Country Girl Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 We are currently living in China and hope to do some traveling while we are here. If you were going to vacation in and around Asia (both within China and outside of China), where would you go and why? I'm open to all types of locales...... historical, cultural, or pure relaxation and beauty. I'm hoping to make a big list of as many places I can think of and then prioritize and cull the list from there. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nono Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 Taiwan. Taipei is great fun, and the countryside is beautiful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrissySC Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 I would ... Visit the Terracota Soldiers http://www.chinahighlights.com/xian/terracotta-army/ Visit the Great Wall Visit the Taj Mahal in India Visit the Golden Temples of Thailand Visit Kathmandu - Nepal http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-ContextMenu&prmd=ivnsum&tbm=isch&source=univ&sa=X&ei=DUXFTYHwNM-Ttwft-_2sBA&ved=0CGMQsAQ&biw=1245&bih=539&q=Kathmandu%20-%20Nepal And just because ... Singapore and Bali Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 Well you could always come visit me in Malaysia! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlmiraGulch Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 I have a niece who currently lives in Shanghai. She has been traveling all over Asia, and so far Vietnam is her favorite by far, much to her own surprise. She also enjoyed visiting Xi'an (I think) and seeing the Terra Cotta Solidiers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 I have only ever been to China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore, and Tokyo but I would like to visit Thailand and Viet Nam. I did love Singapore and it would make a very nice holiday. There is more I would like to see too.....I didn't get to Tian Jian in China and my dad was born and raised there so I would like to go and see it. Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbmom Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 I really love Korea-I also have a friend who just visited Hong Kong and she loved it. On my list of places I would like to go are Vietnam, Thailand, and China. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 C'mon, you've got to go to Singapore for educational reasons! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamee Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 Love all the places mentioned, but so far one of our favorite Asian stops has been Cambodia. We went to Siem Riep (sp???), home of Angkor Wat. AMAZING!!!! I would try to go in the winter though. We were there in April, and it was already way too hot and humid. So beautiful though and the kids loved it. Otherwise, Korea, Hong Kong and Tokyo are high on my list of places to see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 I agree with Singapore. We are going there next month. Great place! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peela Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 Bali. It's awesome. I havent been to Thailand- Phuket- but that is a common destination from Australia too. I keep hearing how wonderful and beautiful Vietnam is. Or, you could just pop over to Australia :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldskool Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 I loved spending time in Tokyo. Lesley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 There isn't any place in Asia that I wouldn't want to go (literally), but I'll put in a plug for Central Asia. It's not a long flight from China and you can fly directly from Urumqi to most of the Central Asian capitals. Uzbekistan is probably the most interesting country to visit since it has some amazing historical sites, but Kyrgyzstan is great if you like hiking and camping, and Tajikistan has stunning mountains and history. Turkmenistan is really cool too, but it's not the most welcoming of governments. Mongolia isn't technically in Central Asia, but don't forget it either. You can also start in Xi'an and work your way west through Xinjiang visiting Silk Road sites. If I lived in China, I'd spend some time in Kashgar at the very least. Visas can be a little complicated in Central Asia, but generally tourists don't have much trouble getting them. Everyone else had great suggestions too. If we had money to travel around Asia, we'd be all over the entire continent from Sakhalin Island to Saudi Arabia to Singapore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamee Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 Bali. It's awesome. I havent been to Thailand- Phuket- but that is a common destination from Australia too. I keep hearing how wonderful and beautiful Vietnam is. Or, you could just pop over to Australia :) We didn't spend a lot of time there, and the time was rushed at that, but Hanoi was pleasantly surprising. Not at all what I think I thought it would be. Ha Long Bay was incredible though! Wish we could have spent more time there. I acutally really enjoyed Vietnam and would like to go back and see more at a slower pace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaffodilDreams Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 I used to spend a decent amount of time in Asia (mostly mainland China) and tried my best to make sure my trips included Hong Kong and Taipei. I would like to have seen more of Japan, but that's probably not on your list right now. Hong Kong is one of my most favorite places in all the world, though. A friend just returned from Singapore and she raves about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 JAPAN!! Hands down! They have tons of guitar stores there. :drool5: and my dd could go drool over the anime figures and I want a Totoro so badly! :D hehe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaMa2005 Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 TURKEY! OK, so it's a Eurasian country, but I always count it as Asia. Some of the most beautiful buildings in the world are there. So full of history. Lots of biblical things to do there, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmoe Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 Singapore, Singapore, Singapore! Just for the food! