Visiting somewhere other than Japan

[Mystique]

Originally Posted by TinyRedLeaf

You're visiting only now? We've just had our second Formula One Grand Prix tonight, with Britain's very own Lewis Hamilton the champion here after last year's win for Fernando Alonso. Just over the past weekend, it's been celebrities galore over here, from the Black Eyed Peas to Nicole Sherzinger and Lindsay Lohan. The parties last weekend were probably some of the biggest Singapore had seen in months.

Well, presumably, you aren't here for the glitz. Sentosa has changed dramatically since four years ago, with a huge new shopping mall on the mainland facing the island, and lots of ongoing construction of a brand new casino Resorts World. My advice would be to give it a miss.

If you're really into nature stuff, I strongly recommend giving the newly opened Southern Ridges Walk a try. Also, it's become incredibly easy to visit Pulau Ubin. Might be worthwhile to take a walk around Chek Jawa on one end of the island. It's a tidal flat which is interesting for nature lovers.

The weather has actually been quite good, with only occasional showers (but, of course, a shower to us is probably like a thunderstorm to Britons). You should be glad, actually, because temperatures are unusually cool for this time of the year.

Cool? You're telling me 37C is cool?!!
(I is gonna burn and melt.. or proabably drown in the humidity) lol
I saw the thing bout the grand prix on the tourist website, not interested tbh, so its no loss for me
Did you personally go to any parties yourself though, I wonder how much the natives were into the entire event of if you just went on with your lives.

And hey, a thunderstorm and rain = thunderstorm and rain, I've been there before when it was pouring freaking sheets of water (then it stopped fairly fast luckily) - Japan's got its own rainy season too, not to mention the lovely typhoons coming up in Oct, I'm fairly sure I'm gonna need a raincoat or something, but I'd rather have sunshine and heat than rain and heat :\

I'm not into slimy creatures but Chek Jawa sounds like a rare opportunity to see things that may disappear real fast (like the white tiger i saw 4 years ago which was beautiful..) and Palau Ubin seems not too bad.
Since I'm a born and bred city slicker, I have an unhealthy obsession for gold sands and crystal blue waters, hence I'm after more 'beach' than 'green park', I just need to breathe in sea air and hear gentle waves once in a while

But thanks for the tips, its not a holiday per see, just a v v quick trip so no time to even wander around much, but it'd be nice to revisit some old haunts *coughchinatownandcheapstufftobuycough*
and not to mention kaya!!!
(I wonder how much I can get away with sticking in my bag to take back, lol)

[TinyRedLeaf]

I don't know which weather reports you're reading, but 37 deg C is way off mark. It's more between 30 and 33 deg C for the past few days (trust me, the few degrees makes a huge difference), with the occasional spells of scorching sun. The only really bad thing you'd notice is the haze we're getting from forest fires in Sumatra.

I work. I couldn't go to the parties (not that I would have; but I certainly was there at the Marina to soak in the roar of the engines), but my colleagues covered the events personally. If you'd still like to party, I'd suggest The Butter Factory. There's also the St James Power Station (it's on the mainland just opposite Sentosa; nearest train station is HarbourFront), which opened just about two or three years ago.

Be careful about the white tigers. They now have a taste for human flesh.

Gold sands and crystal-blue waters you'll never find here. Wherever else you're transiting to, I hope you find them there.

Chinatown has become a tacky tourist trap, really, no thanks to the "conservation" efforts of engineer-trained public servants who don't have the smallest clue about what it takes to preserve more than just the facade of a community. The "real" Chinatown, ironically, is now in Geylang, otherwise known as Singapore's red-light district. Why's that? For similar reasons to London's Chinatown community, I guess: where there are prostitutes, there tends to be good food available, and where there is good food, there tends to be a lot of people, and the resulting traffic attracts a significant number of China-born immigrants (we have a lot of them in Singapore now; their accents are unmistakable) there to set up their own shops and (legitimate, non red-light related) businesses.

Trust me, you're likelier to get cheaper kaya at our supermarkets than at any cornerstore in Chinatown.

