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There was this big listing coconut palm there on the beach near my bungalow and I heard the saw running to cut it down when I was up checking out the new 7-11. I came down to look at maybe fifteen minutes after I heard it fall thinking I would get a coconut off it and figure out how to open it and have some coconut water but there was already a collection of Thais sitting all down the length of the trunk and they'd already topped all the coconuts and were drinkin them. Thai people aren't especially speedy in any regard but they sure as gently caress beat me to the free coconuts.
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Dec 20, 2017 03:58
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Seeing the many Thais drinking coconuts reminded me of this scene from Quick Change https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wHgokbTmQA&t=11s
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Dec 20, 2017 04:01
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Anyone there? Happy new year!  I was wondering if anyone has tried having Christmas and/or new year in SEA. Which places are good, for example with a girlfriend, who also enjoys partying and nightlife? Thailand is what I'm mostly thinking about for the future.
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Jan 1, 2018 01:03
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Boola posted:Never heard of a motorbike being stolen, although I reckon its a thing that happens somewhere. Just don't leave the key in the ignition? This is the correct solution that I found as well. We managed to survive until about 11:30am and then were "gently caress this" and found a shady place with cold beer. Also of note, SE asia does not <i>advertise</i> having icy cold beer, but if you ask vendors they always have a dozen or more cans of tiger on ice behind an opaque door or somewhere out of direct sight. You just have to ask for it. We paid on average 60 cents to a dollar per can. I found that cambodian weather from 10am-4pm is a lot more tolerable with a cold one in your hand. Someone is towing you around in a tuk-tuk anyways. re: stolen scooters in Vietnam, I haven't ever heard of this happening, people in general treat your bike and anything attached to it as sacred. Went inside to the train station to buy a train ticket, parked my scooter outside, we're pretty conspicious; tall white guy with blond-ish (for SE asia anyways) hair, indian girlfriend wearing bright pink sleeveless shirt. After 15 minutes realized I did not have my phone with the train number recorded in it, it was in the cup holder on the bike. Went back to my bike, there were about 20 people chilled out in the plaza near my bike within 10m, my bike had been largely ignored, white cell phone obviously hanging out in the black cup holder. I probably got lucky, but at the same time (and the point of the story) locals tend to ignore scooters for the most part.
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Jan 1, 2018 02:44
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The one counter I would offer on the Angkor advice is that the hordebuses of Chinese and Koreans are often shipped to lunch and back to the hotel in the middle of the day because it's hot, you can't shop for designer knockoff handbags in the temple complex and if your skin gets dark your friends will stop talking to you. So, counterintuitively, it's one of the better times to go - provided it's low season. In high season forget it any time of the day, heh. EDIT: re: stolen stuff - in Thailand, anyway. I can't speak specifically for motorbikes, but the only places this kind of thing *usually* happens (if at all) is in heavily touristed areas full of A) skeevy foreign tourists who steal poo poo and B) poor, jaded regional laborers who steal poo poo and C) poor, jaded local people who steal poo poo. Get a bunch of underpaid laborers who are treated like poo poo by idiot tourists all day, who are often regional migrants that are heavily underpaid and treated like poo poo by both their employers and the idiot tourists all day every day, and things go South faster. I travel all over the country and in 12+ years now I have never had anything stolen except for a bike, one time, right by my condo in Bangkok. It was chained to a rack on a major road at a busy intersection in the middle of the day, which I still can't figure out. I half think the settakit cops or the normal cops cut it out and impounded it, heh, because it was a very weird place. Anyway, I just finished biking (mountain bike, not motorbike) to Kanchanaburi and back, with stops all over the place and I don't even bother to lock it up anymore unless I'm going inside somewhere that the bike will be out of view for an extended period, nor do I remove the saddlebags full of valuable American-sized clothing (woohoo). In restaurants and things, I leave my bags at the tables, headphones, computers, etc. There's plenty of petty crime in Thailand, but it's just unlikely to happen to you unless you're the victim of bad luck in a major city or you're in a tourist mecca. I leave passports and everything out in the hotel rooms as well, never had an issue. Probably helps that I either know where I'm staying from personal experience or because I have a reference, but, honestly, it's just not a huge issue, especially in nice family owned places. On the other hand, places like Khao San, Nana, Pattaya Beach, Chaweng (Samui), Koh Tao, Phangan, Patong (Phuket), etc etc, who knows. Never had any issues personally, but those are skeevy places where poo poo does happen routinely. ReindeerF fucked around with this message at 18:11 on Jan 1, 2018 |
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Jan 1, 2018 12:18
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I'm going to be spending a week in Hanoi towards the end of March, and I'd like to get some clothes while I'm there (suit/shirts). Anyone have any first hand experiences with places to go / avoid?
