Visiting Asia

[SeagullEd]

I completely disagree!

Singapore is fantastic - if you do the right things.

Eat at the market stalls and don't go to Orchard road go to all the other little places.

Malaysia (well, KL mainly) was awful - no atmosphere and very dull, the rainforest in malaysia is amazing if you have time for a 3-5 day trip its amazing!!!

 

[eastlondonseagull]

Me and a couple of mates are looking to visit South East Asia next spring and so i'm looking for advice from anyone who's been on places to go, and more importantly the best places for tickets.

We all have permanent jobs now so realisically would find it difficult to go for more than 14 days so were thinking, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia. Anyone know of a reasonable ticket that would allow us to visit all 3 places? In Thailand should we go to Phuket or Bangkok or both?

As said, any advice greatfully received!





I know that occasionally some airlines have stupidly cheap flight offers so if anybody ever finds some can you post them here, ta!

I had a year in south east Asia about five years ago and met many people while I was away who were on short two to three week breaks. And they hadn't enjoyed themselves, because they'd tried to squeeze in too many countries in too short a time.

Personally, if I were you I'd try to wrangle an extra week off work, so you have three weeks to play with. Then stick to one or two (max) countries, preferably just the one. For example just do Cambodia or Vietnam, spend the time travelling around, really soaking up the atmosphere and the culture, rather than just doing a lightning trip which is rushed.

I had at least a month in every country I visited (two months in Borneo), so I was very very lucky. But me and Mrs ELS spent three weeks travelling around southern India for our honeymoon, and had a fab time., so three weeks is plenty of time to immerse yourself in another culture.

Let me know if you want any ideas of places to go.

.

 

[eastlondonseagull]

I had a year in south east Asia about five years ago and met many people while I was away who were on short two to three week breaks. And they hadn't enjoyed themselves, because they'd tried to squeeze in too many countries in too short a time.

Personally, if I were you I'd try to wrangle an extra week off work, so you have three weeks to play with. Then stick to one or two (max) countries, preferably just the one. For example just do Cambodia or Vietnam, spend the time travelling around, really soaking up the atmosphere and the culture, rather than just doing a lightning trip which is rushed.

I had at least a month in every country I visited (two months in Borneo), so I was very very lucky. But me and Mrs ELS spent three weeks travelling around southern India for our honeymoon, and had a fab time., so three weeks is plenty of time to immerse yourself in another culture.

Let me know if you want any ideas of places to go.

.

Oh, and check the weather. Spring's good in some countries, not so in others, so do some research

.

 

[Mr Burns]

Make sure you build a bit of mussle up in your legs.

Nothing like trying to have a shit, when all you've got is a hole in the ground for company. And forget about trying to strain one out, it just don't happen when your squating down.

And never try and shake someones left hand. Its a bit of an insult. It's the hand they use to wipe their arse with, and bog paper is a luxury over there if you know what I mean.

 

[bhaexpress]

Don't bother with the Philippines, my other half is a Filipana and doesn't want to live there, mind you I prefer it to some European counties I've worked in.

 

[withdeanwombat]

Climb Mt Kinabalu.

 

[Trufflehound]

And forget about trying to strain one out, it just don't happen when your squating down.

That's not actually true though, is it? Medically speaking, squatting is a far more efficient position for proper bowel evacuation than sitting.

bog paper is a luxury

Not a luxury, merely a philosophy. The attitude is "why on earth would you want to preserve it on paper when you can wash it away?" Which I can heartily understand.

 

[eastlondonseagull]

Climb Mt Kinabalu.

Did you make it to the top?!

We had to turn back when we were 100 yards from the summit because of bad weather. Was absolutely gutted

An amazing climb, though

.

 

[Trufflehound]

Climb Mt Kinabalu.

 

[Trufflehound]

Did you make it to the top?!

We had to turn back when we were 100 yards from the summit because of bad weather. Was absolutely gutted

An amazing climb, though

.

I had to wear a pair of socks on each hand at the summit, because it had never occured to me it could actually be cold on the equator...

 

[withdeanwombat]

Did you make it to the top?!

