Any ideas for a vacation in Asia?

[Major Robert Dump]

I will probably be going sometime after Christmas. I need to make a decision so I can start the Visa process, if needed.

Where I won't go:
Thailand (trying to stay out of trouble)
Korea (will go there later)
Japan (exchange rate sucks)

Where I am considering:
Phillipines
Vietnam
Indonesia
Cambodia
Bangeldesh
Malaysia

I been specifically forbidden by my employer from travelling to Burma, Taiwan and China


If anyone has any experience at the above countries please advise. I am not looking for a touristy experience, I could care less about nice hotels and scenic trips. I want cheap food, cheap liquor, a police force that isn't 100% corrupt and the ability to walk around in off-the-grid type locations without getting mugged because people think I have money. I'd prefer to not have to pay a guide or babysitter, so somewhere that English is somewhat common would be nice.

Vietnamese girls are the prettiest in the whole world, btw.

[stratigos vasilios]

I was in Thailand for 3 weeks in January. I can tell you how good that was and recommend stuff to do but alas you've ruled it out

[Arjos]

Indonesia is fun, and lobsters were so cheap you could grab and eat them basically :P
I was only 13 when I was there, but I could walk around with friends and people I've met there :)

[rajpoot]

No love for India?

If you just want to eat, drink and want a change of atmosphere (and have a decent tolerance to spices) then it's a good place.
Food's cheap, liquor is cheap and plentiful. Police are helpful if they see that you're a foreigner (atleast in cities) and you won't want to walk in off-the-grid-locations since they're pretty filthy and smelly anyway.

You can also spend a warm holiday in Pakistan.

[Major Robert Dump]

Pakistan. Yeah, right.

I had considered India, and have certain professional reasons to go there in regards to my nonprofit, but this I don't want to spend my time there working.

[Ser Clegane]

I have been to Vietnam in 2006 - that was clearly as a "tourist" though, so I am not sure to which extent I can give recommendations for a "non-touristy" experience.

At that time renting a car on your own was not an option - so getting to more remote places might be a bit cumbersome if you are not keen on having a babysitter/guide. Alternatives to a car might be train or bike - we tried neither though. We felt pretty save walking around in the major cities (including off the main streets) and smaller towns, even in the evening. Getting around with English was mostly fine - a bit of French (for older people) and German (for young to middle aged people who might have studied in Germany) can also help in some cases.
I assume the country got a more touristy over the last 5 years.

Any specific things you would like to know and that I might help with?

[Pannonian]

Pakistan. Yeah, right.

You've just been on a year-long vacation in Pakistan, haven't you? Or aren't we supposed to know that?

Edit: I recommend Vietnam if you're looking for dongs.

[Major Robert Dump]

I have been to Vietnam in 2006 - that was clearly as a "tourist" though, so I am not sure to which extent I can give recommendations for a "non-touristy" experience.

At that time renting a car on your own was not an option - so getting to more remote places might be a bit cumbersome if you are not keen on having a babysitter/guide. Alternatives to a car might be train or bike - we tried neither though. We felt pretty save walking around in the major cities (including off the main streets) and smaller towns, even in the evening. Getting around with English was mostly fine - a bit of French (for older people) and German (for young to middle aged people who might have studied in Germany) can also help in some cases.
I assume the country got a more touristy over the last 5 years.

Any specific things you would like to know and that I might help with?

Yeah, where can I find the college girls? If I have to hire someone as a tour guide, its going to be a local girl and not an agency, and I would think the girls in school might be a little less prone to con games and antics. I am kind of hesitant to advertise in the classifieds/craisglist type venues, I would be more inclined to just approach people in public places like grocery stores and coffee shops.

I would also like to visit some orphanages/chidrens hospitals

[Major Robert Dump]

You've just been on a year-long vacation in Pakistan, haven't you? Or aren't we supposed to know that?

Edit: I recommend Vietnam if you're looking for dongs.

I'm still there. I am close enough to Pakistan and familiar enough with their politics to know that they will never get a dime of my patronage for as long as I live. Pakistan has ripped me off. Twice now. The explanation belongs in the back room, though.

I am not looking for Dongs, but hopefully that sentiment is not mutual for whatever country I decide to grace.

[Afonso I of Portugal]

Why don't you try Maldivas?

[stratigos vasilios]

Edit: I recommend Vietnam if you're looking for dongs.

Outstanding from you Pannonian!

[Major Robert Dump]

The exchange rate there is not what I want, and I need somewhere close enough to a major airport so as not to get hosed on travel fees. Definitely on my radar, but not for this trip.

[rajpoot]

Well you can try Nepal, or maybe Bhutan. Good weather, nice food, nice people, and it's as cheap as over here, if not more.

I had considered India, and have certain professional reasons to go there in regards to my nonprofit, but this I don't want to spend my time there working.

Now I'm curious....professional reasons?

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

You are in the US Army...right?

[Major Robert Dump]

I am a reservist, I have a civilian job when I am not doing Army.

I also have a non profit.

I am also looking for a foreign school on which to use my GI BILL money, since I paid for all of my own college w/o using any of my benefits, and the GI BILL will pay for foreign schools. I can think of worse fates than getting paid USD to get a degree in a tropical country with a good exchange rate.

