This thread doesn't really belong in any specific forum as it covers Far East, Indian Ocean and the Caribbean, but hopefully someone will be able to offer advice.
I am hoping to book my holiday over the next week, travelling mid-July.
But I cannot decide between these 3 destinations. I will give you some of my thoughts. I am hoping to keep the cost down as much as possible.
NB Important thing to remember here is that I can't swim, so will not be into water sports, swimming with dolphins, scuba diving etc. My g/f can but not to a very high level. In my hols in the past I have enjoyed city breaks and beach holidays by just relaxing and reading/listening to music etc.
1) Cuba - always wanted to see Havana and hear that the resorts have fantastic beaches. However researching it I have read too many average/bad reviews of it as a whole. Plan is for 4nights in Havana and 10 nights at Varadero. Basis is B&B then AI. Cost will be around £1000 each.
2) Sri Lanka - cost around £800 each and again AI. Reports of island seem good enough but perhaps 14 nights based in the one hotel may be a bit long for me. My previous hols have all been for 7 nights.
3) Malaysia - 4 nights in Kuala Lumpur and then 9 nights in Penang, cost approx £1300 each. I read good things about this location, but the basis is Room only for both the city and the resort, so all food and drink will have to be added. I hear the food is cheap, but you can still rack up a hefty food and drinks bill over a fortnight!
Apologies for such a long-winded post for my 1st on this site. I just can't decide and my preference is 1, 3, 2. Cuba seems to be a place you either love or hate, but I don't want to be disappointed on my 1st long haul holiday.
Any thoughts?
hi Pete and welcome to HT. I moved your post to general holiday enquiries as I think you will get more replies but members can still view and reply on the AI forum.
Haven't been to Sri Lanka but I'm with you on the thought that 2 weeks would be too long as there is often little around them. However, you could consider 2 centres within SL.
Malaysia
the cost of food and drink is very cheap and to be honest, you would miss out on so much if you just ate within your hotel. There are some great places to eat and, in Penang anyway, they can be in the simplest of surroundings.
Have you looked at Thailand? It would need to be Koh Samui with the time of year you are going I would think but hotels and food and drink are really cheap there!
Haven't been to Sri Lanka but I'm with you on the thought that 2 weeks would be too long as there is often little around them. However, you could consider 2 centres within SL.
Malaysia
the cost of food and drink is very cheap and to be honest, you would miss out on so much if you just ate within your hotel. There are some great places to eat and, in Penang anyway, they can be in the simplest of surroundings.
Have you looked at Thailand? It would need to be Koh Samui with the time of year you are going I would think but hotels and food and drink are really cheap there!
Have you thought of maybe doing a weeks tour of Sri Lanka and a weeks beach.
I am trying to keep cost down as much as possible, with £1000 my preferred limit.
I think to tour SL might tip me over, and the KL/Penang deal will add at least another £300 each to the total of £1300 I was given.
Thats why I was thinking of Cuba. I can do a twin centre for £950 all-in.
I think to tour SL might tip me over, and the KL/Penang deal will add at least another £300 each to the total of £1300 I was given.
Thats why I was thinking of Cuba. I can do a twin centre for £950 all-in.
I don't know anything about the climate of the other places you have mentioned but Cuba is in an area where you could get a hurricane in July.
Yeah I know about the possibility of hurricanes, but thats just a risk I would have to take. Hopefully would not affect us.
Believe KL/Penang are prone to daily heavy downpours that quickly dry up.
Sri Lanka can also be rainy.
It would take a particularly bad spell of weather to ruin a fortnights holiday I think.
Believe KL/Penang are prone to daily heavy downpours that quickly dry up.
Sri Lanka can also be rainy.
It would take a particularly bad spell of weather to ruin a fortnights holiday I think.
you could certainly keep,the cost of KL & penang down.we paid £800 for 1 night KL & 14 nights in penang.this was with tradewinds,staying in the park royal hotel in penang.
to keep the cost down,just book the 14 nights in penang,then break your stay up,by booking an air asia flight to KL yourself & booking a hotel yourself.the flight will be about £10-£20 each return.
my sister always books penang d.i.y,she goes every year & stays at the holiday inn.look on asiarooms web-site,for the price of hotels.you could probably knock at least £400 each off your £1300.i would personally never pay that much!
tracy
to keep the cost down,just book the 14 nights in penang,then break your stay up,by booking an air asia flight to KL yourself & booking a hotel yourself.the flight will be about £10-£20 each return.
my sister always books penang d.i.y,she goes every year & stays at the holiday inn.look on asiarooms web-site,for the price of hotels.you could probably knock at least £400 each off your £1300.i would personally never pay that much!
tracy
asia rooms charge £784,for 14 nights b&b,in july at the holiday inn.even if you had to pay £500 each for a flight,it still keeps it below your preferred £1000 each budget.
when we went to penang,we broke the 14 nights up,by flying over to bali,for 3 nights.we paid about £40 each for the flights,then the hotel was £11 a night,for both me & my husband.if you think 14 nights is too long,in 1 hotel,you have so many options,to break it up,even a couple of nights in langkawi,i am sure you can get a ferry there.i think malaysia,is the better option,as you have more options to visit other places,from there.if we hadn't have gone to bali,we would have flown to singapore for a few nights.have a look at air asia & see where they fly to from penang,it is really easy to see another country,while you are there,
tracy
when we went to penang,we broke the 14 nights up,by flying over to bali,for 3 nights.we paid about £40 each for the flights,then the hotel was £11 a night,for both me & my husband.if you think 14 nights is too long,in 1 hotel,you have so many options,to break it up,even a couple of nights in langkawi,i am sure you can get a ferry there.i think malaysia,is the better option,as you have more options to visit other places,from there.if we hadn't have gone to bali,we would have flown to singapore for a few nights.have a look at air asia & see where they fly to from penang,it is really easy to see another country,while you are there,
tracy
Thanks for all your advice, but Cuba has won the day and I will be booking it later.
I think the city break in Havana sold it for me, as I have always wanted to see it and now before Castro dies is probably my last chance before KFC, McDonalds, Pizza Hut all arrive and ruin it.
So hopefully I will have made the right choice and fingers crossed that the weather behaves itself.
Thanks again everyone.
I think the city break in Havana sold it for me, as I have always wanted to see it and now before Castro dies is probably my last chance before KFC, McDonalds, Pizza Hut all arrive and ruin it.
So hopefully I will have made the right choice and fingers crossed that the weather behaves itself.
Thanks again everyone.
I'll bet Havanna will be a great place to see
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