We’re the type of travelers who want to get to know a place, and the goal isn’t to check off a country and say I’ve seen it when I’ve only seen the airport and the Hyatt. So my experience isn’t a couple layovers in Phuket, but Carrie and I have spent well over 3 months in Thailand alone, probably 6 weeks on the island of Bali, 3+ weeks in Kuala Lumpur, etc…
All that is to say, we know the area well. We’ve never been to Laos (not in my plans either), or the Philippines. But that being said, here’s my “write up” on SE Asia in general.
I’ll go over: why I love SE Asia, my favorite places, the best points hotels in those spots, and then at the end go over the best miles to use to get to SE Asia and how to get around
Why I Love Southeast Asia?
The other day we were landing in another Central American city and we circled the city a few times, which was super cool. It was interesting largely because it’s a third world country and homes were built on cliffs… makes me worry when it rains.
But I love it because it’s different.
But a lot of the look, feel, and cuisine is not all that different.
When you land in Bali though,… you see buildings and temples with strange spirals and decor, dragons and lions guarding bridges, and strange (to us) alters even in the airport. This isn’t contrived; it’s because they do this to bless every building or grounds.
Even in the crappy tourist area of Kuta, here was our view from the Holiday Inn.
Then combine this with the most beautiful beaches, the best snorkeling, and the most wonderful and kind people… SE Asia is the best. Oh, and it’s cheap and incredibly easy to travel and get around.
Best Places to Visit in SE Asia
Some of my favorite areas are the following:
- Bali, Indonesia
- Southern Thai Islands
- Angkor Wat, Cambodia
- Langkawi, Malaysia
- Northern Thailand
- Hong Kong & Southern China (is that SE Asia?)
- Vietnam
Bali, Indonesia
Every time I go to Bali, my few weeks are up before I blink. The ceremonies are incredible. Actually, just look at pictures of ceremonies we’ve been to, all in Amed, Bali:
The water is perfect, the food is great, the views are phenomenal. There are many bays with coral walls protecting the area so amazing snorkeling is right off the beach. In “tulamben”, there is a shipwreck right near the beach and a “coral garden” near that. We swam with a national-geographic-like school of fish there, and a black tipped shark, and other cool things.
However, I’m going to go with the unpopular miles & points advise and say the best side of the island is the north. If you’ve never been to the north coast, you’ve never been to Bali, you’ve been to some kind of tourist amusement-park. It’s like the kids’ ride at Disney, “it’s a small world”. I can see how this looks like the real culture.
The problem is two fold. 1) The airport is in the south. And 2) The 5 star hotels are in the south. Athough, I’ve written about Bali quite a bit. Read, Where Should I go in Bali.
Points hotels in Bali?
It’s hard for me to justify because 1) I don’t even want to be in southern Bali, and 2) it’s a super cheap place elsewhere and it can cost a lot of points.
The Grand Hyatt Bali for 12,000 points or a category 4 cert may be the best deal. Maybe. I’d probably just stay in Amed and do some voodoo BRG stuff with booking OTAs, use the Arrival Plus to reimburse a hotel, or pick a cheap homestay for $10-$15 a night.
Southern Thailand
Some of the most amazing beaches for super cheap. I mean, my favorite beaches might be in some remote place like the Yasawas, in Fiji, but you pay for it. Yet, Thailand has some of the most amazing beaches, and Thailand is one of the cheapest countries to travel.
Phi Phi Island
Phi Phi can be gotten to via ferry from Phuket or Krabi. I’m telling you, it’s a phenomenally gorgeous island. My friends Andy and LeAnna spent the night on a boat looking at the glowing plankton. But we had a bungalow on the beach at the Holiday Inn. We went during Thailand’s Martial Law, and the rates were super low (under $100). But in peak times it can be $200 – $300 and thus the 35,000 points is actually a great decision. Phi Phi has a cheap back packer area, but the beach there is crap and full of big boats. Being on the north side is paradise.
Either way, being here is so much better than Phuket. Trust me.
