Travel Tales from Asia

It is easy to be overcharged for a flight these days. In order to get the cheapest flights, you are going to need to do some homework and a bit of digging. There are definitely some great deals out there; it’s just a matter of knowing where to look.

Once you find a price for a ticket, it is good to find comparisons. And, once you are confronted with a good deal, don’t be afraid to move on it. A good idea is to purchase a fully-refundable ticket that is a good value, early and then continue to look for a better deal.

Many times you can find some of the best deals by dealing directly with the airlines. If you sign-up with them, they can notify you by email if great last-minute deals pop-up. Also make sure to check fare-comparison sites. These are really handy as they do all the work for you. Sites like Kayak and SideStep are some of the best of these.

Once you have your ticket, it is also a good idea to keep an eye on the fare to see if it drops. Many airlines have a “best fare” guarantee, so if the fare drops on the same day you purchase, you can get refunded the difference.

The more flexible you are about when and where you fly, the more apt you will be to get a cheap flight. Broaden your search to other airports in your area. Don’t forget to pull the trigger when you do find a great deal. Great deals won’t last forever; if you hesitate, chances are it won’t be there when you finally decide to purchase. Packages which also include your accommodations can save you a lot of money on both. They are worth looking into, if you are going to one place.

While traveling in Indonesia, I had the great fortune of spending a week on the island of Bali. If you have never been, you should definitely add it to your list of places you have to see. Bali is incredibly beautiful and full of lovely, nice people. When you’re in Bali, you must be sure to travel all around the island to see all that it has to offer.

My days in Bali consisted mostly of lazily laying on Kuta beach. It is the main touristy beach in Bali which is full of all the tacky touristy things you’d expect, including Starbucks. I did try my hand at surfing a couple times, though, but couldn’t stand up for any great length of time. If you do attempt some surfing lessons, beware. It is incredibly addicting. The water in Bali is to die for, so even if you don’t try surfing, it is great for a swim.

You can stay in some pretty neat hotels in Bali that are made-up in the traditional Hindu flare. The hotel where I stayed was decorated like a palace. There is a lot of Hindu decor all over the island as Hindu is the main religion.

During my week stay I also managed to take a day trip into Ubud, Bali’s cultural center. Ubud is a must-see if you are in Bali and you can get some really cool art there. We went north of Ubud, to Taro to take an elephant ride. We had already ridden an elephant in India, but this was neat as well. You get to feed it and give it a bath after your ride.

You cannot be bored in Bali as there are always things to see and discover. And as is the case with many South-East Asian hot spots, the night life is fabulous. I met some great fellow travelers at the local pub near where I was staying. We even traveled to Malaysia together afterwards.

While in Malaysia I had the great opportunity to trek through the Borneo jungle. Sabah offers a wide range of sightseeing activities in its pristine jungle. We opted for a day trek into the Kinabatangan Wetland. It is a great place to spot some exotic monkeys which we did. The wetland is just a couple hours southeast of modern Sandakan, which is not far from the Sepilok Orang-utan centre.

The wetland cover 25000 Hectares of land and it is rated as having the highest concentration of primates in all of Borneo. We took a river ride with a guide to sight the strange looking Proboscis monkey which is only found in Borneo. Besides all the monkeys we saw, we also saw some pretty cool birds.

After the Kinabatangan Wetland, we went to the Sepilok Orang-utan centre because I’m obsessed. The centre is a great place to see these fascinating primates in their natural habitats. We got to see them during an afternoon feeding which let us spot them at very close range. It was a once in a lifetime experience and I would recommend it to anyone going to Borneo.

Our largest excursion was our trip into the Tambunan. It offers visitors a chance to see the world’s largest flower, the Rafflesia. It is definitely something to see. It is massive and very strange looking. While in Tambunan you can also picnic by waterfalls, hike through the rainforest, and climb Mt. Trusmadi.

We had the opportunity to climb Mt. Trusmadi, which is the second highest peak in Sabah. It is worth all the work of climbing it when you reach the top and get to look out over the beautiful landscape. You can see the islands and the rice fields and, when we were atop it, everything appears engulfing in a beautiful mist. It is definitely picturesque so don’t forget your camera.