We had to turn back when we were 100 yards from the summit because of bad weather. Was absolutely gutted

An amazing climb, though



.

Got as close as you did before our porter declared it unsafe even for him to go on with our cameras,despite the huge incentive offered.Monsoon conditions applied,and as you know once you break cover at the upper reaches it is as exposed as a baboons bum.People at the base camp said it looked okay from there,but at the top!....NOT.

Best thing to do in S E Asia in my view.

And it's good to see how many NSCers have given it a go.

 

[Ernest]

Be CAREFUL as most of the good looking women are in FACT men in FROCKS

 

[Trufflehound]

I had a year in south east Asia about five years ago and met many people while I was away who were on short two to three week breaks. And they hadn't enjoyed themselves, because they'd tried to squeeze in too many countries in too short a time.

Personally, if I were you I'd try to wrangle an extra week off work, so you have three weeks to play with. Then stick to one or two (max) countries, preferably just the one. For example just do Cambodia or Vietnam, spend the time travelling around, really soaking up the atmosphere and the culture, rather than just doing a lightning trip which is rushed.

Not trying to do too much is definitely right. I spent 6 months in Indonesia and 5 months in India and only saw half of those places. 4 months in Thailand and 4 in Malaysia wasn't enough. But if you stick to one or (max) two countries you can at least get a taster, and it may inspire you to go back and learn more.

It did me. My first trip to Asia was 6 countries in 2 months. It gave me the bug and the next time was 17 in 2 1/2 years. But advising where to go depends massively on what your interests are: nature, culture, getting pissed on a beach...

 

[eastlondonseagull]

Not trying to do too much is definitely right. I spent 6 months in Indonesia and 5 months in India and only saw half of those places. 4 months in Thailand and 4 in Malaysia wasn't enough. But if you stick to one or (max) two countries you can at least get a taster, and it may inspire you to go back and learn more.

It did me. My first trip to Asia was 6 countries in 2 months. It gave me the bug and the next time was 17 in 2 1/2 years. But advising where to go depends massively on what your interests are: nature, culture, getting pissed on a beach...

Definitely. Did you make it to Flores in Indonesia? Beautiful place.

I had so many highlights: from climbing Kinabalu, spending a week in Uncle Tan's jungle camp on the Kinabatangan River in Sabah; Angkor Wat; rock-climbing in Krabi; beach life on the Perhentians in Malaysia; riding bicycles around the hutong in Beijing; the list goes on.

Here's one of my over-riding memories of the trip, floating down the Sungai Kinabatangan in Borneo at sunset, spotting Orang-utan, proboscis monkey and kingfisher. Amazing...

I'd love to go away again - me and Mrs ELS are considering another trip away when junior is old enough to appreciate it. But I don't know how long we'd be able to go away for.

.

 

[Trufflehound]

Definitely. Did you make it to Flores in Indonesia? Beautiful place.

Spend several weeks in Flores. Lovely place. Moni, the village at the bottom of Keli Mutu, sticks in my mind as being the only place I've every seen anyone load a fully grown cow onto a bus. Taking live chickens with you, even goats - everyone does that. But getting a cow aboard was quite an impressive feat (and required a LOT of pushing).

A week after we left Moni and got the ferry from Maumere to Ujung Pandang in Sulawesi, every concrete building in Moni was destroyed in an earthquake, and 2,000 people died in the tsunami that hit Maumere. No one died in Moni, but a friend who'd stayed on there and was up Keli Mutu at the time said it was "like standing on a jelly". A week later she had her moment of fame when she was interviewed by the BBC World Service as "one of 12 westerners airlifted to safety from a popular tourist destination".

Two weeks after the earthquake destroyed all the concrete buildings (and this bit wasn't on the world news), all the temporary shelters put up in Moni got blown away in a freak wind. Poor sods.

spending a week in Uncle Tan's jungle camp on the Kinabatangan River in Sabah... Here's one of my over-riding memories of the trip, floating down the Sungai Kinabatangan in Borneo at sunset, spotting Orang-utan, proboscis monkey and kingfisher. Amazing...

