Best kitesurfing and "familly" spot in Asia in February ?

[flysurfing]

Hello,

I am living in China and plan to go for a trip in february / march.

May i know in your opinion what is the best compromise between kitesurf and holidays with familly spot ?

I was thinking to Bali / Thailand or Vietnam but maybe would you have any other advice ?

Thanks for your inputs !

[Saami]

What is your family looking to do? Shopping, cultural events, hanging out on the beach / poolside?

You mention Bali vs. Thailand. Bali is by all means a fantastic place, but it is not a place for kiting in February / March. So, between those two I would have to recommend Thailand. Hua Hin sounds like it may be a good compromise for you - there is a thermal wind most afternoon (suitable for a large kite), a huge long kid-friendly beach with shallow waters and gentle waves, plenty of beach-side accommodation, loads of restaurants with Thai and Western food, plus even a shopping mall with a movie theater and a big supermarket with all the brands you are likely to be used to. To get to Hua Hin, simply take a taxi straight from the airport in Bangkok (it is a 3-4 hours ride and will cost you around 2,000 - 2,600 Thai Baht for the taxi ride; confirm the price before getting in the taxi). Stay at any of the many guest houses at Soi 67 or further south along the beach (don't stay in the center of town).

Vietnam is all right but it is not quite so family-tourist-oriented as Thailand. What I mean is that you will surely find Thailand a convenient and friendly place for all your family needs (basically, no matter where in Thailand you are you will be OK and will be able to find food and accommodation and toilets and English speakers et cetera); Vietnam can be OK but can require a bit more patience at times. Also, be warned that the Mui Ne shorebreak is not kid-friendly - if you go there, your kids will have to swim in the swimming pool only.

Boracay in the Philippines is another Asian kiting destination that is pretty family friendly and tourist-oriented. It is a little bit more complicated to get to though - you will have to first fly to Manila, then catch a flight to Caticlan (after which you'll need a short minibus + boat ride combo over to the island of Boracay, but the airline will take care of that for you). Also, on Boracay, you will realistically want to leave your family on the soft-sand beach on the west side of the island (White Beach) while you kite Bulabog Beach on the east side, a 10-minute walk away, whereas in Hua Hin you could literally kite in front of your family. At any rate your family is likely to be happy with Boracay unless they like cultural events and shopping malls.

[clckplaya]

and for May, do you think Hua Hin will be good for 10m2 ? thx

[Saami]

and for May, do you think Hua Hin will be good for 10m2 ? thx

Unfortunately the winds in Hua Hin tend to die off towards the end of April... You could be lucky, but I wouldn't count on being able to ride in May.

Also, how much do you weigh? Most people are on 12m-15m kites in Hua Hin even during the windiest months, unless they are really light-weight.

[clckplaya]

Thx for your help.
I m 65kg and usuly ride on 10m2 with15kts.

Then i ll go visiting around if the wind is HS......!

[Saami]

Thx for your help.
I m 65kg and usuly ride on 10m2 with15kts.

Then i ll go visiting around if the wind is HS......!

I'm about your weight, and I usually ride a 10.5m when I am in Hua Hin. Then again, I don't go in May, and even during the windier months there have been quite a few days I wished I had a bigger kite... And if the seabreeze does not kick in, not even the 15m+ Flysurfer Speed guys will be riding.

[flysurfing]

Hello all,

thanks for your reply.

I checked Hua Hin but it sounds kind of ugly when i look at a pic could you confirm ?

I went indeed in Boracay and it's a hassle to go there cause of the transportation to the island, a bit same hasle as if you go Phu Quoc in south vietnam.

Would you think i could get some chance of getting thermal wind in Bali in Fev ? So far it's the best spot i ever been and i feel a bit frustrated not to be able to go there again.

Cheers

[Saami]

thanks for your reply.

I checked Hua Hin but it sounds kind of ugly when i look at a pic could you confirm ?

You mean "ugly" as in not beautiful? Well, the Hua Hin beach area hasn't struck me personally as being particularly ugly, but I don't know what your beauty standards are. I'll concede that it is no Hawaii.

These are some pretty representative photos of the Hua Hin beach, so you can judge for yourself:

Would you think i could get some chance of getting thermal wind in Bali in Fev ?

I don't think the chances are great but you probably know how it is with weather and wind - you can never know for sure.

Look, if you want to go to Bali, just go... So maybe you won't be able to kitesurf, but so what? You will be in Bali so there will be plenty of other stuff to do, and your family will be happy. It is the same attitude I have about going to Thailand in March/April: yes, I can't count on kitesurfing every day, but hey, I will be in Thailand so who cares If there is no wind at least I get to hang out with my friends in a laid-back, friendly country with great food.