The picturesque city of Hangzhou, located 118 km. south of Shanghai, makes for a lovely day or overnight trip for tourists staying in Shanghai. It offers a relaxing break from your time in the bustling metropolis. Catch the express train from the main Shanghai train station and it is approximately a 2.5-hour train ride to the city. Hangzhou has been a well-known place for reflection and escape for centuries. Historically it was an imperial retreat for Chinese Emperors and their families.

West Lake is one of Hangzhou’s most famous sites and over the years poets, revolutionary Chinese heroes and even Marco Polo have praised its still waters. West Lake appears like a traditional Chinese Garden on a large scale. The lake is divided by causeways and has several man-made islands scattered throughout. Around the lake there are bike and paddleboat rentals. Bear in mind that if you are visiting in the summer it will be hot and humid. Be sure to keep yourself hydrated.

Hangzhou is known for producing some of the highest quality green tea in all of China and there are several tea villages in the West Lake district. It is a short taxi ride from West Lake to the tea fields where you can walk amongst the plants or if you are lucky catch a farmer or two drying the tealeaves. If it is a weekend you are also likely to see a few wedding parties posing for pictures. Travel tip in order to catch another taxi back you will need to return to the main road.

Jingci, Lingyin, and Yue-Wang are all Buddhist temples located in and around Hangzhou. Lingyin is one of the largest Buddhist temples in China. You could spend several hours there wandering through the many pagodas and Buddhist grottoes. There are also impressive reliefs carved into the cliffs and caves. In the darker caves the carvings are only visible by the light of the camera flash. The most famous carving is the Feilai Feng or “the peak that flew hither.” All of the temple sites contain giant wooden carvings of the different forms of Buddha.

Hangzhou is also famous for beautiful silks and satins. The biggest silk wholesale and retail market in China, Hangzhou Silk City, is located here. Silk City has more than 600 silk vendors selling a wide variety of products from clothing to scarves and ties.

Qinghefang Street in the historic district is a must see for anyone with an interest in history. The street is lined with well-preserved buildings from the Southern Song Dynasty as well as the Ming and Qing dynasties.

The modern commercial center of Hangzhou is located along the Yanan Road. Zhejiang Provincial Great Hall of the People, Hangzhou Culture Center, Victory Theatre, and the International Mansion are all places of interest.

Insider tip- when you are ready to catch the train back to Shanghai after a long day of site seeing enter through the first class entrance. The other main entrance at peak times can be a mob scene.

Well-traveled non-Mandarin or Cantonese speaking readers I have a test for you- name a famous Chinese pop singer. Could you do it? If you did– now name another. Lost yet? The point is much of Chinese popular culture is not publicized in Europe or the Americas. But here is a question I bet more of you can answer- who are Ling-Ling and Hsing Hsing? If you said Pandas- you are right, if you said Giant Pandas you get a bonus point!

The Giant Panda is one of China’s most successful and historic cultural ambassadors. As early as the Tang Dynasty (618-907) there is record of a Chinese emperor sending pandas as gifts to Japan. The practice became famous when US President Richard Nixon visited China in 1972 and was gifted Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing. The pair instantly became one of the most popular exhibits at the National Zoo in Washington DC. Several generations of school children- this writer included- have grown up giving elementary school reports about these beautiful animals.

If you still have childhood fondness for these cuddly giants you shouldn’t make a trip to China without a trip to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding (the base) in Sichuan province.

Despite its popularity the Giant Panda remains on the endangered species list where it has been decades. However there are major efforts underway to preserve panda habitats and help them breed. The panda’s natural home is the central mountain ranges of China including the Sichuan, the Shaanxi and Gansu provinces. There are two major Giant Panda Reserve Centers, The Wolong Giant Panda Reserve Center and the The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. The Wolong Center was devastated by the May 12, 2008, earthquake and is now in the process of rebuilding. The Chengdu Research Base was not physically damaged but tourism to the base since the earthquake has dropped exponentially.

The Chengdu Research Base is located 6 miles outside of Chengdu City. It was founded in 1987 with six pandas rescued from the wild. It has grown to become an internationally recognized research and educational facility. As of 2008 the Giant Panda population of the base was up to 83 individuals. The base is designed to exist in harmony with the surrounding environment in order to best simulate the Giant Pandas natural habitat. In addition to Giant Pandas the base is home to Red Pandas and other endangered Chinese animals. The base provides daily, guided tours of the grounds. It also includes a new interactive Giant Panda museum for tourists and local school groups. For those travelers interested in supporting the pandas in the long-term, you can participate in the “adopt a panda” program.

