Recommend an interesting stop between New Delhi and Tokyo

JC Venturo wrote:

: I see you very well like mixing religion into discussions on rec.travel

Not really, I have discussed politics and religion for a long time but
not here. However, when it has to do with threat to airplanes and
related security measures, that naturally belongs in rec.travel.air .

: Interesting, Hindus are jumping on the bandwagon for racial profiling of
: Muslims.....I wouldn't consider that a smart move. Because the one thing
: racial profiling so obviously leaves out is the actual religion of the
: person. The most popular looking religious face can easily be identified as
: a Hindu from India, going by looks only! That's why many of your countrymen
: are being stopped at airports too. If you were white, then you could jump on
: the racial profiling bandwagon (they being almost free from such
: profiling) --- but you are not, so don't argue their point of view without
: thinking the consequences through.

In matters of security we have to do what is right, and if some of us
are inconvenienced, so be it. What is not right is to inconvenience
*everyone* without discrimination. Besides questions of right and
wrong, it also waste sresources which could have been used against more
probable threats.

BTW, I see no merit in racial profiling. I would recommend profiling
based on religion (because some religions preach violence against
nonbelievers), nationality (because soci-political conditions in some
nations facilitate terrorism), and known association.

: And I also find it interesting that you included specifically Pakistanis for
: singling out for Profiling? Am curious, is this just a case of another
: Indian guy grinding the 'ol anti-Paki axe or you pointing to Pakistani
: natives bombing planes? This may inadvertently ruin your "objectivity."

Pakistan is a prefect storm of terrorism, meeting all criteia for
profiling: religious, national, and just plain case history. A large
number of terrorists have had some Pakistani connection or other.

wrote:

: Is Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City the better choice in Vietnam, if he is
: able to include it?
:
: Hanoi. Or consider Luang Prabang in Laos.

Thanks. Of Cathat destinations:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...CXRouteMap.jpg

which one would be closest to "Luang Prabang"?

Kiran wrote:
wrote:

: Is Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City the better choice in Vietnam, if he is
: able to include it?
:
: Hanoi. Or consider Luang Prabang in Laos.

Thanks. Of Cathat destinations:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...CXRouteMap.jpg

which one would be closest to "Luang Prabang"?

Bangkok or Hanoi.

John W. wrote:

: Then he could do the Korea trip; it'd be whirlwind, but doable, with a
: day to enjoy Kyongju in Korea. He might also look into flying into
: Beijing.

Hi, I am the cousin Kiran has been posting for. Thanks for the advice.
Not sure if I'll have time for Korea, but I am looking into Beijing. Is
it possible then to visit Beijing as an individual traveller not part
of any tour group?

I have a question also posted in another thread: How would you divide
15 days among the following cities (including side trips):

Bangkok (incl Angkor)
Hanoi OR Ho Chi Minh (which one do you recommend?)
Hong Kong (incl Macau)
Beijing (incl Great Wall)

Also, how much would a clean/safe unfancy budget room cost per night in
each of these cities?

Eddy Kortlever wrote:

: 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

BKK and HK are set. I will consider CM from BKK.

I need to decide a third stop---Beijing, Jakarta, Bali, Hanoi,
etc---very soon. Do you have an opinion/advice?

JC Venturo wrote:

: I would definitely recommend Jakarta!

Greatly appreciate that.

Because of special details of my trip, Bangkok and HK are set as two
stops. I can take ONE more. A few choices are Beijing, Bali, Jakarta.
Would you recommend Jakarta over the the other two? (If I don't get the
first choice, what would be your second choice?)

I need to decide this soon, so all opinion/advice greatly appreciate.

AKT wrote:
JC Venturo wrote:

: I would definitely recommend Jakarta!

Greatly appreciate that.

Because of special details of my trip, Bangkok and HK are set as two
stops. I can take ONE more. A few choices are Beijing, Bali, Jakarta.
Would you recommend Jakarta over the the other two? (If I don't get the
first choice, what would be your second choice?)

Beijing has far more to offer than Jakarta, and is much safer. Bali is
worthwhile only if you have time to explore beyond the touristy parts.