Yes, it was a great trip. Yes, I’d recommend it to anyone with a month to spare, a couple of grand, a sense of humor and a reasonable amount of travel experience, particularly experience in independent travel.
Yes, despite a leveling off of some exchange rates that once were wildly favorable to American travelers, this is still a very good time to consider visiting Asia.
For those who missed the first four episodes of “Asia on Sale, or Alan and His Wife Take In Seven Far East Cities in 30 Days, Including Several Flights In and Out of Hong Kong, More or Less On the Cheap,” here’s what we did:
We purchased All Asia Passes from Cathay Pacific Airlines that entitled us to fly from Los Angeles to Hong Kong and on to as many as 17 other cities within a 30-day period. Total cost: $899, including tax and some, but not all, airport fees. Other cities and extensions were available for extra bucks (Saigon, for one, was a $200 add-on), but we stuck to the basics.
(Cathay has since raised the price to $999 — $1,199 from May 8 through Aug. 21 — and made some other minor changes, but the basics are the same. It’s still an unbeatable deal. See the accompanying story on some things you should know about the process.)
Our choices, in order of appearance: Hong Kong, Tokyo, Bangkok, Singapore, Penang (Malaysia), Cebu (the Philippines) and Bali (Indonesia). We passed on Colombo (Sri Lanka), Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Seoul, Surabaya (Indonesia), Taipei and four more Japanese options.
Along the way and since our return, there have been lots of what computerists refer to as Frequently Asked Questions. What follows are some of them, along with Frequently Given Answers.
There were 12 flights in all on Cathay, plus flights on American Airlines to and from Los Angeles. Did you lose any baggage?
Not a bag.
Miss a flight or a connection? Have any delays?
Didn’t miss a flight or a connection, but there was one delay — an unplanned five-hour wait in the Kuala Lumpur airport because of an engine problem on the Penang-Kuala Lumpur-Hong Kong run. It cost us some quality time in Hong Kong.
Did you get shots before you left?
Yes, and pills. What you need depends on your medical history, where you go and how adventurous an eater you are, but do check with your doctor at least a few weeks before departure, as some treatments may take a week or two. (We went to Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s Travel Immunization Center; 312-908-3155.) We also took along Immodium for that common digestive problem and a prescription drug in case the Immodium didn’t kick in.
And you did get sick, right?
Wrong. Neither of us. Not even an episode. And we were as adventurous as eaters can be without doing anything really stupid, like drinking out of open sewers.
Not even after eating fish-head curry in Singapore, duck tongues in Hong Kong, the weird shrimp-paste thing in Penang and that unmarked stuff off a cart in Bangkok?
Nope.
How about the water?
We drank the bottled stuff everywhere but Tokyo, even in places (Singapore, for one) where we were told that tapwater was safe. Just in case. No problem finding it.
How about the beer?
There was no bad beer.
And language problems?
A little bit in Tokyo away from the hotels, but pointing and patience (the Japanese were marvelous hosts) worked wonders there. At other stops, it could be tough in some smaller shops and restaurants that cater primarily to locals, but we coped. Otherwise, it was a snap.
Even the signs?
Even the signs. Well, most of the time.
What should we expect to pay for a decent hotel room over there?
By “decent,” I assume you mean something well located and very clean, with a private bath, phone, TV and at least enough space for you and your luggage — but not a Ritz-Carlton. Maybe more like an in-town Holiday Inn.
Right.
It will vary by city. But with a little homework, figure on paying $125 or so in Tokyo, $75 to $100 in Hong Kong or Singapore, $50 to $75 in Bangkok and around $50 everywhere else we went.
What if we just want “clean” and “location” but don’t care about the phone and the TV?
Cut the above figures in half — though Tokyo and Singapore, and maybe Hong Kong, will be a challenge.
And if “pretty clean” is enough?
Budget travelers can find adequate rooms in Bali or Penang for $10 or less, sometimes with breakfast included. In the other places, they’ll have to compromise their standards a little or go the hostel route to match those numbers.
And if we insist on the Ritz?
The Asian four- and five-stars may never be this cheap again. You’ll find something luxurious for less than $200 almost everywhere.
How did you pick hotels?
A combination of guidebooks, my travel agent, the Internet and poking around after I got where I was going.
How helpful is the Internet in finding hotel discounts?
Using the Web to shop Hong Kong hotels, I locked in a rate at one that was lower than I could get by calling the hotel or by begging at the hotel’s front desk; I was tickled until a reader told me she found an even lower rate at the same hotel on another Web site. Answer: It can’t hurt to look around, but, as always, be careful.
How helpful, then, is a travel agent?
You can’t buy the All Asia Pass without one, for one thing. That’s a rule. Good travel agents should be able to find decent fares to the getaway points as well. Back to hotels, good travel agents should be able to sniff out discounts, particularly on some chains and larger independents, and they can help in other ways. Notice I said “good travel agents” twice.
Who is your “good travel agent”?
Can’t tell you. Company rule.
Should we reserve rooms in advance?
On the All Asia Pass, your flight schedule is locked in. Might as well lock in at least some hotel rooms, especially in destinations where you’re arriving after dark. Peace of mind has value.
Any other ideas on finding rooms?
