October stopover ideas on the way to/from Australia?

[Waffles]

BIL has finally confirmed their wedding date in Brisbane in October and we want to combine the 10 or so days we'll spend there with a "real" holiday for us.

We're going to start TTC on the trip so I guess we're looking at something coupley/not kid friendly. Does anyone have suggestions of places to stop on the way back to Europe from Oz?

We're obviously looking to be as much on the way as possible as the flights are bad enough as it is! 

First thoughts include: Thailand, Cambodia, Maldives, Cook islands, Fiji. 
We're hoping to get sun, relaxation, sights and some good food and pampering.

[mdgirl]

I've been to all those places except the Maldives. I would guess that for Thailand, Cambodia and the Maldives you'd fly West back to Europe, and for the Cooks and Fiji you'd fly east and connect in LAX (at least that's what Europeans on our flights were doing) if that helps to make your decision easier. Also for the Cooks I'm not sure if there are direct flights from Oz. I think when we went they were just seasonal. If that's the case you'd probably have to connect in Auckland.

I have reviews of all our trips in my blog: Fiji, Thailand and Cambodia, and Cook Islands.

Thailand and Cambodia were amazing and it was one my favorite trips I've ever done. It was a perfect mix of culture, food, and relaxation. You also get a lot of bang for your buck.

The Cooks were beautiful, minimally developed and the people were great. It's a very low key place in general. There are some nice resorts, but nothing huge and no big chains. There's a great hike on Rarotonga which was what convinced us to go there. I'm assuming it's still the case that there's only 1 flight a week to/from North America, so that will dictate the length of your trip unless you go back the other way. If you can stand the flights the Cooks could easily be done with kids.

We did Fiji at the end of our anniversary trip last year after visiting New Zealand. If you don't have a ton of time for this add-on Fiji would probably be your best bet. We were there four days and it was great, and I don't think you could do any of the other options that quickly. Our resort was adults only, and many there are, so it's definitely coupley.

[CakeLover]

I would add Bali as a place to consider. It ticks all the boxes of sun, relaxation, good food and pampering. I can't emphasis the good food and pampering enough...plus cheap. Stay in a villa in Seminyak and you'll never want to leave. We had someone come to our villa and give us massages for one hour that were around $30. I have to look up some of the places we went to for dinner. We ate some beautiful meals in beautiful restaurants for cheap.