travel to eastern countries

[PClapham]

We are interested in traveling to such places as Hong Kong, Singapore, Bankok. My husband wants to cruise but i wonder if this an efficient way. I would like to search this forum for information but do not see a way to do so. Could anyone give me information either on experiences of visiting these areas or how to search this forum for such information.

THank you

Anita

 

[PClapham]

just discovered the search function.
anita

 

[Ty1on]

We are interested in traveling to such places as Hong Kong, Singapore, Bankok. My husband wants to cruise but i wonder if this an efficient way. I would like to search this forum for information but do not see a way to do so. Could anyone give me information either on experiences of visiting these areas or how to search this forum for such information.

THank you

Anita

Efficient in what sense? Time? Cruising is slightly more efficient than a horse and buggy. Money? Possibly, but at the cost of only getting a glimpse of each destination. I personally think cruising is for people who love to cruise, and shouldn't be seen as a mode of transportation.

 

[Passepartout]

There are thousands of great tours of such places. Check Gate 1 travel, Overseas Adventure Travel, Road Scholar. Or just Google 'tourism________' for tours. Much as we love TUG, this is probably not the best place for that type of travel. For one thing, timeshares in Asia are not nearly as plentiful as in the U.S. and those that exist are not in cities- they are out in the countryside, or in resort areas. When you settle on an area, you might find 'serviced apartments', which we have found to be in urban areas, and are similar to timeshares with separate bedrooms and full kitchens and have daily maid service.

Happy Travels

Jim

 

[BocaBoy]

Efficient in what sense? Time? Cruising is slightly more efficient than a horse and buggy. Money? Possibly, but at the cost of only getting a glimpse of each destination. I personally think cruising is for people who love to cruise, and shouldn't be seen as a mode of transportation.

We have cruised that area and I think it would be a wonderful way to go.

 

[tugcccsp]

My wife and I went on an excellent 18-day tour of China several years ago. It started in Hong Kong, went through China, and ended in Beijing. It included a 4-day cruise on the Yangtze River, Taimen Mountain, and Zhangjiajie National Park which was absolutely amazing. It was a tour of a lifetime. We booked through Fun For Less Travel. They did a very good job and the accommodations were great. We did Korea, Taiwan, and Japan on our own, not all on the same trip. We enjoyed those countries very much.

 

[Ty1on]

We have cruised that area and I think it would be a wonderful way to go.

Absolutely! But as an activity, not for the sole purpose of cheap transportation....

 

[Jimster]

First of all I would not look in this forum. Most of the posts about these countries is done in the last forum on other international. Second, it depends so much on where you want to go. I have been to all of them and what is true for one is not true for another necessarily. For example, you can get an exchange into Bangkok with relative ease but not so much into Vietnam. It also depends on what exchange company you use. Since DAE has an office in Singapore and in Australia they tend to have more. RCI does have some possibilities too but not as many. Once you get to most of these countries it is relatively easy to find specific tours and day trips although you dont want to book them through your hotel unless you like overpaying. Find a local source and pay them in their currency. You can also hire a tour company as mentioned by others, but as far as I am concerned I don't like others selecting what I am to do and I also don't like being part of a herd of people. To me, it is the difference between Watching life go by or being part of that life. I prefer the later. I always am amused when a see a herd of people go by me cameras in hand, and following a leader with a flag or umbrella raised above him.

I have never done a cruise because my wife gets horribly sea sick, but I don't think you get much of the flavor of a country by leaving a boat in a seaport. I think a river cruise is a different matter. They tend to offer more ports of call. Again it depends on what you want to see. As for tours, they are tours! I have been on them but it is someone else controlling the time spent. I suspect all of these offer some advantage in simplifying the process of such things as ticket buying, money exchange, etc. I have been to this part of the world 7 times in the last 5 years and I have always planned everything myself. I know some people would not want that but it is what i prefer.

I think the first thing you need to do is get a better idea of exactly where you want to go and what you want to see.

