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East/South-East Asia Trip Suggestions
"Alfred Molon" kirjoitti s.com... In article , Chris Blunt says... I have to agree with Bob. If there was only one city in Asia he could visit, it should be Hong Kong. You are joking, right? There are zillions of cities in Asia which are orders of magnitude more interesting than Hong Kong. -- The beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. I recall when it was most fashionable to describe Singapore as "sterile" and "dull". In my opinion neither of the two attributes were prevalent in town |
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East/South-East Asia Trip Suggestions
In article , Markku Grönroos says...
"Alfred Molon" kirjoitti s.com... In article , Chris Blunt says... I have to agree with Bob. If there was only one city in Asia he could visit, it should be Hong Kong. You are joking, right? There are zillions of cities in Asia which are orders of magnitude more interesting than Hong Kong. -- The beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. I recall when it was most fashionable to describe Singapore as "sterile" and "dull". In my opinion neither of the two attributes were prevalent in town There are 47 UNESCO world heritage sites in China alone: http://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/cn Hong Kong is not one of them. Even Macau is listed. -- Alfred Molon http://www.molon.de - Photos of Asia, Africa and Europe |
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East/South-East Asia Trip Suggestions
"Bob Myers" wrote in message ... Alfred Molon wrote: In article , Bob Myers says... Seoul more interesting than Hong Kong? You have to be kidding. I like Seoul just fine, but Hong Kong is an experience not to be missed. There is not much to see in Hong Kong for what concerns historical buildings. The only great thing is the skyline, the rest is relatively unimpressive. In any case, compare by yourself. Been there, done that. I've visited both cities many times. As I said, I like Seoul, but I would never tell someone that it is "more interesting" than Hong Kong. The two experiences are very, very different. There's a good deal more to a city than just "historical buildings," at least for most visitors. Bob M. But Bob, how would you describe or compare HK Island if you'd taken the Star Ferry and had tea at the Mandarin Oriental and taken the subway back to Kowloon? |
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East/South-East Asia Trip Suggestions
Steve Cain wrote:
But Bob, how would you describe or compare HK Island if you'd taken the Star Ferry and had tea at the Mandarin Oriental and taken the subway back to Kowloon? Huh? Not sure I understand your question. I've done the above - well, except for the tea at the Mandarin Oriental; I prefer to find the small local places over five-star hotels, giventhe choice (not when looking for a place to stay, but definitely for dining). The Star Ferry is certainly an essential part of a "Hong Kong experience." Hell, even walking past the tourist-trap stores lining Nathan Road is fun in my book (just don't actually BUY anything there...:-)). And there are certainly many other places on HK Island I'd rather visit than just Central - maybe that was your point? I guess Alfred judges a city solely on its "historical" content, and if that's all that matters to you, then yes, HK comes up short compared to some others (at least if you DON'T venture out much beyond Central). But to me, there is just so much more to experience in a city. And as I said right from the start, I do like Seoul as well, and yes, it does have a number of places of historic significance. But I certainly can't compare the overall experience of Seoul (which for the most part strikes me as somewhat restrained compared to other major Asian metropolitan areas) to, say, a Hong Kong or Tokyo. Bob M. |
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East/South-East Asia Trip Suggestions
"Steve" wrote in message
... I'm based in the UK and I fancy a trip to East and/or South-East Asia. My budget is around £2000 for the trip (plus spending money), I have up to 3 weeks holiday available and I'll be going sometime between August and December. I would like to visit some cities - plus potentially some historic sites and possibly have some time on a beach. I would however be happy just visiting interesting cities. The cities that interest me are Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore and Beijing. OK. Having experienced all these places I would suggest the following: 1. Fly to Hong Kong and spend about 5 days - Less of an immediate culture shock and a place to definately experience. A wonderful, colourful and vibrant (always busy) place and I think everyone should experience Hong Kong at least once. Treat yourself to a new camera or something while there ) 2. Fly on to Beijing and spend 7 days - A fascinating place only just getting to grips with western ways. Loads of places to visit if you want to experience the old chinese culture and way of life. 3. Fly onto Tokyo and spend 7 days - Well, Japan is Japan and can be a great mix of ultra modern and ultra old. Would not stay in Tokyo though I would use it as a base, maybe, for other trips in and around Japan. Forget Singapore. A good transit city on your way to other places but only good for 2 or 3 day stopovers IMO. You will be spending at least 2 days at airports and in the air (11/12hrs to Hong Kong from UK). £2000 will not go very far I'm afraid taking into account airfares and accomodation (especially Tokyo). MC |
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East/South-East Asia Trip Suggestions
In article , Bob Myers says...
