so friendly, no body is over twenty, so they love anyone over fifty, the ruins are something out of a movie, they need work but they are superb in their grand scale, but so exhausting. Burma where the spitfires were buried is yesterday, how travel used to be, no phones, no creditcards, old Toyotas and the best exchange rate and the cheapest accomodation as long as you limit your time in Yangon and move inland, but a week exploring here will take your breath away. Vietnam I love, it is amazing how they do not hold grudges, they refer to the American war and the French war often but only as a time line not in a nasty fashion, they have forgotten about the Australians. Most nights I sit atop the Rex hotel when in town, I become mesmerised by the traffic below, but the best city is Hanoi, but the area I visit most is around HoiAn and Hue, using DaNang as my base. I insist on luxurious hotels and the best food, I am happy paying $150 night for Hyatts, old Raffles style hotels or colonial hilltop manors. The other chain Sofitel offer excellent buys too. Food throughout Asia is mindblowing, seafood especially which I adore, so $250+ budget is easy to mantain. Have fun.