Langkawi, Koh Samui, Kota Kinabalu or Phi Phi

[Isadora]

HELP! We have booked our flights to KL for March next yr (honeymoon) & are planning to fly out to a more tropical destination within Malaysia. We've only ever done Penang, so dont know what the other areas of Malaysia are like. Phi Phi Island looks stunning but DP is set on Langkawi. We are also taking an 18 month old so preferably somewhere thats family friendly - mind you last time we went the locals were fabulous with our DD. Has anyone been, any recommendations?

[HotI]

We have been to Langkowi and Kota Kinabalu (on our honeymoon). Both were beautiful and gorgeous.

We stayed at one of the big resorts at Langkawi (Sheraton) but also hired a motorbike for a few days and went exploring. Cars are easier to hire, and probably better with a bub. The night market was lots of fun, beaches beautiful, food amazing. We stayed for 11 days and found enough things to do for every day.

We stayed at Hyatt in Kota Kinabulu (it was our honeymoon we were living it up!) and had a couple of day trips to islands for snorkelling. We travelled up to see the orangutans. There are two places where the orangutan refuges are. If you are wanting to see them, maybe stay near one of them because it can be a bit of travel which might be a bit harder with a little one. That was an amazing experience.

We found in Malaysia that you can't get real bacon, only 'turkey bacon', not a prob for me cos i'm vegie but more a prob for hubby.

I need to plan a holiday!

[Isadora]

Thanks Kate, Langkawi & Kota Kinabalu are top of our list atm. I know what you mean about the turkey bacon, what about the curried chicken sausages for brekky haha. Too much for my stomach in the morning!

[BellyBelly]

Phi Phi is beautiful but I wouldn't go back. Its small and when you go swimming the sea lice bite you, maybe that happens at those other places too but I just wouldnt go back. Nice for a day trip thats it though. I heard Koh Samui is lovely but I think all those other options would be great.

[luna moth]

Just south of Phi Phi is a larger, cleaner and much more family friendly island called Koh Lanta. We stayed at Lanta Family Resort, right on the beach, and there were a lot of people with kids there, and the price was definitely right! It's very calm, quiet, none of the raging discos and spewing backpackers that are rampant on Pha ngan and PP.
Koh Samui, similarly, is a lovely place, a little bit more wild and noisy than Lanta, but easily escaped, and the beaches are great, and there's a lot of people around, which means you've got all the services you could want.
Why don't you just check out Air Asia's fares and go for whatever is cheapest/most convenient?

[Isadora]

How cheap are Air Asia!! Loving it. Still deciding....Koh Lanta sounds great might have to google that one!