Asia - Asian stopover suggestions (going to Tokyo and looking to add 1 more destination)

I am going to Tokyo for about 7 days and want to add one more destination to spend 3 - 4 days. I am using mileage ticket, so an extra stopover will be FREE.

I am considering the following options:

- Saigon
- Bali
- Spend all extra days in Japan (Kyoto or Kyushu)

Any comments or suggestions would be greately appreciated.

Thanks!
Anton

Hanoi is far more interesting than Saigon in my opinion. I've been to both several times, but keep returning to Hanoi for some reason. Saigon would be more like Tokyo than Hanoi would since Saigon is the major business center of Vietnam. Hanoi is the capital and cultural center.

Any place in Vietnam will present quite a cultural shock after coming from Japan (where everything is orderly and most people are conformists). The Vietnamese can be aggressive at times, and their driving skill is non-existent!

You might also consider Luang Prabang, Laos if you don't want the "blood pressure dangers" of Vietnam and just want to relax in paradise. This town is one of the nicest places in all of Asia in my opinion. LP is a little harder to get to (via Bangkok or Hanoi) but well worth the effort.

Bali is too far to go to spend only 3-4 days. In fact, for this combination, I'd put the 7 days in Bali and the 3-4 days in Tokyo.

If that's not an option, I suggest you just spend the entire time in Japan. There is surely enough there that you can fill your entire trip. But it will be expensive, given the strength of the yen these days.

I wouldn't do Vietnam on a trip structured this way, and at any rate, Saigon definitely pales compared to Hanoi, IMO. And you'd be needing to arrange a visa for Vietnam. Given the brief amount of time, I'm not really coming up with a second country where the stopover makes sense.

What passport will you be traveling on and where will you be flying from to Japan (USA and Seattle as per your profile)? Might have bearing on a suggestion. And when are you departing?

It all depends on what you want to do.

I agree about the comment about spending the time to spend the time in Japan. Maybe a side trip to do the Kyoto/Osaka/Nara/Kobe circle - although 3/4 days won't nearly be enough.

What passport will you be traveling on and where will you be flying from to Japan (USA and Seattle as per your profile)? Might have bearing on a suggestion. And when are you departing?

I am flying out of Seattle with US passport.

Option to spend all extra days in Japan is a good, but (1) a little expensive and (2) I do not feel like getting a good deal on a mileage ticket if I am only vising Japan for the same ammount of miles as I would have with an extra stopover.

I was thinking about another option: Shanghai. It's an easy non-stop flight from NRT.

Is Shanghai "much of same thing" after Tokyo or it's worth a 3 day detour?

I was thinking about another option: Shanghai. It's an easy non-stop flight from NRT.

Is Shanghai "much of same thing" after Tokyo or it's worth a 3 day detour?

Shanghai and Tokyo are both big cities but China and Japan are different as night and day. Be careful on this one if you don't already have a valid Chinese visa. China requires a visa (which is $140 for a US passport) unless you can craft a routing that allows an exception for visa-free transit. Visa-free transit in Shanghai is limited to 48 hours. Visit the China Forum, second sticky at the top of the forum, read the section on visa and Transit Without Visa for the rules and limitations.

If you route USA-Tokyo-China-Tokyo-USA, you will need a visa as that routing is not valid for visa-free transit.

While I see how you are thinking about wanting to maximize the mileage ticket, it's a clear trade-off between forcing a journey around a ticket, vs maximizing the destination experience once in Asia.

If you are that hell-bent on going somewhere besides Japan, South Korea or Taiwan or Hong Kong would not present visa issues, and would be within a reasonable distance for a 3-4 day stopover. I guess my first recommendation for this length of time would be HKG.

I was thinking about another option: Shanghai. It's an easy non-stop flight from NRT.

Is Shanghai "much of same thing" after Tokyo or it's worth a 3 day detour?

If the 3 days includes flying time, then you really have just 1 day. In that case, I'd choose something close - PEK,PVG,ICN,HKG

But, it all depends on what you want to do. Based on your posts, other than "going somewhere", I'm not sure you know what you want.

For Vietnam, China and Indonesia you have to also include visa costs (and airport departure taxes that must be paid at boarding). Taiwan is a nice alternative to China, Seoul is great for a few days too.

For Vietnam, China and Indonesia you have to also include visa costs (and airport departure taxes that must be paid at boarding).

Don't you also need to pay for airport tax at other destinations ?

I believe only Indonesia physically collect the tax at the airport.

Taiwan was the first Asian country I visited other than Japan, and I was surprised at how different it was.

Both the food (due to people who came with the Nationalists from every corner of China) and the scenery (subtropical with spectacular mountains and cliffs) are well worth experiencing.

I believe you get two weeks' visa-free entry.

Taiwan was the first Asian country I visited other than Japan, and I was surprised at how different it was.

Both the food (due to people who came with the Nationalists from every corner of China) and the scenery (subtropical with spectacular mountains and cliffs) are well worth experiencing.

I believe you get two weeks' visa-free entry.

30 days for USA passport holders such as this OP. Taiwan wouldn't be a bad option, though for only 3-4 days, I'd still place HK above it in priority.