best place to travel abroad during thanksgiving - south east asia

 

Thanksgiving, in my opinion is the best time to travel abroad.  This turkey-laden holiday is not celebrated in Europe nor Asia, so these destinations can be quiet and tourist numbers tend to dwindle, especially in Europe.

I usually take my mother on a trip every year. This year, I wanted to plan something special for my mother during Thanksgiving week.

I was going to book the Paris 6 night package through Air France ($899 for 6 nights), but due to the political unrest (President Nicolas Sarkozy's unpopular pension reform) and recent terrorist alerts, I decided to look into South East Asia instead.

After further research, I realized that South East Asia was an ideal destination  for us during Thanksgiving:

1. Costs

Comparatively, Paris would be more expensive anyway with the weak U.S. dollar, pricey hotels ($200+ a night for a 4*) and foods. In contrast, Thailand would be a better deal. Sure, the airfare to Europe and Asia were petty much the same, around $1,000+ per person in economy class, but the hotel costs, food, and activities were much less in Thailand.

For $1100 per person, I booked Cathay Pacific Airlines with 2 stops: Hong Kong and Bangkok, good starter destinations in South East Asia. I also booked an excursion to Phuket for 2 nights for $200 per person airfare on Thai Airways. 

I selected these hotels:

YWCA - The Garden View in HK - $90 USD a night (2 nights)

Adelphi Grande Bangkok - $80 USD a night (3 nights), included wi-fi, breakfast

CC Bloom's Hotel in Phuket- $87 a night (2 nights)

So the price breakdown was this:

Airfare: $2200 (for 2) (from SFO airport)

Lodging (3 and 4* hotels in HK, BKK, and Phuket) = $600

Total: $1400 per person for 10 days in SE Asia

2. Weather

The weather is much more favorable in Thailand than Europe. The best time to visit Thailand is from November to February when the northeast monsoon is blowing cool, dry air which helps from the heat.

November in Paris is rainy and chilly, with low temperatures approaching freezing. Factor in wind chill and fewer daylight hours and you'll immediately understand why Thailand was a better bet.

3. Activities

I factored in costs as well. Tours, dining, and shopping in Thailand was relatively cheap. I mean, you can get a full meal for under $10 for 2-3 persons. Hong Kong is a different story, but that can be managed well.

After experiencing both Hong Kong and Thailand during Thanksgiving, I would attest that South East Asia is worth every dollar.