Travelling to E/SE Asia in June/July

Invincible_summer

So is it completely insane to travel to this area at this time of year, mainly re: weather/crowds? My gf and I are thinking of going for 3 weeks starting in mid-June until the first week of July.

Singapore is a must, as we're going to meet some family there. Other than that, we're not quite sure where to go.

I'd love to go to Taiwan, China, Japan, S. Korea, but I've heard that that time of year is ridiculously humid and hot. A bad time to go.

But how about Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Cambodia, etc (more SE Asia)? I'd imagine it's still hot, but maybe not as bad as further north of the equator. But how about the crowds?


Thoughts? We'd probably be backpacking.

Lady_Alison

Probably should ask @thailandtom about this one.

Invincible_summer

@Lady_Alison, yeah I'm sure he'll chip in. I thought I'd let other NewBuddhists who may have advice more from a traveller's perspective (although a "local" is obviously very good to have too, @ThailandTom ) contribute too

vinlyn

Thailand is always hot, so you just get used to it. You could take the train from Singapore, up through Malaysia (stopping several places), the on to Thailand. It's a nice trip (I did it by car). I do recommend you reserve hotels all the way, however. And, remember, in Malyasia, "Dada means death."

Invincible_summer

Thanks, @vinlyn. I mean, I've been in Greece in the middle of the summer, so I *think* I know heat, but it wasn't necessarily humid.

What's "dada?"

And yeah, we were thinking of going from Singapore up to Malaysia, but I sort of want to visit Sabah province, as my mother is from there and I hear it's beautiful.

Seeing as how I probably can't avoid intense humidity/heat altogether, I'm actually more concerned about monsoon/typhoon season.

vinlyn

One thing the airlines grill into when you fly into Malaysia is "Dada is death." Dada = drugs.

Dakini

I've been to Taiwan twice, both times in winter. I wouldn't go anywhere near tropical countries in summer. From Singapore you can get a flight to India and head up to the mountains, to Dharamsala, where it's cooler (could be the rainy season, though) or Nepal.

I'd never go to SE Asia in summer, but that's just me. Japan is ok in the summer, it's further north.

vinlyn

Thailand's latitude puts it in the tropics. It doesn't have "summer".

Generally, the dry/cool season is November - February. The hottest season is actually March - June. The rainy season is July - October, but that generally means a thunderstorm in the afternoon.

Dakini

vinlyn :rolleyes: , we're discussing with a northerner who's talking about travelling in his summer. (Does this really require explanation??)

Monsoons in India are in our summer, June -- Sept. A friend of mine went to Ladakh last summer, her 2nd visit, she loves it, and there wasn't much rain. She had a great time!

vinlyn

Dakini, I didn't find the way you wrote your sentence to be clear at all.

ThailandTom

Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos around that region all have very similar climates. Here in Thailand in two years where I have been it has only dropped below 30 degrees C in one period during the day time. The time period you have wanted to come here is when there will be less foreigners, the 'low' season in tourism terms, in climate terms, the monsoon season. That does not mean it rains every day, it just means it is the period where we get the most rain. You still get a lot of sun as well however. There are times when the streets flood but that is just the norm and it doesn't cause any real problems, it is just the storm drains getting hit with too much water too quickly. You just missed the hot season, well it still is the hot season and it is HOT! If you want to come in June July, do it. You will still have an experience you guys will not forget I am sure traveling around SE Asia. Just do lots of rsearch on the do's and don'ts, and how to be safe etc.

Invincible_summer

I've been to Taiwan twice, both times in winter. I wouldn't go anywhere near tropical countries in summer. From Singapore you can get a flight to India and head up to the mountains, to Dharamsala, where it's cooler (could be the rainy season, though) or Nepal.

I'd never go to SE Asia in summer, but that's just me. Japan is ok in the summer, it's further north.

Why wouldn't you go during June/July? From my research, June/July isn't as hot (relatively speaking) as usual in the region, but it tends to be wetter/monsoon season.

Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos around that region all have very similar climates. Here in Thailand in two years where I have been it has only dropped below 30 degrees C in one period during the day time. The time period you have wanted to come here is when there will be less foreigners, the 'low' season in tourism terms, in climate terms, the monsoon season. That does not mean it rains every day, it just means it is the period where we get the most rain. You still get a lot of sun as well however. There are times when the streets flood but that is just the norm and it doesn't cause any real problems, it is just the storm drains getting hit with too much water too quickly. You just missed the hot season, well it still is the hot season and it is HOT! If you want to come in June July, do it. You will still have an experience you guys will not forget I am sure traveling around SE Asia. Just do lots of rsearch on the do's and don'ts, and how to be safe etc.

So even though it's "monsoon" season, you're saying it's more like downpours for about an hour every few days, but not actual windstorms and litres of nearly horizontal rain every day? Because that's how I imagine "monsoon season"

vinlyn

^^ I traveled in Thailand for 15 or more of my summers (July and August) and then lived there for 2 years.

There was really only 1 time that I remember having the rain really be problematic during the monsoon season. One was up in the north Chaing Mai/Chaing Rai area, when it rained and was foggy for 3 solid days without stop. Most of the rest of the time you might get a thunderstorm for 30 minutes to an hour in the late afternoon...or not. Frankly, I just thought of it as life in the tropics.

ThailandTom

I have been in SE Asia for 2 Monsoon seasons and what happens for around 90% of the season is it will rain for about 30-120 minutes and rain HARD. Some streets get flooded up which lasts for about another 2 hours or so, and then it stops. That doesn't happen every day though. But there is still a lot of sun. Check this out.
http://voyagner.com/travel-in-the-monsoon-season/

nlighten

Japan is the hottest in August and September if you come in early June it shouldn't be very hot yet, but Japan may still be in the rainy season. Late July would probably be pretty hot already. So, probably the cut off would be early July for decent weather.

hermitwin

you cant escape the heat n humidity in SE asia.
we dont have 4 seasons,
we have 2, rainy and not.
yes, you will sweat like a pig.
even the locals escape to highland resorts n shopping ctrs.
If you dont like humidity, forget about SE asia.
its just like going to antartica but you dont like the cold.

So is it completely insane to travel to this area at this time of year, mainly re: weather/crowds? My gf and I are thinking of going for 3 weeks starting in mid-June until the first week of July.

Singapore is a must, as we're going to meet some family there. Other than that, we're not quite sure where to go.

I'd love to go to Taiwan, China, Japan, S. Korea, but I've heard that that time of year is ridiculously humid and hot. A bad time to go.

But how about Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Cambodia, etc (more SE Asia)? I'd imagine it's still hot, but maybe not as bad as further north of the equator. But how about the crowds?


Thoughts? We'd probably be backpacking.

ThailandTom

you cant escape the heat n humidity in SE asia.
we dont have 4 seasons,
we have 2, rainy and not.
yes, you will sweat like a pig.
even the locals escape to highland resorts n shopping ctrs.
If you dont like humidity, forget about SE asia.
its just like going to antartica but you dont like the cold.

So is it completely insane to travel to this area at this time of year, mainly re: weather/crowds? My gf and I are thinking of going for 3 weeks starting in mid-June until the first week of July.

Singapore is a must, as we're going to meet some family there. Other than that, we're not quite sure where to go.

I'd love to go to Taiwan, China, Japan, S. Korea, but I've heard that that time of year is ridiculously humid and hot. A bad time to go.

But how about Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Cambodia, etc (more SE Asia)? I'd imagine it's still hot, but maybe not as bad as further north of the equator. But how about the crowds?


Thoughts? We'd probably be backpacking.

Well Thailand and I think SE Asia has 3 seasons, hot, monsoon, cool in that order. However, the cool season is not cool, in most areas of Thailand it still is around 30 degrees C. Where do you live presently @hermitwin?

