Favorite vacation spots in India and Asia
I am a huge fan of Jaipur, especially of course the Taj Mahal - a wonderful testament to love. If you are fortunate enough to have your own driver and guide, you can avoid the queues, hawkers and crowds somewhat to take in the history and majestic beauty.
I also love ****et, we avoided the main tourist areas and stayed at a wonderful hotel with a completely private beach - they set up your sunbeds, have a cafe on the beach for lunch/drinks etc - the water is fantastic for snorkelling and the exotic fish will be swimming at your feet once you are six inches into the water! It's a great place to learn to scuba dive and Ian and Tom got their Padi's while we were there. We also chartered a boat to a private island and the hotel sent a staff member with us for the day -truly how the other half lived LOL!
Bali was fun
Gambling in Macau was fun - like Chinese vegas only the food was better!
Hanoi was an interesting place to learn the "other" side of the Vietnam war - there are "guides" paid by the Government to follow foreigners around in the museums etc and tell you how bad the Americans and French were!!!
Hong Kong - dirty but lively city - wouldn't want to live there because of the pollution and the Chinesification - but a great place to go for a party weekend
Where have you been, Jost - I'm sure you have great reviews! Expat life is truly a gift ...
Proud Feminist, Atheist, LGBT friend, and Democratic Socialist
on 4/14/14 12:56 am
We do love the Expat life except not having our dog with us and travelling between 3 countries. In January I was on 4 continents in a 3 week period....whew, I was pooped. It will be much better when we soon get settled in one spot (and relocating the pup) and I just have to travel for meetings once a month.
Don't have much time to list places tonight but in a nutshell...we've been to 37 of 50 states; only 2 Canadian province; 37 countries in Europe, Central America, South America, Caribbean, Africa, and Asia. My number one goal in life is to visit each state, CA province and continent. Australia and Antarctica remain and a lot of Canada....that will be solved with a cross country train trip or long road trip in a RV.
Our next trip this weekend will be to Kerala. Our wonderful driver in Mumbai is from the area and will be our tour guide. We'll have the honor of staying with his parents one night!! I'm looking at houseboats for several nights and an overnight in one of the wildlife parks...have to see a Bengal tiger and sloth! Saw a sloth in Costa Rica one time and they are my favorite!!!!!!
By the end of April we hope to do a Delhi to Taj Mahal to Jaipur to Katmandu trip. I read about a Mt Everest flight seeing trip and I'm determined to do it! Can you just imagine? We flew over Denali at sunset one time while heading to Nome AK and it was simply stunning.
Anyways, I'm rambling now. Any hints about the Taj and Jaipur would be great! Back to work to pay for these trips 
In Kerala, you can hire river boats with living accommodation and a cook. They are meant to have around six people but you can hire them all to yourself and sit under the an awning while your cook prepare local foods for you?
Highest 290, Banded - 248 Lowest 139 (too thin!). Comfort zone 155-165.
Happily banded since May 2006. Regain of 28lbs 2013-14. ALL GONE!
But some has returned! Up to 175, argh! Off we go again,
Always travel by local trains and buses so lots of great small places whose names I can't remember!
India, Jaipur, Kuchaman. Want to go to Kerala! Taj Mahal is one if those places which is as fantastic as it is supposed to be!
Thailand, away from tourist, Kao Tao used to be magical but has been "discovered", I like the north, Ayutthaya, Chang Mai, down round Petchuburri, Kanchanaburri. Not over keen on Bangkok. Go up the River Kwai to the Burma border, sleep in a raft hotel!
Vietnam - liked Hanoi until I was knocked down by a motorbike ( but, hey, insurance company flew me home business class!), Sapa is worth visitng. Helong Bay, Mekong Delta.
cambodia and Laos, can't say as due to go there and then had aforesaid accident!
Malaysia, like Kuala Lumpur. Preferred Borneo to Malay Peninsula, loved Penang. Danum Forest - excellent!! Wild orang utans. Kinabatangan river, elephants, crocodiles, range if monkeys!
China and Tibet. Going next April!
Highest 290, Banded - 248 Lowest 139 (too thin!). Comfort zone 155-165.
Happily banded since May 2006. Regain of 28lbs 2013-14. ALL GONE!
But some has returned! Up to 175, argh! Off we go again,
Saw Kerala mentioned a couple times above - I add my voice to that. We did a 3 week trip from Madurai, Tamil Nadu to Aleppo in Kerala, then up the coast to Trissur - then In to Nagarhole - the ecolodge there was great - lots of wild elephants... Pix
Siem Reap Cambodia - Ankor Wat... Pix
Vietnam, both the South and the North were great... we did some good tours out into the small villages in the North, near the china border; Pix
Burma/Myanmar... very interesting. We traveled around a little, Bagan was fascinating... Pix
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