I was justing thinking about taking a short break for a few of days and was wondering about where to go for a short, hassle-free, getaway. I really enjoy Bali because it’s very easy to arrange and you can be at your destination in a very short time. Macau (food) & Hanoi (atmosphere) are two other favourites. Yours?
Say what you want about it, but I’ve found Guam to be a good cure if you’re homesick for the States and just want to get away for a few days. Rent a car and drive away from the tourist strip. It’s a small place and being able to drive around it in about a day gives you a great sense of accomplishment. It’s also a good place to stock up on things you miss from home.
Flicka,
you say that Guam is a good place to stock up on things you miss from home, but how are the prices?
Isn’t Guam really expensive?
quote:
Originally posted by chessman71: Isn't Guam really expensive?
It’s alot cheaper than Taiwan.
It seemed stuff at the grocery store and Kmart (yes, they’ve got one there) were about the same as the US mainland. My guess is that government subsidies keep the prices reasonable. Hotels, however, can be expensive, but you can find something cheap outside of Tumon.
I was in Guam 2 years ago Christmas. My hotel (with a nice pool) cost $55US per nite. That’s considerably cheaper than any hotel with a pool in Taiwan. A large pizza, beer and a couple of Cokes at Pizza Hut was only about $14US.
Government subsidies? I don’t think so. Remember, Guam is the center of Micronesia. Anything going to another island has to go through Guam.
About Kmart…it does more business than any other Kmart in the world. Did you notice the Japanese tour buses parked outside?
Sounds nice.
Didn’t K-Mart go bankrupt though? Is there a Wal-mart there?
Wouldn’t you rather vacation, or take a break from Taiwan, by hanging in an Asian environment instead of an American one? I mean pining for K-Mart…really!
I like Ko Samui. It has enough variety to satisfy all types and is usually almost deserted in late September and October.
Thanks Wolf, Ko Samui was one of the places i was thinking about. I heard that there are direct flights from Taiwan. Can anyone confirm this?
There are no direct flights.
If you need more info (I’ve been there three times), send me a e-mail at wolf_reinhold@hotmail.com
Check with your agent. I think direct flights from Tpe are only to Phuket. I believe that Bangkok Airways/Airlines has a monopoly to Koh Samui (?)- about 3,500 baht each way.
Nice easygoing place and decent guesthouses with pool and gorgeous food are very affordable. The quiet (Northern) end of Lamai beach is my preference.
No K-Marts to be seen (and hopefully it will stay that way!)
I go with the TPE-BKK-Samui return. Getting from Phuket to Samui has seemed a hassle to me, but then I have not had a huge amount of travel time lately. For me, it’s get there as quick as you can and enjoy.
Pretty fair diving near Samui too.
And there are now MacDonald’s and Pizza Hut…who would go to Thailand and eat a big Mac? It takes all types.
Wolf – What’s wrong with pining for Kmart? Where the hell else am I supposed to get my Martha Stewart supplies?
quote:
Originally posted by wolf_reinhold: Wouldn't you rather vacation, or take a break from Taiwan, by hanging in an Asian environment instead of an American one?
Over 90% of Guam’s population is Pacific Islander or Asian.
http://www.guampdn.com/guampublishing/maila/maila40shopping.html
Ko Samui is ok, but Ko Tao (a small island close to Ko Samui) is very, very much more quieter and if you like scuba diving, it’s a real paradise! If are in a party mood, try Ko Phan Gan (also close to Ko Samui) for a Full Moon Party. It’s getting more and more commercial but still nice to meet people from all around the world.
By the way, I went to Cambodia a few months ago and I really loved it. It’s interesting to visit Angkor, but my real discovery has been Sihanoukvile, in the south. You have the beaches almost for yourself!!!
Hi,
I’m really interested in a trip to Cambodia or Myanmar, especially if I can get a direct flight from Taiwan. MJG, how did you get there, and do you remember the costs involved?
Cheers,
The Big Babou
how much do these trips y’all take cost generally? i know accomodations and food are cheap at these places, but how much does it usually cost to get there? i’m going to need to make lots of visa runs while i’m here and all these places sound much more exciting than hong kong or japan. like how much would average rt airfare deom taipei to guam or any of these tropical islands be in nt$ or us$?
Some nice places I have been:
Bali (Indonesia) - though vendors at the beach can be very annoying, nice countryside (inland) and the whole island has a certain charme I do like
Boracay (Philippines) - beautiful, small island, good Scuba diving, accomodation can be expensive though
Pulau Tioman (Malaysia) - a bit commercialized but a nice place to relax (read: no parties), Scuba diving ok to good; went on a weekend and it was virtually deserted
May try Pulau Redang, too, it’s said to be even more beautiful
Ko Samui (Thailand) - party on though you can also find some quieter parts
Ko Samet - see above but fairly small; no airport (reach via BKK or Pattaya)
Phuket - again see above, or hop over to Ko Phi Phi for less ‘action’, also possible as daytrip from Phuket
[quote=“NFI”]Re Koh Samui:
Nice easygoing place and decent guesthouses with pool and gorgeous food are very affordable. The quiet (Northern) end of Lamai beach is my preference.[/quote]
At the southern end of Lamai Beach (close to the infamous Grandfather and Grandmother Rocks) 
is the Aloha Resort, a very nice place with reasonable prices. 
quote:
Originally posted by The Big Babou: Hi,I’m really interested in a trip to Cambodia or Myanmar, especially if I can get a direct flight from Taiwan. MJG, how did you get there, and do you remember the costs involved?
Cheers,
The Big Babou
Hi! I took a plane Taipei-Bangkok (visa run…), then, I crossed the border by land (which was a real experience, God! it’s one of the worst road of the world…) for a very cheap price (less than NT 200) and stayed in Siam Reap for a few days to visit Angkor. My room in the guesthouse (“Lucky One”) costed me 2,50 US $/night (I shared it with a girl I met in the bus)! I went to Phom Pen for a couple of days (a little more expensive), then I went to Sihanoukville by bus (very cheap). The hostels near Victory beach are the cheapest (but it’s not the best beach). I crossed the border by sea 5 days later (also an experience!!!) and came back to Bangkok for my visa run. All of this in 2 weeks!!!
Compared to Thailand, it’s a little bit more expensive and the beaches are not as nice as there, but I wanted to avoid crowds of tourists… Try Cambodian food, it’s really good!!!
I don’t know if they have direct flight from Taipei (I guess so), but usually, flights are cheaper in Bangkok than anywhere else in Asia, if you don’t mind to spend a couple of days there.