I have to make a visa run before May 15, and if I’m going to spend the time and money flying to another country and back, I want to enjoy myself, dammit!
I’m looking to spend 1-2 nights, basic but comfortable accommodations (preferably under NT$1000/night - most likely a backpacker’s hostel or AirBnB), with easy transportation to/from the airport. I know those requirements are pretty tight, which narrows my options down a bit. The cheapest flights include Hong Kong, Manila, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Okinawa. I’ve also heard about the one-night gambling cruise out of Keelung, which sounds like an attractive option, but I was confused by the rows and rows of price charts on the website and couldn’t find any info about a one-night cruise. Perhaps I should go through a travel agent to find out more about the cruise?
I know flights to/from HK are the cheapest and transportation to the city is easy, but accommodations and transportation are expensive. I’m open to staying outside of the main thoroughfare, though (actually, I’d prefer it), so if anyone has any recommendations for a cheap place to stay in suburban/rural HK, I’d like to hear them. I know nothing at all about the other cities and how accessible they are from the airports, but accessibility is a key concern, because the trip from the airport to the city can be really stressful if involves transfers, and it can also be really expensive if you don’t know what you’re doing. Any tips?
With Tigerair Taiwan the low-hanging fruit for cheap and easy visa runs is Chiang Mai. I went there on a visa run back in January and the return flight set me back a whopping 3,400 NT with everything included. Hotel was cheap (booked via AirBNB; not as cheap as it could have been but I was going for comfort) and transportation to/from the airport was a breeze since it’s not a giant airport in a big city. I think my taxi cost about 150 or 200 NT? I can’t remember but the whole trip was super cheap and I came back way under budget.
With Tigerair Taiwan the low-hanging fruit for cheap and easy visa runs is Chiang Mai. I went there on a visa run back in January and the return flight set me back a whopping 3,400 NT with everything included. Hotel was cheap (booked via AirBNB; not as cheap as it could have been but I was going for comfort) and transportation to/from the airport was a breeze since it’s not a giant airport in a big city. I think my taxi cost about 150 or 200 NT? I can’t remember but the whole trip was super cheap and I came back way under budget.[/quote]
+1 for Chiang Mai…book in at the Sleep hostel, 1000 baht, very funky.