By the way OP, nearly everyone I speak to at the moment is looking forward to the monsoon so it cools down a bit. Whenever it rains it is always fresher and a little cooler for a while.

jogut101

You should consider going to the Philippines, not to Manila (which is impossibly crowded and humid at this time) but to any of our other provincial locations. We have great people (who speak the most English in Asia), great beaches, mountains, and nature reserves. It is said that the Philippines has some of the best beaches and wildlife in the world.
I would recommend the island of Palawan, which is just a few hours' flight from Manila. It is constantly rated as one of the most beautiful places on earth due to its protected wildlife and environment. Incidentally, I've met a few Buddhists who fell in love with the place and relocated because of Palawan's beauty and serenity. The best part is that it isn't a usual tourist trap - the local government has so far done a great job of regulating and protecting the natural beauty and peace in the area.

ThailandTom

You should consider going to the Philippines, not to Manila (which is impossibly crowded and humid at this time) but to any of our other provincial locations. We have great people (who speak the most English in Asia), great beaches, mountains, and nature reserves. It is said that the Philippines has some of the best beaches and wildlife in the world.
I would recommend the island of Palawan, which is just a few hours' flight from Manila. It is constantly rated as one of the most beautiful places on earth due to its protected wildlife and environment. Incidentally, I've met a few Buddhists who fell in love with the place and relocated because of Palawan's beauty and serenity. The best part is that it isn't a usual tourist trap - the local government has so far done a great job of regulating and protecting the natural beauty and peace in the area.

Hey I remember that dude who got assisanted there, is the government and political side of your country stable at the moment?

Dakini

So even though it's "monsoon" season, you're saying it's more like downpours for about an hour every few days, but not actual windstorms and litres of nearly horizontal rain every day? Because that's how I imagine "monsoon season"

Buckets of pouring rain most of the day is how monsoon is in India. (Though it doesn't seem to affect Kashmir and Ladakh so much.)"Monsoon" means different things in different places. Amazingly enough, in New Mexico there is a season they call "Monsoon". It means heavy rain for an hour or so a day, through the summer. And that rain can behave strangely. Sometimes it's highly localized, and only affects a couple of square blocks in town, just one little cloudburst.

Maybe you're right, I-S, maybe the rain would cool things off. I don't do well in the heat, so I avoid tropical areas except in Winter.

yamada

@ Invincible_summer : How about Indonesia? Indonesia have many city & island, such as ; Bali,Yogyakarta, North Sumatera,etc. But many tourist prefer to Bali & Yogyakarta. In Yogyakarta you can see the Borobudur Temple.It is one of the world’s most renowned and largest Buddhist temples, in Central Java. Last year Richard Gere had just visited the Borobudur. His schedules are to watch the sunrise at the temple and spend time with monks.

And Bali is just one of the many small islands of Indonesia, but without a doubt, it is one of the most famous islands of Indonesia. Bali is frequently referred to as "The Paradise Island" because of its reputation in the world as a tropical paradise of untold beautiful nature, idyllic mood and never ending fascination. The island is also known as "The Island of Gods" because worship colors every facet of life among the Hindu Balinese in their daily activities.

About the temperature or weather, i can't make sure because Indonesia is located in the tropics, between continental Asia and Australia, between the Pacific and Indian Ocean, and passed the equator, consists of islands and the islands stretching from west to east, there are many straits and bays, causing the Indonesia vulnerable to climate change / weather.
But, here are the averages:

http://www.indo.com/tplan/weather.html
http://www.yogyakarta.world-guides.com/yogyakarta_weather.html


For more information you can go to:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borobudur
http://indonesia.travel/

Enjoy your holidayyyy

Dakini

Definitely. Bali. End of story.

vinlyn

From time to time there have been some concerns about Westerner's safety in Indonesia, particularly since Islamic militancy has risen there. In addition to the bombing in Bali, there have also been reports from time to time of Muslims coming into hotels that cater to Westerns and asking how many Westerners are registered. Nothing in particular has happened, then, but it is something to keep in mind when traveling in central Java.