Phuket
We’ve visited Phuket a few times and it’s total hit or miss. Patong beach, which is kind of the center of Phuket, is my personal hell, although if I was pro-prostitution it would be a great place to stay. The next beach up is Kamala, which you would assume to be very nice as that is where the Hyatt Regency is built. Personally, I can not figure out why in the world anyone would build a hotel where they did. You walk out of the resort, across the road, and into water that’s full of giant rocks and completely murky. Total skip.
There are two beaches I like or love.
I love the beach north of the airport at Mai Khao beach. The Holiday Inn there is 15,000 points and we had a room that led to a pool. There is also a Renaissance and Marriott for 30,000 – 35,000 points, in probably a slightly better location. The downside is the upside: you’re in the middle of nowhere. The beach was completely empty while we were there, and it’s a beautiful big white sand beach.
Although, if you’re going for the nowhere effect, I’d go to Phi Phi. Also, Phuket and other parts of southern Thailand (like Pattaya I hear) are dominated by the “taxi Mafia”. These folks are bad news and ruin your chance of getting a cheap taxi. In Bangkok you can be in a taxi for 30 minutes and spend $5. In Phuket, you can spend 5 minutes in a taxi and spend $30. And they even bully the hotels… it’s insane… Wait! I just googled it and found a news report that says Phuket is cracking down on the taxi mafia! OMG, this is the best news for Phuket. I like this regime change!
Anyways, the other beach I really like is Nai Harn and that area. It’s still a little crowded, but the beaches here are so scenic.
(I just noticed that the hotel there says “Le Royal Meridien”. Is that new and SPG?)
Krabi
I figured I’d mention Krabi since we’ve been there a couple times. There is a Holiday Inn in Krabi for 10,000 points, where we snapped these pictures:
So, it has that going for it. Otherwise, it’s largely a party area. Not my thing, but there are incredible beaches with incredible views. When we were there in 2012, we walked to “Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Krabi” and spent the day at that wonderful private beach. There are super cool beaches with great views. Finding hotels like this, nestled in the rocky areas, helps me feel like I’m not in Patong.
Last thing I’ll mention is that I’ve heard great things about Koh Lanta, an island south of there. Great snorkeling and feel, but I’ve never made it down there.
Koh Samui
Going over to the east side of Thailand’s other southern islands, is Koh Samui and it’s little siblings. There is a ferry to other islands, and I’ve heard amazing things about Koh Tao… but all the points hotels are on Koh Samui.
The down side is that Koh Samui is probably the most expensive area in Thailand. The good news is that there are half a dozen points hotels.
The InterContinental Koh Samui is the cheapest level of points redemptions for InterContinental brand hotels, for 25,000 points a night. It’s an absolute steal. The hotel is amazing (and so is the soft-shell crab).
The best part about the hotel is the views, by far, the views.
Here’s a video that showcases the views:
The other hotel with similar views (as it’s also in the beautiful and remote southwest side) is the Conrad. This is a popular hotel to take your “two free weekend nights” from the Hilton Reserve credit card, as it often goes for $1,000+ a night! I’d love to visit that hotel too.
Angkor Wat, Cambodia
One of my favorite “ancient ruins” in the world is Angkor Wat. Also, I recently wrote about Starwood Category 1 & 2 hotels, and the Le Meridien in Siem Reap is only 3,000 – 4,000 points a night. Would love to go back.
Cambodia has an impoverished feel I can’t describe. It’s like being in the middle of China in a poor town, but it’s really hot, and there are actually tourists there. It’s an odd aura and I can’t say I’m in love with Pnom Phen; the Tuol Leng Genocide museum is incredibly sad, terrible, and explains a lot.
To me, this is one of the most important museums I’ve been to given how recent this genocide was. It’s a terrible thing that I don’t remember learning about in school. There’s also the “killing fields”. And the museum is on the S21 cite which is the prison where they tortured its prisoners.
Vietnam
Speaking of terrible museums, if you want a more humbling but also heavy hitting museum, cross the border and head to Saigon. The Vietnam War Museum… Well, I couldn’t even finish. On the third floor, I just had to leave.
Vietnam isn’t just known for their absolutely crazy traffic, but I think that’s their biggest draw. But really, it’s an interesting culture, and a slightly less touristy feel than Thailand.
