Help!!!! What to eliminate with a VERY short time!
May 7th, 2007, 04:29 PM
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Help!!!! What to eliminate with a VERY short time!
I have a business trip in Southeast Asia and the business has arranged round trip air from LAX to Hong Kong. I only have 3-4 days after the business trip and can "country hop" before I fly back to the states from Hong Kong.
How easy is it to "country hop" in Asia?
I have traveled to Europe and extensively in the Caribbean and Central American and it is actually very easy to hop from one country to another. For example, from St. Thomas, I can fly to St. Maarten in the morning to shop and beach and fly back in the evening.
Here are my interests:
I really like textiles, especially Batik. A wonderful poster suggested Singapore as a great place to get Malaysian and Indonesian Batik (Arab Street) so I would like to do a quick trip to Singapore. If anyone knows of a batik store or stores in Hong Kong, I could skip Singapore, but Singapore or Hong Kong would be my major shopping spots.
I wanted to see Chiang Mai more than Bangkok - have to save Bankok for another trip when I have more time - but I could do short trip just to explore the city of Chiang Mai - the night market, the smaller town ambiance, etc. Does the Four seasons spa in Chaing Mai allow day visitors?
Lastly, 2 days in Phuket - may do a snorkel trip - relax - that's it.
I don't have any grand plans, do not plan to visit a lot,
Is the order of my trip ok? Hong Kong - Singapore - Chiang Mai - Phuket - Hong Kong. What are the cheapest air passes for a trip like this?
Any other advice would be appreciated.
I need advice asap to finalize air reservations.
How easy is it to "country hop" in Asia?
I have traveled to Europe and extensively in the Caribbean and Central American and it is actually very easy to hop from one country to another. For example, from St. Thomas, I can fly to St. Maarten in the morning to shop and beach and fly back in the evening.
Here are my interests:
I really like textiles, especially Batik. A wonderful poster suggested Singapore as a great place to get Malaysian and Indonesian Batik (Arab Street) so I would like to do a quick trip to Singapore. If anyone knows of a batik store or stores in Hong Kong, I could skip Singapore, but Singapore or Hong Kong would be my major shopping spots.
I wanted to see Chiang Mai more than Bangkok - have to save Bankok for another trip when I have more time - but I could do short trip just to explore the city of Chiang Mai - the night market, the smaller town ambiance, etc. Does the Four seasons spa in Chaing Mai allow day visitors?
Lastly, 2 days in Phuket - may do a snorkel trip - relax - that's it.
I don't have any grand plans, do not plan to visit a lot,
Is the order of my trip ok? Hong Kong - Singapore - Chiang Mai - Phuket - Hong Kong. What are the cheapest air passes for a trip like this?
Any other advice would be appreciated.
I need advice asap to finalize air reservations.
May 7th, 2007, 05:29 PM
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Wait a minute - you have three or four days and you want to visit three places in additon to Hong Kong? Well, if all you want to do is review the airports, then it's a great plan, but if you want to see/experience some of a destination, then stick to one place. One option is to stay in Hong Kong - if you haven't been thre before there is plenty to do, and you can take a day trip to Macau. Otherwise, chose one of the palces you mention to visit to get a small taste. Asia lends itself best to slow travel. Hopping from one country to another in a day will ensure that you get no sense at all for each place.
If textiles is a major interest, let me recommend that you choose Hanoi. There are a couple of textile places in Hanoi that are well worth the visit. There are lots of things to do in Hanoi, but you can get a flavor for it in three or four days.
You could do Singapore instead, as it's a good place for three or four days. Or if you opt for Chiang Mai, three or four days may be all you'll need for the next twenty years (obviously, I'm not a lover of CM). If all you want is a beach, then go ahead and spend your time in Phuket - but check the time you are traveling carefully - www.weatherbase.com - as if you are going in the (northern hemisphere's) summer it's monsoon season in Phuket. Don't expect to gain big insights into the culture of Thailand in Phuket - take it for what it is - a lovely beach resort area.