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Jan 1, 2018 17:14
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Red Oktober posted:I'm going to be spending a week in Hanoi towards the end of March, and I'd like to get some clothes while I'm there (suit/shirts). I would get a full-body massage. You can get a nice massage for less than $25 including tip. Ask me about massages if you want to know more - with or without happy endings. If you are going to stop in Hoi An eventually, I would get a suit made there and not in Ha Noi.
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Jan 3, 2018 02:30
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Is there anything Jakarta that is notable to see or do; or should I just skip it and fly into Yogyakarta directly (coming from Singapore)?
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Jan 5, 2018 00:00
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I'd say just go straight to Jogja. Even though I like the place there's nothing really worthwhile in Jakarta imo . MoNas and Kota Tua are okay but none of it is must see or anything.
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Jan 5, 2018 00:19
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Jogja is an awesome town, my favorite place in Indonesia.
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Jan 5, 2018 05:27
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Jakarta is okay, there’s enough for a day (Monas, the old Dutch area, the crazy themed shopping malls) but I wouldn’t prioritise it over Jogja.
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Jan 5, 2018 19:12
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Wife just got back from three weeks visiting her family in Thailand and she brought me back a bunch of Choki Choki. Yes I know it's a garbage candy for literal children but I love it so I'm extremely pleased. Even though she just brought me back a bunch of Hazelnut instead of the vastly superior Chocomilk flavor.
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Jan 6, 2018 02:21
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Pill Clinton posted:I would get a full-body massage. You can get a nice massage for less than $25 including tip. Ask me about massages if you want to know more - with or without happy endings. Definitely up for a (without) massage, especially at those kind of prices! Yeah, Hoi An absolutely seems the place for suits, unfortunately I’m just going to be in Hà Nội, and just for a week :/ Edit: loving the autocorrection on Hà Nội!
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Jan 6, 2018 14:42
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Hey SEA thread! I'll be travelling with my girlfriend to Vietnam for 2 1/2 weeks in late march/early april, and I was looking for some advice on our itinerary  We're landing in HCMC and departing from Hanoi, so our itineray will be south to north. Our current rough plan is: - start with HCMC & Mekong Delta - spend some time in Hoi An, Hue and My Son, maybe Cham islands - finish with the north: obligatory Hanoi and Halong (staying on Cat Ba), plus the area around Ninh Binh and an excursion into the mountains (Sapa and/or Ba Be). I know this is a lot of ground to cover, even for hyperactives like us, so I'm looking to optimize that list: which spots could be skipped or rushed in favor of others, where to spend less time, where to stay longer, etc. Also, anything cool off the beaten track is always appreciated (for that ~authentic~ feeling). For what it's worth, we're both in our late 20s, with the usual interests: mainly cultural sights, local life, landscapes and good food, plus a little bit of trekking, snorkeling and other light sport activites. Less interested in nightlife, beach lazying and war stuff. Thanks in advance!
