I am planning a trip in late December/early January for my partner and I to take our daughter and her partner. We want sunshine and relaxation and not too expensive. Where would you recommend? Is Bali a safe option?
J. Jobson, Red Hill
I'm not sure Bali would be a great choice, although safety has nothing to do with that opinion. The reason is the weather. December is the start of the wet season in Bali, and this is rain from the Bible. The island is deluged by an average of 295mm of rainfall in December, you can expect rain two days out of three and this is also one of the worst months for heat and humidity.
A much better choice would be Krabi, on Thailand's south-west coast, where the wet season generally ends in November. Krabi lends its name to the long strip of coastline from Klong Muang in the north to Koh Lanta in the south. Set against a backdrop of craggy karst hills, there are several beach resorts here that look out across the steep limestone islands of Phang Nga Bay, which rear from the water like the fangs of a drowned sea dragon. Some of the resort areas here – such as Railay and Koh Lanta – can only be reached by boat. If escape is high on the wish list, Koh Lanta has the best beaches along this coastline and some of the swankiest resorts. If you want something more mainstream and easily accessible, Ao Nang and its northern neighbour, Klong Muang, could be the place. Krabi has its own airport, which is a better choice than the two-hour drive from Phuket Airport.
Another option is Phuket, which has the same weather pattern as Krabi, but I find it difficult to like Phuket – unlike Bali. Just on that note, and addressing your safety question, although Bali has rabies, Japanese encephalitis, malaria and dengue fever, provided you use common sense and follow a few basic rules, safety really isn't a problem.
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