BootsnAll Travel Community

Russia and China are located near to each other. How do you think, if there is anything in common between Russian and Chinese people? Definitely, Russian and Chinese cultures are interesting: http://www.russian-gifts-home.com - it is about Russian culture and handicrafts. And what about Chinese handicrafts? Can you give me information about Chinese traditions and crafts? What was your experience of visiting both countries (if somebody has been to any of them, as a tourist)? Please, share your opinion? I just would like to know more about China because I’m going to visit it.

China- if you have a day to burn in Beijing- Rai Tan Park. It is the most beautiful little piece of haven. We literally spent almost a whole day there. This was a Beijing by storm rapid 5 day tour. We had a tour guide and driver that took us to all the top spots (I highly recommend this method if you only have a few days but want to see all the essentials). It was 4 days of tours and then the last day we took to do what we wanted. We "rented" two bikes and took to the city like locals. It was so fun. We stopped at Rai Tan Park, in the embassy area, at the beginning, and spent the whole day there. Next we stopped by and practiced the bargaining technique, which has yielded me a wonderful collection of scarves I seldom get to wear.

So I highly recommend procuring (legally of course) a couple of bikes and taking to the streets. When you find something that intrigues you, stop! You never know what might happen.

Korea- You MUST do the hiking thing. My favorite is Dobongson, which is really easy to get to on the #1 line of the subway. Just follow the crowd. They LOVE their hiking and take it very seriously. I highly recommend stopping by the restaurant at the fork with a surf board sticking out of the side. Believe me, it is the only one. They have the ultimate best tap beer!!! Otherwise stick to Cass beer in Korea. The most common OB will make you feel bloated and piss a lot.

China- I like the Tiger beer, and I think we got that in Thailand also. Pretty good.

From Myo -
Water festival in April in Myanmar

Have you ever experienced the water festival in Myanmar? It's crazy to be there.

Thingyan (The Water Festival) is the most interesting and the greatest occasion for merry-making with the largest number of people taking part in it throughout the country. Thingyan is annually celebrated during 13th to 16th April and is the time for harmonious celebration.

During Thingyan Festival, people pour water over one another to the melodious tunes of singing and dancing at the decorated pavilions. This festival is celebrated nation-wide in the traditional ways of the national races.

More significant traditional activities can be seen in Yangon and Mandalay. Huge decorated floats, in the shape of large boats, mythical birds, like the Karaweik and the Swan, carrying singers, dancers and musical troupes would proceed through the main streets stopping and taking part in the competition at the Thingyan Pandals.

As Mandalay is the cultural heart of Myanmar, most of the international visitors and the people from other cities go and joy the Thingyan Festival there in traditional ways, throwing water merrily, singing, dancing and observing the decorated floats.

Thailand's best:

One of the best experiences of my life was volunteering for two weeks at an elephant rescue foundation in Kanchanaburi. Definitely not for those who need the night life. (Though we did see the occasional party boat cruising up and down the River Kwai!) But, if you love nature, peace, making true friends, and spending time with these amazingly intelligent and fun creatures, then this could be for you. I left a part of my heart there and would love to return again and again! I'm happy to tell all about my trip. Just message me with your questions!

Happy and safe travels!

I came across this new site that had some great travel information on travel to Asia. They also offer ways to save on your trip and how to get discount airfare to Asia. The site is www.cfares.com They have some great travel articles.

Japan, Kyushu:

I visited an island called Yakushima a month and a half ago, just off Kyushu, two and a half hours or so by jetcat.

The forests on this island are unbelievable. Dark and ancient are the best words to describe them. They were in fact the inspiration for Miyazakai's film Princess Mononoke (one small area is called Mononoke Forest).

The cedar trees on this island have a high sap content which allows them to live for an incredibly long time. The oldest tree, named Jomon Sugi, is estimated to be up to 7,200 years old, making it the oldest tree in the world.

Other interesting sites are Wilson's Stump, the stump of a giant cedar that was cut down about 400 years ago and has a small shrine underneath it, honouring the spirit of the fallen tree, and Nanahon Sugi, the stump of a fallen cedar that is now home to seven separate trees.

I hiked from the southernmost point to a touristy area near the northern port of Miyanoura. The first leg of the route I took was very difficult but the last day was quite easy, with lots of boardwalks in place for the tourists.

Without a doubt the most beautiful hiking I have ever done.

Palawan, Philippines
Try your hand at Archaeological Exploration. It can be fun and endlessly appealing to both new and perennial visitors to Palawan. Visit the Tabon Caves and be enthralled by the chambers which yield knowledge about life 50,000 years ago.

