Thailand or Japan for a holiday

Japan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Too many tourists in Thailand- It's the 'Gap Yarh' and rich chav's destination of choice these days. It is lovely, but it's really changed in the past 10 years and some areas like Phi Phi, Ko Phan Yang, etc are just horrible now.
 
Bes said:
Japan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Too many tourists in Thailand- It's the 'Gap Yarh' and rich chav's destination of choice these days. It is lovely, but it's really changed in the past 10 years and some areas like Phi Phi, Ko Phan Yang, etc are just horrible now.
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Phi phi is still beautiful ,touristy yes but still well worth seeing and this is coming from someone who doesn't care to much for the country.

Indonesia however ............. Truely unsung place
 
moss said:
Although few Japs speak good English, they are always very helpful. Its surprisingly easy to find your way around Japan.
If I was looking at a map I often got people asking if I needed help/directions.
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I found that as long as you seem open, friendly, (and maybe slightly confused), then people in Japan tend to be friendly and helpful...

- Ueno station, looking at the map to work out exactly where I was going next ... random salary man goes up to one of the members of staff, gets a map in romanji (as the one on the wall wasn't) and just gives it to me before carrying on his way just because I looked a bit perplexed.
- In Osaka my Dad got lost (on his own, walked off his tourist map) ... local police man directed him to the nearest underground station where a local asked him where he was going. They were going to the same area so helped him with buying a ticket, getting on the right train and helped him finding the right exit out of the station at his destination (although he was still 2hrs late for meeting me for lunch!).
- One of my colleagues went snowboarding in Japan a couple of years ago and spent some time in Tokyo with his friends ... he tells of getting inebriated and waking up (with his friends) on Shinjuku station in Tokyo with commuters all around. Then some random chap on his way to work helped them (these obviously very hung over foreigners) to find the right line for them to get back to their hotel.

I found the bigger problem was random people coming up to you and just starting to talk to you to try and practice their English. That and deciding which yummy food to have next :)
 
Was in Thailand at Christmas and New Year and it was amazing. Phuket was a bit over-touristy and but if you're looking for a paradise there are less known islands like Raya Island (short boat trip) around.

Koh Samui is a total dream world. I'm fighting the urge to just go back this year.

Koh Pha-Ngan for full moon party is an experience, real party atmosphere and fire everywhere.

Dunno about temples...
 
Oh yeh Ive been to Thailand before. Koh smaui and koh pangan. Wasnt that impressed with Koh samui tbh.Why did you like it? I stayed very north of Kophpangan away from beach party and it was amazing had whole beach to ourselves and bungalows right on the beach for like 3 quid a night lol. had to get a jeep through the jungle in a thunderstorm to the full moon party which was cool. I only spent a few days in Bangkok and never explored it much at all which I really regret now. Hence I want to go back there. But its huge IMO you could spend days just traveling all areas.

Even when I went to sukumvit and they have the arab quarter etc...and all the shisha pipes and kebabs etc..its mad. The skytrain was cool and so was the big modern shopping centres in Silom etc..

I sjust wonder how it all compares to Japan. I aint been to Japan. I know Japan is more expensive, not 3rd world, more technological, more structured, less tourist orientated etc..
 
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moss said:
Although few Japs speak good English, they are always very helpful. Its surprisingly easy to find your way around Japan.
If I was looking at a map I often got people asking if I needed help/directions.
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Hardly anyone in Japan speaks good English*, but most younger folk will *read* and *write* some English. Being polite, friendly, patient and carrying a notepad get you a long way in Japan.

* (The education system doesn't teach phonetic English)
 
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I'd say Japan.

Thailand is a grubby, 3rd world hole.

With Japan at least your tourism would help the economy post Tsunami.

Just stay away from the radiation zone!!
 
compboyo said:
Oh yeh Ive been to Thailand before. Koh smaui and koh pangan. Wasnt that impressed with Koh samui tbh.Why did you like it? I stayed very north of Kophpangan away from beach party and it was amazing had whole beach to ourselves and bungalows right on the beach for like 3 quid a night lol. had to get a jeep through the jungle in a thunderstorm to the full moon party which was cool. I only spent a few days in Bangkok and never explored it much at all which I really regret now. Hence I want to go back there. But its huge IMO you could spend days just traveling all areas.

Even when I went to sukumvit and they have the arab quarter etc...and all the shisha pipes and kebabs etc..its mad. The skytrain was cool and so was the big modern shopping centres in Silom etc..

