Your favorite Asian vacation destination

[fossilfuel]

The food and travel forum is seeing less action than me at a Klan singles mixer.

So what's your favorite Asian country to visit for just a fun vacation? This doesn't count just going to chill with the family, unless you consider that a vacation.

Sorry If I missed yours, just vote other. And I guess HK and Taiwan go with China (this is not a political statement, just a mess up :tongue: )

feel free to include your favorite destinations too :redface:

[BeTheReds]

Well nice topic, but the poll is different from what the topic is.

My favorite Asian vacation destination so far is Okinawa. It was awesome. Blue water, hot women, wide roads, nice weather, and interesting citrus fruit indigenous to that region of the pacific.

However, my favorite Asian country to visit will always be Korea. Technically by going to Okinawa, I wasn't visiting Japan, I was visiting another part of Japan. Lol

[AngryABCGirl]

Taiwan, good food, family, friends, and a atmosphere that can't be beat.

[younggiftedandblack]

I just came back from a two week vacation in Japan. But I voted for Thailand. I've had more fun there and I've always felt more comfortable then in Japan. For some reason my last trip to Tokyo wasn't as fun as the others. I did spend 5 days on Okinawa, like BTR said that's a nice place to visit.

[deez nuts]

frrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrushing, queens.

[kasia]

hong kong, specifically. i also like beijing and shanghai, but more for sightseeing and short stays. i could stay in hong kong for months.

[SunWuKong]

Hong Kong. and the thing about taking vacations in Asia is that i'd almost feel obligated to stop by HK to see relatives, if i'm going to fly all the way across the Pacific Ocean.

[Mr.Lum]

Fiji.

[yoMAMA]

Beijing.

Can't beat the culture, food, girls and hooligans.....

:tongue:

[AliBabaIncorporated]

Technically, when I go back to Malaysia, it's not really "vacation." Also I work in Hong Kong, so visiting Hong Kong isn't a vacation. Though I know some people here in HK who go on "vacation" to other parts of HK.

For day trips from HK, can't beat Zhuhai. Only pearl river delta city and one of the few Chinese coastal cities without severe pollution problems. Nice walks along the seaside. Famous lamb restaurant. Etc.

For longer vacations, I like Japan, except that it's so damn expensive.

[yoMAMA]

Technically, when I go back to Malaysia, it's not really "vacation." Also I work in Hong Kong, so visiting Hong Kong isn't a vacation. Though I know some people here in HK who go on "vacation" to other parts of HK.

For day trips from HK, can't beat Zhuhai. Only pearl river delta city and one of the few Chinese coastal cities without severe pollution problems. Nice walks along the seaside. Famous lamb restaurant. Etc.

For longer vacations, I like Japan, except that it's so damn expensive.

I'd love to visit kyoto and nara.......


:biggrin:

oh...and take a ride in the 新幹綫 :biggrin:

[SunWuKong]

For day trips from HK, can't beat Zhuhai. Only pearl river delta city and one of the few Chinese coastal cities without severe pollution problems. Nice walks along the seaside. Famous lamb restaurant. Etc.

they are trying to go into the tourism industry, no? what with the race tracks and all.
they say that Zhuhai is to Macau what Shenzhen is to HK.

and actually a lot of HKers like to go to Zhongshan. lots of saunas there......... :biggrin:

oh, and South Korea is becoming a favourite vacation spot for some HKers, especially the ones that want to dabble in skiing. less expensive than Japan.

[fossilfuel]

I was in Shenzhen for two days.... my opinion is that it was pretty awful. I got propositioned by prostitutes like 20 times within an hour, at least 10 more times than elsewhere in China :P. At least I thought they were prostitutes, since I don't speak Cantonese or Mandarin. I also saw like 3 guys getting arrested by cops in separate incidents.

I guess besides the rampant massage and sauna places it is ok for shopping, definitely cheaper than HK.

[hkRT]

It's hard to choose one. I'd like to go to a number of asian destinations.... Hong Kong, parts of China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia.... etc.

