Best Asian destinations for the US dollar – Part 13

To select just a few destinations in Asia is not easy. Many very different countries with a multitude of customs, traditions and several different religions makes for very interesting and enjoyable travel experiences at good prices.

I have visited many Asian countries and found something special and many really worthwhile experiences in them all. Value for your dollar, or Euro etc, varies, but in general, costs are lower than in the USA or Europe. Of course, it depends on what “value” means to you. A very low price for sub standard service or dirty and very basic living conditions is not what I look for.

Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai and Kuala Lumpur are worthwhile stop-over points with lots worth seeing at reasonable costs in all of them. It is not always advisable to look for the cheaper hotels since some of the top class hotels offer real luxury at very attractive prices. Kuala Lumpur is my favourite and also where I think the best value for your hard earned cash can be found. I have stayed a few times in the new Hilton, where two people can have an Executive room for about 145 dollars per night. This includes really luxurious and spacious accommodation, with buffet breakfast, daytime non-alcoholic refreshments, evening hot and cold buffet with small but very tasty examples of Asian food, deserts, fruits, cheeses and chocolates, accompanied with unlimited wines, beers and spirits of your choice. Using a cheaper hotel with inferior facilities and not including food and drink could prove over all more expensive. Although many restaurants offer good low priced food, alcohol can increase the bill considerably. The city is expanding and being improved rapidly but in a well planned and attractive way. Shopping possibilities and value could soon be the best in the world. It has, in my opinion, already left Singapore far behind.

There are bargains to be found in other areas of Malaysia and overall many very good fairly priced hotels. The “tax free” island of Langkawi is particularly good value for money.

Vietnam is a land where much can be seen and enjoyed for a very low outlay. Flights from Kuala Lumpar to Hanoi or Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) can be quite cheap and internal travel costs are very low. A 120 mile trip by train from Phan Thiet to Saigon cost me under 6 dollars in the “soft seat” class. Like everywhere else in Asia, get a few quotes before deciding on what to do. A private day tour to the Mekong Delta was first quoted at 85 dollars per person but

Best Asian destinations for the US dollar – Part 10

Visit some distant countries and you feel right at home; they’re so similar to your own country that you can hardly tell you’re someplace foreign. But then there’s Asia. There, you know you’re in an exotic foreign place. The sights, the smells, the tastes and of course the languages are so unfamiliar, even strange, that your senses scream “Wow, this place is truly foreign,” and that’s wonderful, because that’s why you’ve traveled there in the first place.

Now, regardless of where you travel, you are fairly likely to fit one of two tourist profiles. The first type of tourist wants to see the famous places they’ve heard about or read about. They expect to enjoy comfortable accommodations and eat palatable foods. They expect to be reasonably safe in all they do. Then there’s the second tourist profile. They’re looking for greater stimulation, more fun, anything that they couldn’t do where they live, and especially something they can fashion into interesting conversation with their friends back home. They’re not adverse to less comfortable accommodations, and are willing to try unknown foods. And they are open to a little bodily risk.

So let’s assume you’re an experiential tourist and that you have only a week’s vacation, and want to see the best of Asia. Let’s say you’ve picked the following countries to cram into this limited time, and want to put together a travel itinerary that includes Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore and possibly China. How could you do it, and what would be your destinations. This article can’t tailor a specific itinerary for you and your interests, but it can provide you with some ingredients that you can mix together to bake your own cake. Here they are, for each country:

JAPAN

Since our tourist has only a day to spend in Japan, Tokyo seems the most logical final destination. Here’s a proposed plan.

Accommodations: No Western style hotel for this experiential tourist, who instead wants to stay at a traditional ryokan, a Japanese -style accommodation. Experience the elements of Japanese culture and customs, staying in a room with a Tatami (straw mat) floor, and sleep on a futon (bedding) placed right on the Tatami.

Food: There’s nothing like a sukiyaki dinner prepared right at your table, and topped with a raw egg. There are dozens of sukiyaki houses in most cities; look for Japanese-style buildings with a cow sign hanging outside.

Attractions: Take the bullet train on any of eight routes, and travel at 180 mph. Experience

Best Asian destinations for the US dollar – Part 9

There is more to Asia than just being 6,000 miles away. Encompassing over 1/3 of the Earth’s population along with a variety of different cultures, foods, and lifestyles, any experienced traveler will tell you that Asia is worth every penny.

China, the biggest country on the eastern shore of Asia, has one of the liveliest and oldest cultures out there. With over two thousand years of colorful history, it’s no surprise that each city within has something different to offer – a treat that all travelers can experience with the purchase of a train ticket.

Beijing (Peking) houses wonders such as the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden Kingdom, and the Emperor’s Summer Palace, as well as countless of other mountains, rivers, and other natural wonders. What makes it so fun is that each of the points of interest mentioned above are well within the city, providing an interesting look at the mesh between old and new, as Beijing becomes one of the biggest growing cities in the world.

In addition to the places of interest for tourists to visit, Beijing offers a lot of other attractions such as massages, street vendors, and night markets. Selling things ranging from key chains to jade bracelets to mp3 players and cell phones, the city is a hustle and bustle atmosphere in which tourists can always find something to do.

More bang for your buck? The current currency of the Chinese government is the renminbi (RMB). The rate is a whopping 6.9 RMB: 1 USD, meaning that for every dollar you have, you have about 7 RMB. Meanwhile, the cost of a good meal, massage, and a night on the town will cost an average of 200-300 RMB, which converts to about $30-$40.

Moving away from the capital city, there’s a plethora of other places to enjoy, including Shanghai, Dalian, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Xi’an, Taiyuan, and many, many more. Each has its own unique flavor to it, and every city is only a train ride apart! The mainland not for you?

How about Macau or Hong Kong? Both cities, after being exposed to large amounts of Western culture, prove to be largely suited to American tastes. For one, most everyone in each of these two “special administrative regions” speaks English. A great sigh of relief for many tourists, as plenty of people struggle every year to communicate in a foreign country. Second, with tall skyscrapers and glassy high-rises around every corner, each of these places stands to be atop the global market with innovation, business, and new technological wonders. Once again,