Planning a honeymoon on points - is this the most efficient use of points?
Aug 11, 2015 | 3:25 am
#31
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 83
I'd agree that Singapore is a long stopover rather than a destination. I usually combine one or two days at the end of a business trip to enjoy a bit of sunshine and pool, but honestly it's like a hotter version of many other cities. Don't get me wrong, it's a fine place, just not somewhere I'd bother with on holiday.
Bali, I believe, is overrated. There are some lovely parts, and some gorgeous resorts, plus you have the ability, as you say, to venture into the back country and towns, etc. If the weather is nice and the resort you are staying at has a nice beach (not all do!) then it's great, but I think a reality check is in order when I hear people saying Bali is like heaven on earth!
I suppose this is true for a lot of SE Asian islands, and Phuket and Koh Samui probably fit that bill as well, though I'd prefer the Chedi or Amanpuri there over Bali, and the food is much better. You might also want to check out the Malaysian west coast, Pangkor Laut, Datai, etc.
As far as the Maldives go, I'm really not sure about that. You really need to want to do nothing but sit on a beach or go diving. You are a prisoner in a luxury resort, and it gets very same after three days. On my fourth day I was going up the wall and took two extended diving days!
Bali, I believe, is overrated. There are some lovely parts, and some gorgeous resorts, plus you have the ability, as you say, to venture into the back country and towns, etc. If the weather is nice and the resort you are staying at has a nice beach (not all do!) then it's great, but I think a reality check is in order when I hear people saying Bali is like heaven on earth!
I suppose this is true for a lot of SE Asian islands, and Phuket and Koh Samui probably fit that bill as well, though I'd prefer the Chedi or Amanpuri there over Bali, and the food is much better. You might also want to check out the Malaysian west coast, Pangkor Laut, Datai, etc.
As far as the Maldives go, I'm really not sure about that. You really need to want to do nothing but sit on a beach or go diving. You are a prisoner in a luxury resort, and it gets very same after three days. On my fourth day I was going up the wall and took two extended diving days!
Aug 11, 2015 | 7:09 am
#32
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: CLE
Programs: UA Gold, HH Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 3,718
I'm another one who doesn't see the ohhh in Bali. It's busy and crowded. I suppose a super nice/expensive resort might be different, but you can get that anywhere. Last year, I spend a few nights in Ubud and found it meh. I loved the little villa we stayed in in the rice fields--we had our own small pool that was lovely.
I'd chose BKK over Tokyo for a few days at that time of the year. Tokyo will be cold and that means a lot more luggage to haul around. I like Singapore, but I think Bangkok is much, much more interesting.
I'd chose BKK over Tokyo for a few days at that time of the year. Tokyo will be cold and that means a lot more luggage to haul around. I like Singapore, but I think Bangkok is much, much more interesting.
Aug 11, 2015 | 1:35 pm
#33
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 83
I'm another one who doesn't see the ohhh in Bali. It's busy and crowded. I suppose a super nice/expensive resort might be different, but you can get that anywhere. Last year, I spend a few nights in Ubud and found it meh. I loved the little villa we stayed in in the rice fields--we had our own small pool that was lovely.
I'd chose BKK over Tokyo for a few days at that time of the year. Tokyo will be cold and that means a lot more luggage to haul around. I like Singapore, but I think Bangkok is much, much more interesting.
I'd chose BKK over Tokyo for a few days at that time of the year. Tokyo will be cold and that means a lot more luggage to haul around. I like Singapore, but I think Bangkok is much, much more interesting.
Aug 11, 2015 | 6:32 pm
#34
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Benicia, California, USA
Programs: AA PLT,AS,UA PLAT,PP,J6,FB,EY,LH,SQ,HH Gld,Hyatt Disc,Marriott Plat,IHG Plat
Posts: 11,029
Hyatt has a Chase credit card offer that gives you two free nights at any Hyatt in the world after some minimal initial spending. So if you and your bride-to-be each get one, that's four free nights at a great property, including the Park Hyatt Tokyo (which my wife and I loved), the Park Hyatt Maldives (which we haven't been to, and at which you'd have to pay extra for an over-the-water-bungalow) or some other nice properties in SE Asia or elsewhere (though the ones we've stayed at that I'd put the free nights into would be the PH Tokyo or, for other future trips, PH Paris or PH Sydney). CAVEAT: You must use the free nights within a year of accruing them via your spending - I believe the same caveat may apply to the Fairmont and Hilton cards described below - and there is no guarantee that that free rooms will be available for a given night (though in my experience, certainly for Hyatt and also for other hotel chains, free rooms usually are available if booked many months in advance). As you may know, your Chase UR points can be converted into Hyatt points, though it sounds like you're already planning on using UR for flights.