[AliBabaIncorporated]

they are trying to go into the tourism industry, no? what with the race tracks and all.
they say that Zhuhai is to Macau what Shenzhen is to HK.

and actually a lot of HKers like to go to Zhongshan. lots of saunas there......... :biggrin:

oh, and South Korea is becoming a favourite vacation spot for some HKers, especially the ones that want to dabble in skiing. less expensive than Japan.
Yeah, Zhuhai has already fallen behind the rest of the PRD in terms of heavy manufacturing cuz of their environmental policies (average income last year was ~28000RMB compared to 39000RMB up in Guangzhou), so they're really trying to promote tourism, real estate, and light industry (in the areas away from the coast).

They're actually gonna build a 20-mile long bridge from Lantau to Zhuhai and Macau; the final plans are supposed to be released later this year. (All the people living on the west of Tung Chung are bitching that it's gonna ruin their seaview ... come on losers, it's a bridge, not another building going up in front of yours like happens with every other seaview in Hong Kong. Count your blessings).

Actually, I'm surprised Zhuhai government are having so much trouble developing the real estate industry (maybe cuz of that scandal which involved the goverment a while back), HKers seem they'd rather buy vacation homes in Zhongshan, Guangzhou, or Shenzhen ... but seaview property in Zhuhai is like 250 rmb/sq ft (compare to ~500 in Zhongshan, ~900 in Shenzhen, and ~5000 in HK) and doesn't get the view blocked due to smog.

[yoMAMA]

I was in Shenzhen for two days.... my opinion is that it was pretty awful. I got propositioned by prostitutes like 20 times within an hour, at least 10 more times than elsewhere in China :P. At least I thought they were prostitutes, since I don't speak Cantonese or Mandarin. I also saw like 3 guys getting arrested by cops in separate incidents.

I guess besides the rampant massage and sauna places it is ok for shopping, definitely cheaper than HK.

Shenzhen and prostitution?

I don't think so, buddy.

:tongue:

[Hanuman]

I love vacationing in Thailand. More "bang" for the buck, I mean US currency really goes far there. So much to see, so many peopl...things to do. No, seriously, it's just such a beautiful country and people are so friendly there.

I'm biased though, because I'm Thai.

[mrcfo]

I'd have to say if you love gadgets, being awed by futuristic buildings and ancient sites then Japan is for you. If you want a cheaper experience then visit Korea.

China is mainly for overseas Chinese who want to visit their ancient homeland/roots or if you're really into ancient East Asian history. It's still filthy and polluted so I dont know if you'd want to shave a few years off your life.

I suppose for all of us living in the West, HK/Singapore is the most suitable destination. It's basically a MIRROR of the West (with slight/minor differences) but generally very similar, so it's easy to get around and fit in so to speak. Being port cities, they are also familiar with foreigners and you dont often get stared at. Singapore is safer and has the advantage of being able to get around easier in English BUT its damn boring if you ask me.

[SunWuKong]

They're actually gonna build a 20-mile long bridge from Lantau to Zhuhai and Macau; the final plans are supposed to be released later this year. (All the people living on the west of Tung Chung are bitching that it's gonna ruin their seaview ... come on losers, it's a bridge, not another building going up in front of yours like happens with every other seaview in Hong Kong. Count your blessings).

they've been arguing about this damn bridge for years now, have they finally decided to go ahead with it?

speaking of seaviews, a friend of mine told me that some groups actually have contracts with the government that says that they can't let a building be built in the way of their seaviews. don't know if that's true.

[AliBabaIncorporated]

they've been arguing about this damn bridge for years now, have they finally decided to go ahead with it?
We're supposed to have a final plan by the end of the year. :rolleyes:

speaking of seaviews, a friend of mine told me that some groups actually have contracts with the government that says that they can't let a building be built in the way of their seaviews. don't know if that's true.
Yeah, if the government really honoured those contracts, IFC II wouldn't exist. Not only did it screw a bunch of mid-levels people, and the seaview from several offices, apparently it's actually illegal (by legislation, rather than mere private contract) to build anything which blocks the view of the Peak from TST.