 

[Passepartout]

I think the first thing you need to do is get a better idea of exactly where you want to go and what you want to see.

I agree with this. Once you make this decision- and what level of luxury/assistance you desire, post again. Experienced travelers here will happily share what has/has not worked for them.

Jim

 

[BocaBoy]

Absolutely! But as an activity, not for the sole purpose of cheap transportation....

I didn't think was a thread about CHEAP transportation, but rather about how best to see the area. I assume that the desire is to see more than one place on a given trip and cruising is a good way to do this.

 

[BocaBoy]

I have never done a cruise because my wife gets horribly sea sick, but I don't think you get much of the flavor of a country by leaving a boat in a seaport. I think a river cruise is a different matter. They tend to offer more ports of call.

My advice is don't knock what you have never tried. I have been on many cruises all over the world and I strongly believe you are wrong. You can very efficiently get a pretty good flavor for a country by cruising, and the good cruise lines also have lots of on board educational enrichment programs about each stop, in addition to what you do off the boat. Obviously, if you are interested in seeing only one or two places it is better to stay a few days (or longer) in each, but if you want to get a reasonable flavor of several countries then a cruise is ideal. I have also been on a two-week riverboat cruise in Europe and it too was excellent, but in my opinion you do not really get a better flavor of a country with a riverboat cruise than you do on an ocean cruise, and their on board educational programs pale in comparison to the better ocean cruise lines.

On the seasick point, has your wife been on a modern cruise ship? My wife is also prone to getting very seasick, but between the modern ships (which are amazingly stable) and prescription medicine she has little or no problem now, and she loves to cruise. 30 years ago I would never have thought it was possible.

 

[Jimster]

On the seasick point, has your wife been on a modern cruise ship? My wife is also prone to getting very seasick, but between the modern ships (which are amazingly stable) and prescription medicine she has little or no problem now, and she loves to cruise. 30 years ago I would never have thought it was possible.

Anything on water makes her sick, even with medicine. I sometimes do water travel, but she won't. I have cruised the Mekong and the Danube and would love to try the Yangtze

 

[Jimster]

My point about cruising is that you miss so much of the country. You don't get to Chang Mai on a cruise. A cruise won't take you to Angkor Wat. You'll miss the Terra Cotta soldiers unless you go to X'ian.

Now if you like cruising, I think that's fine. But unless you supplement your cruise with some day trips (and many people do that) I think you miss a lot. What I was saying about river cruises is simply that it gets you to more sites in the interior.

I didn't mean to knock cruising and so many enjoy it, but merely to point out that it may limit your experiences without some extended time on land. Also when i travel to theses places I generally figure I am going to spend a month away from home. I can still see several countries or cities on one trip. A longer cruise would provide greater contact too, but 5 ports in 5 days doesn't really do the job.

 

[Passepartout]

Anything on water makes her sick, even with medicine. I sometimes do water travel, but she won't.

My sympathy. She misses out- and by extension, you miss out on some wonderful experiences. There is just NO SICK like SEA SICK! I've seen people who just wish they could die, they were so sick. I seem to be immune from motion sickness. Everyone on a small charter fishing boat can be just sick as dogs, and I'm having the time of my life. 'Unusual attitude' flight, tight turns, inverted flight, aerobatics, and I'm ready for more, but some people are just more sensitive.

But I digress. As much as I enjoy cruising, I DO think it's a lousy way to experience a 'foreign' culture. Cruises simply don't stay in one place long enough for guests to become one with the local people- plus a ship disgorging 3,000 'walking wallets' on even a fairly large community has no choice but to skew the economy. A tour bus (or several) has a bad enough effect. Far better- if one is comfortable with it and does some homework is to travel independently.

Hence the difference between TOURIST and TRAVELER.

Jim

 

[Ty1on]

I didn't think was a thread about CHEAP transportation, but rather about how best to see the area. I assume that the desire is to see more than one place on a given trip and cruising is a good way to do this.

