Asia trips need recommendations

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WildernessWanderer

Member
I'm planning a trip to China and Japan, can you give me some advice? What are the places that I must visit in both of these countries? In terms of transportation, is it better to use public transport or should I rent a car for getting around? how much difficult it is to manage only with English or I should learn some basic talks? Thanks a bunch for any advice you’ve got! :)
 
how long have you got in each country? and are you more big cities, temples or nature?

we've been to japan a few times, first was for nearly 3 weeks, second time was just in tokyo for ten days.
Also been to South Korea for nearly 3 weeks too. never been to china, that could well be next on the list at some point, though i understand its quite a different vibe to japan and south korea.
 
Shanghai is awesome, well worth a visit. The metro within the city is great. Taxis are also cheap. But the Didi taxi app wasnt accepting new customers when I was there. Other taxi apps are more difficult but still work. Paying for stuff can be a pain. Wechat and Alipay are the main forms of payment ( many places wont accept western credit cards even though they should). Alipay limits you to about £1000 that you can add as a credit. Otherwise you need a chinese bank account. Cash is ok. You will find the apps easier if you have an Iphone. Much more difficult to get some stuff on a Samsung Android phone. Flights within the country are relatively cheap. The high speed trains are also excellent but can be busy and need pre booking. The Chinese are very, very helpful. Use Wechat as a translator if you get stuck. I have also worked in Ulsan in South Korea. I would put Korea first for food. But China first in most other respects. Food in China is still great but you have to be more careful what you order. In Korea you could just go to any BBQ and you knew it would be great. Chongqing also looks really interesting but I was there during covid so it was a bit more restrictive on travel. The Chinese are simply miles ahead of us. I wouldn't hesitate to go back.
 
brillomaster said:
how long have you got in each country? and are you more big cities, temples or nature?

we've been to japan a few times, first was for nearly 3 weeks, second time was just in tokyo for ten days.
Also been to South Korea for nearly 3 weeks too. never been to china, that could well be next on the list at some point, though i understand its quite a different vibe to japan and south korea.
Click to expand...

Thanks for replying! I’ve got about two weeks in each country. I very much like many different thingswant to see the big cities, but also want visit temples and enjoy nature. I plan to see famous places, but also hope find some locations that are maybe less known by most people.

It wonderful you have been to Japan and South Korea many times! Are there secret spots or activities in Japan that you think are special for trying? Yes, I hear China is very different too any advice on what to expect will help me a lot. Thanks again!
 
Trav said:
Shanghai is awesome, well worth a visit. The metro within the city is great. Taxis are also cheap. But the Didi taxi app wasnt accepting new customers when I was there. Other taxi apps are more difficult but still work. Paying for stuff can be a pain. Wechat and Alipay are the main forms of payment ( many places wont accept western credit cards even though they should). Alipay limits you to about £1000 that you can add as a credit. Otherwise you need a chinese bank account. Cash is ok. You will find the apps easier if you have an Iphone. Much more difficult to get some stuff on a Samsung Android phone. Flights within the country are relatively cheap. The high speed trains are also excellent but can be busy and need pre booking. The Chinese are very, very helpful. Use Wechat as a translator if you get stuck. I have also worked in Ulsan in South Korea. I would put Korea first for food. But China first in most other respects. Food in China is still great but you have to be more careful what you order. In Korea you could just go to any BBQ and you knew it would be great. Chongqing also looks really interesting but I was there during covid so it was a bit more restrictive on travel. The Chinese are simply miles ahead of us. I wouldn't hesitate to go back.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the detailed response! Shanghai sounds amazing I’ll definitely add it to my list. Good to know about metro and taxi situation, especially with apps and payment methods. I did not know WeChat and Alipay are so much used I will think of setting those up before going.

I remember your advice about flights and trains. I will do both, so booking high-speed trains early is now on my plan. About Chinese food, I've heard different opinions, so thanks for the warning! I’ll probably stick to places that come recommended to avoid any surprises.

It is interesting that you think Korea has better food I really enjoyed the BBQ when I went to Seoul. I am excited to see how China will compare in other aspects. Chongqing was not first place I think about, but now I will look more into it it maybe interesting place to visit.

Thanks again for all the advice!
 
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