Posted by
mils
18 yrs ago
looking for a gorgeous 4 day break to suprise the other half with. We love luxury! Also must have very clear water and good snorkelling. Cheersx
i'm sure you can find nice resorts in these places: boracay in the philippines; sanya in china; phi phi beach in thailand; kota kinabalu in malaysia...
Kmom
18 yrs ago
will definitely do maldives if luxury is what you want and money is not an issue. hubby and I loved it there
Whilst I'm sure the resorts in that article have nice some beaches (though the one at Sanur is fairly ropey and the one at Ao Nang very busy) you need to do a separate search for the snorkling/clear water bit. Three of the resorts listed have crummy snorkling (poor vis/few fish - lots of sea snakes in Sanur, which can be a bit hairy). Always a bug bear of mine when the brochure/hotel site mentions great snorkling and then you find it's lousy and you have to sign up for the 1+ hour boat ride to get to the good snorkling area. The Khao Lak Le Meridien is a very nice hotel and has a good sized adults only pool (as well as a large general pool). It has a good beach but 1ft visability in the sandy water. If you go there, you'd need to sign up for a 3hr trip (each way) to the Similans for some good snorkling/diving.
Go to Dos Palmas in Honda Bay , near Puerto Princessa in Palawan. There are several islands accessible by banca boat with great snorkeling and good diving. I have a home near Honda Bay and can definitely recommend Starfish Island, Snake Island (no sea snakes just 3km of sandy beach) and helens garden just off Dos Palmas resort.
Felt obliged to chime in here....This person says they want luxury...and some people are suggesting Puerto Galera? Kota Kinabalu?? Sanya?? Pipi? Please....people.
If luxury, clear water etc. is your top desire, then see post about Amanpulo. Otherwise, Maldives, Mauritius, Lizard Island (or other luxury Whitsunday Islands) in Australia, Bali could also be a possibility, but water and vis. quality not as good...
bing2
17 yrs ago
Definitely Maldives for luxury.....been to all over beach resorts in Asia and nothing come close to Maldives' luxury resorts and clear water......you want luxury, clear water and private time with your significant other, Maldives is your destination.....
Try Bora Bora in Tahiti..Went there for my honeymoon and it was great....
I suggest any of the GHM Hotels.
The Datai in Langkawi is exceptional!
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Amanpulo, hands down. No questions.
amanpulo gets my vote without a doubt
Hi!
amanpulo in the philippines is the best.
www.amanpulo.com
Travel the world for work and leisure, Amanpulo wins hands down!
88888
16 yrs ago
Dont even think about Peurto Galera,, Just spent 8 days there and not luxury at al..sh*te diving too.
Go the Maldives.. it is fantastic and all you could wish for.. I am back there in May for my 10th time !!
El Nido resorts in Palawan, Philippines www.elnidoresorts.com
Lankayan Island resort, Borneo www.lankayan-island.com
If you're seriuos about snorkelling...
nsd
16 yrs ago
Boracay is still the best beach in asia i been in all the beaches mention here...please see it, sanya is great too , just stay in JW marriot...thats you can call luxury...
Warning Note, a new hazard in these waters is the IRUKANDJI, or Box Jellyfish, one sting and they put you in a box, as a result of global warming these little pests have been moving north, previously unknown in Thailand, there have been recent fatalaties in both Phuket and Samui. Swimming in a wet suit apparently helps, however since people are not dying in droves, I guess the problem is not yet serious.
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i choose SANYA, hainan island (china) not far from HK. i always stay in The Ritz Carlton Sanya! they have pick up service which worth to get i guess, cost around 700hkd/way. it takes 40mins, i dont suggest you to take taxi, they are dirty and so tiny! book the lagoon suite or the villa! with ocean view OOOHHH.. gorgeous!!! villa can cost around 25000hkd BUT you have your own buttler, club car, fruits, snacks, private pool, ocean direct, what A LIFE!!! if you choose lagoon suite also fine, you have the biggest pool ever, right after your door! never stay in the lagoon suite, i dont know how much. stayed in Marriot before but was not as good as the ritz carlton but they have fantastic breakfast!. and the beach... OH MY GOOOOOD.... so clear, the sand so white and soft, you can swim! you can dive, you can do many things there! the hotel also provide a water sport activity!
i envy you if you go to Sanya, yalong bay area... i will not go there anymore because now we are in Japan... we probably will go next year! my family and i just love it! let me know if you go there! share your beautiful vacation, you will never regret!!!
nanhereward,
we just went to anantara maldives last yr and like you, thought it was a great resort.
you mention you go a week's vacation every yr, this is back to maldives? if so, where else have you stayed at that you will recommend? you been to soneva fushi?
