Recommend an interesting stop between New Delhi and Tokyo

John W. wrote:

: Kiran wrote:
: As part of his round the world business + pleasure journey, a family
: member has a gap of about 4 days between his obligations in New Delhi
: and Tokyo and would like to stop in some city in between.
:
: Please suggest what the most interesting (most fun for least money?)
: stopover would be: HK, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Bali, Jakarta, and
: others. FWIW he must use one of the "One World" airlines (group that
: includes AA), so some of these may be more possible than others. So
: please make 2-3 suggestions and rank them!
:
: What's his budget? He might look into flying into Seoul, traveling to
: Pusan, Ferry to Kyushu, then train up to Tokyo. A rail pass would more
: than pay for itself, and if he's planning on traveling around Japan
: anyway it'd be a perfect opportunity to see some really cool places.

He is limited in time. He has 3-4 days max free between last obligation
in India and first business meeting in Tokyo. He might travel around
Japan/Korea later but right now he is looking for a 2-3 day stop.

Eddy Kortlever wrote:

: My experience:
:
: Singapo far too expensive, many fancy people walking the big shopping
: centre without the money to buy anything, drinks and food are clean but too
: expensive
:
: KL: cheap, nice to see but for a couple of days only, nice area´s in town
: and ofcourse climbing the twin towers, food is ok, china town area is nice
:
: Vientiane: the Laos capital u should do when u love the culture and don´t
: mind a big city to be asleep after 9 pm, see some lovely markets and enjoy
: the food. Make sure u spend all your Laos Kip, because no other country in
: the world will change the money back for u into other currencies
:
: Bangkok : nice city who has it all, take the boat trip on the chao praya
: river, travel the tuk-tuk and taxi,enjoy all kinds of food, lovely (cheap)
: shopping malls and markets, when u can spend another USD 20, take a one hour
: flight to the 2nd city of Thailand Chiang Mai, from my experience CM has
: almost everything that BKK has, but more cheap and wonderfull to see with
: some fine nature and lovely temples

Thanks!

On Tue, 15 Aug 2006 04:52:10 GMT, Kiran wrote:

PeterL wrote:


I included Jakarta in my question simply because all of my family loves
indonesian food in Amsterdam. As for Bali, I have to say my cousin
is not a beach type person.


The first time I went to Bali I also thought it would be a relaxing
beach type vacation. It could be that, but it is also an amazing and
unique cultural experience. The beaches were actually mediocre.

Safety wise, I think you're OK as long as you stay away from Kuta,
which is another kind of cultual experience...the Australio-inebrio
culture.

Kiran wrote:
John W. wrote:

: Kiran wrote:
: As part of his round the world business + pleasure journey, a family
: member has a gap of about 4 days between his obligations in New Delhi
: and Tokyo and would like to stop in some city in between.
:
: Please suggest what the most interesting (most fun for least money?)
: stopover would be: HK, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Bali, Jakarta, and
: others. FWIW he must use one of the "One World" airlines (group that
: includes AA), so some of these may be more possible than others. So
: please make 2-3 suggestions and rank them!
:
: What's his budget? He might look into flying into Seoul, traveling to
: Pusan, Ferry to Kyushu, then train up to Tokyo. A rail pass would more
: than pay for itself, and if he's planning on traveling around Japan
: anyway it'd be a perfect opportunity to see some really cool places.

He is limited in time. He has 3-4 days max free between last obligation
in India and first business meeting in Tokyo. He might travel around
Japan/Korea later but right now he is looking for a 2-3 day stop.

I don't know if I would bother doing any of those cities for just 2-3
days. When you consider the hassle involved in the flights and
airports and going to and from airport and hotel, how much is he really
going to be able to experience in that time? He should add the extra
time to either India or Tokyo.

wrote:

: I don't know if I would bother doing any of those cities for just 2-3
: days. When you consider the hassle involved in the flights and
: airports and going to and from airport and hotel, how much is he really
: going to be able to experience in that time? He should add the extra
: time to either India or Tokyo.

You are an experienced traveler. He is a young person excited about
seeing 1-2 new places he has never seen, even if it is for a short
time. It is not rational, just wanderlust. I have been on both sides.

Many years ago, traveling as a student on an Indian passport, I would
purposely book many "12 hour connections" in hub cities so I could take
rushed city tours without bothering with the hassle and expense of
getting visas (less than 24 hours often qualified as simple transit).
Once I went NYC - Frankfurt - Paris - Munich - Rome -Delhi, and
back on an equally screwly route, with a frinedly travel agent helping
choose all the bad connections possible! (Somehow, it was easier to mix
airlines those days.)

Today, I have a US passport and don't need a visa in many places;
still, I try to book nonstops or as fast a connection as possible, no
city tours please!

Since I posted this question for my cousin, I have received many
helpful replies (thanks). I am not familiar with SE Asia and could not
have been of any assistance without your help.

First, by rationalizing his Indian trip, we can get up to 6-7 days. (He
thought that as he entered India in Delhi, he had to fly out of Delhi.
However, his last Indian stop is MUmbai and he can fly out of there,
gaining sometime.)

He is traveling on a One World pass. So the number of stops does not
matter, but only One World airlines are permitted. If we rule out odd
routes like India-Bangkok via London, then his only practical choice
in SE Asia is Cathay Pacific, which means he is passing through HK
anyway whether he stops or not.

Weighing everything, he is inclined to spend 4-5 days in Bangkok and
1-2 days in HK. If you have any comments, I would appreciate it.

Kiran wrote:
Since I posted this question for my cousin, I have received many
helpful replies (thanks). I am not familiar with SE Asia and could not
have been of any assistance without your help.

First, by rationalizing his Indian trip, we can get up to 6-7 days. (He
thought that as he entered India in Delhi, he had to fly out of Delhi.
However, his last Indian stop is MUmbai and he can fly out of there,
gaining sometime.)

He is traveling on a One World pass. So the number of stops does not
matter, but only One World airlines are permitted. If we rule out odd
routes like India-Bangkok via London, then his only practical choice
in SE Asia is Cathay Pacific, which means he is passing through HK
anyway whether he stops or not.

Weighing everything, he is inclined to spend 4-5 days in Bangkok and
1-2 days in HK. If you have any comments, I would appreciate it.

3 days each, and use one of the HK days for a day trip to Macau.

wrote:

: 3 days each, and use one of the HK days for a day trip to Macau.

Thanks. I have one question from my cousin as he decides how to split
the week between Bangkok and Hong Kong. He is assuming that main
difference in expenses will come from lodging: What can you expect to
have to spend per night for lodging in each city? He needs clean, safe,
good location but nothing fancy.

Kiran wrote:
wrote:

: 3 days each, and use one of the HK days for a day trip to Macau.

Thanks. I have one question from my cousin as he decides how to split
the week between Bangkok and Hong Kong. He is assuming that main
difference in expenses will come from lodging: What can you expect to
have to spend per night for lodging in each city? He needs clean, safe,
good location but nothing fancy.

Bangkok: US $30.

Hong Kong: US $50.

In article . com,
wrote:

Weighing everything, he is inclined to spend 4-5 days in Bangkok and
1-2 days in HK. If you have any comments, I would appreciate it.

3 days each, and use one of the HK days for a day trip to Macau.

My reaction also (unless he's going to run into a lot of hassle getting
to and from airports for the additional flights). Hong Kong is a
comparatively small place, enormously scenic and exciting, he won't
regret having gone there -- and he can also go back to whichever one he
like better, after he makes his millions.