Planning Anniversary Trip to Phuket, Thailand

[Vic Diaz]

Hi guys,

I am trying to plan my 3 yr wedding anniversary trip to Phuket, Thailand. The pictures looked amazing. From my initial research I have seen that they do layovers in Abu Dhabi and Dubai and some other places but those seemed the most attractive to my wife and I. Could I do a stopover or open-jaw to visit more places on this route? What would you guys recommend?

Currently the points I have are 93000 UR points but still building AOR strategy to build my balances up.

Thanks in advance.

 

[italdesign]

Just a note. If you go to Phuket in high season (Dec - Feb), expect a crowd. Beaten tracks like Patong, Similan Islands, and Maya Bay will be packed. For me that really eats into my enjoyment of paradise. There are hidden gems though that are well worth the research (Tachai Island and Phang Nga Bay by Starlight, for example).

If you book with United miles you should be able to have a stopover in Middle East, if you book roundtrip. Other UR options include Singapore Airlines (with fuel surcharge) and Korean Air (also fuel surcharge).

 

[Matt]

Personally I really disliked Phuket. There are nearby places that are nice but it isn't the best final destination, unless perhaps there is a resort there that closes you off from 'real life'. It has a lot of the seedy side of Thailand.

 

[Vic Diaz]

It would be sometime in September. Let me look at the United Route to see what I can plan through there.

 

[Vic Diaz]

Personally I really disliked Phuket. There are nearby places that are nice but it isn't the best final destination, unless perhaps there is a resort there that closes you off from 'real life'. It has a lot of the seedy side of Thailand.

To impress the beautiful gal, what would be a place that really just blew you away? First trip out of the Americas.

 

[italdesign]

September is rainy/cloudy/humid season. Not all the time, but don't expect great weather. Locals love it though because it's time off from tourist occupation.

I kind of agree with Matt. I didn't feel great in Phuket. Very, very touristy and not much "wow factor". Khao Lak was a bit better (more family oriented).

That said, I'm spoiled by Bora Bora, which was the ultimate paradise for me. Think perfectly turquoise water without the crowd, and being able to snorkel from your private deck all day. I also loved Bali for the culture, history, and relative seclusion and am going back this year.

Have you seen this thread for ideas?

 

[Matt]

To impress the beautiful gal, what would be a place that really just blew you away? First trip out of the Americas.

There isn't really a place, but a way in which you see a place.

With critical importance, this does not mean 'see it in First Class.. blah blah'... it means see it with your eyes open. If you want to impress the girl you need to go somewhere (almost anywhere) and just be in the moment, share it with her, listen to her, watch her, comment on things that catch her attention, and simply enjoy that moment.

I've been lucky enough to do that in several places, and dumb enough to not in many others. Location doesn't matter. Class of service doesn't matter. Appreciation of sharing that moment matters.

That said... I found Phuket hard to capture that since it was a lot of aggressive people selling things and whatnot. But I've had that feeling in (the right parts of) Barbados, St Martin, Jost Van Dyke, Carmel/Big Sur, New Orleans, Nashville, Hong Kong, Koh Tao (near Phuket) Galapagos, Hao Long Bay (Vietnam), Venice, and others.

In addition to that touchy feely crap about being in the moment, it is worth thinking about the flow of the trip when possible. When it comes to points some people become blinkered and will eagerly move hotels because they can get 3 nights at location A and 4 at location B, but not 7 at the one the really want. It is worth remembering that picking the one you want has value and points pricing shouldn't be the ultimate driving force, rather points should help reduce costs wherever possible.

 

[SanDiego1K]

From my initial research I have seen that they do layovers in Abu Dhabi and Dubai and some other places but those seemed the most attractive to my wife and I. Could I do a stopover or open-jaw to visit more places on this route? What would you guys recommend?

Each award program has its own rules as to whether it permits stopovers. AS is the most generous, allowing multiple stopovers. UA allows it on RT awards but not on one way awards. Otherwise, you have to book multiple awards, one to the first destination, one to the second, and so on. However, it's possible to make use of rules for connections where you can stay under 24 hours at connection cities. Further, be aware that if you are booking a ticket from the US to Thailand, you likely will need to book it via Asia, not via Europe and the Middle East.

Currently the points I have are 93000 UR points but still building AOR strategy to build my balances up.

First, familiarize yourself with UR transfer partners. BA charges by the segment and often has high fuel surcharges. UA is a typical transfer partner. You can build up your UA balance with a UA credit card as well as UR points.

Should you choose to move points to Korean, an excellent alternative, I found it difficult to get a Korean credit card. USBank is very tight with approvals. You can move both UR points and SPG points into a Korean account. Korean will allow you to book an award with no points in your account. They will hold it til a few weeks in advance of travel. You need to jump thru some hoops to set up a family account if you'd like to book your wife's travel with your points.

A one way coach award from the US to Thailand is 40K UA points. That means for two of you to redeem points RT, you will need 160K points - plus availability, always a challenge.

Given that this is your first trip outside the US, the sky is the limit. Since your points are limited, consider the Yucatan Peninsula or Costa Rica Guatemala or Belize where Southwest currently has service. (Did I read that WN is pulling it??)