Asia, Which City To Visit?

[PlatinumGuy]

It'll be cheaper in BKK, but quality will be better in HKG.

What kind of difference?

[levik]

i would say any city in northern india is amazing. backpacked last summer. as well as anywhere in thailand (minus Bangkok) is also freakin awesome!

[levik]

clothing in BKK is god quality (i got 2 suits 7 shirts and 6 pants) stil great.

[Cbs]

clothing in BKK is god quality (i got 2 suits 7 shirts and 6 pants) stil great.

And a vest

[ChikkyMonkey]

Don't think you can compare BKK to HKG... I've tried both and HKG hands down wins.. but cost will also be higher..

[PlatinumGuy]

Looking for a place in Asia to stay over Shabbos on the way to CNX. Seems like the best options are Singapore or Beijing, and perhaps Ko Samui.
 
The atmosphere of the city (i.e. relaxed pace and american quality facilities) and quality of the Shabbos meals would be the deciding factor for me (I've eliminated HKG because of the crazy hotel prices).

Beijng has a negative - the price for the visa times 2, so not so thilled about that. Singapore sounds pretty good but not sure how the meals are. I'm unsure about Ko Samui in general and what the Shabbos situation is like in particular, it seems Chabad has a presence there but no idea about what the meals are like.  Any feedback on these 3 places or ideas about a different city?


Also, if I would land in Shanghai would I be able to use the 48 hour visa exemption to travel to Beijing or is it only for Shanghai?

Thanks

You'll find SIN to be much easier than China. If you arrive Fri morning you can also see some attractions.

[EMCC]

What happened to this old treasure?

[@Yehuda]

I haven't kept it quiet that Asia doesn't interest myself or my wife too much, but I also don't think I've given it a fair share of research. B"H my MR balance is sitting at a level that is asking for some burning, so I've started looking into options to visit a unique place while flying in a premium cabin, and Asia popped up as a possibility.

From my research, it seems that the major activity DDFers did in Asia is... shop. I kinda can't believe it, but in every city, everyone talks about the markets, malls, etc. To each his own. Personally, my interest is threefold: 1) History and famous sites, which is why Beijing (Great Wall) and Shanghai (Jewish Tour) have caught my attention and 2) Beaches/private pools, but I know it's silly to go across the world for just that, so that's why between beaches and 3) when I found out about the possibilities of unique animals experiences, Thailand and Bali caught my attention.

There is currently award space to either start my trip in PEK or end it there, and from my few days of research on DDF, Beijing seems to be near the top of the Asian cities I'm interested in.

Potential trip would be in June (keep in mind for weather purposes). So, where should I look into going? 11 days including travel and 2 Shabbosim.

[shwarmabob]

I haven't kept it quiet that Asia doesn't interest myself or my wife too much, but I also don't think I've given it a fair share of research. B"H my MR balance is sitting at a level that is asking for some burning, so I've started looking into options to visit a unique place while flying in a premium cabin, and Asia popped up as a possibility.

From my research, it seems that the major activity DDFers did in Asia is... shop. I kinda can't believe it, but in every city, everyone talks about the markets, malls, etc. To each his own. Personally, my interest is threefold: 1) History and famous sites, which is why Beijing (Great Wall) and Shanghai (Jewish Tour) have caught my attention and 2) Beaches/private pools, but I know it's silly to go across the world for just that, so that's why between beaches and 3) when I found out about the possibilities of unique animals experiences, Thailand and Bali caught my attention.

There is currently award space to either start my trip in PEK or end it there, and from my few days of research on DDF, Beijing seems to be near the top of the Asian cities I'm interested in.

Potential trip would be in June (keep in mind for weather purposes). So, where should I look into going? 11 days including travel and 2 Shabbosim.

There are a million sites to see in Asia if you are interested in history and nature. Angkor Wat, Luang Prabang, Lhasa, the list is endless. Getting away from the big cities is rewarding. BKK is interesting, but going to a jungle hike, elephant ride, trekking from Chiang Mai is something you and your family will remember longer. BTW, don't miss the snake farm in BKK. The weather in Thailand in the summer can be nasty though.

[@Yehuda]

There are a million sites to see in Asia if you are interested in history and nature. Angkor Wat, Luang Prabang, Lhasa, the list is endless. Getting away from the big cities is rewarding. BKK is interesting, but going to a jungle hike, elephant ride, trekking from Chiang Mai is something you and your family will remember longer. BTW, don't miss the snake farm in BKK. The weather in Thailand in the summer can be nasty though.

While I understand that leaving the big cities will allow for better access to those sites, I'm not sure that on a first trip to Asia I'm interested in going to far out of the major cities. If I would do Thailand, I would skip BKK after reading TRs. But yeah, if summer weather is bad, perhaps I should cross Thailand off my list.

[Emkay]

From my research, it seems that the major activity DDFers did in Asia is... shop. I kinda can't believe it, but in every city, everyone talks about the markets, malls, etc.

checking out stores does not necessarily mean shopping, ask any female about that 
i enjoy checking out and experiencing these unique markets and i hardly purchase anything in them

[@Yehuda]

checking out stores does not necessarily mean shopping, ask any female about that 
i enjoy checking out and experiencing these unique markets and i hardly purchase anything in them

Hehe. I would enjoy it too, but as an activity to fill up some time. Not to spend 3 days of my stay doing that.

[shwarmabob]

Hehe. I would enjoy it too, but as an activity to fill up some time. Not to spend 3 days of my stay doing that.

I'm not a big fan of shopping as entertainment but several of these markets are actually interesting. The night market in Chiang Mai or Chatuchak Weekend Market and the floating market in BKK and several others that I can't recall already. We ended up bringing home purim costumes for the kids and were using Thai table clothes for shabbos for several years. In BKK you can visit the palace, Jim Thompson's House, snake farm and more.
BTW, make sure you don't fall for the gem scam (look it up).