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Korean Job Discussion Forums "The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!"
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Tigerstyleone
Joined: 01 Feb 2009
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Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2011 4:40 am Post subject: Where's the best place to slack off for 3 months? |
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I'm trying to decide where I can go for about 3 months in SE Asia taking into these considerations.
1. Airfare
2. Least red tape i.e. visas, visa renewals...
3. Rental costs
4. Easy girls
5. least scammers and beggars
I'm looking to go a bit native this time and no stay in big cities spending all my money clubbing every night. I just want to slack off for a cheap as possible.
So far I'm thinking of Bali, Khon Kaen, Bohol, Phnom Phen
I've been to PI, and didn't like it that much, but girls.
Been t Cambodia but didn't like it either but no red tape and cheap
I love Thailand but visas are a problem for more than a month vacation for Americans.
Never been to Indonesia
Any suggestions ? |
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ttompatz

Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2011 5:08 am Post subject: |
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Philippines: go provincial. Get a 60 day visa before you go. Get a 2 month extension while you are there. Covered for 4 months; minimum hassle.
Out in the province (not in a major city or tourist trap) you will find the living is easy, rents are CHEAP and there are virtually no beggars or touts.
IF you want to do Thailand, get a double entry 60- day tourist visa (I think they are still free from the Thai embassy).
You can extend it once for an additional 30 days (2000 baht at any immigration office). If you want to stay longer then do a quick run to the border and return and repeat. total time = 6 months.
Americans only get 30 days in Cambodia (visa on arrival but not free).
Same for Indonesia (including Bali). 1 extension of 30 days is possible.
Same for Laos. 1 extension of 30 days is possible.
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BoholDiver
Joined: 03 Oct 2009 Location: Canada
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Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2011 3:33 pm Post subject: |
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Jeju Island. It is one of the 7 natural wonders of the world. |
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Louis VI
Joined: 05 Jul 2010 Location: In my Kingdom
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Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 2:12 am Post subject: |
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Jeju Island for three months IN THE SUMMER (when overnight temps are 24 C) is actually not such a crazy idea, camping around the island, a few days at each locale, could be satisfying. There are some very good secluded and sometimes unpopulated beaches, especially in the northeast. And weekdays at the more popular beaches aren't so swamped for most of the summer, just the weekends. Plus the Seogwipo forest park part way up the southwest slope of Halla has nice cooler summer campsites and forest trails. Not to mention the other small islands one could ferry off to for a couple of days. Buy an old beater car and throw camping stuff into it plus some good summer reading and music and head off. Food at local groceries is actually pretty cheap. It is a better option than some realize. As someone who spends weekends at local coasts more weekends than not, I know what I'm talking about. Someone can PM me for tips on sites if they pursue this option. From June through September, Korea has a lot of good beaches and camping to be had. |
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BoholDiver
Joined: 03 Oct 2009 Location: Canada
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Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 3:40 am Post subject: |
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I was just goofing around but it actually sounds like a cool idea. If more people could experience Korea like that, maybe more people would like it here.
Does Jeju get the same super rainy season in the summer?
Louis VI wrote: |
Jeju Island for three months IN THE SUMMER (when overnight temps are 24 C) is actually not such a crazy idea, camping around the island, a few days at each locale, could be satisfying. There are some very good secluded and sometimes unpopulated beaches, especially in the northeast. And weekdays at the more popular beaches aren't so swamped for most of the summer, just the weekends. Plus the Seogwipo forest park part way up the southwest slope of Halla has nice cooler summer campsites and forest trails. Not to mention the other small islands one could ferry off to for a couple of days. Buy an old beater car and throw camping stuff into it plus some good summer reading and music and head off. Food at local groceries is actually pretty cheap. It is a better option than some realize. As someone who spends weekends at local coasts more weekends than not, I know what I'm talking about. Someone can PM me for tips on sites if they pursue this option. From June through September, Korea has a lot of good beaches and camping to be had. |
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West Coast Tatterdemalion
Joined: 31 Aug 2010
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Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 4:15 am Post subject: |
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Yeah, but what about that nasty humidity, Van Islander? That kills me during the summers here. How is it on Jeju island? I've been to parts in SE Asia, but Korea's humidity is crazy compared to some of the places that I've been. |
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tukmax
Joined: 06 Jul 2010
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Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 10:08 pm Post subject: |
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I hate humidity too.
I am finished in Mid June and then I plan on traveling around Asia. Temperature wise where are the best places to go that wont be too humid? |
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Louis VI
Joined: 05 Jul 2010 Location: In my Kingdom
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Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 11:43 pm Post subject: |
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tukmax wrote: |
I hate humidity too.