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Jan 10, 2018 14:14
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quote:Hey SEA thread! I'll be travelling with my girlfriend to Vietnam for 2 1/2 weeks in late march/early april, and I was looking for some advice on our itinerary I suggest booking a tour at each location you visit considering how much time you both have. Saigon: - Lots of great spots to chow. - Visit the one of the skybars at night to take in the view. - Like pets? Stop by a pet coffee shop. - Experience dining in the dark at Noir. - Massive 5-star seafood buffet: La Brasserie Buffet. With tax it comes down to about $60 per person. - ...and the list goes on. Mekong Delta: - Undeveloped for tourism. Lack of fancy hotels. People go to bed early. Chickens make noise at 2 in the morning. Mosquitoes. - Try a tour in Ben Tre to see the rivers and alligator farm. - Floating market in Can Tho. - There are lots to do but they are not easy to find. It depends on how deep you are willing to go and how adventurous you are. Hoi An, Da Nang, Cham islands: - Visit Hoi An during the afternoon and stay until night during the day when the moon is full (not the day before or the day after). - Stay away from restaurants along the beach (this applies to all locations with a beach). They are expensive and the food suck. High chance of getting ripped off. - Love massages or never got one before? Visit one of the top rated spas in Da Nang (check tripadvisor). I visited Queen spa. The service was superb from the moment you enter the door and leave. - The dragon stuck on the bridge spits fire during the weekend at 9PM. Sapa: - Book a homestay tour. The tour guide, who can speak English, will take you to their home and places. Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba island: - Tour Ha Long bay on a boat tour. Want to get fancy? Book a cabin on a luxury 2 or 3-night boat tour. I could go on for days, but this should get you started.
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Jan 11, 2018 00:45
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I got too excited by Scott's Cheap Flights and booked a trip to Bangkok because it was $415RT from Seattle (with 2 18h layovers in Tokyo to boot, so I can get my yakitori on). However, it is at the end of May. I don't mind humid heat, but am I basically going to spend most of my days submerged in various bodies of water drinking beer?
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Jan 12, 2018 00:26
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movax posted:I got too excited by Scott's Cheap Flights and booked a trip to Bangkok because it was $415RT from Seattle (with 2 18h layovers in Tokyo to boot, so I can get my yakitori on). However, it is at the end of May. I don't mind humid heat, but am I basically going to spend most of my days submerged in various bodies of water drinking beer? Sure, and there's nothing wrong with that. And some of those bodies of water might be your own sweat.
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Jan 12, 2018 11:10
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Pill Clinton posted:Mekong Delta: I second going to Ben Tre and doing a river tour. We went with these guys 3 weeks ago and it was cool: https://www.facebook.com/dinhoecotour/
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Jan 12, 2018 12:59
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movax posted:I got too excited by Scott's Cheap Flights and booked a trip to Bangkok because it was $415RT from Seattle (with 2 18h layovers in Tokyo to boot, so I can get my yakitori on). However, it is at the end of May. I don't mind humid heat, but am I basically going to spend most of my days submerged in various bodies of water drinking beer? That's some serious heat but you know what a city of 12 million is dealing with it so you can too 7-11 sells single moist washcloths in packs for like a buck. If you're getting trashed just buy one of those, head into a coffee shop and take twenty minutes on an iced coffee, a rough wash in the bathroom with your cool cloth, etc The northmen know how to deal with the cold, you just let it punch into you and you become cold and instead of freaking out over it you just exist in a cold form and don't mind about it. You can do the same thing with heat, it just takes some practice.
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Jan 17, 2018 04:38
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what are goon recommendations on things to do in yogjakarta other than the two big temples? i'm looking at some site on things to do there and i worry they are gimmicky poo poo like standing on a hand made out of tree branches in the middle of a garbage forest
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Jan 17, 2018 04:41
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The palace area in the middle of town was cool, though not as impressive as the Royal Palaces in Bangkok etc. There's a lot of good street art too if you're interested in that? I think there's a goon who lives there, he might chime in with more recommendations. How long are you planning on spending there?