We have yet to explore their beaches though. Most notably would be Ha Long Bay, and the rice terraces in the north. Also, the InterContinental Danang looks phenomenal and is also only 25,000 IHG points. However, the water looks better in Koh Samui.
Langkawi & Malaysia
I love Malaysia’s food, diversity, and touches of oddness. In Kuala Lumpur, we were once there on a Hindu holiday and it made a super interesting visit to the Batu Caves. If you’re in KL the DoubleTree is a category 2 (for only 10,000 HHonors points), and there’s an Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral (for 3,000 – 4,000 SPG points). But my favorite hotel there is the Grand Hyatt. It is incredible, has incredible views of the Petronas Towers and one of the best Hyatt lounges I’ve seen. A great use of a category 4 cert.
But the most fun I’ve had in Malaysia was exploring all the corners of Langkawi. Got like a $10 flight on Air Asia and four of us (two friends we met while traveling) drove around the island swimming in rivers and waterfalls, and what not. A total blast. And yet, the island still has that odd feel.
Points hotels in Langkawi? Yes, if you have Starwood points. There are 4 SPG properties. One of them is only 3,000 – 4,000 points, the Four Points. However, the hotel has a remarkable 37% rating on TA. One of the worst SPG ratings I’ve ever seen, but I actually kayaked around the islands near there and had a great time. Big beach, beautiful area. But the water was not clear like other beaches in Langkawi. Here’s a review of all 3 of the nicer properties.
Northern Thailand
I love the people in northern Thailand and I’d love to explore it more, although we did spend a month in Chiang Mai. Again, in the Best SPG Category 1 & 2 Hotels, the Le Méridien Chiang Mai & Le Méridien Chiang Rai Resort hotels are no doubt on there as they are known for being two great redemptions for only 3,000 – 4,000 SPG points.
Hong Kong & Southern China
At least according to United and AA Hong Kong is indeed in SE Asia. And if we’re going from Vietnam to Hong Kong you should stop by Yangshuo, China. It’s pretty amazing and weird. Well, a lot of China is weird to me, but the landscape and the town is just so different. And the travel around and near this area has some incredible views.
There aren’t any points hotels in Yangshuo itself, (but in the nearest city Guilin there’s a category 2 Sheraton), but it’s super cheap.
Hong Kong is one of my favorite cities simply for the view. I’m not sure I could spend a month there like I would love to in Vienna, Budapest, Sydney, etc… But the view is incredible. The view both from the top of the mountain on the Hong Kong side, and the view of the Hong Kong side. My favorite view is actually from the InterContinental Hong Kong.
If you’re doing the IHG Into The Nights promo then I would totally recommend this hotel for your two free nights.
Places I still want to go:
- Sumatra, Indonesia
- Borneo, Malaysia & Indonesia
- explore Burma (specifically Bagan)
- visit Raja Ampat, Indonesia
Flights to SE Asia with Miles
There are obviously a ton of ways to get there, but here are a few popular ideas:
| Economy Class | Business Class | First Class | Earning/Transfers | Fuel Surcharges? | |
| Avianca | 65k | 135k | 185k | No | |
| American Airlines | 70k | 110k | 135k | AA cards, SPG 1:1 | No |
| US Airways | 80k | 120k | 160k | USA card, SPG 1:1 | No |
| United | 80k | 160k | 260k | UA card, Chase UR 1:1 | No |
| Air Canada | 75k – 90k | 150k – 155k | 210k – 215k | Amex MR, SPG | See list here |
| Delta | 80k – 170k | 140k – 325k | n/a | Amex MR, Citi TY, SPG | Yes |
Now there are a few United stopover tricks one could do, but the most popular for United, US Airways, and Air Canada miles is to stopover in Europe on the way to Asia. Very sweet trip at no extra costs.
Getting Around SE Asia
I’ll mention the absurd thing that some people still use. The bus. You can bus your way across most of SE Asia. Places like Sumatra don’t have the same infrastructure. But if you’re going from Malaysia to Thailand, or mostly anywhere, the bus is easy.
One thing we often use to get around is British Airways Avios (there’s a BA card with 50,000 points, and you can transfer from Amex MR and Chase UR). Flights within SE Asia typically cost 4,500 – 7,500 Avios.