I'd recommend dropping by at the completely revamped National Museum (nearest train station is Dhoby Ghaut). I'm not kidding. Abandon all your stereotypes of dusty, boring displays. The new museum is a lot more interactive, with a very "modern-art gallery" approach towards telling the history of Singapore.

I recall you're a librarian? You might want to visit our new National Library Building in Victoria Street (nearest train station is Bugis). If the books and the modern gadgets (yes, it's a multimedia-equipped library) bore you, pop up by to Bugis Street just opposite. In my opinion, it's the closest thing that Singapore has to a street-fashion thoroughfare/flea market (don't mistake the shopping mall, Bugis Junction, for "Bugis Street"). You might also want to check out the newly opened Iluma shopping mall that is right next to it (and therefore just on the opposite street-junction corner of the National Library).

Iluma's fairly interesting in that the retail shops seem to target the J-pop/K-pop teenage crowd. You'd even find a cosplay shop on one floor and a whole floor of arcade games, many recently imported from Japan. Most interesting point? Home-grown toymaker Play Imaginative also has an outlet at Iluma, on the first floor.

Lastly, in case you're not aware, possibly the best place to find Japanese-language manga in Singapore is at Kinokuniya, at the Ngee Ann City shopping mall in Orchard Road (nearest train station, Orchard, with a brand new, just-opened shopping mall right on top of it now, called Ion Orchard). It's my favourite mega bookstore in Singapore, in any case (admittedly, we only have three; the other two are Borders and home-grown company PageOne).

There is another option: a local chain called Comics Connection specialises in manga, artbooks and other tacky (and China-pirated) collectibles. The chain has an outlet in Iluma.

If you're hungering for "authentic" local food, I strongly suggest you go where the crowds gather during lunch hours. If you're in the city, I suggest looking around in Little India, or even at the Golden Shoe building (nearest train station Raffles Place, which has a popular hawker centre frequented by all the finance-sector workers in Raffles Place (our financial district, the equivalent to London's City). Unfortunately for you, the really good places to eat here are fairly inaccessible without a car. If you're adventurous enough, I recommend taking a taxi to the hawker centre in Old Airport Road.

Feel free to ask if there's any other suggestions you're looking for.

[Shadow Kira01]

South America is a great place with nice weather if you don't mind the recent swine flu outbreak which really doesn't matter as that it has already died out in that particular region. Europe is also nice but the expenses may be a little expensive depending on the nation itself.

[yoropa]

Am I allowed to bump this thread?

Basically,the countries I'd love to visit are mostly Asian, though there are a few others. I'm really looking at a trip to Korea. I'd love to go to both but since North Korea won't let me in I'm gonna just stick to the South. Anybody been there? Also, Azerbaijan. REALLY REALLY want to go there SO badly. And Russia. I would love to go to be in Moskva. Anybody been there?

If anybody is planning to go to the Middle East (excluding Israel) I can provide information.

[hinakatbklyn]

Where would I want to visit. Ireland? ancestors on one side of my family lived there in the past. I should consider it. I considered Australia previously but maybe it's alittle too far.

[Irkalla]

On my priority list is currently Yemen/Socotra. A friend of mine just came back from there with wonderful pics and stories. The scenery, beaches, mountains, desert, everything is just beautiful. The downfall is that duo to the current conditions there, they had to have armed "tourist keepers" at all times. In the critical areas, they were all given Ak47s, lol. But since I value my life a little more that my friend, I will schedule this trip for more peaceful times D:

[Zu Ra]

Yeah Yemen has beautiful crumbling architecture dating from era of Sheba .I always wanted to visit Yemen as a kid ever since I saw this in a travel show, so reminded me of LOR .

Recently Tony had gone to Lebanon which had a similar warning as Yemen . He had to be evacuated by Marines due to civil war . And Yemen is now a failed state and recently it serving as a drug superhighway along with Afghanistan . Don't know much about Socotra had to read up on it . ^^



- Yemen (Drugs) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OtYQXhJ6sQ

- Tony.B (Saudi) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ss9dGC076_U

[C.A.]