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Jan 17, 2018 09:54
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The Saddest Rhino posted:what are goon recommendations on things to do in yogjakarta other than the two big temples? i'm looking at some site on things to do there and i worry they are gimmicky poo poo like standing on a hand made out of tree branches in the middle of a garbage forest The pine forest is absolutely filled with gimmicky poo poo, like there's the big hand, there's also a hobbit house and other stuff too, all that poo poo there is for instagram photos (Indonesians loving love instagram) and you will usually have to wait a long rear end time to even have the chance at a photo. In the fifteen months I was there I only went through the forest on a bus, never went out of my way to go there. But Obama went there last year so maybe it's alright? There's a restaurant in the area calld Bumi Langit (Obama had lunch there) It's a cool permaculture garden type thing where they grow all their own stuff, if you do go then that restaurant is worth checking out. Other things - Climb Mount Merapi - this depends on the time of year, you could probably do it in rainy season and not die but you might fall over a lot Merapi Jeep Lava Tour - You sit in a Jeep and see the impact of the 2010 eruption, I've heard good things but you might need a group Near Borobodur there's the chicken church, it's just a church shaped like a giant chicken but might be worth going to if you're in the area anyway The Sultans Palace - Pretty good for an Indonesian museum, I think they offer English speaking guides Taman Sari - This is the old Royal Garden, it's pretty cool and is cheap to get in Breakfast at Via Via - it''s a travellers cafe with really good food, the street its on is also home to most of the nightlife Clubbing - not really my thing but if you're into getting drunk and dancing there's a few places to do it like Taj lounge Malioboro street is a place people will always tell you to go, the fort museum there is alright for an Indonesian museum. The big batik shop opposite the fort, Hamzah Batik, is the main souvenir buying shop. On the top floor is a restaurant that employs Transgender staff, and they regularly do a cabaret show in the evenings. Batik classes - People sometimes take a class to make a batik handkerchief or something, I did it once and the thing I made was awful. Cooking and silvermaking classes are other things people often do In addition to the big two temples Borobodur and Prambanan there are a whole bunch of others like Sambisari temple, and they're all quite cheap to enter. The via via website has lots of city tours and stuff like that, so check that out for some more ideas
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Jan 17, 2018 11:03
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Just arrived in Siem Reap, bad start. I was positively surprised to see they had organized the taxi drivers so you get a receipt and pay in advance, but the taxi driver I got was a real rear end in a top hat. Started out friendly, but got more and more rude as he pressured me into buying his temple tour. I kept saying no, and he got more upset, driving slowly on purpose, telling me I was not a nice guy, and I had to get my suitcase from the boot of his van myself, him barely opening the trunk lid. I'm so tired of the first experience in SEA poor countries after landing being these dickhead scammy taxi drivers. Was I unlucky or is this normal in SR?
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Jan 17, 2018 13:01
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Pilsner posted:Just arrived in Siem Reap, bad start. I was positively surprised to see they had organized the taxi drivers so you get a receipt and pay in advance, but the taxi driver I got was a real rear end in a top hat. Started out friendly, but got more and more rude as he pressured me into buying his temple tour. I kept saying no, and he got more upset, driving slowly on purpose, telling me I was not a nice guy, and I had to get my suitcase from the boot of his van myself, him barely opening the trunk lid. Anything "organized" means they - the people involved - have connections and an agenda. You probably got really unlucky, but do not expect the next time you will get 5-star treatment. The whole thing is looking something like: The taxi drivers... - Have to pay the people who manage and allow them to operate at that location. - Have to pay the one who lends them the vehicles, if the vehicles are not theirs. - Some times get a cut from whatever locations, restaurants/hotels/tourist traps, they take you to. If they really insist that you should go somewhere then they must be getting a payment from taking you there and when you accept the deal (buy a tour). - Have to work for more than 12 hours per day to have enough to feed their families. - Who do not pay for exclusive park spots and such are often left out and have trouble finding enough customers. - Who are "left out" have to resolve to other tricks. Do not hate the people such as that rear end in a top hat taxi driver too much. You did the right thing by insisting that you do not want to buy his tour. The lone, unorganized, taxi drivers are often nicer. Always make sure you negotiate the price first before getting on the taxi, but I think you already knew this. Once you have found a nice taxi driver, get his phone number and call him when you need a ride. If you are going to do any charity like buying rice for poor villages, make sure you do not tell the rice seller your true motive and make sure the rice never leave your view. What would happen if you say the rice is for gifting to the poor? This would happen: You buy two bags of rice. The seller tells you they will deliver both bags to your predetermined location for you. You leave and go to poor village. The villagers thank you for your kindness. You leave the village thinking both bags of rice were delivered as promised OR you ask the villagers about the rice bags and they tell you only one bag was delivered.