ThailandTom

I would stay away from Indonesia personally for a perlonged stay, mainly due to the growing concern for saftey, but also there are quite a lot of red flags if you will IMO. Firstly it is really hot, basically smack bang on the equator. They also have many deadly animals and insects there. It is also pretty close to a very active fault line. That is just me though and my reasoning for not wanting to live there or visit for a long period of time.

Invincible_summer

You should consider going to the Philippines, not to Manila (which is impossibly crowded and humid at this time) but to any of our other provincial locations. We have great people (who speak the most English in Asia), great beaches, mountains, and nature reserves. It is said that the Philippines has some of the best beaches and wildlife in the world.
I would recommend the island of Palawan, which is just a few hours' flight from Manila. It is constantly rated as one of the most beautiful places on earth due to its protected wildlife and environment. Incidentally, I've met a few Buddhists who fell in love with the place and relocated because of Palawan's beauty and serenity. The best part is that it isn't a usual tourist trap - the local government has so far done a great job of regulating and protecting the natural beauty and peace in the area.

Yes, @jogut101, we are actually thinking of going to the Philippines too! But not Manila. I've heard Cebu, Palawan, and Baguio are great places to go - how much can it cost to go between islands? How long does it take?

@ Invincible_summer : How about Indonesia? Indonesia have many city & island, such as ; Bali,Yogyakarta, North Sumatera,etc. But many tourist prefer to Bali & Yogyakarta. In Yogyakarta you can see the Borobudur Temple.It is one of the world’s most renowned and largest Buddhist temples, in Central Java. Last year Richard Gere had just visited the Borobudur. His schedules are to watch the sunrise at the temple and spend time with monks.

And Bali is just one of the many small islands of Indonesia, but without a doubt, it is one of the most famous islands of Indonesia. Bali is frequently referred to as "The Paradise Island" because of its reputation in the world as a tropical paradise of untold beautiful nature, idyllic mood and never ending fascination. The island is also known as "The Island of Gods" because worship colors every facet of life among the Hindu Balinese in their daily activities.

About the temperature or weather, i can't make sure because Indonesia is located in the tropics, between continental Asia and Australia, between the Pacific and Indian Ocean, and passed the equator, consists of islands and the islands stretching from west to east, there are many straits and bays, causing the Indonesia vulnerable to climate change / weather.
But, here are the averages:

http://www.indo.com/tplan/weather.html
http://www.yogyakarta.world-guides.com/yogyakarta_weather.html


For more information you can go to:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borobudur
http://indonesia.travel/

Enjoy your holidayyyy

Thanks for the tip @yamada! I was looking at Indonesia as well, but the number of islands seems sort of overwhelming, and we want to make the most of our time (i.e. minimize the time en route to places). Is it relatively easy/cheap to go between islands in Indonesia?

Definitely. Bali. End of story.

From time to time there have been some concerns about Westerner's safety in Indonesia, particularly since Islamic militancy has risen there. In addition to the bombing in Bali, there have also been reports from time to time of Muslims coming into hotels that cater to Westerns and asking how many Westerners are registered. Nothing in particular has happened, then, but it is something to keep in mind when traveling in central Java.

My gf and I have more or less ruled out Bali. We're actually not really into the whole beach resort thing - it's sort of cliche, but we like to spend time at cultural sites and soak in the atmosphere, not really sit around and tan. I mean, I'm sure there are cultural things to do in Bali, but it seems a bit too touristy.

Invincible_summer

Has anyone been to Laos? I've heard it's pretty nice and relatively "untouched" by tourists compared to the more popular destinations (Bali, most of Thailand, Vietnam). But I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing...