The airports usually have a tourist desk that will try to find you a hotel room in your price range. They may charge you for the phone call, but that’s it. We also got lots of help from other folks along the way we discovered were traveling on the All Asia Pass. They’re easy to spot on the plane: They’re the ones wearing washable clothes.
Speaking of luggage . . .
Travel light. I really mean it this time. You’re going to be hauling your gear all over creation, so pack clothes you can stand wearing again every third day. If you can wash some of them in the sink, great. Use the hotel valets and local laundries. If you bring a suitcase, make it a wheeled one. If you buy stuff along the way, make it small stuff (or ship it home). If you lose control on shopping, lose it late and throw the goodies into a cheap bag you can check on the plane (or carry them onboard and check your laundry).
And speaking of buying stuff . . .
You’re going to have to carry it, so think “unbreakable and lightweight.” And unless you’re a professional importer, forget the profit motive. Want to buy that boombox that’s $40 cheaper in Singapore than at Target? Pal, you’ll have to haul it around or pay more than $40 to ship it home, so don’t bother. Unless you’re a gemologist, buy jewelry because you like it, not because you think it costs twice as much at Whitehall. You get the idea.
And speaking of dollars, how did you get your cash?
A combination of ATM (the first option), traveler’s checks and cash. Singapore, Hong Kong and Bangkok had Cirrus-friendly ATMs every few steps; we found them elsewhere when we needed them. Traveler’s checks were useful backups, and U.S. dollars were either accepted directly in some tourist-oriented shops or were easily exchanged by licensed money-changers, hotels or banks.
If we could use our charge cards, we charged. Always.
Did you ever get mixed up, switching every couple of days from Hong Kong dollars to yen to baht to ringgits?
Incredibly, no. We also never got cheated, as far as I could figure.
What else?
We never got our pockets picked, never felt threatened, never felt unwelcome. Cab drivers were great, especially in Singapore, Penang and Cebu. For 30 days, we were treated as guests. Or we were ignored, which was fine too. We both came home feeling very good about Japanese, Filipinos, Chinese, Balinese, Malaysians, Thais and the mosaic that is the Singaporean.
Any surprises?
Constant. A free opera in a Singapore park. A smoking volcano in Bali. Hundreds of kimono-clad children in a ceremony near Tokyo. A festival in Bangkok, and more. We got a little tired from time to time, but we were never, ever bored.
Anything you would do differently?
Yes. Add another day or two for Japan, outside Tokyo. A couple of other minor things — and find time for Saigon.
Just because.
THE BEST OF ASIA
Most essential stops: (tie) Hong Kong, Tokyo.
Least essential stop: Cebu.
Best airports: (tie) Hong Kong International; Changi International, Singapore.
Worst airport: Mactan-Cebu International, Cebu. But it worked.
Best hotel: Amandari, Bali.
Best hotel for less than $500 a night: Four Seasons, Singapore.
Best resort hotel for less than $500 a night: Nusa Dua Beach Hotel & Spa, Bali.
Best honeymoon destination: Bali.
Best small hotel: (tie) Ryokan Shigetsu, Tokyo; Duxton Hotel, Singapore.
Cheapest clean hotels: Bali.
Best food: Hong Kong.
Cheapest good food: Penang.
Best restaurant, dinner: Asiatica, Shangri-La’s Mactan Island Resort, Cebu.
Best restaurant, lunch: Raffles Grill, Singapore.
Most interesting local food: Tokyo.
Best food stalls: Penang.
Best stall entree: Pepper crab, Newton Centre, Singapore.
Best stall atmosphere: Temple Street, Hong Kong.
Best of the bad-sounding meals: Fish-head curry, Muthu’s Curry Restaurant, Singapore.
Fieriest food ever: Tom yam soup, Salathip Restaurant, Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok. Said a British diner at a nearby table, after her first sip: “Shocking.”
Best temples: Bangkok.
Best beaches: Mactan Island, Cebu.
Most helpful hosts: Toyko.
Most annoying touts: Bangkok.
Nicest cabbies: Penang.
Warmest smiles: Bali.
Easiest for tourists to enjoy on their own: Hong Kong.
Best airport transportation: Airport Express train, Hong Kong.
Best beer: Singha, Bangkok.
Worst air: (tie) Bangkok and Cebu City.
Kindest traffic: Singapore.
Unkindest traffic: Bangkok.
Best shopping: Pretty much everywhere.
Favorite places: Me — Hong Kong. Wife — Bali.
DIALING FOR INFORMATION
Here are numbers to call for government-sponsored information on some popular destinations in the Far East. Quality ranges from a few pamphlets to picture-packed booklets. Additional information is available on dozens of Web sites, much of it from providers of services, which therefore should be evaluated and used with care.
Bali and Indonesia: 312-345-9300
Bangkok and Thailand: 323-461-9814
China: 818-545-7507
Hong Kong: 312-329-1828
India: 212-586-4901
Penang and Malaysia: 212-754-1113
Cebu and the Philippines: 312-782-2475
Seoul and Korea: 312-819-2560
Singapore: 800-944-8778
Sri Lanka: 202-483-4025
Taiwan: 312-346-1038
Tokyo and Japan: 312-222-0874
Vietnam: 202-861-2291
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Alan Solomon’s e-mail address is alsolly@aol.com.