Fairmont has a similar Chase cc offer. In terms of where you'd be visiting, I've stayed at and really liked the Fairmont Makati both for its great quality and great location, though perhaps you have relatives to stay with in Manila. (Also a Fairmont in Singapore, though I haven't stayed there.)
Hilton has a Citi card offer (Mastercard?) that gets you two free weekend nights at just about any hotel, plus Gold status (which gets you free breakfasts) after a certain amount of spending. The one I'd consider using this for (combined with Hilton points via other credit cards, if you want to stay longer than three nights) would be the Conrad Hilton on Koh Samui. No beach to speak of there, but each "room" is a private cottage with its own pool and lots of privacy, set on a hillside with spectacular views. Though you're pretty much confined to the hotel in terms of places to walk (with the exception of one modestly priced hotel a 30 minute walk away), there are some very good restaurants a cheap taxi ride away.
I believe that Starwood Amex is now running a 30K per card bonus for initial spending of (I believe) $3000 for tis personal card and $5000 for its business card. If neither of you have the card and both of you each get the personal and business cards (and the business card really is not hard to get, even if you don't have much of a business), that's 120K points between you. The points can be used at any number of great Starwood properties in SE Asia or elsewhere, or can be used to convert to some airlines' miles at a ratio of 20K points = 25K miles.
As for SE Asia destinations, all of which I'd encourage you to check out further in the relevant threads here or at the reviews at Tripadvisor.com:
As noted, the Conrad Bali on Koh Samui is a very special place for the cottages with private pools, the views, the privacy, etc., if you don't need much of a beach.
The Andaman, a Starwood property on Langkawi, Malaysia, has a unique location on the edge of a jungle and on a beautiful, crescent-shaped beach. (The hotel is not as small or as swank as the Conrad Koh Samui, but still a very nice property.) Lots of wildlife to be seen right there at the hotel, including flying squirrels, monkeys, colorful birds, etc. The beach is nice to walk and lounge on, and when the tide is in it's great for swimming as well. Lots of free and inexpensive nature walks and other excursions (some inexpensive, some not) can be booked at the hotel. A great nature documentary film shown on the beach once a week. A very special place. You'd want to get one of the refurbished rooms that has a beach-facing balcony to sit on.
I believe there is a very nice Le Meridien at Siem Reap. I'd highly recommend going there for the temples (if you're interested in that kind of stuff), though you'd need to get a card and driver and go to the temples early and late in the day to avoid the hoards of tourist buses. And you can fly to Siem Reap from Bangkok without having to pass through Phnom Penh (which is kind of interesting in its own right, but not a priority for a honeymoon). On the other hand, Siem Reap might be out of your way if you're planning just one major beach stop in SE Asia.
Back to Bali: As I previously mentioned, I'd scratch it off your list simply because, unlike these other SE Asian spots, it will be rainy season there in January/February, and that can be pretty dismal. It will still be there a year or two or five or ten down the line if you want to get there eventually.
As for cities...I'd agree that a 22-hour stay in Singapore would be sufficient, even though I do like the city and food. (Though if you're simply transiting through it, the airport itself is a great experience, and you'll eat just as well in other parts of SE Asia anyway.) And if you have to cut it out entirely, don't worry about it. I'd rather spend time in Hong Kong (for the views, ferries, food, islands), Tokyo (for the sheer uniqueness of the everyday culture) and/or Bangkok (for the food and culture), in that order...though if price is an priority, Bangkok is cheapest for all sorts of stuff (including points for hotel stays).
Wherever you go, very politely write ahead to the hotel to let them know that it's your honeymoon and that you'd welcome an upgrade and any other perks if available. Of course, don't demand or expect special treatment - just appreciate it if something comes through.
Last edited by Thunderroad; Aug 11, 2015 at 6:49 pm
Aug 11, 2015 | 9:36 pm
#35
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 83
I'll get to specific destinations in a minute, but first I'll suggest that you and your bride consider signing up for hotel-affiliated credit cards as ways of staying at some very nice places on your honeymoon. A few options to consider, none of them mutually exclusive:
Hyatt has a Chase credit card offer that gives you two free nights at any Hyatt in the world after some minimal initial spending. So if you and your bride-to-be each get one, that's four free nights at a great property, including the Park Hyatt Tokyo (which my wife and I loved), the Park Hyatt Maldives (which we haven't been to, and at which you'd have to pay extra for an over-the-water-bungalow) or some other nice properties in SE Asia or elsewhere (though the ones we've stayed at that I'd put the free nights into would be the PH Tokyo or, for other future trips, PH Paris or PH Sydney). CAVEAT: You must use the free nights within a year of accruing them via your spending - I believe the same caveat may apply to the Fairmont and Hilton cards described below - and there is no guarantee that that free rooms will be available for a given night (though in my experience, certainly for Hyatt and also for other hotel chains, free rooms usually are available if booked many months in advance). As you may know, your Chase UR points can be converted into Hyatt points, though it sounds like you're already planning on using UR for flights.
