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austinmc86
Joined: 23 Feb 2010
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 Posted: Sun Jun 26, 2011 5:53 am Post subject: Vietnam, Indonesia or Malaysia? |
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Which one is better (overall) for food, price and beaches?
Also, as a U.S. do I need to obtain a tourist visa for either place?
Furthermore, which airlines would be cheapest flying from Busan?
I wanted to head back to Thailand, but airfare was way too expensive.
Last edited by austinmc86 on Sun Jun 26, 2011 7:11 am; edited 1 time in total |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Sun Jun 26, 2011 6:04 am Post subject: Re: Indonesia or Malaysia? |
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| austinmc86 wrote: |
Which one is better (overall) for food, price and beaches?
Also, as a U.S. do I need to obtain a tourist visa for either place?
Furthermore, which airlines would be cheapest flying from Busan?
I wanted to head back to Thailand, but airfare was way too expensive. |
Malaysia = no visa required for US nationals BUT onward/return passage IS required.
http://www.timaticweb.com/cgi-bin/tim_website_client.cgi?SpecData=1&VISA=&page=visa&NA=US&AR=00&PASSTYPES=PASS&DE=MY&user=DL&subuser=DELTAB2C
Indonesia = visa on arrival (not a visa waiver entry stamp) at major international airports. Bring $25 dollars and passport photos.
You may be asked to show proof of funds ($500 or a valid credit card).
Visa required, Nationals of USA can obtain a visa
on arrival for a max. stay of 30 days,(SEE NOTE 43284)
provided:
NOTE 43284: Applicable at Balikpapan(BPN), Banda Aceh(BTJ), Bandung(BDO), Batam(BTH), Denpasar Bali(DPS), Jakarta (Halim Perdana Kusuma(HLP) and Soekarno-Hatta(CGK)), Kupang(KOE), Medan(MES), Ujung Pandang(UPG),Manado(MDC), Mataram(AMI), Padang(PDG), Palembang(PLM), Pekan Baru(PKU), Pontianak(PNK), Semarang(SRG), Surabaya (SUB), Solo City(SOC) and Yogyakarta(JOG) airports.
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Sun Jun 26, 2011 6:29 am Post subject: |
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| I'd be quite surprised if flying to Indonesia was cheaper than flying to Thailand, as the latter has always been significantly cheaper when I've checked. |
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austinmc86
Joined: 23 Feb 2010
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| Posted: Sun Jun 26, 2011 7:10 am Post subject: |
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I am also interested in Vietnam. I've heard you can go through sites like myvietnamvisa.com and pay them and they send you e-mail that you bring to the airport to get your visa.
So, I may opt for Vietnam. How is Vietnam? Are these sites that do the visa legit? |
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Ramen
Joined: 15 Apr 2008
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| Posted: Sun Jun 26, 2011 6:22 pm Post subject: |
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| austinmc86 wrote: |
I am also interested in Vietnam. I've heard you can go through sites like myvietnamvisa.com and pay them and they send you e-mail that you bring to the airport to get your visa.
So, I may opt for Vietnam. How is Vietnam? Are these sites that do the visa legit? |
yes. i've done it that way couple of times and had no problems.  |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Sun Jun 26, 2011 7:31 pm Post subject: |
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| Again, I've generally found Vietnam to be a more expensive flight than Thailand. The cheapest Southeast Asian destinations are usually Kuala Lumpur (Air Asia), Bangkok, and Manila. Vietnam will probably be quite a bit more expensive when you factor in visa costs, though it's significantly cheaper than Thailand once you're there. |
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rainism
Joined: 13 Apr 2011
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| Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2011 12:31 am Post subject: |
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| northway wrote: |
| Again, I've generally found Vietnam to be a more expensive flight than Thailand. The cheapest Southeast Asian destinations are usually Kuala Lumpur (Air Asia), Bangkok, and Manila. Vietnam will probably be quite a bit more expensive when you factor in visa costs, though it's significantly cheaper than Thailand once you're there. |
wrong. at least not this summer.
