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Oh in Singapore you can always take the classic option and head for the Long Bar at Raffles, though it's currently closed for renovations.
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Dec 3, 2018 06:07
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Obviously, the correct choice for authentic local cuisine and fine dining in HK is Hemingway's in Disco Bay!webmeister posted:Oh in Singapore you can always take the classic option and head for the Long Bar at Raffles, though it's currently closed for renovations. ReindeerF fucked around with this message at 09:41 on Dec 3, 2018 |
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Dec 3, 2018 09:38
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We are actually staying at MBS in Singapore, so will likely check out Cest La Vi at least once. Been to Long Bar when I first went to Singapore; as Reindeer said it a nice space, but they charge you like $30SGD for the "Singapore Sling Experience" which was a complete tourist trap. My wife hasn't been there though, so might stop by for a non-singapore sling drink.
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Dec 3, 2018 16:11
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Where should I hang out in the HK airport on the three-hour layover I'll have there on my way back from Thailand? Assume I am too scared to leave the airport proper.
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Dec 3, 2018 16:37
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ReindeerF posted:It's definitely a Hell of an ambience, but I went out with an Aussie girl down there once and we went there for a few drinks and it was a loltastically poo poo experience other than the physical environment, which is cool. Not their fault you brought the riff-raff in though is it 
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Dec 3, 2018 18:03
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C-Euro posted:Where should I hang out in the HK airport on the three-hour layover I'll have there on my way back from Thailand? Assume I am too scared to leave the airport proper. The business class lounge 
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Dec 3, 2018 18:29
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C-Euro posted:Where should I hang out in the HK airport on the three-hour layover I'll have there on my way back from Thailand? Assume I am too scared to leave the airport proper. the answer to any airport layover question when leaving the airport isn't possible: - pay into a lounge, eat all the food, drink all the beer - browse shops - bring your own entertainment, ipad games or a sketchbook or lovely paperback or whatever your thing is I don't actually know if airports have more to do than that. Some have showers or sleep pods but if you're just gonna get on another long haul flight what's the point? and if it's a short flight you'll be home/in your hotel soon enough Oh or you could run back and forth between T1 and T2 if you are a jogger, HK airport's actually big enough for that.
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Dec 4, 2018 07:04
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webmeister posted:Not their fault you brought the riff-raff in though is it
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Dec 4, 2018 22:22
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C-Euro posted:Where should I hang out in the HK airport on the three-hour layover I'll have there on my way back from Thailand? Assume I am too scared to leave the airport proper. What I usually do is casually walk most of the way towards my gate to see where it is (so I won't be surprised at the last minute), then I walk back and stroll around the shops and window shop at all the ludicrously expensive stuff I'll never buy anyway. In HK you might find some reasonably priced exotic candy, magazines, trinkets or such in the magazine kiosks, last time there I bought some HK girlie magazines for fun (hint: they are very boring). Then when I get tired of walking around, I walk to my gate, sit down and watch TV episodes/documentaries on my tablet until it's time to board.
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Dec 5, 2018 10:02
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webmeister posted:Oh in Singapore you can always take the classic option and head for the Long Bar at Raffles, though it's currently closed for renovations. Just as an update, the Long Bar and the gift shop are currently the only parts of the hotel open for business. Reference: me, I was just there today. Tourist = Trapped
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Dec 5, 2018 13:02
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xtCOZzAzcE
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Dec 6, 2018 06:53
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I know that haggling is the norm in Bangkok, but how does this work for buying gold jewelry? Any advice?
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Dec 7, 2018 12:56
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Waltzing Along posted:I know that haggling is the norm in Bangkok, but how does this work for buying gold jewelry? Any advice?
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Dec 7, 2018 20:50
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My wife's parents are taking us to Koh Lipe as part of our visit next week, anyone ITT been there and have anything I should talk them into doing there? E: Thai outlets are 220 V, right? Gotta remember which little voltage converter I brought last time... C-Euro fucked around with this message at 06:33 on Dec 10, 2018 |
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Dec 10, 2018 03:57
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Yeah, 220v, though in practice it seems like everything I buy in the States runs on a dual 220/110 transformer and doesn't seem to mind (nothing has blown up in the last 13 years, though an old aluminum laptop from a decade ago used to shock me).
