Comments on: 5 Cool Towns To Chillout in South East Asia

By: Emma

Emma — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 21:37:06 +0000

Great post! I spent 7 months in Ubud a few years ago. I was very glad to leave by the end – it is a gorgeous place, the locals are friendly but the extreme yoga scene there at the moment is what really turned me off. I just found it quite irritating.

But – I would highly recommend it as a place to chill for a few days. My other top spots in SE Asia –
- Lake Maninjau, Sumatra
-Tirtagganga, Bali
-Anywhere in Flores, Indonesia
-Akha Village, just out of Chiang Rai, Thailand
-Luang Prabang, Laos. (Not quite as chilled out as the others, but still, a very tranquil town).

By: CanCan

CanCan — Tue, 03 May 2011 02:55:40 +0000

Hoi An, Vietnam is gorgeous and chill. Near to Danang (beach)

By: Andrew Murray

Andrew Murray — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 01:12:02 +0000

Why the downer on Ubud? Out of season its gorgeous, plus its a great place as a base camp. In easy reach of just about anywhere in Bali…

By: Chris

Chris — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 08:20:38 +0000

Don Deng, just down the road, is much better than Don Det

By: Adam @ DutyFreeLiving

Adam @ DutyFreeLiving — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 05:06:31 +0000

Agree with many of those listed there. I’d also add Muong Ngoi in Laos. Probably one of my favourite cilli out spots ever. Seraya Island in Indonesia is great too.

As for Ubud, I can understand people not liking it because of the hoards of tourists. But it depends on what you want. If you want solitude in Bali, you generally sacrifice access to facilities and decent accommodation. So I vote for Ubud – it has a friendly vibe.

By: Matt

Matt — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 11:23:02 +0000

Great list. As far as Bali goes, Ubud us great to chill out for a day or two. I agree with the comment about travelling NE in Bali. Away from the tourist-ridden hellholes like Kuta. Best place I have been is little coastal town called Balian. About a 1 hour bike ride up from Kuta. Amazing, laid back vibe and naturally beautiful. Great surf also, if you’re into that.

By: Casey

Casey — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:16:20 +0000

Great pics! I loved Don Det. Such a chill place with $1-2 rooms with unreal views. Cheers!

By: Frugal Expat

Frugal Expat — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 06:32:54 +0000

Wow! Great pix..

I recommend Bukidnon in Philippines as a place to chill out.. It is close to nature, beautiful mountainous area and laid back lifestyle with the locals..

Lastly, fantastic weather!

By: Dan

Dan — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:02:24 +0000

Thanks for the comments and suggestions guys, maybe I will have to swap Ubud for somewhere else when I make my return to Bali.

@Diggy You’ve given me a great idea for something to do in the future.

@Mark I’m really interested in the Philippines but I haven’t done a lot of research into places there, nor Vietnam so much too.

By: kro

kro — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:12:11 +0000

Full Ack for Samosir, (and thanks for choosing my picture btw

Ubud may be quite dependent on seasonal fluctuation – just don’t go there in full season. While you can still have nice walks in the paddies around Ubud, the town itself is crammed with tourists of all ages, accomodation prices grow high (if you manage to find a free place) and you hear a “taxi, mister?” every 2 seconds…