Best places to travel in Asia

[TimC23]

Looking to head to Asia in the middle of the year. What are the cheapest and hidden beauties thanks guys !

 

[JohnK]

Welcome to AFF TimC23!

What are you interested in doing? Thailand is relatively cheap although the decline in AUD hassn't helped. Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia are also possibilities.

 

[RoMambai]

All of Asia has something to offer. FWIW I am a huge fan of Indonesia. It's largely off the tourist trail (except for Bali of course) yet has a smorgasbord of interesting experiences on offer. People are generally friendly and it remains among the more affordable places to travel. There are too many sites to mention in this thread but don't do what most Aussies do and fly over the joint without thinking of it. It's a land of thousands of cultures and languages in one.

 

[jase05]

Depends on what you are after in your holiday. Can’t say I’ve ever been to a place I have really disliked. China is probably my favourite Asian destination as I’m a bit of a history nut and because of its size we keep going back to explore another little pocket each time. The Philippines would be my pick for beach resorts and is very cheap and easy to get around. Manila gets a lot of bad wraps but I find it a fascinating city and we usually stay a few extra days there on the way to or from Boracay which is probably one of my favourite islands

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Looking to head to Asia in the middle of the year. What are the cheapest and hidden beauties thanks guys !

One gem is the Coco gardens 'resort' on Koh Phagnan (just a short trip across the water from Koh Samui). beachfront double with AC - the sea literally one metre from your front door, for about AUD40 a night. No TV or internet in the rooms (wifi is available in the restaurant). Great bar on the water's edge: Coco Garden Bungalows - affordable beach-side accommodation, nestled in the lush surrounds of our garden

getting to Koh Phagnan can be cheap or expensive. The cheap option are packages through Nok Air (and others) which include a flight to Surat Thani, followed by bus and then a lovely ferry ride. All for about $30. Or you could fly to Koh Samui (expensive) and take the 7 minute boat across from there.

 

[dajop]

Sri Lanka ... good diversity of different activities within a relatively small area, including some beautiful beaches, wildlife safaris (leopards, elephants), buddhist temples, tea plantations/ hill station scenery , relatively inexpensive (although increasing in cost quickly).