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 Hong Kong Chiang Mai, Thailand Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Country Girl Posted May 8, 2011 Author Share Posted May 8, 2011 Thank you! Great ideas from everyone and my list is getting long! Unfortunately, this part of the world has always been pretty unfamilar to me. Hopefully that will change in the next few years, but right now I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed at even knowing where to start exploring and learning about the culture and lands around us. You have all given me a really good starting place. It looks like Hong Kong and Singapore are among some of the favorites mentioned here. I was also surprised at how many of you mentioned Vietnam.... definitely adding that to the list. Anything particular about any of these places that made them worth mentioning? Gingersmom~ You mentioned Chiang Mai, Thailand. Have you ever been there or is there some reason in particular you mentioned this place? I happened to come across some info on the Patara Elephant Farm last night while I was doing some research and it looks awesome. It is based out of Chiang Mai so I'm curious what else is there to do and see. Peela~ Phuket seems to be a popular destination for others in this area as well. We have met several people that have traveled their for relaxing, beach type vacations that sound wonderful. We'd also love to do Australia, since we are closer know than we probably ever will be. In fact, when I learned we might be moving to China, that was one of the demands I put to dh.... that we get to visit Australia while we are here. Any recommendations of the time of the year to visit or places to visit? Also, I keep hearing really scary things about the cost to visit Australia. Any tips to make it more afforadable? Amira~ Great reminder to keep central Asia on our list as well. However, I had forgotten about the visa issues that could arise from some of the countries so I'll definitely have to keep that in consideration as we plan. Doing a Silk Road trip is also a definite desire of mine. Heather~ After hearing you speak of Malaysia in the last year or so, this is definitely some place we will consider. Any recommendations for where to go, things to do, or places to stay? Jamee~ I don't think I'd even considered Cambodia but I will now. Bbmom~ Anything specific about Korea that you'd recommend? Where did you go when you were there? DawnM~ When you say your father grew up in Tian Jian, is that the same as Tianjin? I'm thinking it is and if so, we are right near there and have been in to Tianjin a few times already. ChrissySC~ Great list of ideas. When I learned we were moving here, of course the Great Wall topped my list of must sees, but the Terracota Soldiers were next. Amazingly, before homeschooling my children, I had never even heard of them. Nono~ The beautiful countryside in Taiwan sounds awesome. I know that we want some of our travel to be cultural and historical, but we also want some of it to be purely soaking in the natural beauty around us (and maybe drinking a few Mike's on the beach;)) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peela Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 Peela~ Phuket seems to be a popular destination for others in this area as well. We have met several people that have traveled their for relaxing, beach type vacations that sound wonderful. We'd also love to do Australia, since we are closer know than we probably ever will be. In fact, when I learned we might be moving to China, that was one of the demands I put to dh.... that we get to visit Australia while we are here. Any recommendations of the time of the year to visit or places to visit? Also, I keep hearing really scary things about the cost to visit Australia. Any tips to make it more afforadable? Time of year- probably spring or autumn. Summer is very hot most places- although the beaches here are great. Winter can get cold except in the north. Remember our seasons are opposite to the northern hemisphere. Places to visit- hard to say since Australia is a big place, like the U.S. I live on the west coast- you could easily spend time just here and see everything from tall forests and whales in the south west, to the pretty city of Perth, to the inland wheat belt for a feel of that, up to Coral Bay for an amazing treat of coral reef coming right up to the beach where you can snorkel, up to Broome and the Kimberleys in the far north. If you got to the west coast in autumn here (say July through October) you would see the wildflowers- the most unique and vast display of widlflowers in the world, everywhere- truly. On the highways, in the pockets of bush and out in the wheatbelt- everywhere. I love them. But, Australia is BIG. There is Ulururu in the centre- pretty stunning. The east