Destinations in Asia

PompeyPete

This is an excellent website....

https://www.selectiveasia.com/asia-holidays/weather/january

You can mess about with it, and it gives you a really good idea about where to see and when. xx

This sort of thing too...

http://www.canbypublications.com/

And for individual destinations....

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Hanoi

Borrow Lonely Planet guides from your local Library or buy them. Use them like a good friend, but NOT as a Bible. General information is invaluable as are town maps, but do your own research on accommodation, restaurants and the like.

Voyager2002

slinga wrote: »

For me if this is your first time in Asia you should try an easier place to visit.


Vietnam/Camboadia/Laos are not that easy to get used to unless you have experienced other asian destinations first.


Don't worry about the touristy aspect.


All Asian destinations are touristy these days.


I'd suggest Penang as a great place for your first visit out here.


You can fly to KL and look around, then on to Penang by car hire, train or flight, or fly to Singapore and then fly to Penang. Malaysia is an easy driving destination.


Penang has great food, good hotels - the Great Eastern is around GBP 100 per room per night and the Heritage wing is where the writers Somerset Maugham, Joseph Conrad etc used to stay and is also very close to the street food areas, Lots of other boutique hotels, Malay themed to choose from.


Penang also has an long colonial history and you can visit many impressive buildings.


Penang is multi racial and multi cultural so there's a China Town, a Little India and Malay areas to check out.
.

Agreed, although my trip to Cambodia (Siem Reap and the capital, Phnom Penh) was about as easy as you could ask, much easier than the USA.


Penang is a beautiful island with a wonderful city, Georgetown. I think that everything you said was about Georgetown, but there are mountain walks, beaches and forests to see on the island.


Accommodation on Georgetown can be much cheaper than the place you recommend: somewhere basic but clean and air-conditioned would be around ten pounds per night, while for 35 or so you would be getting real luxury.


If you fly with Malaysian Airlines, a ticket from the UK to Penang (changing 'planes in KL) costs less than a ticket to KL.

slinga

Voyager2002 wrote: »

Agreed, although my trip to Cambodia (Siem Reap and the capital, Phnom Penh) was about as easy as you could ask, much easier than the USA.


Penang is a beautiful island with a wonderful city, Georgetown. I think that everything you said was about Georgetown, but there are mountain walks, beaches and forests to see on the island.


Accommodation on Georgetown can be much cheaper than the place you recommend: somewhere basic but clean and air-conditioned would be around ten pounds per night, while for 35 or so you would be getting real luxury.


If you fly with Malaysian Airlines, a ticket from the UK to Penang (changing 'planes in KL) costs less than a ticket to KL.

Yes many good hotels in Penang.
We've stayed in hotels along Batu Feringghi and Tanjung Bungah, we rather Tanjung Bungah hotels as they are closeer to Georgetown.


Also stayed in other hotels apart from The E&O in Georgetown. But we like the Eastern & Oriental, which I wasn't recommending just noting how cheap really good hotels are in Penang. Great infinity pool on the 8th floor? and a ground level pool to show off to the plebs as they walk by. Joke, like.


Hiring a car is easy and then a drive around the island is well worth the time.


Good seafood restaurants along the south coast and many durian farms. The red prawn durian is our favourite and it's the prime durian on Penang.


Lots of Peranakan museums and The Blue Mansion is excellent to see how Peranakans lived in the old days.


Got a Horse racing track which I like but same as Hong Kong seems it's only me who visits.


Also the Funicular up to Penang will give great views over Georgetown.

Doshwaster

I'm a big fan of Vietnam - it has now replaced Thailand as my favourite SEA country. The tourist infrastructure has improved in recent years so it is easier than it used to be but it's not yet overdeveloped. However, trying to "do" the whole country in 2 weeks is a bit of a stretch. I would recommend either doing the north or south half of the country and then save the other bit for another time.

Also worth mentioning Malaysia which for some reason often gets missed out of SE Asia trips. Accomodation, food and transport are all good value with only alcohol being expensive as it is a Muslim country. Kuala Lumpur is my least favourite major city in the region but it's OK for a couple of nights to recover from jetlag.

PompeyPete

Doshwaster wrote: »

I'm a big fan of Vietnam - it has now replaced Thailand as my favourite SEA country. The tourist infrastructure has improved in recent years so it is easier than it used to be but it's not yet overdeveloped. However, trying to "do" the whole country in 2 weeks is a bit of a stretch. I would recommend either doing the north or south half of the country and then save the other bit for another time.

