After much indecisiveness, I'm going back to the US.

[WanderlustNZ]

is it possible to fly over to aus and then take another low-cost airline up to your destination? i'm not from aus, so pardon me answering here, but i am living in KL and so have been around the area. most islands in malaysia wouldn't be recommended because it's right in the middle of the rainy season. one note about phuket is that almost all of the excursions you'd want to do (elephants, islands, etc.), the tour companies almost always include picking you up from your hotel/resort in the price (and returning you afterwards). that made it so extremely convenient up there. i haven't been to bali, but everyone i know who has been loves it. i think you can pretty much get the all-inclusive resort experience anywhere, so you should really look at what other activities you can do in the area you choose.

Thanks so much for your input.

I checked out some flight prices for Sep school holidays next year (obviously Xmas has not been released yet) and saw that Qantas has really cheap flights for getting to Singapore if we went via Aus. It was a special, and I'm not holding my breath that such a special will be available for Xmas, but it's good to know that there may be cheaper options if I keep an eye out.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

There are just so many different areas in Bali, and they all offer something different. We are staying in 3 different hotels over our 9 night stay. Now normally, I would be horrified to have to pack up so many times, but I'm hoping it will give us a couple of different places to see. We will have our first night at the Mara River Resort which is inside the Bali Safari and Marine park. It is an African themed resort where you can throw carrots from your room window out to the elephants, giraffe etc. I'm sure your son would love this. Then we are headed to Kuta for 4 nights in a 2 bedroom apartment. It is smack bang in the middle of everything, but the apartments are cheap and apparently great for families. We will do some shopping, swimming with the dolphins, waterbom park and surfing lessons from here. We will then go to stay at the Novotel Tanjung Benoa in a family suite, beachside. Apparently this area is much more laid back, and has lots of water sports available. We'll do lots of watersports (my sons can't wait to parasail!), take the Bali Hai cruise out to Nusa Lembongan and snorkel and see the island, and just lay back and enjoy the resort. The beaches in Bali apparently aren't anything compared to Fiji, so if you want beach then maybe another Pacific Island. If you like views of beaches and lovely sunsets, I think Bali would be great. Accommodation, food and activities are just so cheap in Bali, so you can really enjoy some luxuries without the huge price tag. Our airfare is horrendous because we are going during July (Aus school holidays and its also high season). We are paying about the same to get to Bali as it cost us to go to LA this year!! Hopefully we'll work out a way to go outside school holidays for our next trip. Good luck with your planning. It's some of my favourite part of every holiday.

Sounds like a wonderful trip. I'm going to check out all the places you are staying because they sound so interesting. The African resort sounds intriguing as it sounds like it might be similar to the Animal Kingdom Lodge in WDW.

Oh, how I miss the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Some of my most precious holiday moments are when I just stop moving for a second, look out at the beautiful sights in front of me, and take the time to appreciate what a special place the world is. I got this feeling every time I stepped out onto my balcony at Animal Kingdom Lodge.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

We love Bali for a relaxing vacation. We have visited three times for Australia Day staying at The Bali Dynasty in Kuta. We have also spent Easter at the Hard Rock Hotel in Bali last year. Our fav, and by far the cheaper option is the Bali Dynasty. We have taken the grandparents, gone with just our family and lastly travelled with another family and still all of us agree it is a fantastic place with something for all ages. My DH always says "we are just doing one O/S vacation this year" and then we get to October and he relents and we head off to Bali again. For us, even with relatives in Brisbane where we could make our home base, it's cheaper and way more relaxing than going to the Gold Coast theme parks or staying at Fraser Island. As October is nearly over, DH has again suggested Bali...I thought we were going to Singapore again...who knows? Bali overall is cheap to get to, stay, eat and play. What more can you need? Have fun whatever you choose. Planning is half the fun!

Thanks so much ky71.

Bali looks like a great place to me, and the inland areas (with the beautiful rice fields and rainforests) look just as appealing to me as the coastal regions. I am going to check out the Bali Dynasty.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Thank you so much everyone for all your wonderful advice. Please keep it coming as it's really helpful.