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Jan 17, 2018 18:52
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I think you missed the part where this driver was a regular cabbie from the airport, but they have a system now where you buy a voucher at a fixed price from a desk inside the terminal. I've seen this in a few places (Klia2, Yangon airport as well I think), and it basically cuts out the overcharging scammers. Or realistically, it means they have to find other ways to make ends meet, like hassling you into tours. With pushy drivers I usually just accept a business card or phone number and make vague statements about figuring out what we want to do, but we'll definitely call you if we want to check out <x>. It's a lot easier to refuse or ignore when you aren't literally at their mercy.
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Jan 17, 2018 19:40
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In some places, including hospitals, you have to pay to be able to drive into and wait for customers by the main entrance. Anyone who does not pay will be stopped by the security guards. If you openly ask them about their secret pack, they will deny everything about it. I would not be surprised to hear that Siem Reap airport has a contract with a certain taxi company. Who runs the kiosk which sells the vouchers? Where does the money from selling vouchers go? Who get the big cut? Is the airport so nice that they are making an effort to "cuts out the overcharging scammers" on their own expenses? In the end the taxi drivers are the ones at the disadvantage. Like you said they have to find other ways to make ends meet. Pill Clinton fucked around with this message at 23:25 on Jan 17, 2018 |
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Jan 17, 2018 23:17
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My wife and I are planning to spend some time in Singapore, and we wanted to make a day trip out to Kuala Lumpur. We were looking at overnight busing into KL from Singapore with the dates flexible. Were going at the end of March which doesn't appear to be during any holidays. Is there a recommendation for bus companies? Luxury and tourist friendly is the key here, we don't mind paying extra for tourist friendly as there seems to be a lot of horror stories circulating on the net.
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Jan 17, 2018 23:48
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Day trip as in spend some time in KL and back to SG in time for bed? Sorry that I don't have much of a recommendation. I just don't know if there's much to do in KL to warrant a day trip and especially if you're not travelling onward to other places in Malaysia where there's much more interesting things. OK, maybe Batu caves could be worth it, I lied.
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Jan 18, 2018 05:04
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Manwich posted:My wife and I are planning to spend some time in Singapore, and we wanted to make a day trip out to Kuala Lumpur. We were looking at overnight busing into KL from Singapore with the dates flexible. Were going at the end of March which doesn't appear to be during any holidays. If you want to go to Malaysia, you might as well just fly to Penang on some cheap flight. Or take a bus to somewhere more interesting like malacca
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Jan 18, 2018 06:02
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Thank you. We will be traveling from Singapore to Malaysia and thought that it would be neat to stop off at Kuala Lumpur for a day before leaving in the evening. The idea of an overnight bus was appealing because we could spend extra time in Kuala Lumpur arriving at 6 AM instead of landing at 8:15 AM by airplane and having to commute to Kuala Lumpur from the airport. If there isn't anything worth doing there than maybe we will consider skipping the city altogether.
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Jan 18, 2018 07:54
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Pill Clinton posted:In some places, including hospitals, you have to pay to be able to drive into and wait for customers by the main entrance. Anyone who does not pay will be stopped by the security guards. If you openly ask them about their secret pack, they will deny everything about it. I would not be surprised to hear that Siem Reap airport has a contract with a certain taxi company. Who runs the kiosk which sells the vouchers? Where does the money from selling vouchers go? Who get the big cut? Is the airport so nice that they are making an effort to "cuts out the overcharging scammers" on their own expenses? That said, there is *way* too much bitching about taxis here, but most of it's by locals and some by crotchety old expats, all over minor inconveniences. I find it ridiculous to castigate an entire industry of people who work on a very ad hoc basis over the fact that the last one you talked to didn't want to sit in traffic for an extra hour to take you to the CBD (as compared to bitching about scam taxis who try to upsell you poo poo you don't want and browbeat you about it after).
