First time to travel in Asia
May 24, 2017, 3:02 pm
#3
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 3,097
Very hard to answer that in the abstract. We'd need to know something about your interests and where you're going on the rest of your trip.
But assuming you mean, what's a good place to adjust to the culture for a few days, then I'd suggest Hong Kong or perhaps Singapore, if that fits your itinerary. Both are very much Asian cities, but they've both borne a heavy Western influence. In particular, English is common enough in both places so you'll be able to get around easily. Hong Kong has the harbour and a spectacular setting, and older areas haven't all been redeveloped away as in Singapore, so I'd make it the first choice.
Thailand's a bit of a meh, I think. Bangkok in particular has many areas you'll want to pass through quickly. These days, Vietnam -- Hanoi in particular -- far outranks Bangkok as an interesting place to pass some time.
But assuming you mean, what's a good place to adjust to the culture for a few days, then I'd suggest Hong Kong or perhaps Singapore, if that fits your itinerary. Both are very much Asian cities, but they've both borne a heavy Western influence. In particular, English is common enough in both places so you'll be able to get around easily. Hong Kong has the harbour and a spectacular setting, and older areas haven't all been redeveloped away as in Singapore, so I'd make it the first choice.
Thailand's a bit of a meh, I think. Bangkok in particular has many areas you'll want to pass through quickly. These days, Vietnam -- Hanoi in particular -- far outranks Bangkok as an interesting place to pass some time.
May 25, 2017, 2:38 am
#5
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Dalat, Vietnam
Programs: Vietnam, Asiana, Singapore, EVA, Southwest
Posts: 934
Are you an experienced traveler? Do you want first world or developing world? What's your budget, time frame, season? When you ask vague questions you get vague answers!
May 25, 2017, 3:31 am
#6
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 393
No best place to visit, especially without some additional criteria about what you are looking for. If you can give interests/desires of your travels, you can get some more tailored advice.
That being said, first thing that pops into my mind if someone asked me about first place to visit is Japan and in particular Tokyo (the country is quiet large so Tokyo versus say Hokkaido or Okinawa would yield a much different result). A little challenging for a foreigner as English can be surprisingly limited but also very rewarding
That being said, first thing that pops into my mind if someone asked me about first place to visit is Japan and in particular Tokyo (the country is quiet large so Tokyo versus say Hokkaido or Okinawa would yield a much different result). A little challenging for a foreigner as English can be surprisingly limited but also very rewarding
May 25, 2017, 5:07 am
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: body: A stone's throw from SFO, mind: SE Asia
Programs: Some of this 'n some of that
Posts: 17,263
Jun 1, 2017, 9:12 pm
#12
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 60
How long do you spend to travel in Asia? There are a lot of wonderful countries in Asia for traveling but I think you should start in Southeast Asia including Vietnam, Thailand and Laos where you can easy to transfer and visit with cheap price
Jun 2, 2017, 7:25 am
#15
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Omaha
Posts: 1,674
So which country should the OP start in? Never been to Asia and just wants us to name a country in Asia where they should start. Just say your favorite country, that's what I did.