Confused: Where would you go if you had a month to travel in August 2012?

by Jul
(US)

Bira Beach, Sulawesi

Bira Beach, Sulawesi

Bira Beach, Sulawesi Penang food, Malaysia Iban village, Sarawak, Malaysia

Hey guys!

Thanks for such a great website and hopefully you can help us.

My fiancee are excited to head to Asia for August for our bar trip (a trip you take after taking the US lawyer's bar exam). We've done so much research (maybe too much research?) and are just absolutely confused where to go and how long to stay. So I figured I would ask the experts - you guys. Where would you go if this was your first trip and you had one month?

Some information about us:
- we are 27/28 years old
- we are leaving around the 1st of August, 2012 and staying for the entire month
- we would love some time by the beach but it does not have to dominate the trip
- we love to explore, talk to natives, try interesting food

Thank you for any advice you can provide.

Warmly,
Jul

Posted: March 10, 2012



Answer: Hey Jul, if I would to stay somewhere in Asia for one month in August, it would be Malaysia (east coast peninsula and Sabah) or Indonesia (Bali, Sulawesi and Lombok).

Weather and climate-wise, these two countries have dry (tourist) seasons between May/June to October, with August being the most popular month for travelers to Bali, Lombok and Sulawesi. I've researching myself for a summer trip to Indonesia in 2013, and I've considered Sulawesi because I've heard it has beautiful beaches (Bira Beach) with nice diving opportunities.

If you're not into the party scene, I would probably avoid Gili Trawangan (Lombok) and Kuta (Bali). I would rather try the other Gili islands, like Gili Meno or Gili Air - at least, those are the places I would bring my boyfriend :)

For local culture experience I would visit Yogyakarta and Bandung on Java and Ubud on Bali :) A trip to the Komodo island in Flores also sounds awesome.

In Malaysia, I would stay on the east coast visiting beaches and islands like Perhentians, Redang and Tioman. And probably stay a couple of days in Melaka and Penang for cultural experiences :) Penang is infamous for its great Malay food so it's definitely worth the trip. Or travel to Sabah or Sarawak for village visits and trekking opportunities. From KL it's only a short flight trip to Borneo :-)

Hope this helps!

Amanda

Posted: March 10, 2012

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Mar 10, 2012
Thailand
by: Casey

Hi Jul,

Congrats on taking such an awesome trip! I've been traveling through Thailand for the past several weeks, and it's a great place to spend a month. I'd recommend visiting the islands in the southern part of the country, then making your way north to Bangkok and Chiang Mai.

If you visit the islands, be warned that the Phi Phi Islands are beautiful but touristy. Phi Phi Don has some beautiful beaches and resorts but the town is super packed and the nightlife really caters to a Spring Break type of crowd. I've heard Koh Samui is a beautiful place for couples — quieter and gorgeous.

Northern Thailand is also beautiful and much cheaper. It's interesting to see the differences throughout the country and get to have so many great experiences wherever you are in Thailand.

Hope you have a wonderful time!

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