Travelers interested in volunteering should consider the Giant Panda Center in Bifengxia in Ya’an City. The Wolong Center previously accepted volunteers but is currently closed due to the earthquake damage. The Giant Pandas from Wolong have now been moved to the sister Center Bifengxia. Bifengxia is accepting individual and group volunteers. However, the trips must be prearranged with partner travel agencies.

A key part of learning about any new culture is getting to know their food. In fact a meal for many people is their first introduction to a country and a people. I will never forget my first bite of Thai food- life changing, not an exaggeration, although at the time I took it I could not have told you anything about Thailand. The restaurants common in any city are often signposts to the history of immigration to the region and to the current diversity of the population. In Milwaukee, a medium sized city in the Midwestern US, we have Irish bars, Jewish delis, historic German, Polish, Italian, Chinese and Soul food restaurants, and somewhat newer Indian and Thai establishments. The newest arrivals to the city dining scene have been Korean and Japanese restaurants. Japanese cuisine, while always popular on the West Coast, has been growing in popularity in other parts of the country and in fact the world. Considering that Japan counts with some of the oldest people in the world- there is great incentive to learn to appreciate this healthful, flavorful cuisine.

Naturally, the traditional dishes of Japan developed based on its own unique history as well as the geographic and climatic situations of the country. Rice has been the most important staple crop for over 2,000 years. In fact the importance of rice cannot be overstated. It is not only the base of most meals but for several products including: cakes, crackers and miso. Vegetables, seafood and tea round out the daily diet. The most commonly recognized Japanese dishes include sushi, tempura, tofu and flavorful noodles. Interestingly, tea was introduced to Japan from China along with chopsticks and soy sauce; the deep-frying of foods such as tofu and tempura was introduced by the Dutch and the Portuguese in the 16th Century.

The most practiced religion on the island, Buddhism, has influenced cooking and dining styles. Buddhism places great influence on the seasons and the harmony within a meal. Seasonality of foods is key in Japanese dining. Buddhism also introduced the idea that meals should feature five flavors and colors: sweet, spicy, salty, bitter and sour; and yellow, black, white, green, and red. Emphasis is also placed on the presentation and appearance of dishes. The better a dish appears, and the more suited it is to the environment the better it is said to taste.

A few notes on politeness. A hot towel is often provided before a meal but is used to clean hands only. The bowl is held in the left-hand and the chopsticks in the right to avoid collisions at the table. It is impolite to pour soy sauce directly on to rice or soup. Instead a bowl is provided on the table and foods should be dipped into it. Picky eating and special requests at restaurants are generally frowned upon the more socially acceptable thing is to eat what is provided. As a traveler, just be sure to ask nicely if you have special needs.

Editor’s Note: My friend Lilly is writing this because I am too busy and she loves the idea of blogging!

There is the joke that when a man suffers a midlife crisis he buys a sports car. Following my divorce I decided to go ahead and indulge my own near midlife crisis by packing it all up and traveling. Inspired by something I read in book club about traveling women, I figured why not? If they could do something different, I could too. (In fact if enough women start expressing their midlife crisis via travel maybe we can develop our own cultural stereotype).

However, being a middle-aged, American woman and not a young free-spirit backpacker type I knew I would need some structure in my daily life. I did a lot of reading and a lot of research before deciding on Thailand as my destination. It was far away, would be a fairly drastic culture change but wouldn’t be too far off the beaten path. Since I am a city person I figured I would start in Bangkok, the capital and most famous city in the country. I was a little overly ambitious and via the web I signed up for cooking classes, language classes and Thai boxing classes before I even boarded the plane. I even prebooked all my hotels. Normally, I am not so nuerotic and I just book the first few nights but I was so excited by the trip, that I booked my whole trip right away. I need it. I spent four nights in Bangkok and then three nights in Phuket. I finish my trip with a beautiful Ko Samui hotel right now the beach. I was amazed at how cheap the hotels were. In fact everything from the hotel to the cooking class was really affordable!

