The States or Asia?

toadfly

So we have 2-3 weeks September next year for holidays. We are thinking either of these two trips;

1) NYC and Philadelphia to visit family for a week, not sure where else we would go. Maybe fly to Texas etc and a few days in Vegas.

2) Bali, Gilli Islands, Lombok and Thailand.

The states will be more expensive once we get there but we do have somewhere to stay for a week.

I dont know about weather in Sept in Asia.

Any thoughts??

Duff

If it was me, I'd be going with Asia. Completely different culture and experiences whereas in The States it's very similar to ours. Plus you say you have family there so you could visit The States whenever you want, if you get me.

Tipperary animal lover

With only three/two weeks I'd head states side, you'd b rushing everything in Bali and Thailand dont forget jetlag you'll be wrecked for two/three day. Have been to Bali the gillis Thailand etc and it would be to much of a rush. Asia would work out ten times cheaper.....

boredatwork82

Duff wrote: »

If it was me, I'd be going with Asia. Completely different culture and experiences whereas in The States it's very similar to ours. Plus you say you have family there so you could visit The States whenever you want, if you get me.

Have to agree with Duff here. Just be careful not to over pack your trip to asia, every where will grow on you and the schedules/plans can change so cheaply and easily. The beauty of Asia.

DublinArnie

I would go asia.

toadfly

Duff wrote: »

Plus you say you have family there so you could visit The States whenever you want, if you get me.

Not true unfortunately, we wont be able to do a trip like this again for a long time. We might get over for a week but wont be able to afford 2/3 weeks again.

Tipperary animal lover wrote: »

With only three/two weeks I'd head states side, you'd b rushing everything in Bali and Thailand dont forget jetlag you'll be wrecked for two/three day. Have been to Bali the gillis Thailand etc and it would be to much of a rush. Asia would work out ten times cheaper.....

When I said Thailand I meant only Bangkok and if we have time. The vast majority will be spent in the other places.

boredatwork82 wrote: »

Have to agree with Duff here. Just be careful not to over pack your trip to asia, every where will grow on you and the schedules/plans can change so cheaply and easily. The beauty of Asia.

Yes definately agree. I dont want to be constantly going, want to enjoy and take it all in.

DublinArnie wrote: »

I would go asia.

I am leaning towards Asia but would also love the states, am torn. More research needed

Beruthiel

No contest, Asia all the way!

toadfly wrote: »

I dont know about weather in Sept in Asia.

September is probably one of the best times to go.
Summer can be too hot in a lot of places in Asia, where as September will be mild, perfect weather.

boredatwork82

If your not going to get a 3 week break again I would definitely go to Asia. Lots of America can comfortably be done in 1 week stints. Where as Asia is too far to do in one week. I spent 2 weeks in Thailand in May, and it was without a shadow of a doubt the best holiday ever. I work in finance and so I can't take the first and last week of any month off. And I can only get 2 weeks off in one go at a push. If I ever managed to get a 3 week leave approved I would be straight back to Asia. As it is I am using my one week off in October to do Vegas. I will use another week to do New York early next year.

If you can't get 3 weeks off easily, I think it is a no brainer that you use this oppourtunity to get to Asia.

listermint

Asia.

Tipperary animal lover

If your gonna head to Asia, why not bypass Bangkok and head straight to Bali .. Klm fly dublin or cork via Amsterdam with a 2 hr refuel in Singapore to Bali, have done this flight a few times and its grand. You can get the boat from Bali to the gillis(2-3days enough) Lombok is ok but it's not geared to the tourists yet, Bali will take 2 weeks to explore.... Plenty of bicycle tours treks etc to do.... All over kuta legian and seminyak there are tour booths so check around and find what suits ye..... Also there's a massive carre four supermarket in kuta so you can stock up on all the essentials, so pack light.

sarkozy

+1 for Asia, though it's really South-East Asia. There's something different in that (albeit massive) region than Japan, China and Korea, which is so totally different.

The other thing to consider is budget - in my experience, SE Asia offers so much better value for money and it might even be possible for you to save some of your budget for a week in the US in the future. However, I don't know how cheap/expensive Bali, etc. are.

I think the extra distance and possibly expense is worth it to experience a totally different kind of culture compared to America which, while rich and interesting, would so often feel banal and contemptuously familiar that you might wish you chose your Asian option.

Graham_B18C

I'd go with Asia but I'd also say cut out Bangkok. I'd try get flights to Indonisia via KL and stop there for a few days. A bit more expensive than Bangkok but 10x nicer IMO

I am pie

Asia , oI loved Lombok but it was part of honeymoon, really laid back, couples place for me. some good trekking though if you like hiking up volcanoes. Better food i thought too. Avoid the main tourist strip in south bali, unless you want the asian benidorm with australia's knackers marauding everywhere. Seminyak has better bars and a better class of punter.

Went in sept last year, weather was awesome. Ubud was great, monkey forest a must. Go out to gili trawangan for a few nights partying, we cheated and stayed in a four star hotel but there is plenty of bars and cool places, really good for snorkelling scuba.

Do not drink spirits anywhere you aren't sure about. Stick to beer, a tourist died last year drinking dodgy booze. Not good.

spank_inferno

Asia (minus Bangkok).

I wouldn't visit Philly for free.

Faith+1

spank_inferno wrote: »

Asia (minus Bangkok).

I wouldn't visit Philly for free.

Really? Why? It's not another Detroit is it??

spank_inferno

Faith+1 wrote: »

Really? Why? It's not another Detroit is it??

Well, I'm sure some Philly lover may jump down my throat, however I've never been in a city that had a higher homeless - to - non homeless ratio.

Some beautifull buildings and great history there.

But I wouldn't bother with it as part of a larger US tour.

InTheTrees

toadfly wrote: »

1) NYC and Philadelphia to visit family for a week, not sure where else we would go. Maybe fly to Texas etc and a few days in Vegas.

2) Bali, Gilli Islands, Lombok and Thailand.

Any thoughts??

Yes.

Reading between the lines... In other words making wild assumptions about your motives... I'd say you really know you should be going to the states to visit family. Especially since you wont be doing a trip like this again for a "long time"(??). (A baby due? Or college?).

And you added the second option because you're not 100% committed to visiting family and you feel imposed upon by having the obligation when its your last chance to get away alone together.

Wild assumptions I know...

But for those reasons Id say go to the States. Family is important. You can stay in Philly for a short week (endure the in-laws) and then head out on your own from there its not a bad start point for any number of US adventures, you can rent a car and drive around or fly out west (avoid texas), and you can stop off again on your way home.

toadfly

InTheTrees wrote: »

Yes.

Reading between the lines... In other words making wild assumptions about your motives... I'd say you really know you should be going to the states to visit family. Especially since you wont be doing a trip like this again for a "long time"(??). (A baby due? Or college?).

And you added the second option because you're not 100% committed to visiting family and you feel imposed upon by having the obligation when its your last chance to get away alone together.

Wild assumptions I know...

But for those reasons Id say go to the States. Family is important. You can stay in Philly for a short week (endure the in-laws) and then head out on your own from there its not a bad start point for any number of US adventures, you can rent a car and drive around or fly out west (avoid texas), and you can stop off again on your way home.

Wild assumptions is right! They aren't my inlaws, they're my family. No baby on the way and if there was I wouldn't be planning a three week trip in a year if there was.

Thanks everyone for the replies. If we can manage the three weeks SE Asia it will be I think.

More recommendations for that area welcome.

InTheTrees

toadfly wrote: »

Wild assumptions is right! They aren't my inlaws, they're my family.

Oops. But why are you avoiding them then?

Wait...you dont have to answer that.