Go Canoeing in the Subterranean St Paul River and be mesmerized by the crystal stalagmites and stalactites which illuminate the river ripples with their sheen.

Island hop, in Honda Bay. This area is home to several islets with shallow reefs bordering fabulous beaches which are the favourite swimming, snorkelling and diving destination of residents and tourists alike. These islets are the Cannon (Cowrie) Island, Bat Island, Lu-li Island (derived from the word "lulubog-lilitaw", meaning floating and sinking island), that is visible only during low tide, Meara Marina, Starfish Island (known for its fine white sand and clear water that teems with starfish), Snake Island (an island with a long stretch of white sand), Pandan Island and Señorita Island (the breeding site of Lapu-Lapu fish).

Try Sailing The waters of Palawan can be a rewarding experience. This is an activity that all but the youngest family members can enjoy, on any number of small sailing dinghy and catamaran type craft and local boats. If you want to sail on a larger vessel from one island to the other, this too is possible and this time you can take even the littlest family members with you.

An absolute ‘must-do’ while in Palawan is to try Scuba Diving. Colourful shallow reefs abound that are perfect for novices (and snorkellers). Not only this, there are mangrove swamp dives, wreck dives, cave dives and ‘drop-off’ dives that make the waters of Palawn and the rest of the Philippines, one of the favoured dive spots in the world.

Tokyo

Lived there for a year so some general tips:
- Never, ever take cabs anywhere, they're super-expensive and confusing. Trains are the way to go, but be aware they shut down at 12:30am until 5am every night.
- Learn the words nomihodai (all you can drink) and tabehodai (all you can eat) and always ask at izakayas, especially if you have a large group. You can get 2-3 hours of all you can drink/eat for about 2000-4000y per person at many places. Negotiations are always easier with a native speaker, obviously.
- A fun day trip: go to the Meiji Shrine in Harajuku then walk to Shibuya. This is even more interesting on a Sunday, when the more colourful characters arrive in Harajuku.
- See a Yakult Swallows baseball game at Jingu Stadium in Harajuku. The stadium is a great outdoor place, small and fun, and everything is 50% cheaper than the Tokyo Dome where the Giants play.
- If you've got a few days and want to get out of the city, try going to Fujikyu Highland. You can ride (formerly) the tallest and fastest rollercoasters in the world, and walk through the largest haunted house in the world (a terrifying hospital full of actors in full makeup) on the same day.
- I personally liked Roppongi Hills a lot, but many others are turned off by its commercialism. The art gallery on the 54th floor is a must-see though.
- Shimokitazawa is a great area of the city, highly recommended and very close to Shibuya.

I'm currently working my way through north Thailand and Laos via bike, and wanted to recommend several places I have stayed that are off the beaten path for those who happen to find themselves there. You can look up the details in Thailand LP:

Bon Bon Guest house in Phitsonaluke. The owner was a really nice guy and I got a single room with AC and bathroom for 350Baht. Very clean and good deal for AC.

Ban Thai Guest house in Sukhothai. Best deal in Thailand. 150Baht for fan with shared bath; very clean. The best part for me was that Ronnie from Denmark who rents bikes from there had the lowdown on some great country roads to ride.

VangTong2 "Hotel and resort" in Wang Chin. Nice clean rooms with private bath and AC for 450Baht. The Thai proprietress is a really great lady. There is a national park and waterfall near here, so some interesting stuff to do.

I have stayed other places and had good experiences in Thailand, but those are the places that really stand out.

Cheers!
Mark

The Hive Backpackers - Singapore

Really good place with very friendly staff, genuinely free internet access (with 4 high speed terminals as well as wireless access and no time limits), comfy beds, a homey atmosphere, good kitchen facilities, free local phone calls and free breakfast (toast and jam / peanut butter / etc).

The location isn't bad either - in the edge of little india and 3 mins walk from Boon Keng MRT station.

I think the hostel is pretty new, or maybe they have only just rennovated the second building, as there seems to be some (unobtrusive) work going on and more furniture being delivered.

If you're staying in the main building (where reception is) there is only a small communal area, but your keycard should give you access to the second building where there is a big lounge with comfy sofas, 2 more PCs with internet access, cable TV, dvd player and a big kitchen.

The staff are great and go beyond the call of duty - we put our washing on the other day before we went out and they put it in the dryer for us when it was done. They're happy for us to hang about today and use the free internet and loung whilst we wait for an evening flight.

