Recommend an interesting stop between New Delhi and Tokyo

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!

Thanks.

Kiran wrote:

stopover would be: HK, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Bali, Jakarta, and
others.

Singapore would be tops on my list, but not on yours.

Jakarta probably not a good place to go right now if you are western. Bali would
be better, but still have my security scanner on high.

Bangkok and KL each have their plusses, but I would lean towards Bangkok for a
first time visit.

In article , Kiran
wrote:

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!

Depends strongly on what type of experience he wants.

Hong Kong, Bangkok (the two places on your list that I've been to) are
both highly rated tourist destinations -- can't go wrong with either
one.

Chose Bangkok for more chaotic, crowded, sprawling, more "Third
World-ish" or Southeast Asia sort of place -- river running through the
center with all sorts of small-boat river traffic. Hong Kong somewhat
more Western but still highly exotic, absolutely gorgeous port, views
from the tops of hills on the island, Macao for a nearby day excursion.

Both exotic, exciting, colorful -- I'd love to go back to either one.

Clark W. Griswold, Jr. wrote:

: Kiran wrote:
:
: stopover would be: HK, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Bali, Jakarta, and
: others.
:
: Singapore would be tops on my list, but not on yours.

I didn't explain everything. He has been ti S'pore so I thought
something else may be more appealing in his case.

: Jakarta probably not a good place to go right now if you are western.
: Bali would be better, but still have my security scanner on high.

He is a native-born US citizen but looks Indian. So let's say, as long
as he doesn't open his mouth or show passport, he can pass as
"non-Western". Is Indonesia to be avoided? I would hate to see my
favorite cousin's name on TV with Condi Rice or Kofi Annan making
statements...

AES wrote:

: In article , Kiran
: wrote:
:
: 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!
:
: Depends strongly on what type of experience he wants.

He would have just had hectic third world tourism/trekking etc at a
back-breaking pace in Indis and he is headed to business meetings and
structured Wetern style tourism in Tokyo and around.

So I guess a relaxing 2-3 days is what he needs: good food, good
shopping, nice but easy sight-seeing. I don't know if HK is still great
shopping or not.

: Hong Kong, Bangkok (the two places on your list that I've been to) are
: both highly rated tourist destinations -- can't go wrong with either
: one.
:
: Chose Bangkok for more chaotic, crowded, sprawling, more "Third
: World-ish" or Southeast Asia sort of place -- river running through the
: center with all sorts of small-boat river traffic. Hong Kong somewhat
: more Western but still highly exotic, absolutely gorgeous port, views
: from the tops of hills on the island, Macao for a nearby day excursion.
:
: Both exotic, exciting, colorful -- I'd love to go back to either one.

Thanks.

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!

Thanks.

Most fun for the least money would be Bangkok and KL. Bangkok he can
get really great hotels and have lots of good food and other fun stuff.
KL is less advanced than BK but is also cheaper.

HK is expensive. Jakarta I don't know why he would want to go there.
Bali is OK if he wants beach relaxing type vacation.

PeterL wrote:

: Most fun for the least money would be Bangkok and KL. Bangkok he can
: get really great hotels and have lots of good food and other fun stuff.
: KL is less advanced than BK but is also cheaper.
:
: HK is expensive. Jakarta I don't know why he would want to go there.
: Bali is OK if he wants beach relaxing type vacation.

Thanks, I'll pass along your recommendation for Bangkok or KL.

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.

Kiran wrote:
PeterL wrote:

: Most fun for the least money would be Bangkok and KL. Bangkok he can
: get really great hotels and have lots of good food and other fun stuff.
: KL is less advanced than BK but is also cheaper.
:
: HK is expensive. Jakarta I don't know why he would want to go there.
: Bali is OK if he wants beach relaxing type vacation.

Thanks, I'll pass along your recommendation for Bangkok or KL.

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.

One amazing option if he can make it work is Bangkok with a side trip
to Siem Reap in Cambodia to see Angkor. It definitely can be done in 2
days. He would probably want to rent a car and driver there to take him
round.

I second the Bangkok option. He should try and stay somewhere downtown,
preferably near the river. For someone who has just been to India, the
similarities and differences can be intriguing.

If he wants a less third-world experience, Hong Kong is great. It is
more expensive, though, but IMO the food is perhaps the best in the
world.

Rupa Bose
www.rupabose.org

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

Eddy

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.

John W.