I can't multi-quote on my iPad (or at least, I don't know how), so please forgive me that I respond to your comments one at a time.

I'm hoping that within the next few weeks I will have a short-list to share with you.

 

[Tashinwdw]

There are so many places in Australia that we still want to see, but when we start planning we find it so expensive, it could just be because there are six of us and we usually have to book 2 rooms where ever we go and the food is always expensive. If all goes well we will be going to Ullaru next April during the school holidays, cant wait!

I would never get DH to Bali, he refuses. Vanautu is on our wish list, it looks beautiful. If our DCL goes well then more cruises will be on the agenda as its such a cheap alternative for a large family. We really want to do the cruise around New Zealand and an Alaskan cruise. Good luck with choosing a holiday destination, I love the researching for holidays, finding all the different places to go to and the different things to see and do.

 

[Kristin5]

That place in Port Douglas sounds great. Being within reach of both the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree has really grabbed my attention.
Do you mind telling me where you stayed and what the name of the river cruise you did is - I'm very interested.

We stayed here:
http://www.rendezvoushotels.com/portdouglas/default-en.html

It was perfect for what we wanted (but I think most resorts in the area are pretty good. This just happened to be the one we chose, as we got a good package deal). DS (then 5) had so much fun, making lots of friends (it is a very kid friendly resort) and playing in the kids pool. He is desperate to go back!

The Daintree/Mossman gorge tour was through this company (half day afternoon tour):
http://www.daintreediscoverytours.com.au/half-day-tour.html

And this was our Great Barrier Reef tour: http://www.***********-cruises.com/wavedancer.htm
Hmmm. Not sure why the link keep breaking - it is a cruise on wave dancer out to the low isles.

If we go again, we would probably go into Cairns and do the Kuranda mountain railway and sky rail tour. http://www.cairnsvisitorcentre.com/cairns-tours/rainforest-tours/kuranda-train-skyrail-tours

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Duplicate post.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Thanks for those links Kristin. Port Douglas is now sitting in my top 3 with Fiji and Vanuatu as the other two.

I'm looking at Ratua Private Island in Vanuatu as it looks like a place my family and I would love. Also, I love that 100% of the profits go into helping the locals.

The only problem is that being in the North of the country we would need to take malaria tablets and I have heard that they can have a few nasty side-effects.

Does anyone have any experience taking malaria tablets?

 

[gogo65]

Thanks for those links Kristin. Port Douglas is now sitting in my top 3 with Fiji and Vanuatu as the other two.

I'm looking at Ratua Private Island in Vanuatu as it looks like a place my family and I would love. Also, I love that 100% of the profits go into helping the locals.

The only problem is that being in the North of the country we would need to take malaria tablets and I have heard that they can have a few nasty side-effects.

Does anyone have any experience taking malaria tablets?

We have taken both doxycycline for Africa and Chloroquine for guatemala and mexico and have had no problems with either. It does depend if the area is chloroquine resistant or not depending on what medication you take. I just checked the CDC guidelines and it states Vanuatu has malaria throughout the whole country which I never knew.


Also if you are considering port Douglas look at Palm Cove just south of port Douglas one of my favorite places, a little more laid back than port Douglas but still close to all the same attractions.

 

[zanzibar138]

The only problem is that being in the North of the country we would need to take malaria tablets and I have heard that they can have a few nasty side-effects.

Does anyone have any experience taking malaria tablets?

We had to take them on our honeymoon for Vietnam and Africa. We didn't have any issues at all, although the doctor did warn us that it could make our skin more sensitive to the sun, so to make sure we slip, slop, slap!

I've never heard of any nasty side effects

 

[WanderlustNZ]

We have taken both doxycycline for Africa and Chloroquine for guatemala and mexico and have had no problems with either. It does depend if the area is chloroquine resistant or not depending on what medication you take. I just checked the CDC guidelines and it states Vanuatu has malaria throughout the whole country which I never knew. Also if you are considering port Douglas look at Palm Cove just south of port Douglas one of my favorite places, a little more laid back than port Douglas but still close to all the same attractions.