I am finished in Mid June and then I plan on traveling around Asia. Temperature wise where are the best places to go that wont be too humid? |
In Asia in summer? Northern Siberia. And maybe the plains of Mongolia. |
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thrylos

Joined: 10 Jun 2008
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Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 4:15 am Post subject: |
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Isn't most of Indonesia dry during the 'summer' months? Now's the 'wet' season, April-October dry, no? |
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alwaysbeclosing100
Joined: 07 Feb 2009
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Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2011 10:41 pm Post subject: re |
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i highly recommend burma.
my personal favorite places are chiang mai and palawan. summer is the low season in all three of those places so they are cheaper than normal.
flights to all low season countries in the summer are cheap now on air asia.
i have only done sumatra but am planning a java/bali/gili trip for the summer during the high season. i dont recommend going there in the high season b/c the prices are higher. im very cheap so maybe the price difference isnt a big deal to you. |
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alwaysbeclosing100
Joined: 07 Feb 2009
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Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2011 10:43 pm Post subject: |
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tukmax wrote: |
I hate humidity too.
I am finished in Mid June and then I plan on traveling around Asia. Temperature wise where are the best places to go that wont be too humid? |
mongolia....you could hit the big summer festival
indonesia high season
sri lanka mid to high season
northern burma |
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brento1138
Joined: 17 Nov 2004
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Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 5:36 pm Post subject: Re: Where's the best place to slack off for 3 months? |
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Tigerstyleone wrote: |
I'm trying to decide where I can go for about 3 months in SE Asia taking into these considerations.
1. Airfare
2. Least red tape i.e. visas, visa renewals...
3. Rental costs
4. Easy girls
5. least scammers and beggars
I'm looking to go a bit native this time and no stay in big cities spending all my money clubbing every night. I just want to slack off for a cheap as possible.
So far I'm thinking of Bali, Khon Kaen, Bohol, Phnom Phen
I've been to PI, and didn't like it that much, but girls.
Been t Cambodia but didn't like it either but no red tape and cheap
I love Thailand but visas are a problem for more than a month vacation for Americans.
Never been to Indonesia
Any suggestions ? |
Koh Phangan meets all of your desires and MORE! (Don't spend even a second on Koh Samui -- it may be nice, but it's boring and WAY over-priced.)
1. Airfare - To Thailand can be incredibly cheap. Just fly with Air China. Go to expedia.com to check out prices first, you can also get them through Kangsan travel. You will be paying $350 round-trip (lowest). But expect a 17 hour connection-wait sometimes at an airport. If you got the time, and don't care about such a long wait, do that. The ticket from Bangkok to Koh Samui is cheap (about $100) and then the fast 30 minute ferry to Koh Phangan is cheap (about $5ish or less? I dunno). If you are into splurging a bit on your flight, you can get a nice Thai Airways flight (direct) for about $700ish? But hey, you got time man, I say go with the cheap ticket. You will not regret it.
2. Get your 3 month tourist visa at the Thai embassy here in Seoul. Doesn't take much time at all. SUPER EASY to do. If you just get the entry stamp WITHOUT the page-visa in your passport, you ONLY get one month. Annoying. So, spend the measly 20,000 won or whatever and get the 3-month Thai tourist visa. It also looks very pretty in your passport!
3. On Koh Phangan, avoid the big expensive beaches. You can spend a day or two, whatever. But here's what you do: Go to Laem Son 1. It's cheap, and good. Best beach on the island. Everyone there agreed with me. Rentals for a motorbike PLUS nice enough bungalow for the day were about $15 per day. If you want just a normal bungalow then you're looking more at $5 a day or so. CHEAP! Go to Laem Son 1. The bungalows there are alright, the beach ultra nice, and tons of good restaurants around the area. You can live there 3 months easily. You will never spend much on meals, maximum $6 a meal. Most meals are around 50 cents. And you can meet tons of people easily too. But it is not over-crowded like much of Thailand's touristy areas.
4. Very very very very very EASY. No, I'm not talking about Asians. I am talking about 22-28 year old Europeans and Israelis. The odd Japanese or Korean. Trust me. Go to Golden Rock (close to Laem Son, you can walk there 10 mins) and there are tons of girls doing Yoga lessons. They do Yoga for months. They have no boyfriends. They are beautiful, liberal, Europeans who like drinking. You getting the picture yet????