To steal Kenny’s idea (sorry dude), I decided to make a little picture of routes in SE Asia that can be had for different prices.
For 4,500 Avios:
KUL-KUA, KUL-TGG, KUL-KBR, KUL-SIN, KUL-PEN, KUL-AOR, KUL-LGK, KUL-KNO, KUL-KBV, KUL-HKT, KUL-KCH, KUL-PNH, HKG-HAN, HKG-DAD, HKG-SYX, HKG-HAK, HKG-KWL
For 7,500 Avios:
KUL-BWN, KUL-BKK, KUL-BTU, KUL-SGN, KUL-CGK, KUL-BKI, KUL-LBU, KUL-MYY, KUL-SDK, KUL-SBW, KUL-REP, KUL-TWU, KUL-RGN, BKK-SIN, HKG-MNL, HKG-CRK, HKG-SGN, HKG-REP, HKG-PNH, HKG-BKK, HKG-CNX, HKG-CEB, HKG-BKI, HKG-KMG
AirAsia
There are a few discount airliners in SE Asia, but AirAsia seems to have the best network and great sales. Really, sometimes it’s worth saving your miles if you can get a $30 flight to Phuket or something on Air Asia instead.
Conclusion
Of course, I’ve left off many hotels we’ve been to. We’ve tried a ton of points hotels in Bangkok alone. For example: The JW Marriott, Renaissance, Grand Hyatt, Crowne Plaza, Courtyard, and a few others.
They are all great hotels (well the Courtyard is good) and you really can’t go wrong with any of them (although you have to see the club lounge at the JW!).
Anyways, there are so many amazing places to see and visit that we still haven’t seen. And for the most part we don’t return to the same spots. Obviously Amed Bali begs multiple returns. But you can spend a lifetime exploring just that region of the world. Heck, it could take a lifetime if you wanted to see all of Indonesia’s islands.
Guess I better get started.
Anyone have any suggestions for a return visit? Should we be in the Phillipines, Borneo, or where?
![Nick of FM on #40kFarAway [TIF Podcast]](https://travelisfree.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/travel-is-free-podcast-nick-40K-120x86.jpg)
Great post. I noticed that Borneo was on your bucket-list About page and highly recommend you explore Sabah, even if you just stay in the capital. It is my new favorite place and has one of my favorite hotels, which is available for very few points; they should charge more, and I’ve told that to managers there. I’ve gone twice this year and will probably go next week for a few days but am hanging out in Phuket to spend Saturday at the Holiday Inn Phi Phi for the current IHG promo. Even though it was barely half the price, I felt that staying a night at the HI Pattaya might kill a small part of my soul, which is worth more than points.
A tiny clarification point: Penang is in Malaysia.
Oh man, I have been eyeing Sabah for a while. Too bad there aren’t any points hotels there. But it seems pretty reasonable anyways. Would love to. Which is the hotel you’re referring to as your favorite? And do you mean Barclay points?
If the choice is Pattaya or Phi Phi, pay the money. lol
Dang, Pattay is what I meant!