I guess Alfred judges a city solely on its "historical" content, No, I never said so. But it is also true that HK is essentially a jungle of skyscrapers. It has a breathtaking skyline, but everything else is very mediocre. and if that's all that matters to you, then yes, HK comes up short compared to some others (at least if you DON'T venture out much beyond Central). But to me, there is just so much more to experience in a city. And as I said right from the start, I do like Seoul as well, and yes, it does have a number of places of historic significance. But I certainly can't compare the overall experience of Seoul (which for the most part strikes me as somewhat restrained compared to other major Asian metropolitan areas) to, say, a Hong Kong or Tokyo. Hong Kong is not in the same league as Tokyio. Two or max. three days are sufficient for Hong Kong, while after one week in Tokyo you have barely scratched the surface. If you want to make a comparison, compare Hong Kong with Kuala Lumpur. Both will keep you busy for a couple of days, but not much more than that. -- Alfred Molon http://www.molon.de - Photos of Asia, Africa and Europe |
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East/South-East Asia Trip Suggestions
"Alfred Molon" wrote in message
. .. In article , Bob Myers says... If you want to make a comparison, compare Hong Kong with Kuala Lumpur. Both will keep you busy for a couple of days, but not much more than that. How many times have you been to HK? Not many and not for long if you think this. I have been many, many times and each time I find something new to do, see or experience. Kuala Lumpur is not half as good IMO and not even in the same league as HK so cannot be compared as such. MC |
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East/South-East Asia Trip Suggestions
In article , MC says...
How many times have you been to HK? Not many and not for long if you think this. I have been many, many times and each time I find something new to do, see or experience. Kuala Lumpur is not half as good IMO and not even in the same league as HK so cannot be compared as such. I've been two times in Hong Kong. It's one of the places to see once you have seen all the other interesting places Asia has to offer. Regarding your suggestion, five days in Hong Kong is a waste of time - two to three are more than enough. And between Singapore and Hong Kong, Singapore wins hands down. It is more diverse ethnically, with Chinese, Indian and Malay population, lots of historical buildings, local culture, a dynamic and vibrant economy, not as cramped as Hong Kong + it's tropical. Nearby there are tropical islands where to spend a few days on a beach. -- Alfred Molon http://www.molon.de - Photos of Asia, Africa and Europe |
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East/South-East Asia Trip Suggestions
"Alfred Molon" wrote in message
... In article , MC says... How many times have you been to HK? Not many and not for long if you think this. I have been many, many times and each time I find something new to do, see or experience. Kuala Lumpur is not half as good IMO and not even in the same league as HK so cannot be compared as such. I've been two times in Hong Kong. It's one of the places to see once you have seen all the other interesting places Asia has to offer. Regarding your suggestion, five days in Hong Kong is a waste of time - two to three are more than enough. 5 days is not nearly enough. I was merely trying to advise of an itinerary. And between Singapore and Hong Kong, Singapore wins hands down. It is more diverse ethnically, with Chinese, Indian and Malay population, lots of historical buildings, local culture, a dynamic and vibrant economy, not as cramped as Hong Kong + it's tropical. Nearby there are tropical islands where to spend a few days on a beach. -- Did not the OP want to visit the cities? I believe 2 or 3 days is plenty in Singapore and thus I think you are very wrong in you conclusions but everyone to their own tastes and opinions I suppose. MC |
#20
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East/South-East Asia Trip Suggestions
"MC" wrote in message
... "Steve" wrote in message ... I'm based in the UK and I fancy a trip to East and/or South-East Asia. My budget is around £2000 for the trip (plus spending money), I have up to 3 weeks holiday available and I'll be going sometime between August and December. I would like to visit some cities - plus potentially some historic sites and possibly have some time on a beach. I would however be happy just visiting interesting cities. The cities that interest me are Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore and Beijing. OK. Having experienced all these places I would suggest the following: 1. Fly to Hong Kong and spend about 5 days - Less of an immediate culture shock and a place to definately experience. A wonderful, colourful and vibrant (always busy) place and I think everyone should experience Hong Kong at least once. Treat yourself to a new camera or something while there ) 2. Fly on to Beijing and spend 7 days - A fascinating place only just getting to grips with western ways. Loads of places to visit if you want to experience the old chinese culture and way of life. 3. Fly onto Tokyo and spend 7 days - Well, Japan is Japan and can be a great mix of ultra modern and ultra old. Would not stay in Tokyo though I would use it as a base, maybe, for other trips in and around Japan. Sounds good. Forget Singapore. A good transit city on your way to other places but only good for 2 or 3 day stopovers IMO. I think Singapore is a must because the wife will want to visit at least one beach. £2000 will not go very far I'm afraid taking into account airfares and accomodation (especially Tokyo). My initial investigations tell me I can get a return flight LHR to HKG for £600. Oneworld Asia Hong Kong - Tokyo - Hong Kong - Singapore - Hong Kong costs about £550 (this was just an example quote so may vary). Two of us are going so £1100 x 2 = £2200. Plus an average of say £90 per night for hotels = £1890. So just over £4k in total. Many thanks for the suggestions all. |
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