El Nido is NOT luxury! Believe me, it really was very basic when I went there (admittedly quite some time ago) and although they were marketing themselves as 5* I would be hesitant to give either of the resorts 2*. They were also charging 5* prices.
Cmon, Maldives in 4 days ... it cost u 1,5 day to travel and that means you only have 2 days NET staying there.
The last thing you want if you go to such luxury resort is to come back broken right ?
You spend that much money is to slow yourself down and relax your mind etc.. with taht much travel within that short period of time is really nerve breaking.
for any place with nice beaches, you need to spend some time in the sky. Golden rule: the nicer the beach , the further it lies
The Four Seasons, Langkawi. Simply nothing can beat this place.
Amanpulo, no questions, beats any of the Maldives island resorts anytime. Any Beach resorts in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia (Bali) are good for water sports, fun and nightlife, but no way can you get the luxury, tranquility and the crystal clear waters that this filipino beauty offers. Another jewel, in addition to Manny Pacquiao, from the philippines!
I've just read in a TripAdvisor post that Amanpulo has shared its facilities with some private villas on the island and is now less tranquil than before. For 4/3 packages that start at HK$18k and up, I don't think that is acceptable if true.
If you
Note to Griffy: don't quite agree with you. Amanresorts actually have 5 properties in Indonesia (3 of them are in Bali -- Amanwana, Amandari, Amankila) because of its tranquility, crystal clear water and definitely luxury.
I'd love to visit Amanpulo, tho
For Mills, if you happen to stop by in Bali, do not go to common beach like Kuta as it's packed with tourists. Go to Dreamland Beach, Padang-padang or Uluwatu Beach
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selda
13 yrs ago
Sanya??? you must be joking.
Pollution from the Sanya River is polluting Sanya Bay, and the water quality is deteriorating everywhere in Hainan. I'd rather go to Tai Long Wan in Sai Kung than fly to Sanya. There are too many resorts, the place is overrun with loud mainland tourists carrying LV men bags, flashing golden watches, playing dice and drinking XO with their mistresses. The presence of large Chinese families (3 generations and other assorted relatives) make eating out in Sanya just as romantic as going to an over-lit, noisy hotpot restaurant in Mongkok. Obviously Sanya caters for them (think karaoke nights, shops selling the same designer brands they are all crazy about, hotel buffets serving oily Chinese food full of MSG)
English is not widely spoken, and the few non-Chinese tourists are Russian (cheap getaway packages for those who have to endure a long winter....even Sanya is preferable to Moscow at this time of the year)
If you live in HK, a weekend in Lantau, or Sai Kung country park is more relaxing and pleasant than flying to Sanya.
selda
13 yrs ago
IMHO, the best place for snorkelling (if you haven't got a long holiday) is Central and Southern Philippines.
Gday, I recommend Noumea in New Caledonia; somewhat French atmosphere but crystal clear waters and great diving; food is great and costs around Sydney prices.
Good priced hotels in Noumea and nearby beaches; Club Med way up north not really worth the drive or flight if you have only 4 days.
based in SW China
many of you recommend Amanpulo. What budget i expected to have for a 5 days trip with my wife and kid in there ?
i would recommend AMANPULO.
another resort you would wanna check is BELLAROCCA it's in the heart of the PHILIPPINES, and it's luxury. if you're looking for peace and tranquilty, you would wanna try this. :) really very special. around HKD 5000 per night.
www.bellaroccaresorts.com
Selda.
I just read your comments on Sanya and had a good laugh because you really hit the nail on the head!!
The place is a festering dump full of crass mainlanders and Russians. People spitting in the potplants in the lobby area, pushing in front of you while you are trying to check in, yelling at each other from one side of the resort to the other. AWFUL!!! I think the urine content of the swimming pool would be off the scale too.
I'm no snob, but I was sent there for a company function and couldn't wait to leave.
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We recently visited Koh Samui, we stayed at the new Conrad, absolutely awesome, great service, fabulous fine dining restaurant, and what must be the most spectacular location and views of any resort in thailand, we have booked for Christmas and New year.
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