Interesting Places In Asia

[chenchow]

To organize the threads in this Special Interest Group much better, I have decided to spilt the sharing of experiences of various traveling experiences into various continents.

So, this thread is specifically for interesting places that you have known or been in Asia, not including Malaysia, as I have a special thread for interesting places in Malaysia.

This will include from our neighbouring countries in South East Asia, to East Asia, South Asia, Middle East etc.

[chenchow]

To organize the threads in this Special Interest Group much better, I have decided to spilt the sharing of experiences of various traveling experiences into various continents.

So, this thread is specifically for interesting places that you have known or been in Asia, not including Malaysia, as I have a special thread for interesting places in Malaysia.

This will include from our neighbouring countries in South East Asia, to East Asia, South Asia, Middle East etc.

[chenchow]

Hi I will be visiting Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, GuangZhou and Xian this July, from 6th to 23rd July on a program called China Synergy Program.

www.chinasynergy.org.hk

So, if any of you have any advice on trip to those places and also any interesting attractions there that I should not miss, I would definitely appreciate that~!

[chenchow]

Hi I will be visiting Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, GuangZhou and Xian this July, from 6th to 23rd July on a program called China Synergy Program.

www.chinasynergy.org.hk

So, if any of you have any advice on trip to those places and also any interesting attractions there that I should not miss, I would definitely appreciate that~!

[sim_min]

ChenChow,

Mind if you share with us, how did you get to know about this program and how can we join as well?? Any specific qualification required??


just finsihed reading the website...the due date is already over...

[sim_min]

ChenChow,

Mind if you share with us, how did you get to know about this program and how can we join as well?? Any specific qualification required??


just finsihed reading the website...the due date is already over...

[chenchow]

Hi sim_min,

I get to know about this program through International Students and Scholars Office. Basically, there are 2 kinds of applications, one is via university and another one is personal application. I think the quota for US is 70 students throughout US. Last year, there were students from 35 universities in US. Typically, each university is given the quota of 2 students.

Like for Cornell, out of the students that apply, Cornell shortlist 3 nominees and 7 alternates and the organizer would select 2 students.

The application process is pretty long and tedious. We need to find some recommendation letters, write some essays and also we need to fill up five achievements each in academic, non-academic(talent, music, art, sports etc), cocurricular activities(position in organizations) and co-curricular activities(ad hoc activities basis).
One thing that seems tough to me is that everything I write or fill in, I need to find a cert for it.

Basically, no specific qualification is needed.

Hopefully you will apply next year.

[chenchow]

Hi sim_min,

I get to know about this program through International Students and Scholars Office. Basically, there are 2 kinds of applications, one is via university and another one is personal application. I think the quota for US is 70 students throughout US. Last year, there were students from 35 universities in US. Typically, each university is given the quota of 2 students.

Like for Cornell, out of the students that apply, Cornell shortlist 3 nominees and 7 alternates and the organizer would select 2 students.

The application process is pretty long and tedious. We need to find some recommendation letters, write some essays and also we need to fill up five achievements each in academic, non-academic(talent, music, art, sports etc), cocurricular activities(position in organizations) and co-curricular activities(ad hoc activities basis).
One thing that seems tough to me is that everything I write or fill in, I need to find a cert for it.

Basically, no specific qualification is needed.

Hopefully you will apply next year.

[Hush]

As a Chinese, I would love to explore China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. It's not about being traditional or something, but I would like to know more about my own culture. I don't know Chinese (well, at least I can speak four different dialects :) ), but I am always interested in my own culture.

First of all, I would want to recommend Hong Kong. I have been there twice. The first time was in 1995 and the latest was just 2++ years back, that is, in 2001. Both the trips gave me very different impressions. The first trip was not enjoyable, frankly. Perhaps, I went there at the wrong time. At that time, the economy in HK was very good. So, those shop owners would not bother whether or not you would buy what they sold. They even scolded their customers if they just touched their stuffs, let's say, clothes. I was also scolded for a funny reason. Perhaps, it was because I was still very young. I could not really recall my first trip to HK.