ThailandTom

If you got to Laos you are advised to inform your embassy you are going there as it is a somewhat dangerous location. There are many unexploded bombs all around the place from the US bombing it for seven years. It is the most bombed country in the world. My friend has been there and the locals for the most part are very humble and peaceful. It is probably the least devolped country in SE Asia though, so do not expect decent roads or amazing emergancy forces. It is also meant to be a beautiful country, if I remember without looking at a map, it is landlocked though, no beaches.

Dakini

OK, I-S, suit yourself. But there's so much more to Bali than the beaches. :-/ meh...

There's still guerrilla activity here and there in the Philippines. Do your research.

Tsem Tulku is very cool, he's in Malaysia....just a thought. Tom was thinking about going to Cambodia. I'd think that would be beautiful, with the archaeological sites, and all (Angkor Watt, etc.)

My gf and I have more or less ruled out Bali.

ThailandTom

Yes Cambodia seems like a great place to visit. The country is small so getting around takes a matter of a few hours. The temples there are something else, really you won't see anything like it anywhere else. There are also beaches to the south of Cambodia, they have mountains and national parks. The people are from what I heard a bit nicer than the Thais on average. Here is some pics of the Angkor site near the town of Siem Reap.

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&cp=7&gs_id=q&xhr=t&q=angkor+wat&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&wrapid=tljp1334720992348012&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=6jmOT6OTFMfKrAfOp7i2CQ&biw=1024&bih=424&sei=7TmOT93qPMPqrQewg5DOCQ

Invincible_summer

If you got to Laos you are advised to inform your embassy you are going there as it is a somewhat dangerous location. There are many unexploded bombs all around the place from the US bombing it for seven years. It is the most bombed country in the world. My friend has been there and the locals for the most part are very humble and peaceful. It is probably the least devolped country in SE Asia though, so do not expect decent roads or amazing emergancy forces. It is also meant to be a beautiful country, if I remember without looking at a map, it is landlocked though, no beaches.

I've read that the roads are better than Cambodia, but who knows. I didn't know about the bombs - thanks for the advice @ThailandTom.

OK, I-S, suit yourself. But there's so much more to Bali than the beaches. :-/ meh...

Could you enlighten me as to what there is, @Dakini? All my friends who have been to Bali just talk about the beaches, and most stuff I find on the internet is about beaches cuz that's the main draw.

vinlyn

If you got to Laos you are advised to inform your embassy you are going there as it is a somewhat dangerous location. There are many unexploded bombs all around the place from the US bombing it for seven years. It is the most bombed country in the world. My friend has been there and the locals for the most part are very humble and peaceful. It is probably the least devolped country in SE Asia though, so do not expect decent roads or amazing emergancy forces. It is also meant to be a beautiful country, if I remember without looking at a map, it is landlocked though, no beaches.

I've read that the roads are better than Cambodia, but who knows. I didn't know about the bombs - thanks for the advice @ThailandTom.

OK, I-S, suit yourself. But there's so much more to Bali than the beaches. :-/ meh...

Could you enlighten me as to what there is, @Dakini? All my friends who have been to Bali just talk about the beaches, and most stuff I find on the internet is about beaches cuz that's the main draw.

Do keep in mind that there are quite a few Cambodian temples as roughly the same era as Cambodia's most famous temples. They are mostly located in Issan. Easily drivable in rented cars from Bangkok.

ThailandTom

Or from Bangkok at 6 or 7am pay 100baht per head (3$) to travel on a bus to Aranyaprathet which is on the border, then pay 20 dollars to enter (this is actually needed to be in US dollars), over to Poipet and then get a taxi down to Siem reap. That will all take around 6-7 hours I would say. Here is the route.

http://www.canbypublications.com/cambodia/overland.htm#Aran

ThailandTom

IF you do ever come to Thailand, I would like to suggest try not to use the minivans as a mode of transport. They often have broken seatbelts or none at all, the drivers are pushed for time to meet deadlines and speed, but are also notorious for driving like madmen, and there are often fatal crashes. You hear about them all of the time. Try using the bigger buses instead, just a bit of advise.

