A trip to Australia needs careful planning as it is a long way from any other continent. Travel times are usually very long (22 hours from Europe and 14 hours from the US.) A great option is to include a stop off on the way or way back from Australia. Alternatively you could stay longer and visit another country in the southern hemisphere.

Unless you are coming here for more than 3 weeks, I’d limit your onward travel and not try to do too much. Australia is huge and you need at least 3 weeks to do it justice. In fact, you’ll only be able to see a small part of this amazing country with 3 weeks.

Asia is generally the preferred stop off destination. This is particularly true if you are coming from Europe as most flights stop to refuel here. It means there is usually a very small cost for including a stop over to your flight. Here are some of the best stop off destinations:

Bangkok and Thailand

This is a popular holiday destination for the Australians as there are a few flight operators keeping flights competitive, and it’s still reasonably cheap when you get there.

For Bangkok I’d look to do the following:

1) A must visit is the Grand Palace. Whilst you can’t actually go into the Palace the buildings are beautiful and can be admired from the outside. This is the official residence of the King but is now only used for special occasions.

2) The Wat Sai Floating Market is a good one to visit and you can get on a barge outside the Grand Palace. It’s also good to combine a visit to the Royal Barges Museum. They have some fabulous boats on display that have been used by the King.

3) Chatuchak Weekend Market The place to shop in Bangkok. It has everything here including restaurants too. Go early to avoid the heat and the crowds (opens from 7am)

4) If you would like to see more of Bangkok, then take a Segway Tour. This is a tour with a difference as you will be on a 2 wheeled electronic device. They are easy to use and they give you a real sense of freedom as you cruise the streets of Bangkok.

5) Enjoy the nightlife. A night in Bangkok is usually good value and we’ve all heard of the lady boy shows etc. Bars are a plentiful and generally offer a good night out.

If you would rather head to the beaches of Thailand then consider the area around Phuket. Jet Star fly directly to and from Phuket from Sydney and at certain times of the year there are special reduced fares.

Phuket itself is a major tourist destination and as a result it is full of touristy stalls, restaurants and heaps of bars. This is not the place if you are wanting a quiet beach holiday. It’s more like going to Ibiza but in Asia! The surrounding area however is lovely and offers more tranquil resorts. Phi Phi Island is a favourite day tour and great place to actually stay (It’s near where they filmed “The Beach.”)

There are plenty of other stop over destinations that can’t be explored in this article. Other recommendations include Singapore, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur. If you are heading to or from the US, then consider the beautiful islands of Fiji as an alternative to Asia.

If you have more time and are planning a longer trip to Australia (months rather than weeks) then I’d recommend combining your trip with New Zealand or even Bali. Flight times from Australia are only a few hours.

Tags: Asia

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