<p>Okay, travel experts, what do you think: My son is teaching English in Taiwan this year and he gets a two-week winter break at the end of January. He and some of the other English teachers (all American) are in the planning stages of a Southeast Asia tour. So far the possibilities that I have heard include: the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia and Singapore. </p>
<p>Any parents with travel experience in this area? Not that I have been asked for my opinion, but I figure it wouldn’t hurt to have one in case I am asked. And I am just curious–our family has been to China once but that’s it for travel in Asia.</p>
<p>I’ve been only to the farthest Eastern and Western sides of Asia. Your son’s probably not interested in the Western side.</p>
<p>I thought South Korea was lovely! Seoul is too cold for a fun winter break trip, in my opinion, especially if he’ll be nearby in the spring / summer when it’s more temperate. But southerly parts, like Jeju, have fine weather for a winter visit. </p>
<p>My parents would recommend Vietnam and Singapore, probably the latter a bit more so than the former. I don’t think they’ve visited any of the other countries you mentioned.</p>
<p>Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos are now accessible and very trendy destinations for more adventurous tourists. Several of my friends have gone and one is actually posting pictures to facebook right now from Cambodia. I think people are looking for places that are a little unusual and less commonly visited by westerners, a bit off the beaten track, and as a result it seems like everyone is going to these places. </p>
<p>My daughter and a friend spent almost three weeks in Cambodia…and said it was fabulous. The temples are amazing. Ankar Wat was their favorite but there were lots to see. They found it very fun…and the hostels were nice, and not too expensive.</p>
<p>My daughter traveled with a Department of State summer program to Singapore and Malaysia the summer before last. She went on her own to Nepal this past summer. She LOVED both of her excursions. Singapore was a very lovely, modern, immaculately clean city. She traveled in Malaysia to Kuala Lumpur, but then went on to some more remote fishing villages and that was her favorite in that trip. She went to Kathmandu and surrounds, Chitwan National park and Pokhara in Nepal. </p>
<p>My D is into adventure and to getting to know indigenous people. She preferred Nepal and more remote spots in Malaysia due to the stark differences in culture. She reported that Singapore was lovely, but no real opportunities for culture shock traveling there!! She also liked traveling independently, perhaps more than with a larger group. She felt safe and welcomed on all of her travels (she is currently a Senior in high school - so safety was a huge concern of mine).</p>
<p>Note that some of the countries are draconian about illegal drugs. Verify that over the counter and prescription medications are legal to avoi trouble in that realm. Also, making your checked bags tamper evident may give you warning before customs that someone is using you as an unwitting drug mule.</p>
<p>As u might infer from my name, I’ve seen a bit of SE Asia. </p>
<p>The top destinations in SE Asia are Thailand, Bali, & the temples at Angkor in Cambodia. Unless u have to switch planes in Singapore, just skip it. If u want modern big city experience, Hong Kong offers so much more. Malaysia is also snoozeville unless u are into diving-- once u snap a photo of the Twin Towers you’re done w KL. </p>
<p>There are no issues w carrying over-the-counter or prescription drugs. It’s only narcotics that will get u into trouble.</p>
<p>Watch out for Spring Festival (Chinese New Year break in China), February 19-25. Travel around that time throughout the region can be crowded and expensive.</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies. I do think S and his friends are looking for off-the-beaten path. Although it sounds like many other people are now looking for the same thing–sort of a vicious circle. It will all be new to S at any rate.</p>
<p>As for drugs, I was surprised to learn that Taiwan (where S is for the year) is pretty draconian–when he applied for his resident visa, he had to sign an acknowledgment that he understood that the penalty for illegal drugs is death.</p>