My second trip to HK is my main point here. It was much more enjoyable and fun. Bear in mind, it's always the best to go to HK during their winter season...somewhere in Dec or Jan. The weather is perfect. I was there for more than a month. HK is certainly a place for shopping. You can shop till you drop. The clothes were sold at reasonable prices. You can see Giordano all over HK. Haha.

There are many tourist spots there. One of them is Wong Tai Sin temple. As a Buddhist, I think it is a must for me to visit it. If you guys are obsessed with TVB HK drama series, you would have heard of it surely. Well, I made a wish and asked God for prediction. It's not that I am superstitious or something. But, it's up to you whether or not you want to believe. I could say it was somehow believable and precise. If not, you would not see horde of people every day there.

A trip to the HK Convention and Exhibition Centre was enriching. The structures inside the building are amazing.

Go to Stanley if you like white-sand beach. I liked the breeze there. It was a short trip but certainly unforgettable.

Remember to go to The Peak too. You could see the best view of HK night view up the hill. At the peak, there are Madame Tussaud's aand Ripley's Believe It Or Not. I was not able to enter those two spots as I was in the rush to get back with my friend.

I went to see the Big Buddha Statue on Lantau Island. I am always fond of temples all around the world. So, I make it a point to visit as many temples as I can whenever I go travelling.

Another must-go place is Ocean Park. It is a theme park which is quite similar to Genting or Sunway Lagoon. But, I can say for sure that Ocean Park offers more than you could ever imagine. I went there early in the morning at 10 am with my HK friend. By the way, I went to HK this time with my friends. So, it was a good opportunity for me to explore HK on my own. I even referred to the map and went to look for my friend on my own even though I had not been to her house before. The purpose of my second trip was to meet her for the first time in my life.

All right, back to the Ocean Park. Yeah, I went there with her only. That day was a special one as it was open until 8 pm (it closes earlier on other days). So, we were there for 10 hours!! It's not enough, in fact. I got to play most of the machines there at least twice each. A must-ride machine was The Abyss, a free-fall machine. Imagine being dropped from 20th storey. I rode that for three times. Hehe. There was actually a dolphin show, but we didn't go to see it as we wanted to play as much as we could after paying HK$165 (that is about RM 80++) to enter the park. Anyway, it was worthy. I had so much fun. There was a special Christmas event, that is, ice-skating performance by US skaters. The atmosphere was superb. I took photos with some of the skaters too. Later, we went to another part of the park by cable car. We went to see two cute pandas at the Giant Panda Habitat. That was my first time seeing panda. It was a good experience since they are endangered. I would not know when I would get to see pandas again.

A nightview of HK skyscrapers must not be forgotten. I really wished the nights would never end. The Bank of China Tower is certainly the landmark of HK.

That's all that I can recall at the moment. There is surely much more than what I said here. I am sure you will enjoy your trip to HK. HK is not as big as US or Malaysia. So, there are not many tourist spots. But, bear in mind, those tourist spots are internationally renowned. Most people know HK because of certain spots. I enjoy sightseeing and shopping.

Thus, HK is one of my favourite places in the world.

[Hush]

As a Chinese, I would love to explore China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. It's not about being traditional or something, but I would like to know more about my own culture. I don't know Chinese (well, at least I can speak four different dialects :) ), but I am always interested in my own culture.

First of all, I would want to recommend Hong Kong. I have been there twice. The first time was in 1995 and the latest was just 2++ years back, that is, in 2001. Both the trips gave me very different impressions. The first trip was not enjoyable, frankly. Perhaps, I went there at the wrong time. At that time, the economy in HK was very good. So, those shop owners would not bother whether or not you would buy what they sold. They even scolded their customers if they just touched their stuffs, let's say, clothes. I was also scolded for a funny reason. Perhaps, it was because I was still very young. I could not really recall my first trip to HK.

My second trip to HK is my main point here. It was much more enjoyable and fun. Bear in mind, it's always the best to go to HK during their winter season...somewhere in Dec or Jan. The weather is perfect. I was there for more than a month. HK is certainly a place for shopping. You can shop till you drop. The clothes were sold at reasonable prices. You can see Giordano all over HK. Haha.