Right now I really want to visit Shanghai for the World Expo, as an artist, its an event that cannot be missed.

If I want a holiday for some fun, I'd go to Taiwan, I miss that place, especially the girls lol

[SaintessHeart]

I would like to visit the Golan Heights in Israel and Iran (not one after another though, too many prodigals in their intelligence services). Mideast is an interesting place to visit.

And yeah, the Shanghai Expo. A must visit for anyone who is interested in fine arts and with the money and connections.

[Arbitres]

I would visit my ancestral land of Germany, my great grandfather came here to US during some critical times, without a doubt. So my german blood is quite intact, having some other german (??? Apparently) blood in me, and some french on my mother's side.

I would like to visit Korea. The women are incredibly beautiful Plus, it would be an excellent experience.

French, for the above reason as well. But because the food is apparently quite differing. Not interested in french women, just their tastes in pizza and sweets lol

Hungary being another. I always wanted to visit Athens.. Ahh, Athens. An epitaph stamped on the modern world that tells a tale of both heroism and tragedy. Whose forges were motivated by Hepheastus, whose mythology sheltered many figures we hold close today. Zeus being an example, another being Thanatos.

...abit offtopic, but I have my own reasons to wanting to visit different places. Although Germany / Hungary gets the priority. xD probably will never happen, but a person can dream.

[Master_Yoma]

There only one other place to visit and that antarctic before global warming melts it all away

[ichigobanzai]

I live in Malaysia. Its hot and become hotter, they said its because of the global warming, but Malaysia got so many beautiful places and beaches. By the way,I have been in Japan years ago and japanese are so nice, like to work, like drinking, and they enjoy foods. The foods are really good, it not taste so good
at the beginning but became very delicious from time to time. What I really enjoy the most is the TV programs.. if you understand the language , and there is nothing more enjoyable then watching the anime without the subtitle. Some day I want to go visit the great wall of China and Taj Mahal of India.

[yoropa]

Ahh Malaysia. My mom's been there, but I haven't sadly. I know a guy who lived in Korea who went to Malaysia and spent hours on the beaches without shoes on to the point that his feet swelled. Then when he went back to Korea he was rushed into the emergency room and the doctor asked him "Can I take a picture of this?"

You know it's bad when the doctor wants a picture of it. XD

[yoropa]

Gonna bump this. I went to the ghettos of Detroit recently.
Now is not a good time to go to Detroit, let alone the ghettos of the Detroit Metropolitan Area.

I'm lucky I came out with a bleeding eye being my most serious injury.

[miroku2192]

Hey everybody, so I'm spending about 4 days in London (I arrive early in the morning on the 16th of July) and will leave on the 20th to go to paris with a tour group. That means I'll be spending those 4 days by myself, and I wanted to hear the opinions of the community on what places I should go to and what places I shouldn't. I'll definitely be checking out some of the major ones like westminster, st. paul's cathedral and what not, but I was also wondering what people thought about Stonehenge (Is it worth it? I heard it's pretty out of the way...and I only have 4 days so I don't know how much time I can allot for all the cool places in London in order to feel satisfied).

So if you guys have any tips, that'd be great. I'm also looking for a cheap place to stay. I found this place -> http://www.ace-hotel.co.uk/indexlondon.html , but the reviews on it from another site have been both good and bad, with some saying the staff are nice, and the others saying that they were not nice...it's a cheap stay, but I would still like a "safe" place to stay. So if anyone has been to London, or lives in London and knows the place well, could you recommend some good hotel for 3 days that would be cheap? Or have you heard of this hotel (youth hostel i think?)

I'm also thinking of grabbing this pass while im at it: http://www.londonpass.com/index.asp (seems like a pretty good deal? Is 4 days enough?).

I'm open to all kinds of advice, so please help out . Thanks so much!