By the way, both Hong Kong and Singapore are expensive places to shop these days.
If textiles is a major interest, let me recommend that you choose Hanoi. There are a couple of textile places in Hanoi that are well worth the visit. There are lots of things to do in Hanoi, but you can get a flavor for it in three or four days.
You could do Singapore instead, as it's a good place for three or four days. Or if you opt for Chiang Mai, three or four days may be all you'll need for the next twenty years (obviously, I'm not a lover of CM). If all you want is a beach, then go ahead and spend your time in Phuket - but check the time you are traveling carefully - www.weatherbase.com - as if you are going in the (northern hemisphere's) summer it's monsoon season in Phuket. Don't expect to gain big insights into the culture of Thailand in Phuket - take it for what it is - a lovely beach resort area.
By the way, both Hong Kong and Singapore are expensive places to shop these days.
May 7th, 2007, 05:51 PM
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HK Express offers direct flights between HK and Chiang Mai, but unfortunately only on Thursdays and Sundays.
However, if that suits your programme it is relatively cheap, flight time is under three hours and it avoids Bangkok with its dreadful time wasting airport.
I think that trying to do more that one destination in the time that you have availably would mean that you don't really see any of the places you visit.
However, if that suits your programme it is relatively cheap, flight time is under three hours and it avoids Bangkok with its dreadful time wasting airport.
I think that trying to do more that one destination in the time that you have availably would mean that you don't really see any of the places you visit.
May 7th, 2007, 06:27 PM
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Thank you so much for the replies so far. I will be in Ho Chi Minh City as a part of my business trip - do you think they have some of the textiles from the north?
Hong Kong is just a departure arrival point - if I go to Singapore, then I would not tour Hong Kong at all. In addition to batik, there seems to be more varied culture.
I am still very open as to what to do in Thailand. Please continue the advice.
Hong Kong is just a departure arrival point - if I go to Singapore, then I would not tour Hong Kong at all. In addition to batik, there seems to be more varied culture.
I am still very open as to what to do in Thailand. Please continue the advice.
May 7th, 2007, 06:42 PM
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With 3-4 days, pick one place and enjoy it. You won't see much of anywhere or anything if you spend it in airports and airplanes. Count on it taking at least a half a day to change locations (check out of hotel allow 30 minutes, get to the airport 30 minutes, check in 2 hours before flight to allow time for immigration, fly HKG - SIN is 3 1/2 hours, immigration and customs 30 minutes, transfer to hotel 30 minutes, check in 30 minutes...so if you go to 2 more places, that's 3 location changes and three 1/2 days spent moving - half of your time. Just getting from HKG to SIN takes 8 hours of your time.
You could go to Bali and relax and find great batik and textiles in about the same amount of time. Non-stop from HKG is 4 1/2 hours...an hour longer than going to SIN.
You could go to Bali and relax and find great batik and textiles in about the same amount of time. Non-stop from HKG is 4 1/2 hours...an hour longer than going to SIN.
May 7th, 2007, 06:56 PM
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Again, all I can say is to choose ONE place to visit. You aren't just shopping for pieces of cloth, you are experiencing the sense of place and culture.
Hanoi and HCMC are very different. If you've seen one, you've only seen one.
If batik is your passion, you need to visit central Java (Jogja and Solo) for the finest tulis batik.
Hanoi and HCMC are very different. If you've seen one, you've only seen one.
If batik is your passion, you need to visit central Java (Jogja and Solo) for the finest tulis batik.
May 8th, 2007, 05:00 AM
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If you are the go go kind of traveler, you could squeeze in two of the destinations you suggested, but no more.
HK -> Chiang Mai -> HK
If that's not enough for you, you could run a day trip out of Chiang Mai or take a ferry to Macau.
Save the beach for another time.
HK -> Chiang Mai -> HK
If that's not enough for you, you could run a day trip out of Chiang Mai or take a ferry to Macau.
Save the beach for another time.
