Advice: International Travel Ideas for November 2nd-7th?

rawm on 17/06/2017 - 13:52
Last edited 17/06/2017 - 13:56

Hi OzBargain community!

Looking to travel internationally between 2nd-7th November (5 nights) this year, but not sure where. Thought I'd ask kindly for any ideas.

I'm open to travelling anywhere except:

  • USA - Distance/time/desire
  • Hong Kong - Visited last year 2-7 November, and while it was amazing, not too keen on visiting 12mths later.
  • Bali/Fiji - Not my scene
  • Vietnam - Visited in 2015
  • Anywhere within Australia

Possible destinations:

  • KL
  • Singapore
  • Europe
  • Brunei
  • South America

Limits:
Spending money + Accommodation + Airfare ~$3000
Travelling alone
No hostels
3 Star minimum hotel accommodation

Any ideas/feedback?
I'm looking at maybe Brunei as flights are $555 direct with their national carrier ATM anyone have experience with travelling to Brunei?
Thanks heaps in anticipation.

rawm

Travel

Comments

  • altomic on 17/06/2017 - 13:56
    +5

    How about NZ? 4 hours from melb. Get an airbnb appt, rent a car. Do some day trips. Eat fush'n'chups. Choice Bro.

    • barbarella on 17/06/2017 - 14:11

      Yeah…chill out in NZ Bro :) …maybe Queenstown??

    • rawm on 17/06/2017 - 17:40

      Thanks for the suggestion; not overly eager to go to NZ, but if the price is right it might be an option!

      • altomic on 17/06/2017 - 17:54

        Recent deals for return flights from $199

        • rawm on 17/06/2017 - 18:13

          Yeah I've seen those. Currently the cheapest 2-7 November is $330

  • retiredfeline on 17/06/2017 - 13:57
    +3

    Brunei is boring, Europe and SA are too far for a short trip so that leaves KL or Singapore. Why not somewhere else in Malaysia like Penang instead of large cities? Also what about Thailand, cheaper than M'sia or S'pore. I nominate Chiang Mai.

    InB4 voteoften posts. ;)

    • rawm on 17/06/2017 - 17:41

      I've been to Phuket and Bangkok back in 2004. A long time ago I know, but no real urge to go back.
      Can I ask you to elaborate on why you say Brunei is boring?

      • retiredfeline on 17/06/2017 - 17:46
        +1

        It's a small oil state with very little to do. A friend of mine spent a day long stopover there and took a day tour. Ran out of interest after a couple of hours. Never again he said, even if cheap.

        Chiang Mai is different from Phuket or Bangkok.

      • dissin on 17/06/2017 - 21:01

        No alcohol or real nightlife

  • retiredfeline on 17/06/2017 - 17:57
    +1

    Other places you could consider are Taiwan, Korea or Japan, only a couple more hours flight time. I liked Hokkaido. A week or more would be better though.

  • rawm on 17/06/2017 - 18:11

    Flight time doesn't fuss me, so Taiwan and Korea are good suggestions also. $593 for Air Asia X to Taipei isn't too bad. Thanks again.

    • retiredfeline on 17/06/2017 - 18:15

      I liked Taiwan and Korea. Both have friendly people and interesting food. Good scenery out of the cities.

  • Peck on 17/06/2017 - 22:46

    November should be good for airline prices.

    • rawm on 18/06/2017 - 07:31

      Yep! Hopefully there's a reduction in current prices. I've posted ~10 Airfare deals this year and have noticed in the last 6-8 weeks the prices of flights have crept up to most international destinations by about 15-20%. Hopefully a new financial year kicks off some decent pricing promotions.

  • elliebargain on 18/06/2017 - 13:58

    Japan? New Caledonia?

    • rawm on 18/06/2017 - 14:13

      Thanks. Never thought about New Caledonia. Why would that be a good place to visit? What's on offer? $527 with Qantas ATM is within the budget :)

      • retiredfeline on 18/06/2017 - 17:40

        NC is quite expensive. From what I've read Noumea is only worth passing through. So see the beautiful island you need to hire a car and drive around, staying at resorts which will cost. Still, it's on my list.

      • elliebargain on 19/06/2017 - 12:21
        +1

        I visited New Caledonia before I had ever been to Europe and I was blown away with how European it was - Almost everyone I met there spoke French and it was such a charming, interesting blend of cultures. You can try out the delicious food, go sailing. I'm a scuba diver so loved the diving there - You could have a go at diving or just snorkel - plenty to see. There's beautiful hikes

        If you stay in Noumea, definitely take ferry across to visit Ils Des Pins "Isle of Pines". As you can see on the trip advisor page it is breathtaking to see. You can go for a snorkel/swim/scuba, visit the Grotte de Hortense cave, see the ruins of an old prison and visit a French Cathedral. there are a couple of tour operators who do car/bus tours that can take you everywhere around the island.

        https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Attractions-g298359-Activitie…

        A friend of mine went sailing around New Caledonia recently and totally fell in love. This is making me want to go back now! It's probably where I would go if I had the same time frame as you - you want to get to your destination quickly so as not to eat into too much holiday time - and you could still experience some French culture and people without having to trek to Europe!

        • rawm on 19/06/2017 - 12:24
          +1

          Great write up. Thanks for the insight. Seems exactly what I'd be interested to do. Being only 7 and 1/2 hours from Melbourne, it's perfect. I'll keep an eye out on pricing and hopefully the stars align.

        • elliebargain on 19/06/2017 - 12:48

          @rawm: No worries! Hope it works out for you :D

          I would also second the person who mentioned Queenstown in NZ - I know you weren't overly keen to go there, and I only really went for the snow when I went but had the BEST time ever. Heaps of solo travellers so it's really easy to make friends, especially if you stay at a hostel (we stayed at Adventure Queenstown) - You can get a double bed room to yourself there if you're not keen on sharing, but you still get to join in on the activities/ meet people to go do stuff together, and there is so much to do - Diving/Hiking/all adrenaline/fun activities you could think of - the food is sooo good and reasonably priced given all the competition there.

          I'm sure you'll love wherever you choose though - There's new and exciting experiences to be had everywhere!

    • rawm on 22/06/2017 - 06:43

      Thanks; I'd be happy to travel to India/Sri Lanka, but luxurious mansion for a hundred bucks? Where? Link?

  • [Deactivated] on 22/06/2017 - 13:23

    How about here?

    https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowUserReviews-g60763-d26718…

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