[DragonKnight]

I usually go to the Philippines (family) but have been to HK as well (for both family and fun...and is my current fav). But I'm thinking next year I'll be choosing Japan as my fav vacation spot. :smile:

[Emperor_Mike]

Singapore and Hong Kong on the account that we already have houses there and there's no need to stay in a hotel. I'm sure Shanghai will be nice too when I make my trip there in February. Malaysia? Haven't been back in sixteen years. :frown:

[yuuteya]

Okinawa is an interesting place! Go there if you can!

You can find many things there. Kokusai-dori is the main street in Naha City, the capital. Lots of restaurants, and shops. Also you gotta check out the public market, off the main street, its great! Lots of food, colors, smells, and people. Looks more like a Thai market than a Japanese one, since markets like that are dying in Japan. If you go in spring and summer you can hit the beach, resort and scuba diving scene. In winter they normally dont go to the beach, so you can check out the historical stuff, like the peace memorial, and the Shurijou, the former seat of the Ryukyu Kingdom, what Okinawa used to be called when it was independent centuries ago. They also speak a related, but very different sounding dialect in Okinawa that other Japanese generally can't understand.

Okinawa also has a big US military personnel presence since there are a few US bases there. Its a bit odd, like you can sometimes end up in stores with so many US people that it looks more like LA or Florida, than Japan, as most of the customers are non-Asian. Theres a radio station and TV channel for military and their families, so you can hear English everyday. Speaking of which the fashion down there is a bit different from Japan and most of the young people are so heavy into the US Hip Hop style, men and women, more so than the rest of Japan. :smile:

As for outside Japan, I would have to say Thailand and Philippines. Two beautiful and proud countries with interesting historical and cultural elements.

[yuuteya]

Here is a fantastic site about Okinawa.... Lots of interesting information, cool pictures and even music too...
Full of culture and history... Really nice and informative site!

Wonder Okinawa! - Menso~Re! (http://www.wonder-okinawa.jp/)

Menso~Re! = Okinawan greeting, same as 'Konnichiwa' in Standard Japanese

Menso~Re! Everyone! (^o^)/ :smile:

[akina*]

taiwan and japan...
would like to goto korea n hk one day though ^^
oOooh and bali (indonesia), it's incredibly beautiful there...

[moJo]

hong kong. i could really eat and shop my way around that city.

[nola]

Japan and Thailand would be cool to see!

[Chester]

Hong Kong -- particularly during a big sale season. Eat, Drink, Shop, Rinse and Repeat. Ad infinitum. Love it.

[cheapfujianese]

The most interesting country to visit is China because never before has such a large country change at such a rapid speed. I just came back from China a week ago, and I was very impressed by the constant speed of change happening there. I feel like that every time I go.

My favorite city is always Beijing. It has a lot of culture, history, plus it is very modern. I also like the personalities of Beijing people and I always have a good time talking to them. I like their Northern accent, hospitality and their honest demeanors. I have good friends there.

China is like another world unto itself, it is more like a continent than just another country, that's why I think it should be on a seperate list than the other Asian countries, which are pretty small. I've been to tons of places in China, and some places you wouldn't even believe was a part of China. Three years ago, I spent some time in Xinjiang province which is primarily Moslem. The people, architecture and culture there is more like the Middle East than China. I had a great time, and saw a lot of the world that the typical Westerner wouldn't see. That allowed me to enlarge my worldview significantly.

[Paradox]

I love vacationing in Thailand. More "bang" for the buck, I mean US currency really goes far there. So much to see, so many peopl...things to do.

I'm in Thailand right now and I just laughed out loud in the internet cafe at your comment ;). Amazing Thailand indeed. I'm not Thai but i've been told I look very Thai..matter of fact most Thais think i'm Thai even when I say i'm not. Now if I only had the language skills i'd definitely consider a longterm stint in Thailand. The people, culture, food, beaches are all fantastic. The people though..man walking through MBK or Siam discovery is a headturning event every 30 seconds. Beautiful girls everywhere.

[robotic]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v104/Anuma/polaroid.png

my favorite memory of singapore. i love this city, (and these orangutans too!)