I seem to remember we had a conversation some while ago about eating cabbage with every f**king meal at Uncle Tan's, and the talking to the proboscis monkeys by quacking at them.

There was a young lady orang utan who lived in the treetops between the camp and the river, and she seemed to enjoy us staring up at her. One day it rained all day long and no one went out of the camp, so she came in to see where we all were...

I'd love to go away again ..

Sigh, I know that feeling, but me and Mrs T have "slightly" differing opinions over what constitutes a reasonable length of time to go for...

 

[Man of Harveys]

Moni, the village at the bottom of Keli Mutu, sticks in my mind as being the only place I've every seen anyone load a fully grown cow onto a bus.

I must say, I've seen countless big ugly hephers get on the number 27 bus, and that was in Saltdean

 

[Trufflehound]

I must say, I've seen countless big ugly hephers get on the number 27 bus, and that was in Saltdean

I believe in the airline trade they are known as "self-loading cargo".

I suspect they're equally well capable of making a horrific mess when they shit on the back seat as well.

 

[eastlondonseagull]

Spend several weeks in Flores. Lovely place. Moni, the village at the bottom of Keli Mutu, sticks in my mind as being the only place I've every seen anyone load a fully grown cow onto a bus. Taking live chickens with you, even goats - everyone does that. But getting a cow aboard was quite an impressive feat (and required a LOT of pushing).

A week after we left Moni and got the ferry from Maumere to Ujung Pandang in Sulawesi, every concrete building in Moni was destroyed in an earthquake, and 2,000 people died in the tsunami that hit Maumere. No one died in Moni, but a friend who'd stayed on there and was up Keli Mutu at the time said it was "like standing on a jelly". A week later she had her moment of fame when she was interviewed by the BBC World Service as "one of 12 westerners airlifted to safety from a popular tourist destination".

Two weeks after the earthquake destroyed all the concrete buildings (and this bit wasn't on the world news), all the temporary shelters put up in Moni got blown away in a freak wind. Poor sods.



I seem to remember we had a conversation some while ago about eating cabbage with every f**king meal at Uncle Tan's, and the talking to the proboscis monkeys by quacking at them.

There was a young lady orang utan who lived in the treetops between the camp and the river, and she seemed to enjoy us staring up at her. One day it rained all day long and no one went out of the camp, so she came in to see where we all were...



Sigh, I know that feeling, but me and Mrs T have "slightly" differing opinions over what constitutes a reasonable length of time to go for...

Blimey, how long ago was that earthquake?! I went to Maumere, scary how you have these near-miss scenarios when you're travelling. I probably told you this already, but I got one of the local buses from Luang Prabang to Vientiane in Laos a month or so before said bus got shot up by Mhong extremists and most people on board were killed. Remember being in Vietnam, I think, seeing the story and thinking 'shit, I was on that bus a few weeks ago!'.

Forgot you'd been to Uncle Tan's. Crazy place

.

 

[shingle]

Spent 5 months in Asia last year,

and can recommend Thailand (Bangkok, Krabi, Ko Tao).
Vietnam (Hanoi, Sapa and Hoi An).
Malaysia (KL and Langkawi Island)

For such a short time, I would fly London - Bangkok, book online with expedia or opodo uk. Spend four or five days in Bangkok (culture) then fly to Chiang Mai (again culture) with Thai Air Asia and spend three or four days there, from Chiang Mai, fly to Langkawi Island in Malaysia (great beaches) again with Thai Air Asia. Return to Bangkok, again on Thai air Asia, and then fly home.

None of the above places need a visa that you have to apply for in advance. Thailand and Malaysia issue visas at the airport when you arrive.

SORTED.

Also THAI AIR ASIA is the SE Asian version of Easy Jet and is cheap and reliable, tickets can be booked via their website

 

[Half Time Pies]

I just got back from a 2 week holiday in the region: flew in to Hong Kong and spent 4 nights there then on to Koh Samui for 8 nights (a bit westernised but can catch a short ferry over to Koh Phangang or Koh Tao for the secluded beach experience), finished the trip with 2 nights in singapore before flying home.