[muddykins]

i want to go away for about a week or two in January with my boyfriend - i'm trying to avoid the peak season of christmas/new year and CNY. i'm not sure which would be better, joining a tour or just doing it indie. the 'restrictions' of a guided tour doesn't appeal to me, but i want to make sure that we hit all the essential tourist spots while there, and since we're not familiar with area and the transport that could be a little difficult.

I'm looking at either Cebu or Phuket - any reccomendations of where i should be looking to stay? bed and breakfast or a hotel?

has anyone done any package tour that were inclusive of flights? how were they?

[jgl]

What do you mean by a "tour"? Going with a load of other people and being shuttled around in a bus and being shown the sights? If so, I didn't realise that such arrangements existed for Phuket or Cebu as they are primarily for beach resort holidays. There is very, very little of 'cultural' interest around Phuket, for example. Just a load of beaches, a couple of national parks, some Euro-trash bar areas, shopping malls, two shooting ranges and a paintball field. There are probably a couple of temples, but you're better off going to some other part of Thailand for that.

Or by "tour" do you mean a package that includes flights and accommodation? If so, they are frequently more cost effective than booking the two separately.

> any reccomendations of where i should be looking to stay?

Need more info to answer this kind of question. I'd sugget the Phuket Chedi or Banyan Tree, but that might be a bit pricey or too quiet for you

What sort of budget do you have?
Do you want to stay somewhere busy, or somewhere tranquil?

[gilleshk]

Half the fun of traveling is figuring things out, experiencing the place, finding cool little eateries and mingling with local people. That is best done on your own. Both Cebu and Phuket are safe and easy places to get around and there are plenty of people that speak english, local tour operators that can take you to do things you may want to do on your own time and schedule.

Personally being herded like a sheep on and off a bus isn't my idea of a holiday but to each his/her own.

[wtbhotia]

Dont bother with the Group tours, I went on one a long time ago, every morning we had to get up at 7 am, breakfast by 8 then on the bus to be taken to some shopping malls, temples, snake/crocodile farms etc etc, everyday we would only get back to hotel late at night and then start over again the next day, you also had to pay the tour leader his daily wage, in the end he would walk around asking for TIPS. It was a nightmare, I need a holiday to recover from that holiday. LOL.

Phuket is a great place to wander around especially if your going to stay in patong area, lots of things to do, book a package holiday, airticket + hotel, thats what i m trying to do already for Mid of Nov, the agent told us that flights from Phuket to BKK is already full and we need to get on the waiting list (WTF). We were planning on stopping in BKK on the return trip to do some shopping, looks like we will have to give that a miss.

Last time i stayed in the Amari Coral Beach Resort which is next to Patong beach, Its nice and peaceful, private beach but if u want action, Patong beach is right next door. I'll be staying there again this time.

Hire scooters / jeeps and drive around. People will say that its dangerous, but if u use common sense and drive defensively then its no problem. If driving is not to your liking then u can hire the Tuk-Tuks, always get the price fixed before entering one. All of them can take you to the tourist areas. Lots of local tour agents that can help you book stuff as well.

1 1/2 month till my next trip. Woohoo, cant wait to get there, relax on the beach with a nice cold Singha beer. 7 days of no blackberry/mobile phone/laptop.

[jayinhongkong]

Both Phuket and Cebu are a lot of fun. Just be polite and smile a lot and don't stay out too late. I've seen some really wild stuff happening in Patong at night (police chases, beatings in the middle of the street, and one of our friends had a pistol pulled on him by a tuk tuk driver). That being said, I was treated really well in Phuket. It's all about showing people respect. I think white people tend to have more trouble in those places. Being Eurasian is an advantage.

I know what you're like Muddyz and I know you'll be fine in either place. You're definitely not the tour group type of person. I recommend hiring a private car in Phuket. They cost less than tuk tuks if you can bargain (and I'm sure you can), they're a lot safer and the air conditioning is a blessing.

Haven't been to the Philippines in over 10 years (although I've been going in and out of the Phils since I was about 3 years old) so I can't help you as much there, but Filipinos are great people and very friendly.

[muddykins]

thanks for all the replies everyone, keep them coming XD a couple of further questions...

as mentioned, I'm looking for an airfare plus accommodation package that's not too costly - for two people, thinking about $20k max for the whole trip. i think the guided tour was a little invasive of the freedom, and having to wake up at 7 does not sound like fun. =p

with accomodation, i'm not really looking for a 5 star hotel thats directly in front of the beach [i'm thinking holiday inn sort of quality - we only need the room to sleep and the hotel to eat in i guess], convenience is of course my main concern - are there any "budget" hotels that would have shuttle buses to the main must-see places?

with regards for getting around - i've been to both Cebu and Phuket before, so i have a vaaaague recollection of where to go, and i'll be sure to check the places that i definitely want to go to - any recommendations?

At the moment i want to be going between the peak seasons - how far in advance would i have to book the tickets and hotel? can anyone recommend a travel agency they've used in the past that are helpful?

thanks for this everyone, i appreciate it - keeping in mind i'm still technically a kid, and i've been travelling in the lap of the ID90 Cathay Pacific Luxury for the past 18 years!

[wtbhotia]

checked the air ticket + hotel package for Phuket for November, travel agent told me its Peak Season, Holy CRAP, increase of 2K. 7 days 6 nights was quoted as nearly 7K, Thai airways + Amari Coral Beach (5 star)

Nov - Feb is peak season.

[muddykins]

that sounds reasonable for a 5 star hotel, what sort of range should i be looking to spend, at what point do i get suspicious of being ripped off? =p

[Star Gazer]

try palawan. the waters are nicer that time of the year

[gilleshk]

Check out sites like zuji.com, asiarooms, asiatravel, latestays, asia-hotels. You will get an idea of the price and there are plenty of reviews from other travelers.

If you want to spend less for Phuket, you can get a cheap flight with a discount airline to Bangkok and then another one to Phuket. It's not a huge hassle and you can spend a couple of nights in BKK which is always fun. If you combine this with the best price from one of these sites, it'll be probably cheaper than a set package. Most people prefer to avoid the hassle though...