Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Poker]

Winter vacation is coming up, I would like to spend 3-4 days in each country, China, India and Cambodia to see these great wonders. I am busy planning my route. What would be the best/convenient/cheapest way to go about this?

From Korea, should I head to China, then go down south to Cambodia and up to India and then back? I am a South African passport holder, do I need visas for each country? Which cheap travel agents can book all the tickets and visas? I prefer not to buy my tickets seperately from all different sites. Thanks for the help!

[lemak]

You'll need visas for all. I don't think you're doing justice to any of these places to spend 3 days in each however. All are fascinating places. Why not just pick one this vacation, one the next etc. or you're going to spend more of your trip in airports or on planes than actually seeing these wonders.
For example in Beijing you can visit several different sections of the wall. It's not just one wall, there are numerous different sections, restored to different degrees. It even meets the sea in some places.
Add in also the time to see the equally fascinating Forbidden City, Summer and Winter Palaces, Tiannanmen Square, Mao's tomb, Wangfujing, Temple of Heaven, stuff yourself silly on some awesome food etc. you could easily fill your 9 days just on one of your places and still want to come back to experience more.
Likewise India. A stone's throw from Varanasi, Rajahstan and some of the most fascinating places on Earth.
Slow down and take some time to smell the roses.

[Squire]

I'd probably second what the poster above said. I visited China last year and intend to visit the Angkor Wat this winter, but wouldn't dream of doing all three in the same trip unless it involved at least a couple of months traveling

[TravelinSig]

I agree as well, it seems like a wasted effort. It's like someone saying they've been to a specific country by merely having a layover in said country. It's also not going to be cheap.
Beijing will be your easiest place to visit direct from Korea. It's only a 1-2 flight from either PUS or ICN. There are many tours you can book in advanced. You can see the wall in a day, but you wont see much. like it was said, there are different parts that are completely different from one another and they're all worth checking out if you are going to spend the money going there.
Ankor Wat is a bit more difficult. As far as I know there are no direct flights from Korea to Siem Reap. If there are, they aren't cheap. It's cheaper to fly into either Hanoi or Bangkok and sign up for a bus package> (Beware, those ass-hats are professional scam artists, especially the Bangkok route. Despite their claims it only takes 7-8 hours, it will in fact be 13+.) Ankor Wat is by far my favorite of the 3. I only spent a day, but really felt I should of spent 3.
The Taj, although it's impressive you can see it in an hour. You would fly to Delhi. From there, you have an array of transportation options. $2 for general class in a 4-5 train (awesome experience if you can handle it) to $100+ for a private limo Taxi. The thing about the Taj is it's in Agra, there is else around there to see there. I spent three months in India and sacrificed 2 extra days in Varanassi to make a detour to Agra. I really wish I didn't. IMHO pictures completely do the Taj justice. I would not recommend going there just to see the Taj. There are so many better places to see and experience in India.

Your trip can be done, but it won't be cheap and it won't be easy or fast.

[alwaysbeclosing100]

given the headaches of getting a china and india only 3-4 days in each country is nothing short of retarded IMO

[D.D.]

I have not posted in ages but was cruising the boards and this post was so stupid I had to comment. I just dont see how someone can narrow the purpose of travel down to seeing a couple of tourist sites.

Travel is being in the culture soaking up the atmosphere and the people you meet on the way.

Agra is a dump, so much better places in India to see. The wall is interesting but so is eating chinese food and drinking chinese beer with strangers in a greasy spoon sitting on a dirty table on the street.

The rushing around to see structures I guess some would enjoy but for myself it's the opposite of why I travel.