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Jan 18, 2018 17:38
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Pill Clinton posted:Anything "organized" means they - the people involved - have connections and an agenda. You probably got really unlucky, but do not expect the next time you will get 5-star treatment. webmeister posted:I think you missed the part where this driver was a regular cabbie from the airport, but they have a system now where you buy a voucher at a fixed price from a desk inside the terminal. I've seen this in a few places (Klia2, Yangon airport as well I think), and it basically cuts out the overcharging scammers. Or realistically, it means they have to find other ways to make ends meet, like hassling you into tours. Yeah it was a licensed, pre-paid cab driver. To put it bluntly, I don't give s poo poo if it's a hard, low-paying job to be a taxi driver in Cambodia, nor that a taxi mafia is taking all the money. Feel free to call me an evil capitalist, but if it's such a lovely job, they can do something else; Cambodia is not a communist state anymore. Vote for politicians that will enforce equality and eradicate corruption, instead of being complacent. When I read online that I could expect to pay a fixed $10 to get from SR airport to the city, I found it expensive, but was prepared to pay without complaints. To compare, a taxi from BKK Airport to Sukhumvit is approx. 315 Baht, and a taxi from Cebu Airport in Philippines is around 220 Pesos. Both much cheaper, in more wealthy countries, but as said, I was fine with paying. However, I don't want to be pressured into buying a temple tour and get poo poo service because I say no. I don't care if they are hard pressed, it gives the worst impression of a country. I am not on vacation to be charitous towards a random rear end in a top hat, rude taxi driver. If I want to be charitous, I will give a good tip to a nice bartender or waitress, or an actually extra good taxi driver. Heck, I already paid $35 for a visa and $65 to visit Angkor Wat, how's that for charity? That being said, I only partly blame the driver, I also blame the airport, the taxi company, and the government for doing nothing about it. All are part of a lovely mentality that keeps SEA countries like Cambodia in the stone age. A shame for all the nice people living there, but man up and build your country if you want to advance. I guess my tip for Siem Reap travelers is to tell the airport taxi driver that: a) you have been to Siem Reap before b) you have seen all of Angkor Wat c) you are going to do nothing but stay and relax at the hotel Alternatively, play dumb and act like you know almost no English and just say "go hotel go hotel" and nod like a Japanese businessman. My "mistake" was to play along with his friendly banter (which I now see was a straight up con) haw and hum at his tour offer, kinda dismissing it, but not fully, he refused to give a business card, email or phone number. I just HATE binding myself to a deal (who knows, perhaps I would have a bad stomach tomorrow?), but every haggler, tout and seller in South East Asia LOVES to bind you to a deal - act now, buy now, book now, best price for you, buy more and save, closing soon, low price for you! gently caress off, I hate it so much. It's probably because I'm from a country where I'm used to be able to walk around a store in peace, I hate having any clerk or employee on my neck, and if they even approach me I just need to tell them "just looking", and they will back off instantly. No problems. Walking around the Siem Reap city center was really the worst amount of tout and seller hassling I've ever experienced, although already one day after, I've become much better at brushing it off. It is MUCH MUCH worse than anything I've experienced in Bangkok. Anyway, today was much better. I went out around 11am, and in spite of all warnings about scams and looming death, rented a scooter for $12 per day. Made it out of crazy mid-town traffic unharmed, drove to the Angkor Wat ticket office, back and up towards the main Angkor Wat temple. No problems with police or traffic. I saw Angkor Wat and Ta Phrom, then went home, drenched in sweat, and tomorrow I'll go to Bayon. I highly recommend renting a scooter, instead of dealing with (yet again) overpriced, upselling tuk-tuks. gently caress if I want to spend $10 per trip from temple to temple, and undoubtedly be pressured constantly for tours, and asked if I want lady boom boom, disco, coke, opium, ya baa, marijuana, something, something. I wish I could go undercover as a Chinese woman or something sometimes, and play clueless to any offer of whatever. For those interested, the scooter rental placed is on Sok San Road, and the company is called "Asia Quality Travel". I don't have the precise street number, but it's between "Funky Ln" and "Angkor Night Market St" on Google Maps. There was a girl who spoke pretty good English, and no scams with "damage" when I got back. Very nice person. Also, she accepted just my International driver's permit and a copy of my passport as deposit, not my real passport. Only bummer was that the helmet was Cambodia sized, but it was okay. So awesome to zip around the almost deserted roads in the Angkor park, really fun. Pilsner fucked around with this message at 20:36 on Jan 18, 2018 |
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Jan 18, 2018 20:15
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Ignoring and not buying anything from the peddlers is best practice. The current situation in the taxi world of Vietnam is like this (I do not know if this is how it is in other poor SEA countries besides Vietnam): - Competition from modern taxi service such as Uber and Grab is pushing the traditional taxi drivers (TTD) and modern taxi drivers (MTD) to fight over territory. - TTD are the ones who throw the first punch. Some times fights break out with fists and sticks between the two parties. - TTD park in the vicinity of bus depots/stations/stops, high traffic locations, do not like MTD getting close to their territory. - MTD mostly are young college students or young adults. - MTD mostly operate alone. They do not group up like TTD. - So MTD are losing the fight and they are gradually learning that they should stay away from all the "hot spots". - Uber and Grab increase their percentage cut every year which pisses off the MTD. Why am I telling you this? So you would not be surprised to see yourself not being able to find an Uber/Grab ride while standing in front of a bus station surrounded by TTD. So you do not get yourself into the situation where your MTD, who you just called, get chased down by the TTD. Both local residents and foreign tourists should see an increasing number of frustrated/angry/sad/overworked taxi drivers and old plus new scams.