The seflish part of me doesn’t want to publicly reply to this for fear of killing a golden goose. The Hyatt Kinabalu is newly one of my favorite hotels in the world. I first visited on cash and points in February, when standard room rates were well above U$D150 before tax (future figures are all USD) and paid with cash and points. I’ve spent roughly 3 weeks of 2014 there so far and hope return soon, possibly next week and almost definitely in November. It is a category 1 Hyatt, like the places that are usually on unpopular interstates in the middle of the US. The categorization defies logic, and I assumed it had to go up in category after the atrium renovations are finished. Guest rooms have been recently renovated. Situations beyond the hotel’t control may impact things. Given the terrible aviation disasters (and seasonality), cash rates are much lower now than when I first visited. The hotel staff, particularly in the lounge, is awesome. They are genuinely warm and helpful. The sunsets over the South China Sea from the 12th-floor lounge are stunning. For normal people, Kota Kinabalu is a jumping off point for adventure travel in the rest of Sabah, but I’m kind of weird (and cash-constrained and need to work some most days) and mostly just stay in town. The massive seafood market in front of the hotel has the best selection of barbecued fish and, by far, the largest tiger prawns I have ever seen. Jessleton Point is less than a ten-minute walk and is the place to pick up boats to the nearby islands. A one-island RT is about $13; add another $3-4 for each additional island; expect confusion and fun when trying to change islands or get back to the mainland. There is also a Le Meridien, which as a category 3 is too rich for me, even if I didn’t love the Hyatt. In front of the Le Meridien, is a terminal of sorts for microbuses. The locals will think you’re weird if you are a westerner taking one of these microbuses but be kind of charmed and intrigued that you’re along for the ride. Middle class Sabah resident don’t ride such microbuses. There is also a very modern municipal bus system, but the routes are limited. $1 gets one to Tanjun Aru, a vast beach famed for its sunsets and local food vendors. The sand isn’t the best in the world, but I’m not a sand snob. There is a Shangri-La hotel here; it is irrelevant to my travel life. During weekdays, the central, most easily accessible part is largely deserted until 4PM, then it becomes sparsely populated. And this is the most popular beach in a metro area of nearly 500,000 and the whole state of Sabah. On weekends, it is much more festive, and families and groups of locals come out. So KK is just pretty chill. There are a handful of genuinely nice bars that largely cater to expats and tourists, but this is not a party city. And it’s not a nature-focused city where orangutans stroll down the sidewalk. It’s a real, modest-sized city where normal people live normal lives; the place does attract some interesting characters who aren’t into the more rigid peninsular Malaysia. KK isn’t the kind of place where normal folk would go for a week of honeymoon or a dream vacation. I love it, though, but also can amuse myself working much of the day in a nice hotel room, spending 40 minutes by the pool, taking a walk, and having a nice dinner. Avios prices on MH or Dragon Air from Hong Kong are really cheap, as the distance is just below a low threshold. LCCs fly to KK from Singapore, KL, Hong Kong, and Australia. I love KK and lament that tourism has been hit by the airline tragedies; apologies if this post sounds like I work for some tourism board. I hope more people go and visit and spend lots of money there but really hope my hotel doesn’t become prohibitively expensive for people like me. Akkkk…far too many words. Now the negatives: for those seeking a challenging, intense vacation, KK is sort of a SEA lite and may disappoint. The cars drive at sane speeds; the people are warm and helpful but borderline shy at times, taxi drivers are suspiciously honest, most of the tourist industry speaks English well (universally so at top-end places), public transportation is modern and rational, and things just function pretty well in general.
I think that there’s no way you could kill the category of a hotel. It’s based on things like occupancy and operating costs and negotiations with the hotel for compensation, all depending on the chain.
I actually did consider a trip to borneo and considering actually stay at the Hyatt in KK. Although honestly, I would totally spend a few nights, but it would be on the way to the jungle or Sabah. Hopefully we’ll go and we’ll for sure check out the hotel. Glad you enjoyed it.
Great post, as I am in the planning stage for a trip to SE Asia next year. Does BA impose fuel surcharges on those Avios flights? So many options.
Thanks. That would have been worth mentioning.
I’m pretty sure that Malaysia has no fuel surcharges, but obviously passes on airport taxes, which is rarely even $20 in Asia.
However, I think Cathay does have fuel surcharges on intra-SE-Asia flights. So the price could depend on the route. I’ve flown with avios and paid like $20, but I think many are closer to $40.
Drew,
Great post. Thanks! I’ve got 2.5 months coming up in SE Asia and will surely use your tips.
What turns you off from the Philippines, or have you simply not been there yet? I hear the nature and kitesurfing are amazing, the culture less exotic (downside), and the sex tourism is also quite a downer…
Thanks again!
I have nothing but love for the Philippines but I’ve never been, so didn’t feel qualified to comment on the country. Would love to go.
I’m not surprised that Southeast Asia is your favorite place for you to travel. It’s my favorite place, for many of the same reasons. It’s often a phenomenal place to use points and otherwise deploy “more for less” travel strategies. And the experiences can be so different and interesting from our own culture.
FWIW, I’d lump all of China in with Southeast Asia as an excellent place for your readers to explore using the strategies you lay out: the country is cheap and interesting, the food is great, and there are many terrific places you can stay on points or with little money.