I sjust wonder how it all compares to Japan. I aint been to Japan. I know Japan is more expensive, not 3rd world, more technological, more structured, less tourist orientated etc..
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Can't remember where we stayed in Koh Samui but it was beach huts. Awesome atmosphere and we hired scooters to have random adventures on the island.

Everything in life is easy in Thailand. Food is abundant, people are chilled out and friendly, everyone helps everyone and there's no theft.

You get a massage for an hour at the cost of a big mac and walk out feeling so relaxed as if mavity doesn't exist. I had one every day.

haha sounds like you stayed in the same place we did in Koh Pha-Ngan! it was the opposite side of the island from the full moon party

if I go back I'd definitely like to see Bangkok.

although I do follow the philosophy that there are enough places in the world to visit without going to the same place twice...
 
Swiftan said:
Can't remember where we stayed in Koh Samui but it was beach huts. Awesome atmosphere and we hired scooters to have random adventures on the island.

Everything in life is easy in Thailand. Food is abundant, people are chilled out and friendly, everyone helps everyone and there's no theft.

You get a massage for an hour at the cost of a big mac and walk out feeling so relaxed as if mavity doesn't exist. I had one every day.

haha sounds like you stayed in the same place we did in Koh Pha-Ngan! it was the opposite side of the island from the full moon party

if I go back I'd definitely like to see Bangkok.

although I do follow the philosophy that there are enough places in the world to visit without going to the same place twice...
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Yeh thats why I wanna go back to Thailand though so many other Asian countries I want to visit as I said earlier.

As for Koh samui I stayed in Lamai at 1st which was quiet so we moved to Caheweng the biggest ''town'' on the island. I was ill the week I was there though having crashed a scooter and on antibiotics and unable to drink plus had a sore throat lol...so I was pretty down. However 1 day we rented scooters and just drove the island like yourself. We found this Buddhist shrine/area place in the middle of nowhere with mad huge statues like Buddhas with big 8 spider arms lol and then suddenly a thunderstorm happened. We were practically driving back to base on flooded roads it was like a movie or video game lol..Was pretty cool but dangerous. I recorded it with my phone on top but I dropped it when driving and we couldn't find it. I was so gutted. I still am real gutted about that. I Wanna watch that movie..would've been amazing..Sorry im just going on lol... plus I paid like 50 quid for the phone in MBK only a few days earlier.

Koh pangan we stayed north/north west. Pretty much literally had bungalows right on the beach. ANd we had massage and restaurant complex in the bungalows. Also the guy in the restaurant nearby had loadsa marijuana crops in his garden lol..We would go over and buy curry and my friend asked him bout the marijuana so we went round back and were smoking bongs made from bamboo lmao..

Only in Thailand....but Japan would be a far more different holiday.
 
If your an adventure guy then it's Thailand, stay away from cities and tourists, see the real world.

If your an urban explorer then Japan.
 
iamTakeo said:
If your an adventure guy then it's Thailand, stay away from cities and tourists, see the real world.

If your an urban explorer then Japan.
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I like it all lol

Plus I actually really wanna go to Shanghai to and hongkong+Macau.

Hanoi and saigon, maybe Hue in Vietnam and bejing and HArbin in China and Seoul also possibly :confused:
 
No really this bad boy would be my only concern :(

asian-giant-hornet1.jpg
 
Recently got back from Japan and I would really recommend it providing you have lots of money to spend there! I stayed in Osaka and visited the surrounding areas. There are tons of temples in the Kyoto and the night life in Osaka is very good! Really wouldn't advise going to USJ though... it's utter rubbish.
 
compboyo said:
I like it all lol

Plus I actually really wanna go to Shanghai to and hongkong+Macau.

Hanoi and saigon, maybe Hue in Vietnam and bejing and HArbin in China and Seoul also possibly :confused:
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If you like your chinese girls tall, leggy with model looks then Harbin is the place to be. :cool:
 
For those few that have been to Thailand can you give me some recommendations of places to see up in the North around Chiang Mai/Rai and along the way up there. Can stop off on the bus/train up there can't you for a few places.

Also places in the south, I know of Krabi, phuket, Ko phan etc.. the National park and all. Just looking for things to do maybe tour wise/trek. Got 27 days to fill up.

*edit*

I am also looking for a backpack and recommendations on shoes for wearing out there being told a sport sandal style thing will be ideal had a bunch of bookmarks that seem to have disappeared :(
 
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