Invincible_summer

Holy crap... there are pretty high-level travel advisories for almost ALL the countries in SE Asia.

vinlyn

Yes. But I felt very safe in Singapore and Malaysia. And VERY safe in Thailand until the Red Shirt uprising...not sure how it is now.

Dakini

Bali: Buddhist temples, shadow puppet plays (that inspired the puppetry for the Lion King musical), traditional music (they say the predecessor of the marimba was developed in SE Asia and Indonesia), beautiful hiking trails, volcanos to climb, Indigenous people living on the sides of the volcanos, and their culture. And good food, from what I've heard. The Balinese have figured out how to live with tourism in a way that the tourism supports their culture, rather than overrunning it or trashing it.

I-S, I hope you're doing internet research on these places, and not just relying on us. You can acquire a lot of info in a very short time, Googling different things in relation to each destination.

ThailandTom

Yes you are advised to let your embassy know about going to Laos, I knew that, but not about most of SE Asia I feel safe here in Thailand, the only person from the time I have been here who has put me in any danger and harm is myelf.

Malaysia is quite safe and a nice country, Malysia and Singapore are a little more cleaner and wealthier than the rest of the countries. I liked Penang quite a lot, the beaches aren't so good, but the architecture is nice and a very diverse place. There has been a rise in crime however.

The red shirt situation in Thailand right now is fine. Mr Stupid head Thaksin recently held a meeting in Laos and said that all of his red shirt followers could come and spend some time listening to what he had to say over there. He is actually insane IMO, I hope that guy never returns to Thailand, there is a good chance he will though seeing as his sister is now the prime minister.

Invincible_summer

Yes. But I felt very safe in Singapore and Malaysia. And VERY safe in Thailand until the Red Shirt uprising...not sure how it is now.

yeah I know Singapore and Malaysia are safe - they don't call Singapore "Disneyland with the death penalty" for nothing

Bali: Buddhist temples, shadow puppet plays (that inspired the puppetry for the Lion King musical), traditional music (they say the predecessor of the marimba was developed in SE Asia and Indonesia), beautiful hiking trails, volcanos to climb, Indigenous people living on the sides of the volcanos, and their culture. And good food, from what I've heard. The Balinese have figured out how to live with tourism in a way that the tourism supports their culture, rather than overrunning it or trashing it.

I-S, I hope you're doing internet research on these places, and not just relying on us. You can acquire a lot of info in a very short time, Googling different things in relation to each destination.

Good to know that about Bali. My friends who have gone never talked about any of that, just how the beaches were awesome and the food being good. I guess my friends aren't very adventurous travelers..?

And yes, of course I'm doing internet research. I'm even a bit insulted that you think I'm not!

I just want to hear information from people who have actually been to these places and I trust to not be complete shills - sometimes forums or travel sites don't give very good information, or seem like they're biased one way or another. I trust the good people of NewBuddhist.com to provide more or less fair appraisals of the region.

But I can stop asking questions.

yamada

About the bomb in Indonesia,it is really sad to hear that. Tourists become afraid to go to Indonesia. Whereas, there are so many unique cultures in Indonesia. When I traveled to another country, I think Indonesia has more interesting things. We can learn a lot more meaning of temperance there. Unfortunately, Indonesian people aren't smart to keep their heritage. The people aren't discipline and very pleased to corruption. Because of that Indonesia left with the other countries even though it has more beautiful cultural heritage. This is fact. I don't mean to promote my own country. I don;t accept any advantage in giving this information. Just want to share to all of you about what kind of Indonesia.