Bali is certainly one of the highlights. On Flyertalk, I’ve spent a year trying to convince folks NOT to use their points at the Conrad in Nusa Dua (except, perhaps, as a place to crash for a night before or after their flights). Somewhat sadly, Bali is probably not a good place to use your points anywhere, because all accommodation is currently super cheap and the most interesting places to stay in the most interesting places aren’t chain hotels. I guess that makes it a “don’t travel for totally free” destination!
China is the cheapest place I’ve been I think so, in that way yes. And it’s honestly the most farflung place I’ve been. In terms of not understanding anything, China is farflung. India is culturally different in dress, tradition, food… but for whatever reason it’s easier to make sense of.
Right, thats what I was trying to say. It’s so cheap on $ and so expensive on points.
I have yet to do the Philippines, either, but I just recently booked a trip for next summer ORD-HKG-MNL (and Palawan Island). Hoping to use IHG Into the Nights free nights at the IC Hong Kong the couple of days we are there. No points hotels on Palawan, but some great places for $40-$60/night.
I’ve definitely looked at trips to Palawan and just haven’t pulled the trigger yet. I’m guessing you’ll be glad you did. Yea, I mean anywhere in SE Asia is going to have super cheap hotels that are decent. I assume the Philippines is the same.
Just wondering…why not Laos?
Just never interested me.
My favorite beach in the world (so far, anyway) is the island paradise of Koh Lipe. I discovered it almost by accident when planning a trip to Langkawi, Malaysia. It’s very much a tourist island filled primarily with European tourists. Getting there was expensive and the hotels were correspondingly pricey (and no points options either). No way to make it a “free” trip. We spent US$1000 for 24 hours on the island (including the freakishly expensive ferry ride from Langkawi) and it was worth every single penny for our frugal family.
The water is crystal clear and the sand is super soft. We loved the laidback charm and island vibe of the place.
Glad to see the shout out to Langkawi. We travel there often and it’s a great island. Last trip we climbed up and played at the 7 wells waterfalls and my kids had a blast on the natural rock slides! It has a very nice mix of local food, party zones, exclusive resorts, and natural retreats. Plus, alcohol is duty free. (and you can’t beat the crazy flight specials from Air Asia)
Sipadan is on my bucket list. The only thing holding me back is the lack of beaches there. My daughter is scared of swimming with fish (I know! *sigh*) so a beach I can snorkel from works best for us, especially since Sipadan is $$ too.
Dang Koh Lipe is something I meant to mention. A friend really recommended it and the snorkeling. Would love to go and the pictures look beautiful. Bummer to hear the ferry is so expensive though.
I discovered Sipadan from looking at pictures of Borneo. One day, hopefully soon.
Thanks for the maps, I might borrow them. Or just link to this post. I hadn’t done the MH & CX Avios sweet spots because we haven’t been there (yet).
OMG I forgot to link to you. Just realized. My bad.
No need to credit me though, it’s your idea, run with it.
anyone has any creative itinerary on how to get United hopper work in SE Asia? I’ve been trying to figure out how to max my miles!
I’m planning on going to Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Angkor Wat, Cambodia in 3 months!
I’ve never thought about a hopper in SE Asia. But even if you could do a stopover in 1 region, it would be 17.5k miles. However, I did notice that Oceania is only 17.5k miles as well. So you could do Bangkok to Hong Kong stopover, Guam – destination, and open-jaw by returning to Singapore.
If anyone’s going before end of year, this may help:
http://hackmytrip.com/2014/03/using-spg-points-book-bangkok-airways-via-jal/
We’re doing 2x HKT-BKK-REP, REP-BKK for 10K pts.
Thanks.
How in the world are you writing off Krabi as a party area? I just don’t understand.
When I went to Southern Thailand, I chose to go to the Krabi region over Phuket and Phi Phi because the latter two were billed as party areas, and I like to avoid that at all costs. I instead spent a week on Tonsai and Railay, and they were paradise! In fact, everyone I met there who had previously been to Phi Phi or Phuket had said that they wished they had just gone straight to Krabi.
