MarkJust a note before the deal, booking any flight given the current situation is at your own risk. We don’t know what way the world will be in by the end of the year but with the rollout of vaccines it looks a bit more promising compared to travelling last year. I’m sure most people won’t be booking these deals but its great to be thinking about travel again and get ideas etc. If you were to book a flight I’d recommend reading about the country you plan to fly to current situation and of course Ireland’s (i.e whether you’ll have to quarantine or PCR test), using a credit card as you have greater protection, reading the cancellation conditions and in most cases booking directly with the airline.
When I worked as a leisure travel agent I used to love putting together honeymoon itineraries. I always found Malaysia to be fantastic value and put together this 5* for July as many couples missed out on their honeymoon due to Covid. Back in 2018, a study was done and the average cost of a honeymoon from Ireland was over 5 grand! This is nearly half that cost and there’s no shortage of luxury.
Just a note, from my experience as someone who put together honeymoons, please say its your honeymoon to a travel agent. They will let the hotel know and it can mean as something as small as a welcome drink on arrival or a room upgrade. Unlike other things related to weddings, a travel agent won’t lump money onto your final cost because its your honeymoon, they have to keep pricing competitive or else you’ll go somewhere else!
This deal is for a 5* getaway to Malaysia and the UAE. You’ll have 3 nights in Kuala Lumpur, 7 nights in a fabulous beach resort in Borneo and 3 nights in a Abu Dhabi hotel.
Kuala Lumpur is the capital of Malaysia. Its modern skyline is dominated by the 451m-tall Petronas Twin Towers, a pair of glass-and-steel-clad skyscrapers with Islamic motifs.
Borneo, a giant, rugged island in Southeast Asia’s Malay Archipelago, is shared by the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, Indonesian Kalimantan and the tiny nation of Brunei. It’s known for its beaches and ancient, biodiverse rainforest, home to wildlife including orangutans and clouded leopards.
Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, sits off the mainland on an island in the Persian (Arabian) Gulf. There is plenty to see in Abu Dhabi including the Grand Mosque, Ferrari World and Yas Island. Abu Dhabi is also less than 2 hours from Dubai.
The itinerary is as follows:
Dublin to Kuala Lumpur via Abu Dhabi leaving Saturday the 2nd of July, arriving into KL on the 3rd of July
Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu, Borneo leaving on the 6th of July
Kota Kinabalu to Abu Dhabi via Kuala Lumpur leaving on the 13th of July
Abu Dhabi direct to Dublin leaving on Sunday the 17th of July. Hotel check out is on the 16th of July, you can leave your bags in the hotel or pay for a day rate or book an extra night in the hotel as the flight back to Dublin leaves early on the 17th July.
The flights are with a mixture of Etihad and Malindo Air. A checked bag of 23 kg is included for all flights. There is a link below to the flights, click on this to be brought to the Skyscanner website.
The hotel in Kuala Lumpur is the 5* Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur Hotel, which is rated an excellent 8.7 out of 10 with guests from Booking.com. This property is 800 metres from the Menara KL Tower and 1.3 km from the Petronas Twin Towers. There is a metro station and hop on/hop off bus close to the hotel too. It features an outdoor swimming pool and guests can enjoy meals from 5 of the in-house dining options. The rooms are tastefully decorated and spacious.
A double room at Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur Hotel is available for €94 per person for a 3 night stay.
There is a link below for the hotel, click on this to be brought to the Booking.com website.
Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur Hotel 3rd July – 6th July €94 pp for a 3 night stay
The hotel is the 5* Shangri-La Rasa Ria, Kota Kinabalu, which is rated an excellent 8.8 out of 10 with guests from Booking.com. This resort overlooks the South China Sea and features an outdoor swimming pool and 9 dining options. The property is a 400 acre beach resort with a 3 km private beach, 64-acre forest reserve and 18 hole golf course. The rooms are spacious with a balcony.
A double room at Shangri-La Rasa Ria, Kota Kinabalu is available for €499 pp for a 7 night stay including breakfast. If you book direct with Shangri-La you get the best price.
There is a link below for the hotel, click on this to be brought to the Shangri-La website.
The hotel is the 5* Sofitel Abu Dhabi Corniche, which is rated a very good 8.2 out of 10 with guests from Booking.com. The hotel provides complimentary access and a shuttle bus to the Corniche beach (collect at the hotel, free towels, water and entrance ticket to the beach). The shuttle bus also goes to Marina Mall, Yas Mall and Ferrari World. This property features a swimming pool, spa with a sauna and a refurbished fitness center. The rooms are modern with air-conditioning.
A double room at Sofitel Abu Dhabi Corniche is available for €119 pp for a 3 night stay.
**N.B** The hotel check out is on the 16th of July, you can leave your bags in the hotel or pay for a day rate or book an extra night in the hotel as the flight back to Dublin leaves very early on the 17th July.
Sofitel Abu Dhabi Corniche 13th July – 16th July €119 pp for a 3 night stay
The total cost is as follows:
All flights €685 per person
KL hotel €94 per person
Borneo hotel €499 per person (breakfast included)
Abu Dhabi hotel €199 per person
Total cost of €1394 per person. Transfers are not included and this will cost extra.
Please note prices are correct at time of publication and are subject to change. The above links are affiliate links meaning I get a small cut of any flights booked. There are no additional fees by using an affiliate link, the cost is the exact same if you searched for it yourself.
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