[rajpoot]

All right.

[Centurion1]

go to singapore. just don't spit anywhere.

[Marshall Louis-Nicolas Davout]

Go to India. They have some of the finest collages there. And Univeristy's. Or try UK. Dehli or Mumbai will do,they have collages.

[Arthur, king of the Britons]

The UK isn't in Asia bro.

[Papewaio]

Why not Taiwan? I was earning the minimum for a foreigner teaching English there at $20 an hour... They pay US teachers up to double that. Plenty of time left over to study/look around. You also get to see the non tourist side of life.

I can recommend both Malaysia & Indonesia. My wife loves going to Vietnam and she has a few Taiwanese friends who teach their. She also got a tour guide their to translate at the markets and show her all the not tourist spots.

Singapore is brilliant but pricey.

For uni's all I know is that a lot of South East Asians come to Australia to study.

[phonicsmonkey]

Go to Laos.

It's beautiful, not that touristed (because no beaches), the food is wonderful (like Thai food), the people are happy and friendly and there's miles upon miles of unspoilt wilderness to look around with the incredible city of Luang Prabang, a UNESCO world heritage site and one of my favourite places in the world.

You could combine it with some time in Cambodia to see the temples at Angkor. Perfect

[Major Robert Dump]

Why not Taiwan? I was earning the minimum for a foreigner teaching English there at $20 an hour... They pay US teachers up to double that. Plenty of time left over to study/look around. You also get to see the non tourist side of life.

I can recommend both Malaysia & Indonesia. My wife loves going to Vietnam and she has a few Taiwanese friends who teach their. She also got a tour guide their to translate at the markets and show her all the not tourist spots.

Singapore is brilliant but pricey.

For uni's all I know is that a lot of South East Asians come to Australia to study.

I want to go to Taiwan, but my particular job in my particular unit prevents me from going there on military R&R, I presume becauseof the "tensions" that war could break out any moment and the Chinese may think a pasty, middle aged video game nerd is worth kidnapping. But under other circumstances, I would love to visit Taiwan. I know Taiwan is not off-limits military-wide, because I know people going there, but like I said, my job in my unit

Laos should have been on my list. Laotians have a bad habit of coming to Oklahoma and turning into bigger rednecks that the crackers, they fascinate me, and I assume the whole hunting-fishing-outdoorsy thing is big there since thats the only thing I can think of that justifes the cowboy hats, pickups and country music.

[phonicsmonkey]

Laos should have been on my list. Laotians have a bad habit of coming to Oklahoma and turning into bigger rednecks that the crackers, they fascinate me, and I assume the whole hunting-fishing-outdoorsy thing is big there since thats the only thing I can think of that justifes the cowboy hats, pickups and country music.

Totally.

If you want to float down a river on a tractor tube, get capsized by a submerged water buffalo, wash up in a fisherman's net and have him offer you a fish without even blinking....

Or sit in a cafe outdoors in the 45 degree heat sipping Beerlao (best beer in asia!) watching some guy take four hours to construct a simple bamboo shade while 'Life in the Fast Lane' by the Eagles blares out of his ghetto blaster...

Or venture into some caves and go 1km under the earth with some random dutch guys, spend hours down there in the dark looking at crystals and smoking ciggies and then find a very worried Laotian cave attendant on the way back up who came looking for you because no-one spends that long down there...

Or, drunk on rice whiskey from a bottle with dead cobra in it, meet some crazy dude in a bat-ridden temple courtyard at night and have him virtually drag you back to his stilt hut / opium den over a swamp to show you pictures of the toyota pickup truck he's saving for..

..then Laos is for you!

I would post you some photos but when I was there in 2001 there were no digital cameras yet! so they are all hard copies...

[Populus Romanus]

Afghanistan

Beautiful scenery, cheap cost of living, and the people there are very lively.

[Major Robert Dump]

I actually tried to just stay in the Stan for leave, the plan being to go back the the districts I worked in last year and hang out with my old interpeters and drive around and see my kids. That, too, was squashed.

[Cute Wolf]

Indonesia, if you go at Java (especially Bandung/Jakarta) I can help you a lot especially after Christmas

[ELITEofWARMANGINGERYBREADMEN88]

Korea and Japan, stay out of the rest brother you be nice to go to those places.

[Subotan]

Laos and Taiwan are good, interesting choices.

[Hosakawa Tito]

Where ever you decide avoid the David Carradine romper room stuff.

[Major Robert Dump]

Where ever you decide avoid the David Carradine romper room stuff.

I can think of worse ways to die than in the company of Thai prostitutes.

If I try to pick up any girls, it will happen at grocery stores and coffee shops. I might even give Sunday Mass a shot.

[Cute Wolf]

I can think of worse ways to die than in the company of Thai prostitutes.

If I try to pick up any girls, it will happen at grocery stores and coffee shops. I might even give Sunday Mass a shot.

coffe shops i can understand, but trying to pick up girls in grocery stores and sunday mass is futile effort here, unless you want to pick up old ladies

and oh, trying to pick up wrong girls can get you a nice slap marks if you are lucky
and trying to pick up wrong girls is among the top leading cause of death for males aged 20-39 in Indonesia