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Dec 10, 2018 10:39
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C-Euro posted:My wife's parents are taking us to Koh Lipe as part of our visit next week, anyone ITT been there and have anything I should talk them into doing there? Koh Lipe is a tiny tiny island. One thing I'd advise is to be on the side of it you plan to be sleep on (there are bungalows on two coasts) by the time the sun goes down. The sea gypsy village is in the middle and they keep a bunch of fuckass dogs there that harried me through the village in a manner that had me take my knife out and get it ready one time. Anyway Koh Lipe is very pretty  There isn't a ton to do actually on the island beyond "hang out on the beach" but it is a launch point for Tarutao which is one of the few Thai islands that someone hasn't found a loophole to build housing on yet. You can go camp there, probably there are day trips I forget When I went to Lipe I got on the wrong boat (the main ferry was addressed over several hours by a series of small boats you jump down to that ferry you to different islands) and ended up on a speck of an isalnd with four bungalows that were operated by a crazed German, it was fine I got to spend the night with this spider 
raton fucked around with this message at 19:53 on Dec 10, 2018 |
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Dec 10, 2018 19:24
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DarcWhIChV4 The sea gets hotter = we get more jellyfish Learn to eat the jellyfish It is Okay
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Dec 10, 2018 19:25
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ReindeerF posted:Yeah, 220v, though in practice it seems like everything I buy in the States runs on a dual 220/110 transformer and doesn't seem to mind (nothing has blown up in the last 13 years, though an old aluminum laptop from a decade ago used to shock me). Yeah I have one of those little square Apple wall-to-USB plugs of yesteryear that's rated for 240 V, I feel like I used something like that last time but I can't remember what specifically. I just carry a small external battery with me on these trips and it works fine for the most part. raton posted:Koh Lipe is a tiny tiny island. One thing I'd advise is to be on the side of it you plan to be sleep on (there are bungalows on two coasts) by the time the sun goes down. The sea gypsy village is in the middle and they keep a bunch of fuckass dogs there that harried me through the village in a manner that had me take my knife out and get it ready one time. Thanks, I'm assuming that they know somebody on the island since they seem to have friends everywhere we go in this drat country. I'm excited to finally go to the south for once since we always seem to go to Chiang Mai instead, but I gotta work on my beach bod before we head down there Also since "sit on the beach a bunch" is in my future maybe I will bring an actual paper book instead of my Kindle!
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Dec 10, 2018 20:39
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Hi, I'm traveling to Phuket for a friend's wedding towards the end of next May. I'll be traveling with a friend. I'm trying to figure out how to get there from Minneapolis. I don't do a lot of major international travel like this (just big European cities) so I'm kind of overwhelmed by the airfare options. I can plan connections and stuff, just hoping to get a nudge in the right direction. Trying to route to Phuket via Google Flights and the like has only a single flight from Seoul getting in at midnight and gently caress that. It seems like a good bet is to fly into Tokyo or Seoul and spend either a night or a couple days, then direct to Phuket, or perhaps connect through Bangkok? Is there some standard-ish route to get to the smaller cities in Thailand from the US? I'm totally down for spending a few days elsewhere in Asia on the way there or back (or in Dubai??). I read the last dozen pages or so of the thread and saw recommendations to just book from local airlines directly. What airlines in Thailand would you recommend?
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Dec 11, 2018 03:37
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For tourism reasons, HKT probably has more direct flights from the region than any other Thai city besides Bangkok. Check the arrivals list for HKT, but I know there are arrivals from BKK, DMK, HKG, MNL, KUL, SIN, ICN, PEK, etc. I think they also get direct from DXB and one of the Russian airports. It's pretty easy to route to. My advice, look for one of the major international carriers based in the East who do a lot of hub and spoke stuff. My first trip out here I flew Northwestern out of MSP to Bangkok, which I know doesn't exist, but whoever bought them may have inherited the Japan route and may offer that connection. It's just that American carriers suck to fly on, and are usually more expensive, so I generally recommend others. My guess on that route, if you want to save money, is some weird routing like [carrier] to KUL and Air Asia to HKT. No one flies direct from the US to Bangkok, so you're going to be stopping somewhere, and if that's a major Asian capital, as per the above, it probably flies to Phuket too. If you need fine-tuned advice, shoot over more info.