There are many tourist spots there. One of them is Wong Tai Sin temple. As a Buddhist, I think it is a must for me to visit it. If you guys are obsessed with TVB HK drama series, you would have heard of it surely. Well, I made a wish and asked God for prediction. It's not that I am superstitious or something. But, it's up to you whether or not you want to believe. I could say it was somehow believable and precise. If not, you would not see horde of people every day there.

A trip to the HK Convention and Exhibition Centre was enriching. The structures inside the building are amazing.

Go to Stanley if you like white-sand beach. I liked the breeze there. It was a short trip but certainly unforgettable.

Remember to go to The Peak too. You could see the best view of HK night view up the hill. At the peak, there are Madame Tussaud's aand Ripley's Believe It Or Not. I was not able to enter those two spots as I was in the rush to get back with my friend.

I went to see the Big Buddha Statue on Lantau Island. I am always fond of temples all around the world. So, I make it a point to visit as many temples as I can whenever I go travelling.

Another must-go place is Ocean Park. It is a theme park which is quite similar to Genting or Sunway Lagoon. But, I can say for sure that Ocean Park offers more than you could ever imagine. I went there early in the morning at 10 am with my HK friend. By the way, I went to HK this time with my friends. So, it was a good opportunity for me to explore HK on my own. I even referred to the map and went to look for my friend on my own even though I had not been to her house before. The purpose of my second trip was to meet her for the first time in my life.

All right, back to the Ocean Park. Yeah, I went there with her only. That day was a special one as it was open until 8 pm (it closes earlier on other days). So, we were there for 10 hours!! It's not enough, in fact. I got to play most of the machines there at least twice each. A must-ride machine was The Abyss, a free-fall machine. Imagine being dropped from 20th storey. I rode that for three times. Hehe. There was actually a dolphin show, but we didn't go to see it as we wanted to play as much as we could after paying HK$165 (that is about RM 80++) to enter the park. Anyway, it was worthy. I had so much fun. There was a special Christmas event, that is, ice-skating performance by US skaters. The atmosphere was superb. I took photos with some of the skaters too. Later, we went to another part of the park by cable car. We went to see two cute pandas at the Giant Panda Habitat. That was my first time seeing panda. It was a good experience since they are endangered. I would not know when I would get to see pandas again.

A nightview of HK skyscrapers must not be forgotten. I really wished the nights would never end. The Bank of China Tower is certainly the landmark of HK.

That's all that I can recall at the moment. There is surely much more than what I said here. I am sure you will enjoy your trip to HK. HK is not as big as US or Malaysia. So, there are not many tourist spots. But, bear in mind, those tourist spots are internationally renowned. Most people know HK because of certain spots. I enjoy sightseeing and shopping.

Thus, HK is one of my favourite places in the world.

[Hush]

By the way, I forgot to say that the transportation system in HK is certainly world-class. Even if you are a first-timer, you would be able to go round HK with just a map in your hand.

And, if you go to HK in July, it will be kind of hot at that time as it is summer time. I have never been to HK during summer, but from what my friend told me, it is freaking hot in HK during summer. In fact, it is much hotter than it is in Malaysia.

[Hush]

By the way, I forgot to say that the transportation system in HK is certainly world-class. Even if you are a first-timer, you would be able to go round HK with just a map in your hand.

And, if you go to HK in July, it will be kind of hot at that time as it is summer time. I have never been to HK during summer, but from what my friend told me, it is freaking hot in HK during summer. In fact, it is much hotter than it is in Malaysia.

[chenchow]

thanks a lot Hush for the nice description~!

I will definitely be going to The Peak, besides going for a curise there. Not too sure what is it called. I really hope that I would get some time to explore on my own, so perhaps i should contemplate reach there a couple of days earlier to explore on my own.

Ocean Park would be quite similar with Sea World I believe...

