Hi folks....me again!!

Jus another quick one.....we are moving to brisbane end january 2009 and the company i am going to work for are paying for flights. They have agreed for us to have 5 day stopover on route and we were looking to do some sightseeing as well as purchase electrical items......laptop, PS3, I pod and mobile phones are on the shopping list!!

Anyhow can anyone suggest which stopover country would be best/less expensive for these items as well as do some sightseeing?

Thanks for your help!

Mike and Claire

I can only comment on a couple of destinations i.e. HK vs Singapore but IMO HK is fantastic. I haven't been there since 1994 but it's far less clinical than Singapore and really great. I don't know about electrical prices though.

singapore is fab for both sightseeing and shopping
we stayed in singapore in june during our rekkie and we are heading back there next week when we leave for oz. we could go somewhere else, but its such a vibrant place that has lots to offer, check out the trip advisor site for things to see and do.
have fun and good luck
bec

I would say Singapore if you have kids, Hong Kong or Bangkok without. We have taken our kids to Bangkok and although they enjoyed it they found it a bit full on (and they were 4, 8 and 13). Singapore is good for shopping and is a very "easy" destination, you could find more exciting places though.

Hong Kong is great for kids too, we've been there 4 times now. It's got a Disneyland which is great.

Hi

I would definitely reommend Langkawi, its the second best place in the world (after Oz of course). Loved it.

You would prob need to travel through KL.

We had never heard of it, but it was great. We can recommend a good / good value hotel.

Best of luck.

Thanks folks for your help......I think its got to be either Singapore or Hong Kong which we both liked the idea of!

Interesting though that no one has suggested the USA or Dubai....has any one got any information regarding these stopovers?

Thanks again

Mike and Claire

IMO been to Singapore and would recommend with small kids, very safe. KL is great, but not sure I would take small kids there. Langkawi is Paradise, truly beautiful but you need to fly from KL or Singapore.

A friend has just been to Dubai with kids, but said she wouldn't go back there with them, much more of a grown up place - bit like Vegas were her words!

Best of luck.
P

Yup, Dubai is getting more like Vegas everyday. However with the new Atlantis water park now open it would be a family place to visit. You can go to Fujarah and see the turtles at Snoopy Island. The wildlife reserve in Sharjah and several other places but the problem is getting to these places. Driving in the UAE is not for the faint hearted.

Electronics are cheap but do not always come with international warrantees - so beware.

Singapore I think is great, but humid. Lots to do with children etc. though. I would go for Singapore personally.

USA is not really an option if you are travelling to Australia. Generally flights through North America cost twice as much as flights through Asia.

It would never even occur to Australians to travel through America to get to Europe. And if you suggested it at a travel agency you would confuse the poor people!!

It's a pity, because I am tired of making the trip through Asia (do it a number of times a year). I think I'm just going to have to fork out the extra money.



My personal favourites for stopovers are Tokyo and Seoul (Seoul in particular because I know it well, having lived there). However, I don't know how great either place would be for people who have never been to manage on a short break.

Airlines have really started to open up Asia to the world. Everyone from Finnair to Qantas flies all over Asia now, and the stopover options are endless.

Just in recent years I've been through Seoul, Tokyo, Colombo, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong and parts of India.

HK is awesome...but Singpore is not bad either. You can visit malaysia while you are there.......Check out how the weather is in Thailand during your travel...

Been to Singapore several times and always thought it is massively overrated.
Good but overrated - at the end of the day its a big modern city.

ALL others mentioned have the edge IMO. Penang is good and probably more family friendly than Langkawi (which is paradise). HK has far more soul but in recent thread electrics expensive.

Personally I like Dubai but I know many dont - and time of year is definitely a factor - dont go until at least Oct as too hot.

Also is through KL you can fly MAS who are excellent.