Where to go in February?

jimi_man

If you want warmth then in February that pretty much rules out Europe and other northern latitudes like the US. If you want things to do as you aren’t beach people then that rules out the Caribbean. 

I’m slightly biased since I love the far east and I like Malaysia and it would be on my list too. You could consider doing the train journey up to Thailand from Singapore. Thailand is great and places like Bangkok and Chiangmai are well worth visiting. Vietnam is also worth a visit though I prefer the south. And I wouldn’t bother with Ha Long bay either - that’s the very definition of over tourism. 

The great thing about Asia is that it’s safe, there is lots to do, the food is great, the people are friendly and you get good value there. £100 on a hotel there goes so much further than any where else in the world. And they don’t do stupid tipping either - at least not to any great degree. 

S Africa is pleasant in Feb, again there is plenty to do - Cape Town is nice and the Garden route drive is spectacular. It’s the wrong time of year to do a safari unfortunately but the food is good and probably qualifies as one of the cheapest western places in the world to eat! We’ve just come back from a couple of weeks there doing a safari and other things and we really like it. Safety is probably more of an issue there though. 

Australia is nice that time of year too but it’s hellishly expensive and also a bit of a trek to get there. Personally I wouldn’t fly there in Economy which adds to the cost too, and you probably need a bit of time there to travel around. 

Japan is also excellent but a little chilly in Feb and not as good value as some of the other places mentioned. 

I think you’re on the right lines with Malaysia. KL is great for a couple of days and we find the heat very agreeable though not everyone does. But if you can fly into one place and out of another (say Thailand) then I think that adds to the enjoyment and for us - three places is the sweet spot for a holiday. 

Oh and another shout out for Mexico too, great place away from the ‘Cancun crowd’. With the added advantage that if you know any Spanish then that gets you soooo much further. 

Just some ideas. Let us know what you decide, I love hearing about people’s plans (especially to the far east). 

Nebulous2

jimi_man said:

If you want warmth then in February that pretty much rules out Europe and other northern latitudes like the US. If you want things to do as you aren’t beach people then that rules out the Caribbean. 

I’m slightly biased since I love the far east and I like Malaysia and it would be on my list too. You could consider doing the train journey up to Thailand from Singapore. Thailand is great and places like Bangkok and Chiangmai are well worth visiting. Vietnam is also worth a visit though I prefer the south. And I wouldn’t bother with Ha Long bay either - that’s the very definition of over tourism. 

The great thing about Asia is that it’s safe, there is lots to do, the food is great, the people are friendly and you get good value there. £100 on a hotel there goes so much further than any where else in the world. And they don’t do stupid tipping either - at least not to any great degree. 

S Africa is pleasant in Feb, again there is plenty to do - Cape Town is nice and the Garden route drive is spectacular. It’s the wrong time of year to do a safari unfortunately but the food is good and probably qualifies as one of the cheapest western places in the world to eat! We’ve just come back from a couple of weeks there doing a safari and other things and we really like it. Safety is probably more of an issue there though. 

Australia is nice that time of year too but it’s hellishly expensive and also a bit of a trek to get there. Personally I wouldn’t fly there in Economy which adds to the cost too, and you probably need a bit of time there to travel around. 

Japan is also excellent but a little chilly in Feb and not as good value as some of the other places mentioned. 

I think you’re on the right lines with Malaysia. KL is great for a couple of days and we find the heat very agreeable though not everyone does. But if you can fly into one place and out of another (say Thailand) then I think that adds to the enjoyment and for us - three places is the sweet spot for a holiday. 

Oh and another shout out for Mexico too, great place away from the ‘Cancun crowd’. With the added advantage that if you know any Spanish then that gets you soooo much further. 

Just some ideas. Let us know what you decide, I love hearing about people’s plans (especially to the far east). 

Thanks - that's a great post. It gives me a lot of information. 

 We are trying to be a bit more adventurous than we have been to date. Internal flights to some of the Malaysian islands seem remarkably cheap. We will probably do 3 sites but fly into and out of KL. If it goes well we can always build on that in subsequent visits. 

daveyjp

It's many years since we visited Malaysia, but over three weeks we visited KL, Pangkor, Penang and Singapore.  3-4 nights in KL is enough and after Malaysia Singapore didn't really appeal.

TELLIT01

Possibly Cyprus.  I know of a number of Brits who used to spend the winter there, so I'm assuming it stays reasonably warm.  There is certainly plenty of history.

twopenny

January and February are a good weather times to visit the Asian countries but I know for some the prices go up then for that very reason.

Nobodys mentions Sri Lanka as an idea. I get really good reports of it from people who've been.

But my choice would be Malaysia - I haven't been to the mainland yet but it's on the list. I went to Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. The people were lovely, kind and helpful. I'd love to go back.

Stayed at the Shangri La hotel Tanjung Aru with marble bathrooms and huge beds  beach front and the food was fab. Trips to the orangutangs, islands, Budhists temples and all sorts. You have to shop around for price but bargains like I had are still around.

DoboChopSueyBar

blindman said:

I would say Oman.

Researching for a trip now onwards.

Should be warm in Feb and the trip can be a week long easily. History, museums desert mountains.

Despite its closeness to Iran and Yemen you should be safe

+1 for Oman. Oman is a hidden gem in the Gulf, so much to see there if you're into nature and history. Unlike its UAE neighbour, its not been overun with mass tourism. Our favourite place is Salalah/Dhofar in the South though it can get very busy in Khareef season (monsoon). Oh and its extremely safe.

Jemma01

DoboChopSueyBar said:

blindman said:

I would say Oman.

Researching for a trip now onwards.

Should be warm in Feb and the trip can be a week long easily. History, museums desert mountains.

Despite its closeness to Iran and Yemen you should be safe

+1 for Oman. Oman is a hidden gem in the Gulf, so much to see there if you're into nature and history. Unlike its UAE neighbour, its not been overun with mass tourism. Our favourite place is Salalah/Dhofar in the South though it can get very busy in Khareef season (monsoon). Oh and its extremely safe.

We were thinking about that one before, just unsure if you can wear shorts there and not be disrespectful to the culture (they may not harass you, but is it appropriate?)

To OP, I'm also biased towards southeast asian countries (Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka). My next destination is either Thailand or Sri Lanka.

Bigphil1474

We were in Oman last year and we're going back in January for a month. Respectful shorts are fine except in the obvious places. If you wear 1980s style, you'll probably upset someone. We had a great time, although we were based up in the north in Muscat. We visited Sur and Nizwa, and spent a night in the desert. We also visited the Shangrila at Muscat for the day (couldn't afford to stay there), really lovely beach side location and facilities. We mixed it up between eating local street type food, and restaurants, and at our accommodation, and cost was reasonable. Great stuff, and the weather is perfect at that time of year. As above, very safe.

jimi_man

Oman is on our list for next year. Looks very interesting. Trying to find a decently priced (pref Bus) airfare is not super easy but Oman Air is joining the Oneworld partnership which I’m hoping will make a difference. 

Nebulous2

Lots of good suggestions here folks, there is a whole world out there, and we've seen very little of it. 

We have to start somewhere though, and we've settled on Malaysia. We've booked a flight to Kuala Lumpur and 4 nights accommodation there, with the plan to take internal flights to another couple of destinations, then back to KL for the flight home. 

Thanks very much for all your help.