5. Never saw a single scammer or beggar ever the three times I've been to this particular beach.
If you do all the stuff I told you to do, you will have the best 3 months of your life. Absolutely. |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 7:46 pm Post subject: |
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thrylos wrote: |
Isn't most of Indonesia dry during the 'summer' months? Now's the 'wet' season, April-October dry, no? |
I'm pretty sure this is the case, though dry is a relative term in the case of Indo. |
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Gnawbert

Joined: 23 Oct 2007 Location: The Internet
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Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 10:29 pm Post subject: Re: Where's the best place to slack off for 3 months? |
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Wow, thanks for that post Brento. Like the OP, my girlfriend and I are pondering where to veg out for a month or three in June. We've been to Thailand before and previously stayed at Neptune's Villa on Koh Phangan which was very nice. I've been trying to sell her on Malaysia for the trip but we may just have to go back to Thailand with your description. Never made it north of Thong Sala.
brento1138 wrote: |
Tigerstyleone wrote: |
I'm trying to decide where I can go for about 3 months in SE Asia taking into these considerations.
1. Airfare
2. Least red tape i.e. visas, visa renewals...
3. Rental costs
4. Easy girls
5. least scammers and beggars
I'm looking to go a bit native this time and no stay in big cities spending all my money clubbing every night. I just want to slack off for a cheap as possible.
So far I'm thinking of Bali, Khon Kaen, Bohol, Phnom Phen
I've been to PI, and didn't like it that much, but girls.
Been t Cambodia but didn't like it either but no red tape and cheap
I love Thailand but visas are a problem for more than a month vacation for Americans.
Never been to Indonesia
Any suggestions ? |
Koh Phangan meets all of your desires and MORE! (Don't spend even a second on Koh Samui -- it may be nice, but it's boring and WAY over-priced.)
1. Airfare - To Thailand can be incredibly cheap. Just fly with Air China. Go to expedia.com to check out prices first, you can also get them through Kangsan travel. You will be paying $350 round-trip (lowest). But expect a 17 hour connection-wait sometimes at an airport. If you got the time, and don't care about such a long wait, do that. The ticket from Bangkok to Koh Samui is cheap (about $100) and then the fast 30 minute ferry to Koh Phangan is cheap (about $5ish or less? I dunno). If you are into splurging a bit on your flight, you can get a nice Thai Airways flight (direct) for about $700ish? But hey, you got time man, I say go with the cheap ticket. You will not regret it.
2. Get your 3 month tourist visa at the Thai embassy here in Seoul. Doesn't take much time at all. SUPER EASY to do. If you just get the entry stamp WITHOUT the page-visa in your passport, you ONLY get one month. Annoying. So, spend the measly 20,000 won or whatever and get the 3-month Thai tourist visa. It also looks very pretty in your passport!
3. On Koh Phangan, avoid the big expensive beaches. You can spend a day or two, whatever. But here's what you do: Go to Laem Son 1. It's cheap, and good. Best beach on the island. Everyone there agreed with me. Rentals for a motorbike PLUS nice enough bungalow for the day were about $15 per day. If you want just a normal bungalow then you're looking more at $5 a day or so. CHEAP! Go to Laem Son 1. The bungalows there are alright, the beach ultra nice, and tons of good restaurants around the area. You can live there 3 months easily. You will never spend much on meals, maximum $6 a meal. Most meals are around 50 cents. And you can meet tons of people easily too. But it is not over-crowded like much of Thailand's touristy areas.
4. Very very very very very EASY. No, I'm not talking about Asians. I am talking about 22-28 year old Europeans and Israelis. The odd Japanese or Korean. Trust me. Go to Golden Rock (close to Laem Son, you can walk there 10 mins) and there are tons of girls doing Yoga lessons. They do Yoga for months. They have no boyfriends. They are beautiful, liberal, Europeans who like drinking. You getting the picture yet????
5. Never saw a single scammer or beggar ever the three times I've been to this particular beach.
If you do all the stuff I told you to do, you will have the best 3 months of your life. Absolutely. |
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Fishead soup
Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Location: Korea
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Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2011 10:24 pm Post subject: |
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Goa India- Very laid back and cheap. There are lots of Europian and Isreali girls looking for a good time lots of topless sun bathing. Most people there are just taking a break from reality. I've met people who have stayed there for over ten years. Anjunna beach is great another great place to kill the better part of an afternoon is The German Bakery.
Hampi India- A really trippy place. Very Hindu lots of temple ruins. Lots of wierd shaped rocks. The landscape looks really Dali.
Krabbi Thailand- Spectacular beaches- You can rent a room by the month in Krabbi town. If you stay in Krabbi town it will be much cheaper than Aou Nang beach. It also has a nice quiet charm of it's own. You can take a long boat to so many beaches from Krabbi town. It's a great place to just chill out. There are lots of ladies there not all of them working girls.
Many can speak English there's also lots of Farang women too. Unlike Phuket or Pattaya the people who work in hotels, and bars, and travel agents, don't look look down of foregners. |
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