coast is of course more densely populated right up to the coast and has some incredibly beautiful scenery. Hard to say! As for cost- it is a western culture and costs are probably pretty similar to the U.S- in fact our $ is above yours right now. If you wanted to do it cheap, as many young people do, you can do the Youth Hostels or Backpackers for accomodation- its a nice way to get to know people. Or you can camp, or hire a campervan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamee Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 Bbmom~ Anything specific about Korea that you'd recommend? Where did you go when you were there? I know this wasn't directed at me, but I lived in Korea for awhile too. Not sure how old your boys are, but the War Memorial/Museum not far from Seoul Station and Itewon is WONDERFUL! My boys would spend hours there. The outside has all kinds of tanks and aircraft to climb on and in. The museum gives a history of Korea and is very well done. They'll have traveling exhibits there too, so we caught the Dead Sea Scrolls there. This museum is much better and will probably keep the attention of your kids better than the National Museum. There are also a lot of temples and shrines to visit as well. I can't find the correct spelling right now, but there's the town that was seat to the Silla govenment. Here we go: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyeongju This was very nice, lots of history. One thing that we did run into a bit was lack of English translations at the museums. If you can find a guide book before you leave, that could be helpful. I do think most places have audio tours though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Country Girl Posted May 9, 2011 Author Share Posted May 9, 2011 Time of year- probably spring or autumn. Summer is very hot most places- although the beaches here are great. Winter can get cold except in the north. Remember our seasons are opposite to the northern hemisphere. Places to visit- hard to say since Australia is a big place, like the U.S. I live on the west coast- you could easily spend time just here and see everything from tall forests and whales in the south west, to the pretty city of Perth, to the inland wheat belt for a feel of that, up to Coral Bay for an amazing treat of coral reef coming right up to the beach where you can snorkel, up to Broome and the Kimberleys in the far north. If you got to the west coast in autumn here (say July through October) you would see the wildflowers- the most unique and vast display of widlflowers in the world, everywhere- truly. On the highways, in the pockets of bush and out in the wheatbelt- everywhere. I love them. But, Australia is BIG. There is Ulururu in the centre- pretty stunning. The east coast is of course more densely populated right up to the coast and has some incredibly beautiful scenery. Hard to say! As for cost- it is a western culture and costs are probably pretty similar to the U.S- in fact our $ is above yours right now. If you wanted to do it cheap, as many young people do, you can do the Youth Hostels or Backpackers for accomodation- its a nice way to get to know people. Or you can camp, or hire a campervan. Thanks for the suggestions Peela. Unfortunately, I doubt we'll have a chance to see all parts of the country so I guess we'll have to pick an area and concentrate on what is in that part. We have a holiday in October here, so that is one of the time frames we are looking at travelling and it sounds like the west coast could be really nice that time of year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Country Girl Posted May 9, 2011 Author Share Posted May 9, 2011 I know this wasn't directed at me, but I lived in Korea for awhile too. Not sure how old your boys are, but the War Memorial/Museum not far from Seoul Station and Itewon is WONDERFUL! My boys would spend hours there. The outside has all kinds of tanks and aircraft to climb on and in. The museum gives a history of Korea and is very well done. They'll have traveling exhibits there too, so we caught the Dead Sea Scrolls there. This museum is much better and will probably keep the attention of your kids better than the National Museum. There are also a lot of temples and shrines to visit as well. I can't find the correct spelling right now, but there's the town that was seat to the Silla govenment. Here we go: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyeongju This was very nice, lots of history. One thing that we did run into a bit was lack of English translations at the museums. If you can find a guide book before you leave, that could be helpful. I do think most places have audio tours though. Jamee~ Thanks for jumping in. The War Memorial sounds like it would be right up my boys' alley. They'd love to be able to see and climb around on teh tanks and aircraft! Feel free to jump in with any more tips or advice for traveling in this region! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 We are currently living in China and hope to do some traveling while we are here. If you were going to vacation in and around Asia (both within China and outside of China), where would you go and why? I'm open to all types of locales...... historical, cultural, or pure relaxation and beauty. I'm hoping to make a big list of as many places I can think of and then prioritize and cull the list from there. Thanks! We lived in Japan. There were many interesting places there that we visited. Kyoto, and the sites around Fuji were very cool (we visited the 5th stage of Fuji, Hakone, Lake Ashi, Hakone and Owadakuni. DH was up in Sapporo for the ice festival one year. We did a family trip to Hong Kong. We enjoyed it a lot, but it might be more of the same if you're already in China. DH also enjoyed Singapore and Australia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 If I had the opportunity, I think I'd like to visit Thailand or Myanmar (Burma). Faith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Country Girl Posted May 10, 2011 Author Share Posted May 10, 2011 We lived in Japan. There were many interesting places there that we visited. Kyoto, and the sites around Fuji were very cool (we visited the 5th stage of Fuji, Hakone, Lake Ashi, Hakone and Owadakuni. DH was up in Sapporo for the ice festival one year. We did a family trip to Hong Kong. We enjoyed it a lot, but it might be more of the same if you're already in China. DH also enjoyed Singapore and Australia. Sebastian~ Thanks for the response. I think visiting Japan would be very intersting but I have to admit, I'm a bit reluctant right now. However, I realize there are several places in Japan that are still quite far from the recent tragedies and are still a possibility for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Country Girl Posted May 10, 2011 Author Share Posted May 10, 2011 If I had the opportunity, I think I'd like to visit Thailand or Myanmar (Burma). Faith Faith~ Thanks for chiming in. Myanmar is another place I hadn't really considered before but it is going on the list now. I am so thankful to all of you that have helped me think outside of my box and come up with more ideas. Now, if only we had the money and time to visit them all:glare:. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pata Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 Here's where we've been so far... Thailand-Bangkok, Ko Samet (best beach I've ever been to!), Chaing Mai, Dolphin Bay Hong Kong-we didn't see much, but I did learn it's quite expensive there Cambodia-Angor Wat-DO NOT miss this while you are on this side of the world, totally worth the effort and Siem Reap is a great place to visit We are planning on going to Vietnam this summer and it looks like I need to add Singapore to the list :). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 (edited) Also, I keep hearing really scary things about the cost to visit Australia. Any tips to make it more afforadable? A familiarity for driving on the left and a love of road tripping. ;) If you are on a time and money budget, definitely hit the west coast. It's closer to Asia, for one, so cheaper to get to. You can also see a larger chunk of territory because it is so much more sparsely populated. I found it cool to watch the scenery get shorter as we went north, then get taller again as we came south. But I'm easily amused. :D If you take a look at a map, you can drive from Perth to Exmouth in a day. That distance on the east coast would take about three days. Rosie Edited May 10, 2011 by Rosie_0801 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blessedchaos Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 Well, we'd automatically go to South Korea because that is where dh is from and where I lived for 2 years so we have lots of family & history there. It's a beautiful country with lots to do and see. In Seoul are several wonderful palaces, gates and markets. Pusan, where we are from, has beaches. There are are many historic sites in Kyong-ju, and Cheju and Koje Islands are absolutely beautiful. Lots of mountains and scenery all around. Besides Korea, I'd go to Japan. I'd love to go to Kyoto and Tokyo. I would visit China and Hong Kong, and I'd also love to go to Malaysia and Indonesia. I know many people who have gone to Thailand and everyone has loved it. Jen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamee Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 Faith~ Thanks for chiming in. Myanmar is another place I hadn't really considered before but it is going on the list now. I am so thankful to all of you that have helped me think outside of my box and come up with more ideas. Now, if only we had the money and time to visit them all:glare:. Might want to be careful with this one. I believe the state department still has a travel advisory out for it. I know when one of our friends was considering it, the guide books didn't even inlclude it due to the unrest and nature of the government. This was a few years ago and haven't checked its status since. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 Nepal and/or Bhutan definitely. I have been to Nepal twice. Kathmandu is fascinating and you can do short hikes out of the suburbs of Kathmandu. Or longer ones out of Pohkara. Parts of India are fascinating too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KDoty Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 I'm not sure if this was suggested yet but my sister lived in China for a couple of years and they went to Phuket (Poo Ket) and LOVED it! Beautiful beaches w/baby elephants hanging around.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlugbill Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 I would go to Bhutan, Tibet and Nepal. Bhutan is very remote and traditional. Buddhist. But the people learn English in school, so they can speak English. Tibet would be very interesting. Not sure how much of their traditional culture is still left, but it just seems very exotic and interesting. Likewise, Nepal. I feel drawn to exotic locales in the world's highest mountains. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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