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Jan 18, 2018 23:25
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Vietnam.txt, heh. The rest of the Greater Mekong Subregion is much more chill (for now, while the Mekong still exists - thanks, China).
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Jan 20, 2018 14:58
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Manwich posted:Thank you. There's a heap to do in KL, although it's probably the sort of place to spend a few days rather than try to do everything at once. If you're arriving at 6am, you'll be able to hit some excellent breakfast eats, visit the KL tower when it opens at 9am, then take an Uber to the Islamic Art Museum when it opens at 10am. Not far from the museum is the National Mosque, which is open to infidels between 9am and 12pm, 3pm to 4pm, and 5:30pm to 6:30pm. Except Fridays, which are different. It's worth checking out, although you'll need to dress for the occasion. The Batu Caves are alright... and high tea at The Majestic Hotel is a great way to hide from the heat for an hour or two. Visit Jalan Alor at night and eat all of the things. Penang is better as an afternoon/evening destination, mostly because of the heat - you'll be walking around a lot, and the view from Penang Hill is better at night. It's a really cool place though... I could live there again very happily. Caberham's suggestion of Malacca is a good one, though I haven't been there since 2001 so can't comment on what it's like now. I've taken Aeroline and Transtar buses. No dramas.
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Jan 22, 2018 01:41
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Hey, i forgot i posted here, thanks guys for the yogya rec. webmeister posted:
I'm going late Apr and it'd be just about 4 days 3 nights. Scylo posted:The pine forest is absolutely filled with gimmicky poo poo, like there's the big hand, there's also a hobbit house and other stuff too, all that poo poo there is for instagram photos (Indonesians loving love instagram) and you will usually have to wait a long rear end time to even have the chance at a photo. In the fifteen months I was there I only went through the forest on a bus, never went out of my way to go there. But Obama went there last year so maybe it's alright? There's a restaurant in the area calld Bumi Langit (Obama had lunch there) It's a cool permaculture garden type thing where they grow all their own stuff, if you do go then that restaurant is worth checking out. these are great ideas, i'll check those out
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Jan 22, 2018 05:37
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So it turns out that I will probably have the freedom to take a 3-week vacation this year which is a rarity. (My type of work usually doesn’t allow me to be away more than 2 weeks at a time.) I kind of decided to take this opportunity to step out of my comfort zone of sticking to Europe and going to Asia. However, as someone who knows little about that side of the globe, I feel like any research I do feels overwhelming because tourism blogs and sites seem to make every place amazing for everyone so I was hoping I could get some more nuanced feedback. I was originally set on Japan because it seems like the closest to a "Europe in Asia" for a soft white dude who gets lost in New York City and would be easy to travel everywhere I want to see by rail. But now I've seen a lot of stuff from Northern Vietnam and Thailand and wondering if they also might be interesting, and also might be the better bet for my first time over seeing as how rarely I go. (i.e. Realistically, if the next time I go is 5 years from now, Toyko will likely still be Toyko but Hanoi might not be the same Hanoi.) So questions (thanks in advance): (1) People have been pushing Thailand on me as a good "first-timer" Asian country, but my research leaves me nervous. I like taking day-long hikes through nature, seeing cool scenery (both manmade and natural); eating any and all food (not picky at all). But I also am too old to be a nightlife fan, and I can maybe spend 1 day relaxing on a beach before I am bored of beaches. I understand North Thailand has a lot of stuff I like, but will it be enough? Or will I be sick of looking at another Wat or Temple by day 10? Or with my interests, will Japan be more up my alley? (2) This will be a solo trip. How easy will it be for a dumb loving white city boy like me to go to Vietnam or Thailand? Travel blogs make them seem easy, but they always make every trip seem magical so wonder if I will be frightened by my experience when I'm stuck in some village with no knowledge of the language and who is trying to help me and who is trying to scam me. P.S. I am expecting to be seen as a clueless American and ripped off by half the people I meet and don't mind it. (3) The trip is expected to happen in October/November and I am wondering if that might not be a good time to visit Thailand on account of this is when the military is claimed to be holding the first election since the coup and can imagine many scenarios in how this could lead to the country being a volatile place to visit but I know poo poo about the political situation. Thoughts? kuddles fucked around with this message at 18:17 on Jan 22, 2018 |