Fairmont has a similar Chase cc offer. In terms of where you'd be visiting, I've stayed at and really liked the Fairmont Makati both for its great quality and great location, though perhaps you have relatives to stay with in Manila. (Also a Fairmont in Singapore, though I haven't stayed there.)
Hilton has a Citi card offer (Mastercard?) that gets you two free weekend nights at just about any hotel, plus Gold status (which gets you free breakfasts) after a certain amount of spending. The one I'd consider using this for (combined with Hilton points via other credit cards, if you want to stay longer than three nights) would be the Conrad Hilton on Koh Samui. No beach to speak of there, but each "room" is a private cottage with its own pool and lots of privacy, set on a hillside with spectacular views. Though you're pretty much confined to the hotel in terms of places to walk (with the exception of one modestly priced hotel a 30 minute walk away), there are some very good restaurants a cheap taxi ride away.
I believe that Starwood Amex is now running a 30K per card bonus for initial spending of (I believe) $3000 for tis personal card and $5000 for its business card. If neither of you have the card and both of you each get the personal and business cards (and the business card really is not hard to get, even if you don't have much of a business), that's 120K points between you. The points can be used at any number of great Starwood properties in SE Asia or elsewhere, or can be used to convert to some airlines' miles at a ratio of 20K points = 25K miles.
As for SE Asia destinations, all of which I'd encourage you to check out further in the relevant threads here or at the reviews at Tripadvisor.com:
As noted, the Conrad Bali on Koh Samui is a very special place for the cottages with private pools, the views, the privacy, etc., if you don't need much of a beach.
The Andaman, a Starwood property on Langkawi, Malaysia, has a unique location on the edge of a jungle and on a beautiful, crescent-shaped beach. (The hotel is not as small or as swank as the Conrad Koh Samui, but still a very nice property.) Lots of wildlife to be seen right there at the hotel, including flying squirrels, monkeys, colorful birds, etc. The beach is nice to walk and lounge on, and when the tide is in it's great for swimming as well. Lots of free and inexpensive nature walks and other excursions (some inexpensive, some not) can be booked at the hotel. A great nature documentary film shown on the beach once a week. A very special place. You'd want to get one of the refurbished rooms that has a beach-facing balcony to sit on.
I believe there is a very nice Le Meridien at Siem Reap. I'd highly recommend going there for the temples (if you're interested in that kind of stuff), though you'd need to get a card and driver and go to the temples early and late in the day to avoid the hoards of tourist buses. And you can fly to Siem Reap from Bangkok without having to pass through Phnom Penh (which is kind of interesting in its own right, but not a priority for a honeymoon). On the other hand, Siem Reap might be out of your way if you're planning just one major beach stop in SE Asia.
Back to Bali: As I previously mentioned, I'd scratch it off your list simply because, unlike these other SE Asian spots, it will be rainy season there in January/February, and that can be pretty dismal. It will still be there a year or two or five or ten down the line if you want to get there eventually.
As for cities...I'd agree that a 22-hour stay in Singapore would be sufficient, even though I do like the city and food. (Though if you're simply transiting through it, the airport itself is a great experience, and you'll eat just as well in other parts of SE Asia anyway.) And if you have to cut it out entirely, don't worry about it. I'd rather spend time in Hong Kong (for the views, ferries, food, islands), Tokyo (for the sheer uniqueness of the everyday culture) and/or Bangkok (for the food and culture), in that order...though if price is an priority, Bangkok is cheapest for all sorts of stuff (including points for hotel stays).
Wherever you go, very politely write ahead to the hotel to let them know that it's your honeymoon and that you'd welcome an upgrade and any other perks if available. Of course, don't demand or expect special treatment - just appreciate it if something comes through.
Hyatt has a Chase credit card offer that gives you two free nights at any Hyatt in the world after some minimal initial spending. So if you and your bride-to-be each get one, that's four free nights at a great property, including the Park Hyatt Tokyo (which my wife and I loved), the Park Hyatt Maldives (which we haven't been to, and at which you'd have to pay extra for an over-the-water-bungalow) or some other nice properties in SE Asia or elsewhere (though the ones we've stayed at that I'd put the free nights into would be the PH Tokyo or, for other future trips, PH Paris or PH Sydney). CAVEAT: You must use the free nights within a year of accruing them via your spending - I believe the same caveat may apply to the Fairmont and Hilton cards described below - and there is no guarantee that that free rooms will be available for a given night (though in my experience, certainly for Hyatt and also for other hotel chains, free rooms usually are available if booked many months in advance). As you may know, your Chase UR points can be converted into Hyatt points, though it sounds like you're already planning on using UR for flights.