Tonsai admittedly only has low-end accommodation, but it’s filled with friendly, laid-back rock climbers who are there for the sport and beauty and not so much for partying. The people I met there were very friendly, and the climbing was superb (even if you just want to watch!).
Railay was definitely a paradise for me. I got a really nice room at a hotel for $25 per night (air conditioning, television, etc.), there’s a great variety of restaurants and activities (cliff jumping, fishing, fire shows, etc.), and a few beaches. And there were places for people to party, but they were fairly isolated, and there were lots of places you could go out that were very relaxing.
And you can’t miss the Phra Nang Cave: http://www.thaizer.com/tourist-attractions/phra-nang-cave-krabi/
Krabi is a very well known party area. There are beautiful places/beaches in Krabi. And the same is true in Phuket. I mentioned above how Mai Khao is a completely empty beach. Not a party area at all. But I still say phuket is largely a party crowd. That’s the draw.
Awesome post Drew. The prices you give for United miles assume you are flying on United partners. It’s worth mentioning that it is viable to fly on United metal and pay many fewer miles.
Thanks. The only place mentioned here that I’m aware of that UA goes to is HKG via SFO, ORD and possibly EWR. But if there are other places that UA goes to, please drop a mention.
UA will let you do short connection flights on partners and still pay the UA price. So if you can get to Singapore or Hong Kong on United flights then you should be able to connect on any *A partner to your final destination (within South Asia) and still pay the UA price.
UA also flies to Vietnam.
http://hackmytrip.com/2014/02/improved-award-pricing-mixed-unitedpartner-travel/
Thanks
The problem with SE Asia is there are so so many islands and beaches that everyone has their favorite and vice versa, so it’s hard to make a good guide. Personally I didn’t care for Bali at all. It looked just like everywhere else in SE Asia with ten times as many tourists and more expensive prices. And I would never consider Langkawi over Perhentian.
But that’s also the beauty of it. There’s something for everyone. I have spent much of my life in the Philippines and Vietnam and would take them over Thailand, Cambodia, Bali etc in a second.
Of note. The KUL-SGN flight is 4500 Avios not the mid level price. Also, SGN-PNH has a fifth freedom flight for 4500. Maybe you’re not trying to recreate the entire MS map route map though, so maybe Viet Nam is kind of blank on purpose. Third, why does CX fly a fifth freedom route on BKK-SIN, wondering does anyone know? Usually those are for longer hauls I thought. Just an odd load factor on BKK or something maybe?
I agree that the tourist area of Bali sucks. I recommend Amed. To say Bali sucks because you went to Kuta is to say California sucks because you were staying on skid row.
But it’s true that there are just so many islands. Hopefully I can see them all eventually. 😀
Wow, yea, KUL – SGN is 650 miles exactly, so it would be 4,500 Avios. Didn’t realize there was an SGN-PNH flight. Idk, but they have a stop in BKK on the way to CMB as well.
I’ve been to Amed, Tulamben, Nusa Dua, the north, and Ubud. Not been to Kuta. Not basing my opinion on that part of the island. To each his own. 🙂
tell me more about bali please.
i plan to use bali as the “jumping off point” for visiting east indonesia… manado, ambon, raja ampat. been to east indo by chance?
thanks.
Hi Drew,
Thanks for the informative post. We are planning a trip from San Francisco to Hong Kong next June. (6 people). Obviously I am trying to reduce the number of points required to book award travel but still have a decent chance of finding award seats – which is the best airline award program should I use? I do have about 200k points in each of the UR, Amex, SPG and Citi that I can transfer to various airlines. I also have some points (150k) in AA.
Thanks for your help,
Great post! I’m curious: I’ve got tons of airline points, and then over 100k in combined Amex and UR points that I could transfer, but still, I can’t fathom how you stay at all the hotels you do for the points. How many hotel cards do you invest in for all your travels? I’ve gotten down the airlines portion of points but have yet to fully master hotel points. 25k a night seems hard to be able to maintain for more than a few nights without running out of points. Help me!
Drew, thanks for the detailed, helpful post! One addition for the 4,500 Avios redemption map: KUL–SGN (at *exactly* 650 miles :D).
Thanks again,
Luke