From what I understand, cases of malaria in Port Villa are very rare to non-existent. I've read websites that suggest taking malaria tablets when visiting Port Villa, and other websites which say you'll be fine without them. It's hard to know which ones to believe.

The place I want to go is in an area where malaria tablets are definitely recommended, so I would take them regardless.

Thanks for sharing your experience with both malaria tablets and Palm Cove. I will certainly check out Palm Cove.

It sounds as though you have been to a wealth of interesting places. I'm impressed. Of all your world travels, do you have a favourite?

 

[WanderlustNZ]

We had to take them on our honeymoon for Vietnam and Africa. We didn't have any issues at all, although the doctor did warn us that it could make our skin more sensitive to the sun, so to make sure we slip, slop, slap! I've never heard of any nasty side effects

Thanks for your feedback. It sounds as if you've visited a few off-the-beaten path places as well. I would love to visit both Vietnam and Africa one day. Unfortunately, Africa is one of the more expensive places in the world for us kiwis to get to.

A relative of mine had to take malaria tablets when traveling to some pretty remote areas with the special forces. The medicine made him feel so awful that he stopped taking it. Unfortunately this lead to a much nastier side-effect than the extreme nausea he was experiencing - he ended up contracting Malaria.

That was about 8 years ago, and he is fine now, but it has put me off visiting malaria prone countries. I should really talk to a GP. His may have been a very rare example and I could be worrying for no reason. It's good to hear from 2 people on here who suffered no symptoms.

 

[zanzibar138]

Thanks for your feedback. It sounds as if you've visited a few off-the-beaten path places as well. I would love to visit both Vietnam and Africa one day. Unfortunately, Africa is one of the more expensive places in the world for us kiwis to get to.

A relative of mine had to take malaria tablets when traveling to some pretty remote areas with the special forces. The medicine made him feel so awful that he stopped taking it. Unfortunately this lead to a much nastier side-effect than the extreme nausea he was experiencing - he ended up contracting Malaria.

That was about 8 years ago, and he is fine now, but it has put me off visiting malaria prone countries. I should really talk to a GP. His may have been a very rare example and I could be worrying for no reason. It's good to hear from 2 people on here who suffered no symptoms.

I love off the beaten path places

Africa is not cheap to visit from eastern Australia either (and it's not cheap when you get there either), but we thought it was worth the splurge for our honeymoon Unfortunately though, it has just made me realise how many wonderful places there are over there that we didn't get to experience, and that I want to go back so that we can experience them

It's awful that your relative experienced such major issues with his malaria tablets Glad to hear that he's ok now. I've never heard of anyone getting anything like that before - don't let it put you off experiencing some really beautiful places.

I also meant to say with the malaria tablets, you have to start taking them 2 weeks before you are going to be in the malaria prone area, so that there's time to build up your immunity (we had to start them on our wedding day ), and also keep taking them for a while afterwards (can't remember if it was just another couple of weeks or a month), so you will be on them for quite a while.

 

[Aussie Wendy]

My DD and her friend travelled in Asia earlier this year. My DD took Malarone (aka Atovaquone/Proguanil). Only had to take them 1-2 days prior to entering the malaria region, and 7 days after leaving the region. These have a reputation for a lot less side effects but are a lot more expensive than other types. She had no side effects (and tends to have a dodgy stomach). Her friend took Doxycycline, had to start taking them 1-2 days prior to arriving in malaria area, and had to take them for 4 weeks after leaving. These were much cheaper but made her feel sick after eating (though she found she felt best with them if she took them half way through a meal) and meant she got sunburnt/sunstroke much easier. DD says she also heard stories from other travellers on Doxycycline not going down too well after a big night drinking (probably related to the whole sunstroke/dehydration issue).

Many years ago now my parents travelled in various south pacific islands and took tablets - whatever was going-probably chloroqine back then (they have a lot more info now on malaria and greater variety of drugs available) and had no side effects.

I can also second we loved Palm Cove north of Cairns though that was before it got "discovered" and commercialised though I hear there is a good bar/café/restaurant scene there now. Nice beaches. I love the Atherton Tablelands behind (spent a great week in a self contained place in the rainforest once), Port Douglas, Mossman, Cape Tribulation, Barrier Reef boat trips, but if you do all the trips it gets costly.