Also worth mentioning Malaysia which for some reason often gets missed out of SE Asia trips. Accomodation, food and transport are all good value with only alcohol being expensive as it is a Muslim country. Kuala Lumpur is my least favourite major city in the region but it's OK for a couple of nights to recover from jetlag.

IMPOSSIBLE Dosh!!

PompeyPete

Doshwaster wrote: »

I'm a big fan of Vietnam - it has now replaced Thailand as my favourite SEA country. The tourist infrastructure has improved in recent years so it is easier than it used to be but it's not yet overdeveloped. However, trying to "do" the whole country in 2 weeks is a bit of a stretch. I would recommend either doing the north or south half of the country and then save the other bit for another time.

Yep, it's amazing how quickly you can get to love Vietnam. Great value, lovely people, never a dull moment.

Shame I've fallen out of love with long haul after some many years.

PompeyPete

Here's how to survive traffic in Vietnam....

1.The Vietnamese drive on the right, or the left, or on the sidewalk. In fact pretty much anywhere the mood takes them.

2.Walk with purpose as though YOU own the road and have right of way (which of course you clearly don’t!)

3.Look constantly around you, engage the eyes of the drivers around you – always nice to see those who are about to run you over! (N.B. This assumes that they are not texting at the time (see point 9 below)

4.Never stop, hesitate or deviate from your chosen path under any circumstances – it will totally confuse people and add to the chaos.

5.Sounding of horns means “I am coming through regardless”. It is also done because, well, just because they like sounding their horns.

6.If you see a bus or truck coming towards you run like hell – they WILL run you down!

7.Sidewalks are for parking motorbikes. Pedestrians should walk in the street with the rest of the traffic.

8. Common-sense would dictate that you walk on the road facing the traffic? WRONG! The 9. Vietnamese way is to walk on the same side as the flow of traffic. Probably so you cannot see what is about to hit you. i.e. fewer witnesses!

10. Texting or smoking whilst riding a motorbike and carrying is compulsory.

11. When turning at a crossroads bikes will simply cut the corner on the wrong side of the road or pavement. Obviously, this is the safest way as it cuts down the distance travelled.

12. Driving or riding on the wrong side of the road is perfectly acceptable if you are only going a short distance (say less than 400m) or are in a hurry, or there is a lot of traffic on the correct side of the road.

13. Keep calm. As a foreigner, if you get hit, don’t get angry. It is entirely your fault. If you had stayed in your own country, there would not have been an accident.

I disagree with 3. though. I think it's madness to try and engage eyes with a Vietnamese motorist, it's complete foolhardiness to even contemplate second guessing these crazy people.

And I don't know what happened to point number 9.

Doshwaster

14. In Thailand find a monk to cross the road with. Drivers don't care about western farang but it's very bad karma to run over a monk.

mimiduck

Thank you so much for your tips!


Yes I think we've decided to do South Vietnam so we're not in too much of a hurry and I think we'll try to DIY the trip. I was thinking of of visiting Can Tho (Mekong Delta)-Ho Chi Ming - Dalat - Nha Trang areas and anything that falls in between. Thanks so much for the links as well I will definitely check these out!

We'll probably be visiting other countries then later on I'm sure there is plenty to explore:T

Doshwaster

mimiduck wrote: »

Thank you so much for your tips!


Yes I think we've decided to do South Vietnam so we're not in too much of a hurry and I think we'll try to DIY the trip. I was thinking of of visiting Can Tho (Mekong Delta)-Ho Chi Ming - Dalat - Nha Trang areas and anything that falls in between. Thanks so much for the links as well I will definitely check these out!

We'll probably be visiting other countries then later on I'm sure there is plenty to explore:T

Good choice. I did Saigon, Mekong Delta, Dalat and Hue two years ago.

DIY is a piece of cake. You just need flights to Saigon, hotels (you will be amazed what you can get for your money in Vietnam. I never paid more than £25 a night) and decide how you are going to get around - bus, train or flights. Day trips can be booked locally or through your hotel.

For longer trips you could even make it up as you travel but with only 2 weeks to play with it is reasonable to have an itinerary planned. Just try to keep some flexibility as SE Asia has a habit of interfering with the best made plans.