Bangkok is the cheapest one and by a mile, and that's essentially thanks to China Eastern. They're half of what everyone else is charging.
Air Asia is a HUGE disappointment. They offer fantastic fares everywhere around SE Asia, EXCEPT to and from Korea. They are the cheapest fare to Indo, but that fare isn't cheap. China Southern's is only a bit higher.
if you work in a PS and have to take vacations during the "peak seasons", when everyone else is taking their vacations, you get taken to the woodshed by the airlines in Korea and many nasty things are done to you.
Without lube.
Even to a nearby location like the PI, fares are beyond preposterous. Cebu Pacific flies dirt cheap everywhere EXCEPT Korea. |
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rainism
Joined: 13 Apr 2011
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| Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2011 12:34 am Post subject: |
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btw OP , if you're talking about traveling this summer, the weather in Indo will beat everywhere else by a mile. It's their dry non humid season.
as opposed to Thailand, Vietnam. It's their rainy season.
btw. it'll probably be cheaper to fly to BKK and then take Air Asia to Vietnam for a 100 bucks. I think the visa is easiest to get in BKK as well. |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2011 12:48 am Post subject: |
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| rainism wrote: |
| northway wrote: |
| Again, I've generally found Vietnam to be a more expensive flight than Thailand. The cheapest Southeast Asian destinations are usually Kuala Lumpur (Air Asia), Bangkok, and Manila. Vietnam will probably be quite a bit more expensive when you factor in visa costs, though it's significantly cheaper than Thailand once you're there. |
wrong. at least not this summer.
Bangkok is the cheapest one and by a mile, and that's essentially thanks to China Eastern. They're half of what everyone else is charging.
Air Asia is a HUGE disappointment. They offer fantastic fares everywhere around SE Asia, EXCEPT to and from Korea. They are the cheapest fare to Indo, but that fare isn't cheap. China Southern's is only a bit higher.
if you work in a PS and have to take vacations during the "peak seasons", when everyone else is taking their vacations, you get taken to the woodshed by the airlines in Korea and many nasty things are done to you.
Without lube.
Even to a nearby location like the PI, fares are beyond preposterous. Cebu Pacific flies dirt cheap everywhere EXCEPT Korea. |
KL works if you get one of the early deals. At this point they're charging as much as everyone else.
But yeah, Korea is a wasteland for flights. It's sometimes almost the same price to get to the West Coast of the States or Canada as it is to get to Vietnam or Thailand. |
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alwaysbeclosing100
Joined: 07 Feb 2009
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| Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2011 2:42 am Post subject: |
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| rainism wrote: |
| northway wrote: |
| Again, I've generally found Vietnam to be a more expensive flight than Thailand. The cheapest Southeast Asian destinations are usually Kuala Lumpur (Air Asia), Bangkok, and Manila. Vietnam will probably be quite a bit more expensive when you factor in visa costs, though it's significantly cheaper than Thailand once you're there. |
wrong. at least not this summer.
Bangkok is the cheapest one and by a mile, and that's essentially thanks to China Eastern. They're half of what everyone else is charging.
Air Asia is a HUGE disappointment. They offer fantastic fares everywhere around SE Asia, EXCEPT to and from Korea. They are the cheapest fare to Indo, but that fare isn't cheap. China Southern's is only a bit higher.
if you work in a PS and have to take vacations during the "peak seasons", when everyone else is taking their vacations, you get taken to the woodshed by the airlines in Korea and many nasty things are done to you.
Without lube.