 

[zanzibar138]

Her friend took Doxycycline, had to start taking them 1-2 days prior to arriving in malaria area, and had to take them for 4 weeks after leaving. These were much cheaper but made her feel sick after eating (though she found she felt best with them if she took them half way through a meal) and meant she got sunburnt/sunstroke much easier. DD says she also heard stories from other travellers on Doxycycline not going down too well after a big night drinking (probably related to the whole sunstroke/dehydration issue).

Oh I forgot about taking them with food! Yes, our doctor recommended that we always take the tablets with meals. So it was probably these ones that we had. We were very thorough about following the doctor's orders, so maybe that's why we didn't get any side effects. And we're not big drinkers, but a couple of cocktails certainly didn't hurt.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

I love off the beaten path places Africa is not cheap to visit from eastern Australia either (and it's not cheap when you get there either), but we thought it was worth the splurge for our honeymoon Unfortunately though, it has just made me realise how many wonderful places there are over there that we didn't get to experience, and that I want to go back so that we can experience them It's awful that your relative experienced such major issues with his malaria tablets Glad to hear that he's ok now. I've never heard of anyone getting anything like that before - don't let it put you off experiencing some really beautiful places. I also meant to say with the malaria tablets, you have to start taking them 2 weeks before you are going to be in the malaria prone area, so that there's time to build up your immunity (we had to start them on our wedding day ), and also keep taking them for a while afterwards (can't remember if it was just another couple of weeks or a month), so you will be on them for quite a while.

I can imagine that if you went to Africa once you would definitely want to go back. It is a land with a wealth of wonderful sites. What a wonderful place for a honeymoon.

Thanks for the extra malaria info. I am taking notes as the more I look into Ratua island the more it appeals. It has a lot in common with the place I love in Fiji.

Of all your travels, what has been your favourite place/s? It's always cool to hear the travel preferences of people who had travelled to a wide variety of places.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

My DD and her friend travelled in Asia earlier this year. My DD took Malarone (aka Atovaquone/Proguanil). Only had to take them 1-2 days prior to entering the malaria region, and 7 days after leaving the region. These have a reputation for a lot less side effects but are a lot more expensive than other types. She had no side effects (and tends to have a dodgy stomach). Her friend took Doxycycline, had to start taking them 1-2 days prior to arriving in malaria area, and had to take them for 4 weeks after leaving. These were much cheaper but made her feel sick after eating (though she found she felt best with them if she took them half way through a meal) and meant she got sunburnt/sunstroke much easier. DD says she also heard stories from other travellers on Doxycycline not going down too well after a big night drinking (probably related to the whole sunstroke/dehydration issue). Many years ago now my parents travelled in various south pacific islands and took tablets - whatever was going-probably chloroqine back then (they have a lot more info now on malaria and greater variety of drugs available) and had no side effects. I can also second we loved Palm Cove north of Cairns though that was before it got "discovered" and commercialised though I hear there is a good bar/café/restaurant scene there now. Nice beaches. I love the Atherton Tablelands behind (spent a great week in a self contained place in the rainforest once), Port Douglas, Mossman, Cape Tribulation, Barrier Reef boat trips, but if you do all the trips it gets costly.

Thanks Aussie Wendy. That info is really useful. I would be happy to pay a bit more for my medicine if it would help ensure my holiday ran more smoothly.

Thanks also for the info on Palm Cove. I have googled it and it looks gorgeous. One concern I do have is the box jellyfish that I have read are rampant at that time of the year. But if we found a place with a really nice pool, that might not matter?

With reference to the tours, you are right, they do look like they would add up. Asia seems to come with the con of more expensive airfares, Australia has more expensive activities/entertainment, and the Sth Pacific has the most expensive accommodation (at least in regards to what appeals to me). I guess that in the end it's all relative - pros and cons to everything?

 

[zanzibar138]

I can imagine that if you went to Africa once you would definitely want to go back. It is a land with a wealth of wonderful sites. What a wonderful place for a honeymoon.