<p>I do wonder how many people are convicted for possession of drugs that they were unwittingly transporting for someone else. I am sure it does happen in real life but hopefully not as often as in the movies. In this circumstance it’s good that S refuses to check bags unless absolutely necessary–I am sure he will be travelling with just a backpack.</p>
<p>My D just returned from a 2 week trip to Viet Nam and Cambodia. They visited Saigon, Siem Reap (Angkor Wat), Halong, and Hoi An. She had a suit made in one of those stops, I think Hoi An. Her pictures were beautiful.</p>
<p>The original reason for the trip was to visit some friends who are in Saigon teaching English, but she has always liked travel to less conventional areas. Last year it was Turkey.</p>
<p>Thailand, particularly Chiang Mai! Fun things to do: ride and bathe elephants, rock climbing and rappelling into caves, riding around on scooters, hiking and staying with villagers. However, plenty of US folks and a ton of Chinese, middle easterners, Austrailians visit Thailand so it doesn’t quite feel as “foreign” as Taiwan probably does. The kiddos and I just travelled there this past summer. There is also Central Thailand - Bangkok - but there is some mild instability there now, and southern Thailand - Phuket - with the wonderful beaches. </p>
<p>Yes, I have heard of people having custom suits made in Bangkok during their vacation as well.</p>
<p>Custom suits in Bangkok are REALLY poor tailoring-- really tacky tourist quality. . If u want good tailoring in Asia, Hong Kong is the place to get it. Part of the British colonial legacy. </p>
<p>My DD has been to Malaysia (she actually loved it…and didn’t find it boring at all…but was only there for four days), Singapore, Thailand (several different locations), Cambodia (several different spots also). There was something she liked about all of these places. She spent the longest time in Cambodia…over two weeks. In addition to Angkor Wat and the temples, she also spent time in Pnom Penn (oh that isn’t spelled right) and said she was surprised at how much there was to do there. </p>
<p>I can get the names of her hostels. Send me a PM if you would like them. She was there in September.</p>
<p>One place she would like to go to…for more time…is Istanbul. She was only there for 24 hours.</p>
<p>Colorado_kid spent last semester studying in Singapore. His long spring break trip was to Vietnam. His group determined that plane hops from South to Mid to North made sense. Some was rustic travel, but you can’t beat his $8 deals on youth hostels (sometimes split two ways with his friend/roommate). </p>
<p>Other trips included Bali long weekend and Taiwan (a few days in Taipei, a few days in the national parks… he and DD survived w/o a car). All of his photos were beautiful. </p>
<p>For really cheap airfares hopping around SE asia, look at Jeststar (based in SIN; a subsidiary of Qantas) & AirAsia (based in KUL). I prefer Jetstar. Both airlines are painfully strict about both carryon & checked baggage weight. You need to book directly from these two airlines, since they will not show up on Expedia, etc. I’ve used both airlines quite often. They are safe, dependable & have quite an expansive destination network.</p>
<p>SilkAir (owned by Singapore Airlines) & DragonAir (owned by Cathay) are often comparatively pricey.</p>
<p>Most Asia-based airlines have relatively low limits on carry-on baggage weight (7kg to 10kg is typical). You may find that your rollaboard bag that matches the size limitations weighs enough to take up most of the weight limit. Backpacks with no wheels are lighter, but can still easily be filled with items that will make them overweight (but may be more likely to slip by the baggage weight enforcers at the gate counter).</p>
This tends to be a low-budget airline issue. I have never ever had a big asian carrier hassle me about my rollaboard + backpack even when seated in economy. And I have flown on a fair sample set in the last couple of years: JAL, ANA, Cathay, KAL, Malaysian Airlines, Thai Airways, Singapore, and some of the Chinese airlines too a while further back. My ambition is to fly on one of those Eva Air “Hello Kitty” planes I always see at Tokyo Narita.
<a href=“http://www.evaair.com/en-global/flying-with-us/hello-kitty-jets/gallery/”>http://www.evaair.com/en-global/flying-with-us/hello-kitty-jets/gallery/</a>
The cuteness is killing me!</p>
<p>That they may not enforce the weight limits does not mean that they won’t in the future. Or it may be that if the passenger is unable to stow the heavy bag in the overhead, the weight limit can be invoked to force gate checking it.</p>