I do not want to carry the name of Muslims in bombing tragedy. For me, terrorists have formed their own religion. They don't study Islam properly. Although I don't really know about the teachings of Islam-because I am a Buddhist since birth-but I feel the real Islam doesn't preach violence. I have seen the proof. A lot of my Muslim friends in Indonesia who have a pure heart. They hate terrorists because causing a bad image for their religion. I really don't like involving ethnic, christianity, islam or other religions in this problem. Noone religion teaches violence. There is only person who use religion to do violence that they want. Sorry, out of topic

But about poverty in Indonesia, it is of interest here and this trip has been a bid which no doubt would be attractive to tourists who want to learn about the sense of gratitude. I think it is safe from the bombardment, as you will be brought to the slums. I think the terrorists will not have the heart to bomb them. haha. But if you want to enjoy a wonderful holiday with your girlfriend I'm not suggesting you to take it.

Go to this link if you want to know what it's like. Watch this video:

http://jakartahiddentour.wordpress.com/

There are also tour packages to visit a place of mystery in Bandung city. This is very interesting tour like mystery tour in London.

There are few more attractive to tourists travel themes that presented. But I forgot.

Although in recent years, no longer heard the bombings in Indonesia, I still can not convince you that Indonesia has safe now.Because I never know what will happen tomorrow. Bali should indeed avoid if you're still hesitant for your safety.

There are other opinion besides Bali. There are Central Java, North Sumatra, and Papua. There are very interesting for those who want to see the culture of Indonesia safely. Unprecedented bombing there. Because the largest tourist destination in Bali and Jakarta is. I think terrorists target the places that many tourists foreign.

Regarding the cost from island to island, I think it is really cheap for tourists foreign! Indonesia currency rates are very cheap. It is recognized by my Austalian friend.

Very easy to go between islands in Indonesia. But if you want to minimize the time and route to places, traveling from island to island should be avoided. Why not holiday in one place? I think one place is already big enough and has a lot of beauty. Like Central Java for example.

But when you go to shopping at tourists area, the price is maybe often too expensive-I mean expensive for Indonesian people. Because the Indonesian people feel all of the foreign tourists are rich, particularly for western tourists. So they want to take many advantage from them. But maybe it does not matter for you. Because I've seen the price of ice cream in Nusa Dua Bali and I think it is too expensive. I used to eat ice cream with the same product in not tourist area and the price is really cheaper than in tourist area. But i see all of the tourist in there can buy so many ice cream while i just can buy 1 until 2 ice cream. haha

When you're in Indonesia, do not forget to buy a batik shirt for a souvenir, my australian friend love it to be used when the summer. But buy a good quality batik shirt. Like Batik Keris brand, Kencana Ungu brand,etc. And if you visit the slum, lets ride BAJAJ (the traditional vehicle in Jakarta city) on the bumpy road. The more holes are more better. Maybe you'll like it. Because my australian friend really liked it, she said "I really like it! Such in disneyland game. Never get this experience in Australia road" ;D hahaha

Sorry i say too many comments. I really like to tell about my country.

yamada

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=390969390943967

ThailandTom

The bali bombings were a while ago now, whereas the bombings in southern Thailand were this month, just for your info people who are wanting to come. Southern Thailand on the border of Malaysia has been a bit sketchy for years.

vinlyn

^^ Very true. And what a shame. I spent a couple of weeks down in deep Southern Thailand about a decade ago. There were some wonderful cave temples I visited, not to mention a lot of great scenery. I remember at the time we were at one cave temple and inquired about another that was further on down the country road, and the monks warned us even then not to go there because of the attitude of the Muslims who lived around that particular Buddhist temple.

ThailandTom

There are stories you hear about that region down south, I have been there once on the way to Malaysia, I ended up in Hat-yai. That was last year, nothing went wrong but that was one visit. The region is notorious for attacks and bombings for quite a number of years.

vinlyn

We were in mostly Yala, Narathiwat, and Pattani. Very Muslim...and interesting...and not so friendly (when I was there), but also not out-an-out unfriendly.