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Dec 11, 2018 05:38
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Hi guys, my gf and I have a 24-day trip to Thailand/Cambodia approaching. We'll be flying into Krabi on 1/22 and leaving from Bangkok (back to Shenzhen, China, where we live) on 2/15. The first 5 nights will be spent chilling on the beach in Ko Lanta and visiting a friend. Next, we intend to take a three-day course in the region to get our Open Water certification. Right now, I'm trying to figure out the best place to do that. It seems like our options are 1) Phuket 2) Ko Phi Phi 3) Ko Racha 4) Ao Nang, Krabi 5) Staying in Ko Lanta. 1)I've been to Phuket, and definitely don't want to spend any significant time there, so that's out. 2)Phi Phi seems like a popular destination (and I spent one boozy day/night there five years ago and enjoyed it ) for diving courses, but also has a bad rep for overcrowding/general nastiness. Also, accommodation is a bit pricey for what you get. 3) Ko Racha is small, and a bit remote, although it does have a diving school. 4) The diving centers in Ao Nang all appear to head out to the Phi Phi islands for the dives, so it seems pointless to stay there to take the course. 5) From what I've read, Ko Lanta is a good choice, but we are into the idea of moving on from there after four nights to somewhere with more impressive, karst-ier scenery. Does anyone have any advice about the best option to choose for our open water course? We don't want to head too far south, or to the east coast, since our next destination will be Khao Sok. Thanks in advance.
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Dec 11, 2018 08:49
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The only useful thing I can contribute is that I believe Phi Phi Leh (I think - the famous one from The Beach) is closed to let it recover from the Chinese. I'm not sure how this affects Phi Phi Don. Last time it was closed - that I recall - was to let it recover from, yes, The Beach, heh. Scoreboard: America & UK: 1 China: 1 Russia, we'll hold your vodka. I genuinely like Ao Nang as a tourist destination. I usually stay up the hill by the mosque or to the West in the less popular bay. The area is about as chill as a tourist environment with lots of amenities and options can be. Just stay off the beach road at night. Also, if you hike just off the Eastern end of the beach there's karst cliffs, staircases, lagoons, etc. I cannot speak at all for certification there. I know several goons spent a lot of time diving and instructing on Murder Island, but that's all I got. EDIT: I forgot about Railay. EDIT EDIT: Oh and Trang, next province South. I've spent a lot of time there and it's not touristy at all, with just a few things that are there pretty much for diving or getting people to Lipe/Turatao - though the lack of amenities can be a handicap if you need options or are in a hurry. ReindeerF fucked around with this message at 10:45 on Dec 11, 2018 |
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Dec 11, 2018 10:40
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ColdPie posted:Hi, I'm traveling to Phuket for a friend's wedding towards the end of next May. I'll be traveling with a friend. I'm trying to figure out how to get there from Minneapolis. I don't do a lot of major international travel like this (just big European cities) so I'm kind of overwhelmed by the airfare options. I can plan connections and stuff, just hoping to get a nudge in the right direction. Yeah, if you're flying the standard route of MSP->West Coast->Seoul, you'll hit Bangkok at about 10 and then I assume you transfer to Phuket and will land around midnight. There is supposedly a flight direct between MSP and Haneda, but it doesn't connect with anything in Thailand that I'm aware of, so you'd have to land in Japan, come out of immigration and customs and then go back through. At which point, yeah you'll want to spend a day in Japan.
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Dec 11, 2018 15:41
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Railay is my favorite beach in Thailand. More expensive than other places, but there are not cars, easy to get to, and have a lot of cool places to hang out within walking distance.
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Dec 11, 2018 17:43
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Thanks for the input, guys. Decided to stay in Ko Lanta for the scuba certification, followed by three nights at either Ao Nang or Railay Beach. Leaning towards Ao Nang since the only place we can afford at Railay, Rapala Rock Wood Resort, doesn't seem great, and the beach is only a short longboat ride away. After that we are planning to head to Khao Sok for 4 nights before flying to Siem Reap for 6 nights. I know Siem Reap has been discussed extensively in this thread, but is 6 days there perhaps...too long? Thinking about breaking Cambodia up between two locations but worried that the travel in between there and anywhere else will make it a pain. Uh, any thoughts?