Sunshine~! Guess, I would love it! Wonder it would be hotter than Las Vegas at around 40-45 Celcius, but after being in snowy weather for so long, sunshine is good~!

[chenchow]

thanks a lot Hush for the nice description~!

I will definitely be going to The Peak, besides going for a curise there. Not too sure what is it called. I really hope that I would get some time to explore on my own, so perhaps i should contemplate reach there a couple of days earlier to explore on my own.

Ocean Park would be quite similar with Sea World I believe...

Sunshine~! Guess, I would love it! Wonder it would be hotter than Las Vegas at around 40-45 Celcius, but after being in snowy weather for so long, sunshine is good~!

[wesleyanne]

a family friend i know is going all the way to Xian just to visit the terracotta warriors site/museum, so i guess thats another place to visit when you're in Xian? thats so cool that you're going to china, ive always wanted to go there! heard its an awesome place to visit! :)

[wesleyanne]

a family friend i know is going all the way to Xian just to visit the terracotta warriors site/museum, so i guess thats another place to visit when you're in Xian? thats so cool that you're going to china, ive always wanted to go there! heard its an awesome place to visit! :)

[chenchow]

Yeah, I will be visiting the Terracota. I saw the replicas in Penang before in an exhibition, but guess the real one will be even way more magnificent!

[chenchow]

Yeah, I will be visiting the Terracota. I saw the replicas in Penang before in an exhibition, but guess the real one will be even way more magnificent!

[wesleyanne]

Yeah, I will be visiting the Terracota. I saw the replicas in Penang before in an exhibition, but guess the real one will be even way more magnificent!

forgive my blurness but they have replicas of the warriors in penang? was this a temporary exhibition? if it isnt, i would so love to go see it when i get back!

[wesleyanne]

Yeah, I will be visiting the Terracota. I saw the replicas in Penang before in an exhibition, but guess the real one will be even way more magnificent!

forgive my blurness but they have replicas of the warriors in penang? was this a temporary exhibition? if it isnt, i would so love to go see it when i get back!

[chenchow]

It was a temporary exhibition at Komtar Dome.

[chenchow]

It was a temporary exhibition at Komtar Dome.

[Chyi]

Do anyone love to travel in developing countries in Asia? such as Nepal in South Asia, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia in Southeast Asia..

I personally love to do that, I travelled during most of my holidays, being to both developed and developing countries, and I found myself enjoy more in the less developed nations.

Although the facility and accomodation are less comfortable, everything is more affordable (really, much cheaper). and the most important thing is, beside enjoying the beauty of the pure and unpolluted nature, the unelaborated history buildings, there are sth to learn from the people there, we are learning hard to excel, but they are striving hard just to live..

I have some experience and stories in some developing countries, try to bring it up here if somebody find this interestng..

[jiinjoo]

I would love to. Still don't have chance yet. Planning to take alternate weekend trips to southeast asia once I go back next year.

Yeah Chyi, go ahead and tell your stories. Perhaps it'll help us chart out our route next time.

[chenchow]

chyi, please share with us, it would be interesting for us to learn about your journey, especially on those places that we don't really know much yet.

[Chyi]

I really wanted to go to places really different, but I was afraid to travel there by my own, so I joined a volunteer project and went to Nepal for a month.

When the plane is going to land, I looked out from the window, I have a feeling that I came to a paradise, the mountainary scene is so beautiful. undescribly wonderful.

I had a few days of language training in the capital, Kathmandu, where the volunteer office place, with other volunteers from the other part of the world, most of them are from US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and other European countries. then we were seperated to different villages in the outskirt of the capital, and start our volunteer work there.

I couldn't really believe my eyes when I first went there. The city is so polluted. with the muddy road, rubbish everywhere, everything is messy and unsystematic, somebody said it is like Malaysia in 1950s.. the living standard is really low there, their usual salary in the city is around Rs2000(around RM120) but the average income of people there is around Rs600-800. some of them zero, they ate everything from their farm.
I saw a lot of young people on the streets, doing nothing. or trying to take advantage from the tourists. at first I didnt like them, but later I understand that there is no industry in that country, the politics is not stable, they have no opportunity. They hope that the outsiders can help them to get out from the country where they see no hope.

