OT: Holiday Plans

Headhuunter

So having refrained from leaving the UK for holidays over the summer - what's the point of going away when the weather in the UK is fantastic? I have decided to go away in late November. I'm flying into Singapore and out of Kuala Lumpur. Got friends in both places but I'll be out there for 2 weeks and want to plan some trips in the area - either within Malaysia itself or to Indonesia or wherever.... Does anyone have any suggestions?

daviesee

I agree about the timing.

I never did see the point in suffering poor weather all year, only to go away at the time it is most likely to be nice.
I much prefer one week in early spring (Mallorca cycling for the past 4 years :P ) and one week in Autumn with the wife. We also have occasional long weekends within the UK.

As to your question, sorry, can't help. :oops:

bigmat

KL is worth a couple of days - some nice temples and teh Petronas tower is pretty impressive. Langkawi is nice - mountains, monkeys, beaches, jungle etc. Heard good things about the highlands and Borneo but never been.

Headhuunter

daviesee wrote:

I agree about the timing.

I never did see the point in suffering poor weather all year, only to go away at the time it is most likely to be nice.
I much prefer one week in early spring (Mallorca cycling for the past 4 years :P ) and one week in Autumn with the wife. We also have occasional long weekends within the UK.

As to your question, sorry, can't help. :oops:

I suppose most people are restricted to school hols period in Aug but as I've got no kids I don't see the point in paying premium prices to travel in August AND missing any half decent weather in the UK!

Headhuunter

BigMat wrote:

KL is worth a couple of days - some nice temples and teh Petronas tower is pretty impressive. Langkawi is nice - mountains, monkeys, beaches, jungle etc. Heard good things about the highlands and Borneo but never been.

Yeah, I stopped over in KL for a couple of nights on the way from the Japan back to the UK back in 1998, the Petronas Towers were still the tallest buildings in the world at that time but they weren't complete and although you could enter the shopping centre in the basement, you couldn't go up to see the view from the top. Other than that I remember going up that other tower thing in KL and generally wandering around a bit lost.... Got a good friend in KL these days though so I hope she'll show me round but I want to do some trips within Malaysia itself or may be take an Air Asia flight somewhere

daviesee

Headhuunter wrote:

I suppose most people are restricted to school hols period in Aug but as I've got no kids I don't see the point in paying premium prices to travel in August AND missing any half decent weather in the UK!

Don't the schools get holidays during spring and autumn in Englandshire then?

rubertoe

daviesee wrote:

Headhuunter wrote:

I suppose most people are restricted to school hols period in Aug but as I've got no kids I don't see the point in paying premium prices to travel in August AND missing any half decent weather in the UK!

Don't the schools get holidays during spring and autumn in Englandshire then?

They do in London, not sure about the country folk though...

IIRC they get a week off every 7 or 8 weeks (teacher friends). They went back 2 weeks ago so 5/6 weeks til half term

suzyb

I'm also thinking about taking a winter sun break. I'd be going myself however so want to go somewhere English speaking, which is difficult unless you want to fly to the other side of the world.

rubertoe

suzyb wrote:

I'm also thinking about taking a winter sun break. I'd be going myself however so want to go somewhere English speaking, which is difficult unless you want to fly to the other side of the world.

Or the Canaries...

Headhuunter

daviesee wrote:

Headhuunter wrote:

I suppose most people are restricted to school hols period in Aug but as I've got no kids I don't see the point in paying premium prices to travel in August AND missing any half decent weather in the UK!

Don't the schools get holidays during spring and autumn in Englandshire then?

Yes but you only get a week for half term in most schools and a lot of people do 2 week summer hols...

suzyb

rubertoe wrote:

suzyb wrote:

I'm also thinking about taking a winter sun break. I'd be going myself however so want to go somewhere English speaking, which is difficult unless you want to fly to the other side of the world.

Or the Canaries...

They speak English in the Canaries :?

Maybe I should just visit you guys down south. The difference in weather between here and the South of England would be like a holiday in the sun

I probably shouldn't be so fussy. And just go somewhere that isn't cold, wet Scotland for a week or 2 to break up the winter misery.

gbsahne001

Avoid Genting Highlands... spent 3 months there several years ago (work), a weekend gambling's ok but no longer

fatsmoker

Cameron Highlands is all right for a day.
Penang is famous for the food, but not a lot going on.
The Perhentian islands - wonderful for a few days of snorkeling and lazing on the beach.

Fireblade96

Batu Caves, about 10 miles outside KL, is worth a look, but unfortunately you're going to miss the Thaipusam festival which is in January.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/holydays/thaipusam.shtml
Seeing a procession of devotees with skewers through their cheeks, hooks in the skin of their backs etc is - if you're not squeamish - fascinating.

Penang is good for a few days by the sea, I really enjoyed it. Interesting colonial architecture and generally quite chilled.

It's been years since I last visited so things may have changed !

Headhuunter

Fireblade96 wrote:

Batu Caves, about 10 miles outside KL, is worth a look, but unfortunately you're going to miss the Thaipusam festival which is in January.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/holydays/thaipusam.shtml
Seeing a procession of devotees with skewers through their cheeks, hooks in the skin of their backs etc is - if you're not squeamish - fascinating.

Penang is good for a few days by the sea, I really enjoyed it. Interesting colonial architecture and generally quite chilled.

It's been years since I last visited so things may have changed !

Ew, reminds me of watching cattle, goats and a variety of poultry get beheaded and then the locals roll around in the blood at some local religious festival I went to on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean...

FoldingJoe

As BigMatt mentioned, Langkawi is nice, but another flight over from KL, unless you fancy the ferry.

Headhuunter

FoldingJoe wrote:

As BigMatt mentioned, Langkawi is nice, but another flight over from KL, unless you fancy the ferry.

I could jump on another plane, I hear that Air Asia are the Ryan Air of SE Asia - cheap short dash flights...

FoldingJoe

We stayed here http://www.hotellangkawi.com/ but I think if we went back we'd probably opt for
http://www.berjayahotel.com/langkawi/ but there is plenty of choice, depending on how much you want to spend.

vitesse169

To be honest, me & Mrs V do holidays on a bit of a shoestring. Next month we are off to Cyprus for 2 wks self cater.
In 2006 we had a week in Singapore, ( I was there as a kid '64-67) - we stayed at a hotel in Little India on the Serangoon Rd, The Broadway Hotel, only 2* but comfortable with plenty of hot water, air con etc. Went up the rd to the 'Shafina Cuisine' café for brekkie - open 24hrs. $10 got us a breakfast to set up for the day.
Go to the night safari - AMAZING....! Raffles for a Singapore sling. Sentosa island for the pink dolphin demo, the cable car ride over to Sentosa gives a fantastic view of the area as its 90mtrs over the sea.
There are literaly dozens of eaterys in Little India. We had curry or Chinese for just a few dollars. Always with a large jug of draught Tiger beer.
All the locals are really friendly, the tube is cheap, efficient and v clean. The shopping malls and street markets are the 8th wonder - We reckon anyway. Get a top ten travel guide and make up an itinery.... Enjoy...