Where to go for luxury beach vacation in Southeast Asia?
Jan 13, 2019, 1:10 pm
#1
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Where to go for luxury beach vacation in Southeast Asia?
We'd like to go somewhere nice again for Easter (i.e. mid April).
We're thinking Southeast Asia, a beautiful luxury resort, clear water (maybe some place that's good for snorkeling) and white sand.
We've stayed at the St. Regis Langkawi and loved the hotel, but the artificial beach wasn't great.
I've heard mixed reports about the Andaman Langkawi, some good, some bad.
We've also stayed at the Vanabelle and Conrad Koh Samui, which were both great hotels, but neither has a nice beach.
We've also stayed at a non-chain resort in Ubud (which I can't say too much about since I was sick) and the St. Regis Bali, which was good, but again the beach was disappointing.
Is there a place that has beautiful resorts and great beaches (ideally a private beach)?
We haven't been to Phuket, Krabi or Vietnam.
After a completely ruined trip to Providencia, Colombia, which we thought would be great since it's less touristic, we won't mind a place with more touristic infrastructure. ;-)
We're looking for St. Regis level service.
Appreciate any suggestions!
We're thinking Southeast Asia, a beautiful luxury resort, clear water (maybe some place that's good for snorkeling) and white sand.
We've stayed at the St. Regis Langkawi and loved the hotel, but the artificial beach wasn't great.
I've heard mixed reports about the Andaman Langkawi, some good, some bad.
We've also stayed at the Vanabelle and Conrad Koh Samui, which were both great hotels, but neither has a nice beach.
We've also stayed at a non-chain resort in Ubud (which I can't say too much about since I was sick) and the St. Regis Bali, which was good, but again the beach was disappointing.
Is there a place that has beautiful resorts and great beaches (ideally a private beach)?
We haven't been to Phuket, Krabi or Vietnam.
After a completely ruined trip to Providencia, Colombia, which we thought would be great since it's less touristic, we won't mind a place with more touristic infrastructure. ;-)
We're looking for St. Regis level service.
Appreciate any suggestions!
Jan 13, 2019, 4:23 pm
#2
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 1,677
You have done more beaches than me in SE Asia, but I can suggest you look at Palawan. Not sure where you are coming in from, but most likely you will need to take a connection through (not quite the worst in the world) Manila airport.
Jan 13, 2019, 4:31 pm
#3
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Have you stayed there?
The reason my New Year's vacation was ruined was that we went to a place (Providencia, Colombia) we had only read good things about. Unspoilt nature, little tourism, great beaches!
The reality was, it was just poverty, no infrastructure, garbage everywhere, staff had no training, though we were staying at the "best" hotel on the island.
I don't blame the locals because they were just poor and I felt sorry for them, but also, it was really not what we had traveled many, many hours for.
We ended canceling the whole trip and going home a week earlier than plan, after all other alternatives also had fallen through.
I really, really want to avoid making that mistake a second time. I'd rather miss out on a great destination than find myself surrounded by poverty and misery again.
And Palawan doesn't seem to have 5-star resorts...? I probably sound like a snob, but I'm not. But this disaster trip really taught me not to go somewhere that doesn't have chain hotels, just as an indicator of economic development.
I'm really intrigued by Bawah Island though.
It's much more expensive than any hotel I've ever stayed at, but it looks simply amazing. I'd really prefer something cheaper, but I'm seriously considering it to make up for the ruined trip a few weeks ago.
The reason my New Year's vacation was ruined was that we went to a place (Providencia, Colombia) we had only read good things about. Unspoilt nature, little tourism, great beaches!
The reality was, it was just poverty, no infrastructure, garbage everywhere, staff had no training, though we were staying at the "best" hotel on the island.
I don't blame the locals because they were just poor and I felt sorry for them, but also, it was really not what we had traveled many, many hours for.
We ended canceling the whole trip and going home a week earlier than plan, after all other alternatives also had fallen through.
I really, really want to avoid making that mistake a second time. I'd rather miss out on a great destination than find myself surrounded by poverty and misery again.
And Palawan doesn't seem to have 5-star resorts...? I probably sound like a snob, but I'm not. But this disaster trip really taught me not to go somewhere that doesn't have chain hotels, just as an indicator of economic development.
I'm really intrigued by Bawah Island though.
It's much more expensive than any hotel I've ever stayed at, but it looks simply amazing. I'd really prefer something cheaper, but I'm seriously considering it to make up for the ruined trip a few weeks ago.
Jan 14, 2019, 6:04 am
#5
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I guess Amanpuri isn't as good? The refurbished Datai on Langkawi?
Bawah Island looks absolutely amazing, but it's a bit pricey (I still think we might go though).
Bawah Island looks absolutely amazing, but it's a bit pricey (I still think we might go though).
Jan 16, 2019, 9:46 pm
#6
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Have you considered Batu-Batu Resort in Malaysia? Sort of low-key but luxurious private island resort. I haven't been there but wanted to go (sold out on my dates). Getting there is a bit of a challenge tho.
Jan 17, 2019, 4:12 am
#8
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Heard of The Menjangan? It's at the western tip of Bali in West Bali National Park.
Jan 17, 2019, 4:15 am
#9
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That doesn't look too luxurious...?
Also, does Bali even have OK beaches? I've stayed at the St. Regis and the beach sucked (because of the tides and because they seemed to have a wall in the water to break the waves).
Also, does Bali even have OK beaches? I've stayed at the St. Regis and the beach sucked (because of the tides and because they seemed to have a wall in the water to break the waves).
Jan 18, 2019, 1:53 am
#10
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I would recommend the island of Koh Kood in Thailand Soneva Kiri resort.
Jan 18, 2019, 7:51 am
#11
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I thought the beaches in Da Nang, Vietnam were really nice. Worth researching and there are a few luxe hotels there, IIRC. (The Intercontinental Sun Peninsula Resort comes to mind.)
Jan 19, 2019, 1:46 am
#13
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The one problem here is that April is still monsoon season so most of places affected by monsoon will be closed.
Don't want to disappoint you, for for 'luxury' be the way you mean it, you'd be better of flying to Hawaii. Batu-Batu and Tenalus would run to $1k/day.
Don't want to disappoint you, for for 'luxury' be the way you mean it, you'd be better of flying to Hawaii. Batu-Batu and Tenalus would run to $1k/day.
Jan 19, 2019, 2:06 am
#14
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Yes, I figured that April isn’t ideal everywhere (Maldives for example, probably Bali as well? Shoulder season in Langkawi etc.), but surely there should be a lot of places in Southeast Asia where April is still a great time to go?
Telungas doesn’t even seem to have A/C...?
Telungas doesn’t even seem to have A/C...?
Jan 19, 2019, 5:28 am
#15
Join Date: Dec 2007
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Well, you have three conditions - beach, luxury and April. All three - won’t happen. And a lot depends on your definition of ‘luxury’. If you exclude beach from your condition, there are plenty of options.
As far as Bali, or pretty much of any beach in this region goes, I would suggest to keep your expectations low to avoid disappointment. Trash piling up on beaches is a serious problem and certainly it is problem for Bali. You can have there like 200m stretch of beach clean and manicured, but walk 5 min and you will start seeing piles of trash.
If you are willing to beach let go, than there could be plenty of options.
As far as Bali, or pretty much of any beach in this region goes, I would suggest to keep your expectations low to avoid disappointment. Trash piling up on beaches is a serious problem and certainly it is problem for Bali. You can have there like 200m stretch of beach clean and manicured, but walk 5 min and you will start seeing piles of trash.
If you are willing to beach let go, than there could be plenty of options.