Hello Everyone,
In this post I will be talking about various holiday
destinations in South East Asia which are conveniently accessible from Japan.
For Indians, most of these destinations can be accessed visa free or by visa on
arrival and are only a couple of hours away by flight making them ideal for
those wanting to explore new places and cultures.Long vacations like Golden
Week, Obon and year end present a long stretch of holidays in which you can
conveniently fit an international trip. The specific destinations I will be
giving you an overview about in this post are:
1)
Visa-free destinations:-
Indonesia, Philippines (with a Japanese visa)
2)
Visa on arrival:- Thailand,
Cambodia
3)
Pre-arrival registration
required:- Hong Kong, Vietnam
First off lets answer a few commonly asked
questions
How safe is SE Asia?
I faced no safety issues whatsoever in any of
the places in SE Asia I travelled to despite being a lone traveller most of the
times. Most of the large cities mentioned above are visited by a large number of
tourists every year and as long as you exercise common precautions like not
handling a lot of cash in public, you should be fine.
Will I face language issues?
With the notable exception of Philippines, all
the locations mentioned above will present some language issues albeit to
varying degrees. Closer to tourist areas, you should have fewer problems and
basic communication for things like shopping or looking for directions should
be possible. As you go further away from the large cities however expect that
there will be fewer people who might be able to communicate in English.
Why travel alone?
During most of my trips, I travelled alone.
Although this is a matter of individual preference, travelling alone gave me the
opportunity to immerse myself and appreciate my surroundings far better. I
invariably also met and interacted with many people during my travels. Expressed concisely, traveling alone allows
you to invite serendipity and good things usually follow!
Broad category of things to do:
Among other things, some activities common to
most of the above locations you can indulge in:
1) Spa treatments
2) Enjoy local food
3) Visit temples and other local monuments
and a whole host of local activities/adventure
sports.
Lets take a brief look at a few specific
destinations.
Thailand
The amazing food alone is a good enough reason
to go there. For vegetarians, while options might be fewer, the concept is well
understood and there are a growing number of places that cater exclusively to
vegans and vegetarians. Some of the best vegetarian food I have ever had was at
a restaurant in Bangkok called May Kaidee(Link). In fact, I was so
fascinated by the food that I went back a year later to study cooking at their
cooking school and have been happily cooking Thai food for myself ever since :)
Adventure activities/sports
Try ziplining in one the many courses located
throughout Thailand. It typically involves slinging going from tree to tree
along the treetops via ropeways and is very safe.
Learn some Muay Thai if you have the time. It
is a martial art specific to Thailand and is very popular locally. Take an
afternoon and a gruelling training session at one several MT gyms scattered
across Bangkok.
Pro tip: Requires a fair amount of stamina so
some athletic background is a plus.
Temples, Ayutthaya:- Located about an hour and
a half from Bangkok, this is the ancient capital of Thailand and can be done as
a day trip from Bangkok. There are several ancient Buddhist temples and ruins
of temples located in close proximity and is in some ways similar to the Angkor
Wat area (detailed below).
Philippines
Nearly everyone in the Philippines speaks
English and this makes it perhaps one of the more convenient destinations on
our list. If pristine beaches are your thing, this is definitely the place to
go. The clear waters and beaches of Palawan and Cebu are prominent local
attractions.
Climbing Mt. Pinatubo was one of the
highlights of my trip. This volcano last erupted in 1991, the second largest
terrestrial eruption of the 20th century and left a beautiful crater lake in
its wake. The climb is fairly easy and can be conveniently done by beginners.
 |
| Crater Lake on the peak of Mt. Pinatubo |
Pro-tip:- Wear sandals as there are rivers
that you would have to cross along the way.
You can also try your hand at shooting at one
of the local firing ranges.
 |
| Target practice in the Philippines |
Indonesia
Bali is a go-to destination for party-goers,
nature and beach-lovers alike. The southern part of the island around Kuta is
the party capital of the island. Bali has a very large number of foreigners and
as a general rule English is widely spoken on the island.
I spent most of my time in the northern part
of the island scuba-diving off the coast of Tulamben and chilling out on the
beach. Life goes much more slowly when all you do all day is sipping chocolate
milk by the beach!
The USAT Liberty, a US army transport ship got
shipwrecked off the coast of Tulamben and the undersea wreck is a popular spot
for scuba diving.
Mt. Agnung, believed by locals to be a replica
of Mt. Meru is a volcano that recently became active. Pura Baisakih, one of the
most important temples on the island is located on its slopes. On a side note,
Bali has several temples across the island with many of them built right on the
coast.
Ubud is another popular destination on the
island and is a local shopping destination. Several exotic tea and coffee
flavors can be bought from here. Kopi Luwak coffee, an exotic coffee which is
generally very expensive when bought outside Indonesia can be purchased at
reasonable rates here.
 |
| Kopi Luwak Coffee |
Vietnam
I based myself out of Ho Chi Minh city and
took day trips to interesting locations nearby. Within Ho Chi Minh city and
close by, there are several locations of
historical interest related to the Vietnam War such as the War Remnants Museum
and the Cu Chi Tunnels which were used by local guerrillas as a base during the
war.
The Mekong delta is ideal for a quick getaway
from the city. Kayaking, boating or simply admiring the locale are some of the
things you can do here.
 |
| Boating in the Mekong Delta |
Cambodia
The Angkor Wat temples (also found on the flag
of Cambodia) is perhaps the main highlight for many. It is worth the somewhat
steep price of 37$ that is charged for a day. There are in fact direct flights
from Tokyo to Siem Reap, the closest city to the Angkor Wat temples.
 |
| Roaming around Angkor Wat at sunrise |
Pro-tip:- Go very early in the morning (after
sunrise) to avoid the crowds and enjoy some quiet time in the ancient ruins.
If you do happen to go to Phnom Penh (capital
of Cambodia), do stop by Tuol Sleng Museum (S21). It is a powerful narrative on
an unfortunate part of the history of Cambodia and is a story that deserves to
be known more widely for the lessons it contains for all of us.
Hong Kong: An urban jungle which nevertheless
has some popular getaways such as the Ngong Ping Temple on Lantau Island is
accessible through a cable car which gives a great view of the island.
For the homesick, do visit Chung King mansions
in Tsim Sha Tsui. It is a melting pot of ethnic minorities from South Asia but
do keep an eye out for your belongings!
Macau located a ferry ride away from Hong Kong
is a popular day trip from Hong Kong. Macau is famous for its casinos. While I
wouldn’t recommend actually partaking in it, it might be interesting to walk
through the casinos and soak in the environment. Transport within Macau is very
convenient due to free shuttles organized by casinos themselves between the
harbor and all the major casinos.
Shanghai, China: Although not in the visa-free
list, some cities like Shanghai and Beijing can be entered on a 24 hour transit
visa if you have a connecting flight. About a day is adequate to see some
highlights in the city. I spent a few interesting hours in Shanghai on my way
to India and the MagLev train going at over 400 km/hr (faster than the
Shinkansen) was one of the highlights of this short trip.
以上
Thats all folks! Hope this post could serve as
a broad introduction to your travel options from Japan. For the next post, I
nominate Ketan Katkar who has been in Tsukuba for the past 6 months.
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