[chichi13]

hi im from philippines ) it's really summer in here ) so hot !! i think you would be pleased if you see the beaches here .. oh well .. if given a chance i would love to go to Los Angeles i miss my friend badly .. its a pleasure if i could go in Disney Land haha

[Roloko vi Britannia]

England
Disney Land
Greece
Venice
hmm maybe a couple other places

[Arbitres]

Originally Posted by Roloko vi Britannia

England
Disney Land
Greece
Venice
hmm maybe a couple other places

Roloko your such a kid. But that is actually pretty refreshing since most people online are either somehow goofy or somewhat 'logical' or simply 'logical'.

...I'll go with you, just to kick Donald Duck's ass. After that, you will find me near the cotton candy stands. Also, I steal balloons.

:3

[Roloko vi Britannia]

Originally Posted by Arbitres

Roloko your such a kid. But that is actually pretty refreshing since most people online are either somehow goofy or somewhat 'logical' or simply 'logical'.

...I'll go with you, just to kick Donald Duck's ass. After that, you will find me near the cotton candy stands. Also, I steal balloons.

:3

that was one of my childhood dreams and we never could go since we were poor folk SO DON'T CRUSH THEM

I'll watch you kick his ass with meh popcorn and drink in hand.

[Mystique]

Originally Posted by miroku2192

Hey everybody, so I'm spending about 4 days in London (I arrive early in the morning on the 16th of July) and will leave on the 20th to go to paris with a tour group. That means I'll be spending those 4 days by myself, and I wanted to hear the opinions of the community on what places I should go to and what places I shouldn't. I'll definitely be checking out some of the major ones like westminster, st. paul's cathedral and what not, but I was also wondering what people thought about Stonehenge (Is it worth it? I heard it's pretty out of the way...and I only have 4 days so I don't know how much time I can allot for all the cool places in London in order to feel satisfied).

So if you guys have any tips, that'd be great. I'm also looking for a cheap place to stay. I found this place -> http://www.ace-hotel.co.uk/indexlondon.html , but the reviews on it from another site have been both good and bad, with some saying the staff are nice, and the others saying that they were not nice...it's a cheap stay, but I would still like a "safe" place to stay. So if anyone has been to London, or lives in London and knows the place well, could you recommend some good hotel for 3 days that would be cheap? Or have you heard of this hotel (youth hostel i think?)

I'm also thinking of grabbing this pass while im at it: http://www.londonpass.com/index.asp (seems like a pretty good deal? Is 4 days enough?).

I'm open to all kinds of advice, so please help out . Thanks so much!

Speaking as a Londoner, perhaps I'm the worst person to ask in terms of tourist passes and hotels
check this link out for the london stuff I put in here
http://forums.animesuki.com/showthre...20#post2997820

Also staying wise, eh..
London Hostels list
And this was always booked out solid when I used to work here, dunno bout prices but I know its fairly friendly and nice.
YHA (this is king's cross' branch specifically but the main website)

Stonehenge, to me is a bunch of blasted rocks.
To anyone who goes there (even natives), they say it is pretty breathtaking, esp on a clear blue day, so it's up to you. Depending on what you wanna see, can you decide with package deals are worth it
If there are any travel passes for your entire trip, do take those, it'll be worth it.

Originally Posted by Arbitres

Roloko your such a kid. But that is actually pretty refreshing since most people online are either somehow goofy or somewhat 'logical' or simply 'logical'.

...I'll go with you, just to kick Donald Duck's ass. After that, you will find me near the cotton candy stands. Also, I steal balloons.

:3

You'd offend quite a lot of Japanese, i should just add to that.
To them TDL (tokyo disneyland) is purely another option to get away from daily life, and alike how anime is consumed here by 20+ year olds, TDL and all things disney have no age limit like it does in the West.
Grown men and women will wear the clothes and use the accessories alongside with their kids (or on their own) on a normal basis without blinking twice.

Very bizzare and fascinating aspect of liking something of a culture that isn't yours but typically reserved for kids or teens.
As for Disneyland being a place to visit, sure why not, Roloko?
Depending on which global site you visit, it can be fun to check the place around it too. ^^

I've only been to Tokyo's one 5 years ago (depsite living a stone throw away from Paris) and even know despite living a mere 40mins away by train to TDL, I kinda wanna go again, just not on my own tho
Oh two words if you make it to DL:
"Space Mountain" <3