Upon arrival I found that I had underestimated just how exhausting adjusting to normal life in a foreign country would be. I struggled through two days of Thai boxing before giving that up. I stayed in my language classes longer but was by no means a star pupil. However, my cooking classes became my real love and obsession.

There are now over 40 different cooking schools in Bangkok. Most of them are reputable but do your research before choosing one. Most schools teach in English but dishes, styles and prices vary. I chose a school with an informal environment that was near where I was staying and ended up loving it. Probably due to my Southern childhood some of my favorite dishes included fried chicken in Pandan leaves and deep-fried fish cakes with seasonings. My best friend laughed when she heard wondering why I had to go all the way to Thailand just to deep-fry chicken and fish. To my credit I also learned to both prepare and enjoy hot n’ sour prawn soup and coconut rice with mangoes. At first I was fairly wary of the prawns and had my doubts about mango as a desert but grew to love both of these dishes.

One great thing about learning to cook in another country is that it forces you to learn to shop in another country. I didn’t just hop in the car and go to Wal-Mart like I would at home. In order to prepare these dishes with fresh ingredients I had to learn to figure out the world unto itself that is the Thai market. Thai markets for the uninitiated are a truly amazing experience. My first time there I experienced sensory overload from the overwhelming number of stalls, colors, smells and people. But after a month of cooking school, I was weaving my way to my favorite produce stall right along with the locals.

My trip was a success; it certainly broke me out of my routine and helped me build my confidence. It wasn’t specifically where I went or what I learned but just the act of doing something- that was important for me.

I traveled to Tokyo in the middle of May so that I’d avoid both the busiest tourist week and the rainy season. While I was there I wanted to see a few of the cultural landmarks that both defined the city and how I’d always thought of it.

The first place I went was Akihabara. It was crowded, noisy and pricey but that’s what I went there to see. Essentially, it’s an area dominated by computers, electronics and anime with tons of shops both big and small. They cater to tourists as well as locals so it never felt like a shopping center meant purely to placate tourists with cheap souvenirs. Instead, there was some fantastic merchandise but since I’m not all that knowledgeable about the latest electronics, anime or computer parts, I didn’t actually buy anything. My trip there was more to enjoy the sites and sounds than to purchase merchandise and I justified it because it was only four or five minutes away (by rail) from Tokyo station. I did however stop in at one of the maid kissaten for a coffee. It was certainly an interesting cultural experience I could only enjoy in Japan.

My time in Akihabara was brief and I spent most of that day in Ueno Park. Regrettably, I missed the cherry blossom season by a few weeks so I didn’t get to see Ueno Park’s 1,000 cherry trees in bloom. However, there was plenty to keep me busy since the park is home to a number of museums, a zoo, a temple and much more. The highlight of my trip to the park was visiting Toshogu Shrine.

The shrine is dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu who founded the last Japanese shogunate. There are apparently more than 100 of these shrines scattered around Japan but I doubt they’re all as intricate as the one I visited in Tokyo. There was a small admissions fee in order to enter the shrine itself but it was worth it. As a nerd who has always been interested in Japanese history, being in a shrine dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu was pretty cool.

The next day being a Sunday, I stopped at Harajuku station. The Harajuku area is home to a number of up-scale fashion boutiques and also functions as a place where young, fashion-conscious Japanese young people hangout. I took a brief walk around the area and while I didn’t want to be rude by staring at individuals, I did find the culture on display to be fascinating. The costumes of the cosplayers were quite elaborate and the odd combination of Victorian and gothic dress was fascinating.

The whole time I felt as though the outfits belonged in a museum but the fact that people actually dress that way made it a totally unique cultural experience. These were just a few of the places I visited while in Tokyo but they made the greatest impression on me. I’d wanted to see them for years before I actually went to Japan in May and I have to say that the wait was worth it.

I traveled to Seoul in June (I wanted to avoid the rainy season and enjoy the weather before it became too humid) to see the city for the first time. Seoul is home to four UNESCO World Heritage Sites and I made it a priority to visit as many of them as I could while I was there.