'Young people from the villages rushed to the capital to look for the opportunity, but I saw no opportunity in this city.'

pls imagine if you yourself were in that condition, I really started to appreciate what I have since that time, though I had have been to poorer part of China before.

(to be continued, really wish to share about life in the village there, that is one of the best parts in my life)

[Chyi]

after three days of language training, I was sent to a village and started my volunteer work there. was brought to a host family of parents, and three children, they are Milan, 13 year old boy, Nanu, 11, girl, and Pawan, 8, boy.

They dont understand English well, (especially the parents, they can't really read alphabets)..except the 8 year old Pawan, he went to a English medium primary school.

I was given a room. A small room with a lot of friendly insects like spiders and mosquitos.. There is no proper electricity in this village, so people usually sleep early at night. (they were surprised when I told them that usually I sleep at 12 at night) There is no bathroom, have to use sarong and bath in a public tab.. when I first went there, I was hoping that time flies faster so that I can leave that terrible place, but I started to love it a lot and missing it now..

They are poor, I can see that they dont have much property (no electric items like tv, fridge, fan .. only simple wooden furniture). They dont have a lot, but they tried to give the best thing to me. they own some paddy fields, plant some vege and have some chicken around the house, I was eating everything fresh there.

I was so touched by the children in the house.
Milan will go to his grandmother's house to clean the house, cook for the old people when they are sick.
Nanu taught me how to wash my clothes by hand. She used to do it everyday. and she help her family doing grass cutting everyday, a chore doing by women there. 'Nepal' in Nepali language means grass. there is grass everywhere.
Pawan kept telling me 'be happy', and gave his angel smile to me everyday.

Their life is simple, they are poor but they are happy.

Nepali people would prefer to have sons in their family. and when I told them that my parents dont have a son, the parents tried to ask if I am interested to bring Milan back to my country , I m not sure that are they really meant it since they said it in Nepali language, and I have only limited knowledge bout the language. I told them that they will be very sad when the child leave. and they said they were only joking. When I think back later, maybe they wish their son to have better future.

[Chyi]

Vietnam

Visited Vietnam for 2 weeks, travelled from Hanoi and all the way to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh).
Vietnam is quite tourist friendly and very easy to travel by your own. I just bought an airticket arriving at hanoi, and departing from Ho Chi Minh after 2 weeks, some people do it opposite.

In Hanoi, I bought an Open tour bus ticket, which I can use it to move South, and make some stops in the Central. Took a trip to Ha Long Bay, one of the UNESCO world heritage, the boat trip is really comfortable, enjoyable and relaxing. and the scenery is amazingly beautiful, worth to see it once in your life time.

Moved to Hue, where many old emperor's palace and historical buildings placed, like Kyoto of Japan. quite close to border with Lao, can go to Laos from Hue, travel in Lao for a week, and continue on your trip. according to some backpackers I met, Lao is amazing good, regret that I didnt plan for it.

went to Hoi An next. one of my most favorite places in the world. a small town with its own special atmosphere. can see the fishermen's life. the beauty of fisherman family's love. and this wass an old China Town and Japanese Town, very attractive historical background.

and Myson (the place name appeared in our history text book in form 1 / 2), which is called little Cambodia. saw some Champs here, learn that there are some influence from India, Indonesia and other places in the past.

Saigon (Ho Chi Minh city). the most developed city, which makes me feel like I was not in Vietnam . a lot of nice bars and pubs, nice place to have fun. There is a China Town, Cholon, and the people there can speak Cantonese. can take a trip to Mekong Delta, to see the paddy fields and fruit farms.

[miekempas]

Do anyone love to travel in developing countries in Asia? such as Nepal in South Asia, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia in Southeast Asia..

hai..

i did my south East Asia trip during my study. It covers Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Singapore, Borneo, Indonesia as well as Nepal..if you have any questions regarding the contries i mentioned above, do inform me..

with regards

Azmie Anuar

[__earth]

Nepal?

what did you do ever there? sounds interesting.

