Korean Job Discussion Forums

[yemanja]

the eye

[Ihavenolips]

The cheapest travel plan would be a round the round ticket ( talk with an agency that could provide a round Asia ticket only). Pick about three prime locations (India, Thailand, Indonesia). From these three countries you can easily make it to other Asian locations by bus (Nepal, Cambodia, Lao, Vietnam). Decide what you prefer: beaches, mountains, forests, or city nightlife; then focus on what locations provide these. Throw away your guidebook and just follow your mind and your passion. You will find whatever you are looking for in the end.

Each country is unique. Each country has its own beauty and its own hardship. There are amazing things to experience. I won't tell you the best places to go because I prefer to keep the tourist population down. The second a new location is designated a hot spot it becomes destroyed with strings of hotels, bad restaurants, and aggressive vendors. You gotta find your destination by yourself. Don't stick to any intinerary to closely because life sort of unfolds on the road. You might meet people and hook up with them or discover that special beach that your looking for.

Six weeks is a lot of time; six weeks will also pass by quickly. Allow yourself to just stay put for awhile if you find a spot that feels right. If you get bored just catch a bus to the next location. The only thing you need to worry about is finding your way to the airport a day or two in advance to make sure you catch the flight to the next stage of travel.

[Cedar]

If I didn't have a plan already, and didn't need to coordinate with others:

Fly to Thailand, hang out for two weeks, fly to Myanmar, after two weeks fly back to Thailand, where I could do the Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia loop, or just one or two of those, or just go to Malaysia and perhaps a stop in Singapore... *beep* the opportunities are ENDLESS.

But I'd say SE Asia, it won't take all your money and it's warm and friendly.

[Wisco Kid]

[endo]

[bucheon bum]

Well I found out a flight from Washington DC to South Africa is now only 780 bucks. So what I would do is fly to South Africa and travel to Mozambique and Malawai, maybe another couple countries in those 6 weeks.

But obviously you can't fly to africa for that cheap from Korea.

I agree with Indytrucks, go to the Phillipines. Lots of English speakers there, so language isn't a problem. Just as cheap as anywhere else in Asia. Or Myanmar. Everyone does Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia. Be a bit different.

[cheeky monkey]

if you've never been to china, here's a recommendation:

fly to beijing (i know, i know, it's wicked cold then, but still nice...) check out all the sights, then board a train to hanoi. it's 3 days, 2 nights on the train, but possibly one of the best trips i've ever taken. if you spring for the soft sleeper (i think about US$250) then you get a cabin of four bunks with a great big window. possibly the most scenic and relaxing three days i've ever had.

hanoi is awesome in the winter, as is the rest of se asia.

whatever you do, have a great time and remember us schmucks in korea who only get 10 days vacation a year...

[Koreabound2004]

Thanks for all the tips...keep em coming.

P.S. I want to be as warm as possible. I think I will do China and Japan, when I have another 4 weeks off in the summer.

P.P.S, I recommend working at a public school, if you want better holidays.

[Keepongoing]

I would do my Divemaster training with Mermaids in Pattaya

[mithridates]

I myself prefer to stay in one place for at least a week. Time seems to go by slower on holidays and six weeks would feel like forever (a very nice forever). Since I like to study languages I would go to that place in southern China that I've mysteriously forgotten the name of, and then into Vietnam to learn Vietnamese which is spoken by 70 million people. I would hang out there for about four weeks and come back feeling as if I had lived there for a good length of time.

[captain kirk]

That's coming up, six weeks off.
I'm going to a Tibetan buddhist retreat on Saltspring Island. Was there for a couple of weeks eight years ago. I appeared thinking I could become a monk.
Because I was out treeplanting, on my seventh year of that, and a guy from Alberta said there was this monastery where, if you wait outside the gate to prove you're serious, will take you in and let you be a buddhist monk. So I drove the van down, found 'the place', and met a guy going in, driving a volvo station wagon, looked like a normal guy. He was a Tibetan lama (sp), and yes this was a retreat, but it doesn't accept monks by waiting at the gate. He looked at me like, 'wow, who told you that, are you ok?'. Actually, I wasn't. The B.C. dept. of highways had done a surprise road worthiness vehicles check in the middle of nowhere, and the repairs would cost more than I paid for the van, 500 bucks (someone had found it in the bush and got it going, it was 'fine', really). And I was 'bushed', as treeplanters are at the end of a long season of slamming. It takes more energy than marathon running, I've heard it said. They did three year retreats there, though, which was odd. Solo retreats. Part of which involved meditating in a plywood box. I was out walking around and saw these boxes out front of little cabins. The centre has run three of these (three years, three months, three days, as exactly long as that). It's on the top of a small mountain and you can see the Gulf below, Victoria, etc. It's pretty cool. Anyway, it's quiet and cheap, lots of free time to do what you like.
So I'm going there for six weeks or more. Do the buddhist chants and meals and work period scheduled for three hours a day or whatever(all these activities put together), then time to do what is NOT done working in a haggie, that is 'time to think'. I've got a remote viewing course to take along, Korean language stuff, etc, etc.
I thought about going down to Thailand to do the same stuff but it's super annoying all the party party mode if you're not into it. Sometimes you are, sometimes you aren't. Went there last inter-contract break.
Weird, huh? What can I say, I'm a weird guy

[endo]

[Koreabound2004]

[Koreabound2004]

Ok, I have decided what I'd like to do for my 6 weeks off...

Korea to Thailand

Thailand-Cambodia

Cambodia-Vietnam

Vietnam-Laos

Laos-Myanmar

Myanmar-Thailand


I think I will just get a return ticket from Incheon to Bangkok, and bus or train it through these places.

Any tips or suggestions??

[the eye]