cardesigner2000

Will be travelling by train/bus/boat from SIN-BKK around x-mas/new year's time and hoping to take some beginner's diving lessons on some lovely tropical island while crossing through Malaysia/Thailand. Have considered stopping by either Langkawi, Phi Phi, Similan, or Koh Tao... Have not considered east coast of Malaysia because of the monsoon season. Any recommendations (diving related or not) are welcome. Will spend about 3 days in SIN and will have a week after that to get to BKK.

RecoveringNewbie

Just something to consider -- some of the locals I know from KL will not travel the overland route to BKK for safety reasons; they will only go by plane. Be sure you are very well aware of the situation in the south part of Thailand before you make this trip. I think it has gotten better since the coup though. Sorry no recommendations on diving.

Sweet Willie

do yourself a favor and take all your classroom work and pool work at home, you really don't want to waste vacation time doing this. Spend your vaca time really diving !!!!

Last time we were in Phuket, we could not find any 1/2 day diving, it all was a full day.

I'd like to hear what diving is near SIN.

sonoftheheartland

Cardesigner 2000 - send me a private email and I can recommend a longtime acquaintance in Thailand who would know best current diving information.

jpatokal

The violence is concentrated in the provinces on the east side of the South (Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat). The west side, where the railway and main highway runs, is relatively safe, although Hat Yai (the largest city) has been hit on a few occasions.

liquid

A frend of mine is a dive instructor in Singapore. They generally run trips to the area around Tioman in Malaysia, but he could give you info for sure. Send me a PM if you want his contact info.

I agree on doing the pool work at home.

Swiss Tony

OK, plan is to take the family to Singapore next October for a few days and we want to head from there to the beach.

The problem is that I'm getting conflicting advice from the guidebooks as to where is likely to be wet and when. That time of year does seem to mark the crossover between the two monsoons, so it's not looking easy.

I guess we're looking at Tioman, Langkawi, Penang, Phuket or Ko Samui as I don't want to be messing round with connecting flights/long transfers.

Any thoughts? I am toying with the idea of making refundable reservations on both coasts then cancelling one at the last minute - not entirely ethical, but I don't want to be stuck at a beach resort with two kids when it's raining non stop!

Many thanks

Tony

mario33

West Coast Monsoon (if theres such a thing) is milder than East Coast Monsoon.

Langkawi doesnt rain as much as Phuket, but do watch out for the "annual" haze which hits the region around around August/Sepetmeber. Lets see whether the Indonesians are keeping to their word "this" year to control the haze.

Have you considered Bali ?

Swiss Tony

Bali sounds good but not possible unfortunately.

As for the west vs east deabte, we ended up in a storm on the N coast of Penang a few years back in early September. Basically rained for 2 days nonstop. We checked out a day early, got to the airport and the sun was shining....

once bitten, twice shy!

mario33

A few years ago (in Sept/Oct) I was at the Perhentian Islands , and I thought I found paradise when I arrived on a sunny day with glowing green waters. I immediately checked with the hotel for room availability to extend my stay. However it rained non-stop the next day right through the following morning, and I was told to leave as soon as possible before the weather got worse; monsoon had arrived !

The water was too choppy for the speed boat to run, and the only boat sailing was an old junk. The waves were so rough and the way the boat swayed, I almost thought we wouldnt make it back to the main land. Several passengers put on their life jackets inanticipation of the boat capsizing, but we made it back safely with a good soak.

After this experience, I stay well clear of the east coast islands anytime near monsoon season. You never know how early or late monsoon may arrive .....

BTW it was bright and sunny in Kota Kinabalu this past weekend, and the lobsters were yummy

magiciansampras

We're starting to plan an Asia trip and for a variety of reasons, we'd like to go to Beijing first, then do 3-4 days somewhere else, before ending in Shanghai. We're meeting friends in both cities, so that is what makes the timing a little awkward.

Ideally the place we go to would have direct flights from Shanghai and Beijing and be close to a beach, so we can relax in between city visits.

We were thinking maybe Thailand, Cambodia, or possibly even Bali.

Any suggestions? Thanks!

mosburger

Yhe closest beaches from these cities are Jeju, Okinawa and Hainan. I believe in that order. Just to offer some alternatives to SE Asia.

Michael

Too much travel time involved to get to a really nice beach. I'd skip the beach and see some other city or rural area in China.

In the vicinity of Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou and Nanjong come to mind; there are plenty of less-touristed places as well. Or take a flight and go somewhere farther away (but still in China) - Guilin, Yunnan, Xi'an etc. If you really want to get close to the seaside, you could head from Beijing to Qingdao or Shanhaiguan, but may have to backtrack before going to Shanghai. Though you don't say what time of year you'll be going, and note that this can make a big difference in how much you might enjoy the seaside...

D1andonlyDman

Keep in mind, if you leave China and come back, you'll need to get a multiple entry visa rather than a single entry one. Not a problem if you haven't yet gotten your visas, but it costs more, and if you don't have it in advance of your trip, you'll be unable to re-enter China.

I would echo the recommendation of seeing either Guilin or Xi'an in between.

Or, either Hangzhou or Suzhou also make nice 2 day side trips from Shanghai, or you could do both in 3-4 days.

Again, time of year makes a big difference in terms of which of these places will be most enjoyable.

GK

Hop down to Sanya on the Chinese Island of Hainan. All the big chain resorts are there, and it's a domestic flight so no additional visa issues.