May 15th, 2007, 07:15 PM
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Yes it is at least a 6 hour flight from Hong Kong to Singapore plus all the time you have to get to the airport before. I vote to stay in one place also and enjoy what that city has to offer.
I have been to Arab street in Singapore and bought a fabulous wall hanging that was fully embroidered.
I have been to Arab street in Singapore and bought a fabulous wall hanging that was fully embroidered.
May 16th, 2007, 02:51 AM
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SE Asia is NOT the Caribbean or Central America. Distances are far greater. You can’t “hop” between places other than perhaps a shuttle flight between major cities like Shanghai and Hong Kong. The closest place on your suggested itinerary from Hanoi is Hong Kong and even that is just under 3 hours on a non-stop. If you could get a non-stop flight to Chiang Mai, that would theoretically be closer, but I don’t believe there are any, I think you have to change in Bangkok, which would probably mean half a day or longer for the journey.
I could not agree more that with only 3 days you should stick to one place and enjoy it. You may just want to stay in Vietnam and maybe experience the cool hill areas or a beach. Singapore is also a good idea if batik is your objective.
If your trip is between now and about the end of November, you don’t want to go to Phuket anyway, as it is the rainy season and besides the chance of days of actual downpours, you will have winds and clouds which interfere with quality snorkeling. You could hit the beaches of Vietnam if you are in Hanoi. I know little about them, but do some research, they are certainly closer.
Batik is not native to Vietnam as far as I am aware, but if people have suggestions for where you might find it, that would be an interesting suggestion as you will be there anyway so it would be easy to check those out. I live in Hong Kong and would agree that Singapore would be a better place for batik (I used to live there), as batik is native to Malaysia and Indonesia and both populations represented there. There are some very interesting textile places here in Hong Kong, mostly for old Chinese textiles and things like Thai silk or Chinese silk (all of which you could probably also find in Singapore, I just don’t know those shops as well). If antique textiles are an interest of yours, then perhaps you should go to Hong Kong. Don’t rule out Thai silk from Thailand either, as well as cotton and other materials, which you could get in Chiang Mai. So really IMO any of those places would be fine, but just ONE place and if batik is really what you want, then Singapore is probably the best choice.
If you choose to go to Singapore, there is no reason to fly out of Hong Kong for your home if you don’t have too, Singapore has excellent international air service, so I would look into Hanoi- Singapore and then going back to your home from Singapore. If you have to connect via Hong Kong, it about 4 hour flight between Hong Kong and Singapore.
I could not agree more that with only 3 days you should stick to one place and enjoy it. You may just want to stay in Vietnam and maybe experience the cool hill areas or a beach. Singapore is also a good idea if batik is your objective.
If your trip is between now and about the end of November, you don’t want to go to Phuket anyway, as it is the rainy season and besides the chance of days of actual downpours, you will have winds and clouds which interfere with quality snorkeling. You could hit the beaches of Vietnam if you are in Hanoi. I know little about them, but do some research, they are certainly closer.
Batik is not native to Vietnam as far as I am aware, but if people have suggestions for where you might find it, that would be an interesting suggestion as you will be there anyway so it would be easy to check those out. I live in Hong Kong and would agree that Singapore would be a better place for batik (I used to live there), as batik is native to Malaysia and Indonesia and both populations represented there. There are some very interesting textile places here in Hong Kong, mostly for old Chinese textiles and things like Thai silk or Chinese silk (all of which you could probably also find in Singapore, I just don’t know those shops as well). If antique textiles are an interest of yours, then perhaps you should go to Hong Kong. Don’t rule out Thai silk from Thailand either, as well as cotton and other materials, which you could get in Chiang Mai. So really IMO any of those places would be fine, but just ONE place and if batik is really what you want, then Singapore is probably the best choice.
If you choose to go to Singapore, there is no reason to fly out of Hong Kong for your home if you don’t have too, Singapore has excellent international air service, so I would look into Hanoi- Singapore and then going back to your home from Singapore. If you have to connect via Hong Kong, it about 4 hour flight between Hong Kong and Singapore.
