Hello,

i am planning to travel to asia in november but i can't decide where to go. For Southeast asia november is too early (a lot of rain) and the north of China is too cold.

I always wanted to see Hongkong an Shanghai but i am also interested in Taiwan. I have been two times in Jspan for 3,5 weeks each and it was amazing. I love Japan. It would be an option to go to Japan again but i want to see something different.

All i hear from people who travelled China that the people are rude but friendly. There is a high air pollution. The behaviour of the people and and the pollution are the two points that keep me doubt bout travelling China.
Taiwan is easier and the people are more friendly and the country is cleaner. I dont need a visa.
On the other hand it is very complicated to reach the nice places in the middle of the island without own car.

Thank you

The air in Taiwan isn't exactly clean. I found it more smelly with the fumes of all those scooters.

I have enjoyed traveling in both countries, although I haven't been in China since the pollution got so bad. The air is probably better in smaller places in the southwest.

The temples in Tainan in Taiwan felt more authentic, and of course there is the major museum in Taipei.

For my visit to Taiwan, without a car, start here and use the links at the top of the page:

https://mytimetotravel.wordpress.com...oon-on-taiwan/

November is actually a fine time to visit much of SE Asia. I've been in VN (but not central VN), Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Burma/Myanmar in November and the weather was good. It's true that the monsoon is changing at that time, and if you want a beach on the Andaman Sea you want to wait until the second half of November.

Thanks a lot for your answers.

The point is, at the moment i have a lot of work (12 hours a day) and i can use these hours to take free time. More than 3 or 4 weeks for one holiday are not possible. So i want to go to sea at feburary and visit Vietnam or Thailand for 3 or 4 weeks.

Kyushu would also be nice in novmber but it is very difficult to find cheap accomodation outside Tokio and Osaka. And i need to look after my budget. I dont need to lock for every cent or so but it shouldnt be too expensive. In Japan i like the really nice people and Tokio and Kyoto are great. But to be honest i was a fan of Japan since i was a child.

You've sad it! Yes, Taiwan is cleaner and much less polluted. That's better for your health during and after the trip.

" but it is very difficult to find cheap accomodation outside Tokio and Osaka"

Define cheap! I find this statement bizarre. I found Japan cheaper than I expected, but I often stayed in business hotels. Checking the website today for Toyoko Inns, Kyoto was the most expensive of the six cities I looked at, and the most expensive single at the Kyoto Inns was only $79/night. In Matsuyama (on the itinerary for my next trip) it was $67 (including tax but without the 300 yen discount for booking on the website). Fukuoka was $74.

The Dormy Inn chain was a bit more expensive last time, and the APA a bit cheaper. You should be able to find guesthouses for quite a bit less.

Hi,

i often book rooms at air bnb and in Tokyo or Osaka you can find a lot cheap places to stay.

I have pretty much given up on AirBnB. The quality is highly variable, and I sympathize with the people who don't want their buildings and neighborhoods filled with transients instead of residents.

OK that is true. Sometimes i hda bad (or say not so good) expereiences with air bnb. Nut especially in Japan you can save a lot of money.

I have been to both Shanghai and Hong Kong in the past 3-4 years and love both cities, especially Shanghai. Stayed at two of my favourite hotels ever, the Park Hyatt in Shanghai (twice, we just had to return) and the Ritz Carlton in HK. Wonderful buildings. Shanghai felt cleaner and more modern than all big American cities I have visited (NY, SF, LA, Miami). Most infrastructure is brand new, you really feel the future is there. But there are some more run-down areas, yes. Big contrasts. We are hoping to go back when the hotel at the Shanghai Tower I think it's called opens. In from of the Park Hyatt.

I didn't think the Chinese were rude at all, but definitely lively. More Italian than Finnish. Service everywhere was excellent, and there are tons of excellent restaurants. We hired private Chinese guides a few times and they were very cultivated people, wonderful to talk to.

I recently returned from my third trip to China and second trip to Hong Kong.
I did not encounter any pollution but I did not visit Beijing this trip. In crowds people tend to act rude, such as at train starions or crowded sites. It is the effect of having to live among crowds n a daily basis. China is large like the US and there are so many different areas and regions. It isn't all polluted nor are all people rude.
I was in Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces and had an amazing trip. There were crowds in the cities, but also beautiful rural landscapes and scenic mountain walks.
I loved Hong Kong even more on this second visit and didn't experince any of the negatives you mention. I will return there for sure. I had considered visiting Taiwan but Hong Kong won me over again.