the island has been suggested to us as a relaxation stop after a China tour but I don't know anything about it. What have you found Elaine?

Well, some of the personal opinions I've read on other forums suggest that they seem to be trying to attract tourists by allowing the development of big international resort-style hotels, but haven't really thought about the rest of the infrastructure and towns outside these resorts. Also that if you do venture outside the hotels there's a lot of hassle from hawkers.

Mind you, that sounds pretty much like most "new" destinations usually start off and I wonder whether the people that thought that way were expecting a ready-made tourist-friendly place such as Phuket or Penang. So maybe it could be a good place to visit BEFORE it gets like that!

I quite fancy the idea of staying in a luxurious hotel, but still being able to go out and get a feel for the local area without it all being packaged and sanitized.

Elaine

I quite fancy the idea of staying in a luxurious hotel, but still being able to go out and get a feel for the local area without it all being packaged and sanitized.

same here!