15

Personally, I wouldn't bother trying to go anywhere other than the transfer city. Any of the major cities mentioned (Singapore/Bangkok/KL/Hong Kong) would be fine. Seoul or Tokyo would also be quite reasonable. The obvious bonus of these, assuming you have a UK passport is they are Visa-free entry. Vietnam would not be one.

Honestly, I'd go Singapore Airlines and stop in Singapore. I feel Singapore Airlines are the pick of the bunch in terms of quality, and Singapore, despite what some people say, is a great place to spend a few days. It's only "sanitised' if you don't go looking for fun. Plenty to see and do.

My next choice would be Hong Kong and Cathay Pacific; then Bangkok and Thai Airlines, and finally KL and Malaysian. That's not to say there's anything wrong with KL and Malaysian, just my personal preference. I've not been to Seoul/Tokyo to compare.

Bangkok is probably the pick of the litter in terms of history/culture etc, the others being comparitively young cities.

I'm not impressed with Middle East offerings. I wouldn't countenance a stopover there myself.

16

If budget is any kind of consideration, it really comes down to which airline you are going to fly with. I'd be looking at the prices of the London-Sydney fares first and and deciding on your preferred airline. Then you see what stopover is offered with that airline. Work your way down the list until you find the matching airline and stopover you prefer.

17

Thanks again for all your replies, this is all really helpful information. A few responses:

• I'm UK-based and hold a UK passport
• I haven't considered Vietnam. I do require a visa to enter but this doesn't necessarily have to be an obstacle. However I really don't want to travel beyond the transfer city - would Saigon/Hanoi hold my attention for 3-5 days? I want culture/museums/great food/friendly people. I don't want shopping/sports (unlikely in SE Asia I know)/Dubai-esque experience/backpacker bar-oriented nightlife. I'm ambivalent about a beach holiday (and this is unlikely in one of the big transfer cities anyway).
• Singapore - I'm still leaning towards avoid. I really don't want another Dubai experience. - Is HK another Singapore or is there more of interest there?
• Qatar isn't of interest for the reasons stated in #12 - would prefer to avoid Middle East stopovers in general
• BKK seems to be a popular suggestion. I spoke to two friends who have visited BKK and both said that, given my preferences, I would be bored after 2 days there. Is this fair? Or, given my above preferences, is 3-5 days feasible?
• The budget for the flight is a slight consideration, but work are paying, and I have £1000 to spend on the UK>Aus flight (the cost of other flights would be met by me e.g. internal flights). A brief look around Kayak/Skyscanner etc. suggests that £1000 should be plenty at that time of year.

That's hopefully the last batch of general questions. I'll head to country/region-specific boards following any further responses. Thanks again everyone for your comments so far.

18

Hong Kong certainly isn't as sterile as Singapore, and you could do a day or overnight trip into China proper.

19

I think the SE Asia branch is now open so you could ask there about attractions in Hanoi/Saigon, but we were in both in November/December for two nights and two days in each. It would have been easy and a pleasure to stay longer in both of them. Both have plenty of museums and temples to keep you amused, plus lots of fantastic restaurants and street food. The people in Hanoi were more friendly than Saigon....but that's just us. Saigon was more like being in London - lots of manic traffic, people rushing everywhere. Hanoi is similar but better. Oh, Hanoi has lots of markets too including a Night Market. But it might be a good idea to read up on what there is to see and do!

Oh, Singapore isn't worth the trip IMHO - Hong Kong and KL are much nicer!

20

or spend 2 nights in singapore, catch a cheap flight over to HK spend another 2 days then continue on with your travels.

21

Absolutely. We preferred Hanoi over Saigon, but that's just us - Hanoi seemed more - umm - Vietnamese. Wonderful food (hint - look for places full of Vietnamese), helpful and friendly ppl on the whole, particularly those in the travel industry. The museums are good - in Hanoi we liked the History Museum and the Women's Museum. In Saigon the War Remnants Museum is confronting but well worth a visit.

And Vietnam is very inexpensive - eg nice hotels $20-30 a night, a good feed for $5.

22

I've had stop overs in several places between the UK and NZ. I think the most interesting would probably be BKK and Thai airways is a good choice as an airline. Singapore was nice for a couple of days but it is a bit 'SEA-light' and I think you'd enjoy the time in BKK more. There is plenty to see near BKK if you can't find enough to do in the city for 3-5 days.
i definitely wouldn't recommend a stopover in Korea ;-)

23

Malaysian Airlines stops at Kuala Lumpar , flying from London to Sydney. So spend some time in KL. This will also break up the very long flight.

24

I loved Hong Kong if that is a possibility for you. Spent a week there.

25

Hi Lisa, I am considering a stopover in Seoul en route to Canada next year. Why wouldn't you recommend it?