We stayed in a different private room in different buildings each of the 2 nights as they we so fully booked we couldn't get 2 nights in the same room. Both rooms were good and share bathrooms were clean, though much spacier in the second building.

They have dorm rooms and 'cubby hole' rooms which are a step up from dorms, but still share rooms, for a few extra dollars.

I strongly recomend staying at KHAOSAN TOKYO if you are staying in Tokyo no matter if it is for one day or a couple months!

There are two places, the KHAOSAN TOKYO and the KHAOSAN TOKYO ANNEX. The oringinal Khaosan is a lot smaller and only has a set amount of people that they can fit in there. If you can, try to stay at the ANNEX, reserve ahead of time because the place is always booked. The ANNEX is about 10x bigger than the original, has better sleeping and living facilities.

It's in Asakusa right across the brigde from subway station. At only $20 a night w/ free internet and living area with plasma screen with dvd player available and cable.

There are usually 30+ people there per night and everybody is very freindly. The only catch is that there is no landry in the building (but there is a laundry mat only a minute away) and that they don't include bathroom materials (hand soap, body soap, shampoo, etc.), these can also be bought a minute away from there. This place is only about a 7-10 minute walk away from the Asakusa station which is a little inconvienentm but still worth it for the price.

The great thing about this place that seperates it from a normail youth hostel is that there is no curfew and they don't kick you out durring the day.

Check out there website.

if you like drinking beer, and let's face it, who doesn't

KL

Bangkok

Jakarta

Where are the ATMs in Phnom Penh?

NORTHERN LAOS:

After replying to someone else's post I realized how much I enjoyed Laos and how it had not yet been represented in this thread.

If you can make it to the Lao New Year (Pi Mai Lao), otherwise known as the Water Splashing Festival in mid-April, I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend it.

If you can get up north a bit get to some of the boat races in Meung Ngoi. You need to take a river boat to get there. Here is my experience in that great town:

Meung Ngoi and

Luang NamTha.

Pi Mai Lao!

PC

Yunnan is one of the most beautifull and mysterious place in China.More than 25 minorities live here.You can see all kinds of cultures which differ from rest place of China.Shangri-la,Dali,lijiang,Xishuangbanna.... have become the most famous resort.

The numerous non-Chinese tribes that the traveler encounters in western China, form perhaps one of the most interesting features of travel in that country. It is safe to assert that in hardly any other part of the world is there such a large variety of languages and dialects, as are to be heard in the country which lies between Assam and the eastern border of Yün-nan and in the Indo-Chinese countries to the south of this region.

snail walk around Yunnan
http://www.yunnantrack.com/

Surely, you could go to some asian mountain also.
Enjoy your life and go to nature outdoor!
www.asianmount.com

you could got a little bit anwser from this :
www.asianmount.com

Go to Laos! Go up north, to any small tiny village, and get away from the hordes of people in Asia! Laos is just incredible. Also check out the Gibbon Project, coolest thing ever! Swinging by zip lines 500 meters long, 150 meters high, and staying in tree houses. I love that country.

Also forget the beaches of Thailand and go down to Malaysia. Tioman island is nice, but the Perhintians are top notch! No bars, very few lights, NO roads, just blue seas and beautiful beaches!

Borneo! Get to Sipadan and do some diving, climb Kota Kinabalu, and go to KK and eat super cheap seafood in the market while watching the most beautiful sunsets in the world.

Ahh I miss Asia

Could we have that map a little bigger, please!



My favorites in Asia are (in that order)

Pakistan
Crazy, beautiful Pakistan. Forget every thing you think you know about terrorist-harbouring, Taliban-teaching Pakistan. People in Pakistan are very welcoming (especially, but not just in the North). You can do all the hiking and trekking you do in Nepal - just a little bit more off the beaten track. You talk to Afghani refugees in Peshawar (maybe after firing a couple rounds off a AK-47), you'll sip tea in a crazy bazaar in a unknown city. And that's not all: it's freakin' cheaper than India.

Kyrgyzstan
Stay with locals on the former spa destination of Lake Issykul. Hike as many hills and mountains as you can possibly imagine. Go up on an alp, where live is as calm as you can imagine. Hitchhike into China. And everything with being surrounded by some of the nicest people you've ever met.

Kazakhstan
Hike in the mountains around Almatay (or hike from Almatay into Kyrgyzstan). See what humans can do to nature when you search for the waters of the Aral Lake. Visit 'Little Switzerland' at Lake Burabay. Enjoy day-long train rides by sharing food and drink (and too many vodkas) with the locals. Check out the salad bar at Schue train station.

Central Asia for ever!