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Dec 13, 2018 01:16
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Khao Lak is well worth checking out for diving. There are a bunch of schools there doing training and day trips. Khao Sok is a great place. Well worth a few days. I was there eight years ago almost to the day... which seems hard to believe!
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Dec 13, 2018 04:58
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I ate one of these snails before and I forgot I ate it until I saw this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YR6s-x2KZk
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Dec 14, 2018 08:14
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Hey that's the second Cambodian cooking show channel I've seen on Youtube with millions of views... I wonder if there's a mansion built by Youtube money just off camera.
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Dec 14, 2018 20:01
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I usually get suggestions for the Very cute girl catches so many fish ones where it's some Cambodian girl digging a hole in the mud of some sort that a bunch of mudskippers fall in to overnight
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Dec 15, 2018 00:48
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raton posted:I usually get suggestions for the Very cute girl catches so many fish ones where it's some Cambodian girl digging a hole in the mud of some sort that a bunch of mudskippers fall in to overnight EDIT: Here you go - still on my recommended videos list: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDdWlV4k2X0
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Dec 15, 2018 18:40
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A lot of this thread appears to be about the mainland. What is the go-to resource for Indonesia? I plan to spend a few weeks there in March but am not sure where to look for useful info (besides the basics like Wikitravel).
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Dec 19, 2018 13:51
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What mainland? Indonesia is pretty huge, do you have any idea what kinds of things you want to do or where you are planning to go? It's hard to make recommendations outside of the very basics without some info.
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Dec 19, 2018 14:20
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This thread is also for Indonesia, it's just less visited than some of the other countries (not that it's worse or anything, although some parts have very little in the way of tourism infastructure)
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Dec 19, 2018 14:49
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https://i.imgur.com/IzPUfYK.gifv
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Dec 19, 2018 14:49
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I want to see Borobudur someday, and I’m sure the diving is great in a bunch of places, but other than that I’m not sure what tourism in Indonesia is like, so I’d love to hear about it.
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Dec 19, 2018 15:00
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Travelfish is good for Indonesia info, there's lots of stuff about most places you would want to go. https://www.travelfish.org/country/indonesia
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Dec 19, 2018 15:42
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I will be in East Java, flying in to Surabaya. Have not decided on exact plans yet but I will not be hopping around too much - maybe hang around two cities of interest and that's it. I know a local who can help me with the details but I just thought I better gather some goon info, as well. Spending a few days in some nearby nature might be sweet. Is there "real" nature there? I mean something that is not a "buses and guides" organized tourist trail. It looks pretty built-up on the map, apart from the mountains, and all the text I read is talking about tours and people selling tickets to go into nature, which seems a bit offputting. Can one just go and chill in a forest for a day or two there?
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Dec 19, 2018 20:02
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I have nothing to add other than, "Yep." Heh.
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Dec 19, 2018 21:09
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The nervous guy choosing between two buttons meme, but one button says "C-Euro is fat", the second button says "take C-Euro out to eat every two hours", and the guy is labeled "C-Euro's Thai in-laws" I mean I could stand to lose five pounds but come on guys 
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Dec 20, 2018 10:46
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EssOEss posted:I will be in East Java, flying in to Surabaya. Have not decided on exact plans yet but I will not be hopping around too much - maybe hang around two cities of interest and that's it. I know a local who can help me with the details but I just thought I better gather some goon info, as well. I went on a long trip there before, it was very low key. The group I was with hired a bunch of guys with two cars to ferry us around most of east java. We went from Surabaya to Mount Bromo, stay there overnight then did the volcano areas with a sunrise trip to a mountain nearby with donkeys and poo poo that was amazing but insanely crowded. Then we went to the volcano itself which you can actually climb up. I was shocked how little safety concern there is around it. Mount Bromo can be quite cold so bring something warm. We went on a long trip from there to Ijen Crater which was also insanely beautiful but sad because you can see how badly indigenous people are treated. They get paid poo poo all to haul massive lumps of sulphur up from the lake. After that we went to Yogyakarta but I didn't get to see it that much. It is supposed to have some amazing temples there and I've been told is up there with the best of what thailand has to offer. Indonesian locals are warm and friendly people and a lot of them can speak some English. Most tourists in java will be asians rather than white people which has it's good and bad points but don't expect the same level of touristy stuff that you would get in more mainstream places.
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Dec 20, 2018 11:12
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