My first stop was to Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon, a satellite city located just 20 miles outside of Seoul. Built around 1800, much of the fortress was damaged during the Korean War. It was repaired in the 1970s and walking up to it today it still seems impenetrable. What makes it so unique and visually appealing is that it was built as a combination of designs from Europe, China, Japan and Korea. Its hybrid nature, while obvious in photographs, was truly beautiful up close. I toured the walls, the four gates and the artillery towers.

I was lucky that I was there on a Sunday because they have a demonstration by the “royal guards,” a reconstruction of what the guards would have looked like when the castle was built in the late 18th century. It was colorful and fairly enjoyable but I wouldn’t build my plans around it in the future. My trip to Hwaseong Fortress and Suwon city took an entire day but it was worth it. On my second day in Seoul I visited Changdeokgung Palace. It was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997 because of the way in which the architecture harmonizes with nature.

While that sounds sort of flowery and pompous, UNESCO got it just right. Buildings on the palace grounds are beautifully integrated with the property’s extensive gardens. It was all built in the 15th century and while some of the buildings on the site have been rebuilt, the bridge is the oldest bridge in Seoul.

I will say that I was initially put off by the fact that you have to be a part of a tour group to see it but it was well worth the cost and the English-speaking guide was really useful. Hwaseong Fortress was impressive and beautiful in its own stark way but the palace gardens and pavilions at Changdeokgung were gorgeous. I wouldn’t have traded my tour of the palace for anything.

Because my tour of Changdeokgung was fairly brief (about 90 minutes), I managed to see the Jongmyo shrine on the same day. The shrine was visually pleasing but it certainly wasn’t stunning. Built in the 14th century, dozens of Korean kings and queens are buried at Jongmyo. It was an important site for royal ancestor worship where five rituals took place each year to honor the royal dead.

These rituals are reenacted once a year in May (I missed it by a month) and would probably make the site much more interesting to visit. I decided not to visit the fourth World Heritage Site in Seoul (the Joseon Royal Tombs) because I wanted to spend a few days enjoying modern Korean culture but the three sites I did visit were well worth the time. I’d recommend them to everyone and if I go back I’ll be sure to visit the Joseon tombs.

Asia is a great vacation destination but a trip to the East can easily be ruined if you don’t plan ahead for weather. In a region dominated by varied weather, rainy seasons and dry seasons, it’s important to plan for the climate and understand how different seasons will impact the price and enjoyment of your vacation.

If you visit a nation such as Thailand during the rainy season you simply aren’t going to be able to do everything you want and spend time outside every day of the week. In Thailand, the rainy season is basically May to October and during that time the weather fluctuates between heavy downpours and clear skies. You may have perfectly clear days in which to tour outdoor attractions but your plans can be easily interrupted by a heavy downpour that comes on without warning.

If you’re trying to save money, traveling to an Asian nation during its rainy season will cut down on costs. Because most people don’t want to travel during the monsoon, hotels and tours will cost less during the rainy season. Equally, sites and accommodations will be much less crowded so if the presence of lots of people is something you want to avoid, plan to visit a country during its rainy season. Remember too that the climate will vary between the regions of whatever country you are in.

For instance, Southern Vietnam is still fairly temperate during the rainy season but the North can be much wetter. Take this variance into account when traveling and if the region you’re in looks like it will be miserable for a week, travel somewhere else. You really don’t even need to leave a country to find more amenable weather.

Flexibility is important when visiting a nation during its rainy season. If you’re a rigid traveler then this isn’t the season for you to be in Asia but if you’re willing to go with the flow, change your plans based on the forecast and are interested in seeing lots of indoor as well as outdoor sites during your Asian trip, this could be the season for you.

Remember also that even though the whole season is identified as rainy, certain months are worse than others. Look at monthly precipitation before you travel during the rainy season and identify which months would be tolerable and which would not. On balance, the rainy season is a good time for the cost conscious traveler to visit Asia. It’s not a season of constant torrential downpours but this image keeps a lot of tourists out of the region.

Use this to your advantage by getting better deals on everything from hotels to transportation to tours. And while you’re saving money you’ll also be enjoying a quieter, less crowded trip as many tourists who haven’t done their research will be staying home out of fear of vast rainstorms and flooding. Most importantly, plan to spend your time in and outdoors on your Asian vacation. The rainy season can’t ruin trips to museums, palaces and great restaurants.