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Jan 22, 2018 18:15
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If you're still at the researching countries stage, don't forget that Taiwan exists too, and a lot of it exists outside of Taipei
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Jan 22, 2018 18:22
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kuddles posted:So it turns out that I will probably have the freedom to take a 3-week vacation this year which is a rarity. (My type of work usually doesn’t allow me to be away more than 2 weeks at a time.) I kind of decided to take this opportunity to step out of my comfort zone of sticking to Europe and going to Asia. However, as someone who knows little about that side of the globe, I feel like any research I do feels overwhelming because tourism blogs and sites seem to make every place amazing for everyone so I was hoping I could get some more nuanced feedback. 1) Thailand is definitely the first place for a clueless white dude to visit in the Southeastern Asia section. My personal's reasons are: - It is safer in term of security, traffic, food, etc... - It has things which are similar to what other countries can offer. - The country is built for tourism. - Less scams. - Prostitution is legal. - More English speakers. If you are not much into the nightlife and prostitution, then i suggest you plan ahead accordingly. Prepare to move on to places further away from the big cities. You will find less and less English speakers the further you go. I got sick of the temples on day-1. I do not like highly popular man-made structures, because once there all I can see are people. I come to see the place and not the tourists swarming it. Japan is not a SEA country. Do I want to see SEA countries or East Asia countries? Ask yourself that question. You are right about Tokyo will be Tokyo five years from now, but Hanoi will not be. 2) Advice on how to spot scams and rip-offs can be found all over the internet and already are mentioned many times in this thread. I suggest sticking to a tour before going off on your own. Sign language works most of the time. You can grab a t-shirt that has pictures of things like toilet, food, gas station, etc... Need something? Point at it. And remember to say thank. 3) October and November are in the rainy season, possible storms. Usually Vietnam and Cambodia get the worst end of any storms. Thailand is much safer from extreme weather conditions. I advice against visiting big cities in Thailand during the election in November. I am wildly guessing that there will be unrest. When there is something big going on in Thailand, certain places would close for business. They may be places which you want to visit. Compare to Thailand, Vietnam has a more dynamic food selection. The people are more laid-back. Vietnam tries to be a country for tourism, but the government is not doing a very good job at it. High amount of scams, garbage, unsafe food, extortion, etc... Not a good place for a first timer white/western tourist. Vietnam is hands down the best SEA country to visit if you are accompanied by someone who knows the country and its language well. You can find pretty much anything in Vietnam be it legal or illegal. Vietnamese people love copying and make better out of stuff its neighbors have.
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Jan 22, 2018 22:55
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This might not be a popular answer, but maybe think about an organised tour for some of it? Intrepid tours are aimed at a younger crowd, but definitely older than the 18-21 "get wasted until 4am every night" crowd. Just might be a good way for you to ease in to a different culture and part of the world while still having a safety blanket of sorts. Note that they aren't the sort of tours where you just sit on a bus, get off and take a photo of <site x>, get back on the bus and ride to the next site. It's usually more like "welcome to town, the best things to see are A/B/C, I recommend eating at X/Y/Z. Watch out for scam D/E/F. Okay you're on your own, see you tomorrow!"
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Jan 22, 2018 23:12
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