Fairmont has a similar Chase cc offer. In terms of where you'd be visiting, I've stayed at and really liked the Fairmont Makati both for its great quality and great location, though perhaps you have relatives to stay with in Manila. (Also a Fairmont in Singapore, though I haven't stayed there.)
Hilton has a Citi card offer (Mastercard?) that gets you two free weekend nights at just about any hotel, plus Gold status (which gets you free breakfasts) after a certain amount of spending. The one I'd consider using this for (combined with Hilton points via other credit cards, if you want to stay longer than three nights) would be the Conrad Hilton on Koh Samui. No beach to speak of there, but each "room" is a private cottage with its own pool and lots of privacy, set on a hillside with spectacular views. Though you're pretty much confined to the hotel in terms of places to walk (with the exception of one modestly priced hotel a 30 minute walk away), there are some very good restaurants a cheap taxi ride away.
I believe that Starwood Amex is now running a 30K per card bonus for initial spending of (I believe) $3000 for tis personal card and $5000 for its business card. If neither of you have the card and both of you each get the personal and business cards (and the business card really is not hard to get, even if you don't have much of a business), that's 120K points between you. The points can be used at any number of great Starwood properties in SE Asia or elsewhere, or can be used to convert to some airlines' miles at a ratio of 20K points = 25K miles.
As for SE Asia destinations, all of which I'd encourage you to check out further in the relevant threads here or at the reviews at Tripadvisor.com:
As noted, the Conrad Bali on Koh Samui is a very special place for the cottages with private pools, the views, the privacy, etc., if you don't need much of a beach.
The Andaman, a Starwood property on Langkawi, Malaysia, has a unique location on the edge of a jungle and on a beautiful, crescent-shaped beach. (The hotel is not as small or as swank as the Conrad Koh Samui, but still a very nice property.) Lots of wildlife to be seen right there at the hotel, including flying squirrels, monkeys, colorful birds, etc. The beach is nice to walk and lounge on, and when the tide is in it's great for swimming as well. Lots of free and inexpensive nature walks and other excursions (some inexpensive, some not) can be booked at the hotel. A great nature documentary film shown on the beach once a week. A very special place. You'd want to get one of the refurbished rooms that has a beach-facing balcony to sit on.
I believe there is a very nice Le Meridien at Siem Reap. I'd highly recommend going there for the temples (if you're interested in that kind of stuff), though you'd need to get a card and driver and go to the temples early and late in the day to avoid the hoards of tourist buses. And you can fly to Siem Reap from Bangkok without having to pass through Phnom Penh (which is kind of interesting in its own right, but not a priority for a honeymoon). On the other hand, Siem Reap might be out of your way if you're planning just one major beach stop in SE Asia.
Back to Bali: As I previously mentioned, I'd scratch it off your list simply because, unlike these other SE Asian spots, it will be rainy season there in January/February, and that can be pretty dismal. It will still be there a year or two or five or ten down the line if you want to get there eventually.
As for cities...I'd agree that a 22-hour stay in Singapore would be sufficient, even though I do like the city and food. (Though if you're simply transiting through it, the airport itself is a great experience, and you'll eat just as well in other parts of SE Asia anyway.) And if you have to cut it out entirely, don't worry about it. I'd rather spend time in Hong Kong (for the views, ferries, food, islands), Tokyo (for the sheer uniqueness of the everyday culture) and/or Bangkok (for the food and culture), in that order...though if price is an priority, Bangkok is cheapest for all sorts of stuff (including points for hotel stays).
Wherever you go, very politely write ahead to the hotel to let them know that it's your honeymoon and that you'd welcome an upgrade and any other perks if available. Of course, don't demand or expect special treatment - just appreciate it if something comes through.
Aug 11, 2015 | 11:30 pm
#36
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 68
I have been wanting to check out Tagatay in the Philippines. Boracay will always be a special for me a thats where I got married. Palawan is on the to do list as well. Cambodia and Vietnam are on my list. I have heard many great thing about those 2 countries.
Whatever you end up doing, you are going to have a great time. As long as you have your wifey, any place you go will be good.
Whatever you end up doing, you are going to have a great time. As long as you have your wifey, any place you go will be good.