Even to a nearby location like the PI, fares are beyond preposterous. Cebu Pacific flies dirt cheap everywhere EXCEPT Korea. |
i buy tickets on one or both of air asia and cebu pacific EVERY PS break and i get FANTASTIC deals every single time b/c i BUY MY TICKETS EARLY......i tell my school the first day of every semester i only need one thing to be happy......i need to know my vacation dates ASAP......i have been to almost every country in asia b/c i buy my tickets early and i shop air asia and cebu pacific websites daily all year long.....
the only exception to flights out of korea being expensive are chuseok and chinese new year.......it is nearly impossible to get great deals on those holidays...... |
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rainism
Joined: 13 Apr 2011
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| Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2011 3:32 am Post subject: |
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| alwaysbeclosing100 wrote: |
| rainism wrote: |
| northway wrote: |
| Again, I've generally found Vietnam to be a more expensive flight than Thailand. The cheapest Southeast Asian destinations are usually Kuala Lumpur (Air Asia), Bangkok, and Manila. Vietnam will probably be quite a bit more expensive when you factor in visa costs, though it's significantly cheaper than Thailand once you're there. |
wrong. at least not this summer.
Bangkok is the cheapest one and by a mile, and that's essentially thanks to China Eastern. They're half of what everyone else is charging.
Air Asia is a HUGE disappointment. They offer fantastic fares everywhere around SE Asia, EXCEPT to and from Korea. They are the cheapest fare to Indo, but that fare isn't cheap. China Southern's is only a bit higher.
if you work in a PS and have to take vacations during the "peak seasons", when everyone else is taking their vacations, you get taken to the woodshed by the airlines in Korea and many nasty things are done to you.
Without lube.
Even to a nearby location like the PI, fares are beyond preposterous. Cebu Pacific flies dirt cheap everywhere EXCEPT Korea. |
i buy tickets on one or both of air asia and cebu pacific EVERY PS break and i get FANTASTIC deals every single time b/c i BUY MY TICKETS EARLY......i tell my school the first day of every semester i only need one thing to be happy......i need to know my vacation dates ASAP......i have been to almost every country in asia b/c i buy my tickets early and i shop air asia and cebu pacific websites daily all year long.....
the only exception to flights out of korea being expensive are chuseok and chinese new year.......it is nearly impossible to get great deals on those holidays...... |
good to know. How early?
a full semester ahead? that is early. Getting an idea of your exact vacation possibilities is difficult enough in a Korean PS a month ahead, much less 6 months ahead, but if you can swing it, kudos to you and that's something I'll have to consider.
can you give me/us and idea of what various flights out of Korea on Cebu Pacific and Air Asia have cost you? |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2011 5:58 am Post subject: |
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If you watch for the seat sales, Cebu
Pacific regularly has seats to Cebu, or Manila for as little as 325k won, taxes included, return.
If you get really lucky you can get them for as low as 250k return inclusive.
You might want to keep an eye on Zest air as well for cheap seats from Korea to Kalibo (Boracay). It looks like it will be a regularly scheduled charter flight.
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austinmc86
Joined: 23 Feb 2010
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| Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2011 6:29 am Post subject: |
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Ho Chi Minh is a cheaper flight than Bangkok via Orbitz....
I am thinking of HCMC. How does it compare to Bangkok? Is is a pain to get to Ha long from HCMC? |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2011 7:06 am Post subject: |
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| austinmc86 wrote: |
| Is is a pain to get to Ha long from HCMC? |
They're on opposite ends of the country. The train ride would likely take up the better part of a day, possibly an entire 24 hours. I took the train from Hue to Hanoi, about halfway up the country, and it took 14 hours. You could fly, but then you're spending again. There are supposed to be decent beaches in Vietnam's south, but it's also supposed to be a swamp that time of year. |
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Yaya
Joined: 25 Feb 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2011 7:24 am Post subject: |
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| ttompatz wrote: |
If you watch for the seat sales, Cebu
Pacific regularly has seats to Cebu, or Manila for as little as 325k won, taxes included, return.
If you get really lucky you can get them for as low as 250k return inclusive.
You might want to keep an eye on Zest air as well for cheap seats from Korea to Kalibo (Boracay). It looks like it will be a regularly scheduled charter flight.
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Dude, I got two for 146,000 won each and my last purchase was just 182,000 won. |
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