[boafan]

nihon ni ikitai!! i would love 2 go 2 japan one day..but my mum said itz too costly..and besides..i'm the only one obsessed bout japanese stuff in my family.. :P ohyeah..not forgetting korea..because BoA hails from there!! hehe.. :P

[bibo]

Dubai

A really nice place to go in the winter there are lots of beachs and fancy hotels the people are nice and ull never get bored, there is desert camping and cruises in the sea and the biggest golf field is just amazing. the hotels are just luxurious, you all must have heard about the famous seven star hotel ,off-course i dint stay there or i will not afford my ticket back.

[suetying3003]

seems this thead has been abandoned for a long time..
nvm, i'll share some of my experiences here anyway..

I've only been to parts of China (Guangzhou, Xian...). Still haven't been to Beijing or Shanghai or Hong Kong, sad..

Japan:
Only been to the city areas. Shopping haven. Mt Fuji is a must-see.


Korea:
Korea is sort of like Japan. Very cosmopolitan. Almost all of the cars you see on the road are locally-made (hyundai). Only the super prestigious drive Merc and BMW. Or so I was told. The people there, well, they tend to be a little pushy and some talk quite loud but I guess it's part of their culture. Another random fact: the old grannies and grandpas around there aren't shy to dance or sing in public. Most of the tour companies take you to visit famous TV shooting sites and amusement parks, so if you're looking for a more in-depth cultural experience you should go for the free-and-easy trips.

Bali
Sunshine, beaches, a high-end shopping street and nice hotels. Stuff there is quite expensive (even the roadside stalls) coz lots foreign tourists from US, UK and Australia go there. So it would be best if you speak a little BM when bargaining at roadside stalls (satu, dua, tiga..), then they get that you're from nearby and won't hack you so much. Random fact: buildings there have a limit height due to religious beliefs so there's no giant multi-storey shopping complex there. A 2-3 days trip there would serve as a nice getaway.

Phuket
sort of like Bali, just that it's in Thailand. Full of 'night life'. Can also catch some Thai-boxing, cool but brutal.

Taiwan
It's like a fusion of Korea and China. I followed a tour group and they brought us to temples (Confucius temple) and mountainy areas/valleys/tribal villages. Scenery near the mountainy areas and lakes are nice. There was this jade/crystal-mining valley (forgot the name) that was very pretty coz the valley was practically lit up by the colourful precious stones. I went into the Taipei 101 building but I didn't take the lift up till the top tho.

basically a few parts of Asia that I've visited and thought that it was worth mentioning. quite enjoy visiting Asian countries, cheap and nice, and there's a more cultural flavour to them..

[Zephyr]

I'd love to recommend all those travel freaks out there to go to Cambodia if you haven't! I went there last month and it was awesome! The people there were extremely friendly and could rival Thailand as the "The Land of Smiles", the centuries-old Angkor temples were simply breathtaking and as a foodie myself, the food were sort of a fusion between Chinese and Thai food and I gained a few pounds from my 1-week trip there!
I went there with another friend of mine and pre-booked a room from the hostel website as they will arrange free arrival pick-up service at the airport! Before I went there, I heard lots of rumours about how bad and poor the security and situation are in Cambodia. To my surprise, Siem Reap (the city where the Angkor temples are situated near to) is a relatively compact and safe town filled with locals and tourists alike.
The common currency used there is USD although they do use their own Cambodian Riels for smaller change. The admission ticket to the Angkor temples cost quite a lot ranging from USD 20 for one-day pass; USD 40--3 day pass; USD 60 for a week pass.
You could hire a tuk-tuk to go the temples for a whole day for only USD12! It's better to stick with the tuk-tuk driver that works for the hostel that you are staying at as they are more trustable, and would not slaughter you at exorbitant fares!
All in all, I left Cambodia with new found sense of respect for the ancient Cambodian (Khmer) cultures, religions and most importantly, their resilient people who had lasted through the brutal Khmer Rouge regime.