"My husband wants to cruise but i wonder if this an efficient way"

In terms of both time and money, cruising can't be described as an efficient way to see an entire region.

 

[Jimster]

My sympathy. She misses out- and by extension, you miss out on some wonderful experiences. There is just NO SICK like SEA SICK! I've seen people who just wish they could die, they were so sick. I seem to be immune from motion sickness. Everyone on a small charter fishing boat can be just sick as dogs, and I'm having the time of my life. 'Unusual attitude' flight, tight turns, inverted flight, aerobatics, and I'm ready for more, but some people are just more sensitive.

But I digress. As much as I enjoy cruising, I DO think it's a lousy way to experience a 'foreign' culture. Cruises simply don't stay in one place long enough for guests to become one with the local people- plus a ship disgorging 3,000 'walking wallets' on even a fairly large community has no choice but to skew the economy. A tour bus (or several) has a bad enough effect. Far better- if one is comfortable with it and does some homework is to travel independently.

Hence the difference between TOURIST and TRAVELER.

Jim

I really like your distinction of the difference between tourist and Traveler. Obviously, I consider myself a traveler. For example, I have probably spend 10 days in Hong Kong but there are still things I want to do and see. I don't see how anyone can spend a day or two there and think they have really visited Hong Kong.

 

[Passepartout]

I have probably spend 10 days in Hong Kong but there are still things I want to do and see. I don't see how anyone can spend a day or two there and think they heave really visited Hong Kong.

Great city! We were there a week over Chinese New Year 12 years ago (Year of the Rooster last time) easy to get around, English is #2 language after being a colony almost 100 years. Would go back, but..... so many places, so little time.

 

[BocaBoy]

"My husband wants to cruise but i wonder if this an efficient way"

In terms of both time and money, cruising can't be described as an efficient way to see an entire region.

That is just not true on either count IF you are trying to see a number of places on the trip. Obviously if you want to be immersed in one country such as China, a 2 or 3 week land trip limited to China is best, but on a cruise you could easily see Bejing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and often another China stop. It is also possible to take tours to the interior, sometimes by bus, sometimes by train, sometimes even by air. We have seen Moscow and Berlin this way, very efficiently and economically. This thread was about visiting eastern countries, and those cruises are not at all like the typical 7-day Caribbean cruises that many people equate with cruising.

We have done four trips of different types to the other side of the Pacific. 10 days in Hong King, a week in Sydney, a 3-week tour of China, and a 62-day cruise around the Pacific, which repeated earlier visits to those places plus many new ones such as Japan, Singapore and Korea. All were wonderful trips but when we go to Asia or the South Pacific again it will almost certainly be on a cruise. Vietnam and New Zealand are high on that bucket list.

 

[BocaBoy]

.....unless you supplement your cruise with some day trips (and many people do that) I think you miss a lot. What I was saying about river cruises is simply that it gets you to more sites in the interior.

No question you are right about the day trips but they are so much a part of an "exotic" cruise that most people don't even consider NOT doing that. I am also a big fan of river cruises but to be fair, they do not take you to more stops in a given country. Rather, they go to countries that are not really reachable from the ocean.

 

[Jimster]

I uploaded pics of the hop on hop off brochure for KUL at the international timeshare forum

 

[PClapham]

You can't beat tug for a good and useful discussion! I'm looking at either Road Scholar for their small group trip to Asian cities or trying to use my own ingenuity for planning.

Thanks everyone!

Anita

 

[VacationForever]

The question is how much time do you want to spend in each country. Cruises never quite cover enough time. Now, there are many cruises in Asia that starts in Singapore, goes through a few countries, including Thailand and ends up Hong Kong, and vice versa. I would say that would be the ideal scenario. Spend a few land days in both ends. I love Hong Kong and Singapore and not care so much about Bangkok - OK, but won't miss much if all I get is a day. I have made 30+ trips to Hong Kong for business mainly, and grew up in Singapore.

 

[jeysa]

"The question is how much time do you want to spend in each country". I think that is a very very important question!