Thanks for the extra malaria info. I am taking notes as the more I look into Ratua island the more it appeals. It has a lot in common with the place I love in Fiji.

Of all your travels, what has been your favourite place/s? It's always cool to hear the travel preferences of people who had travelled to a wide variety of places.

You know what, it's such a cliche, but I really can't pick a favourite! I'm really a sucker for nature and beautiful scenery, so Austria, Switzerland, Victoria Falls, our safari in Chobe National Park, and the Grand Canyon are right up there. We also had a great time in Vietnam, and are going back in March for our anniversary (including a short stay in the same gorgeous resort we stayed at on our honeymoon). And of course, Disney locations the world over!

I'm a bit weird because I'm not a city person at all, so places like New York or London aren't really on my list (which is currently at 8 pages ). I'm also not a beach person and can't imagine anything worse than lying around on the beach all day. I much prefer the country side and national parks, and am quite partial to the old road trip. Having said that, I did enjoy Paris a lot more than I thought I would, and I do enjoy a good beach view

There are also some wonderful places closer to home. I can't get enough of Tassie!

 

[WanderlustNZ]

You know what, it's such a cliche, but I really can't pick a favourite! I'm really a sucker for nature and beautiful scenery, so Austria, Switzerland, Victoria Falls, our safari in Chobe National Park, and the Grand Canyon are right up there. We also had a great time in Vietnam, and are going back in March for our anniversary (including a short stay in the same gorgeous resort we stayed at on our honeymoon). And of course, Disney locations the world over! I'm a bit weird because I'm not a city person at all, so places like New York or London aren't really on my list (which is currently at 8 pages ). I'm also not a beach person and can't imagine anything worse than lying around on the beach all day. I much prefer the country side and national parks, and am quite partial to the old road trip. Having said that, I did enjoy Paris a lot more than I thought I would, and I do enjoy a good beach view There are also some wonderful places closer to home. I can't get enough of Tassie!

I understand - I would struggle to pick a favourite also.
I'm like you, I have a soft spot for nature and beautiful scenery, and Austria was also one of my favourite places. I'm curious; have you ever visited the Sth Island of NZ? While I'm certainly biased, I am pretty proud of the scenery we have here.

I'm also not a city person. I have a soft spot for London because I lived there for a while and have many fond memories. But when I pick a place to visit for a holiday, cities are rarely anywhere near the top of my list. My impression of a place is often a reflection of the mood of those around me. If people all around me are behaving in a hectic, rushed manner, then a whole place can feel hectic and rushed. Give me a quiet little medieval village, or a picturesque alpine lake any day.

Do consider trying a beach holiday one day. You might be like me and discover that your low expectations lead to a very pleasant surprise.

Had you asked me 3 years ago what I thought of a beach holiday I would have said exactly as you did - I can't imagine anything worse. But, my holiday to Navini counts as one of the best holidays I have ever done and is a strong rival to the one I just did to WDW (although I think the Disney Fantasy gave this Disney trip the slight leading edge). There's 2 reasons I loved Fiji so much. One is because of how relaxed I felt. I never ever knew it was possible to feel that relaxed (while still keeping busy). And, two, because of the undersea world. It's like discovering this whole new National Park, full of bright, beautiful creatures, only they're under water. It's also a bit of an adrenaline rush to swim past the likes of the lion fish or sharks.

 

[gogo65]

From what I understand, cases of malaria in Port Villa are very rare to non-existent. I've read websites that suggest taking malaria tablets when visiting Port Villa, and other websites which say you'll be fine without them. It's hard to know which ones to believe.

The place I want to go is in an area where malaria tablets are definitely recommended, so I would take them regardless.

Thanks for sharing your experience with both malaria tablets and Palm Cove. I will certainly check out Palm Cove.

It sounds as though you have been to a wealth of interesting places. I'm impressed. Of all your world travels, do you have a favourite?

I would have to say currently my favorites are Spain and Guatemala, but we also loved Africa. My next trip I will be going to Croatia for the first time, worried that may become my new favourite