Korean Job Discussion Forums

[joe_doufu]

i'm going to call travel agents tomorrow and ask them the same thing but... i've got a vacation the first week of january (the week after next) and i want to go somewhere warm outside of Korea. what do you think is the best place to go without spending much money. phillipines? thailand? hainan or someplace in china? how much is it going to cost me, considering it's less than 2 weeks in advance?

[Bee Positive]

I'd like to second the question, since I'm facing roughly the same deal.

Bangkok is one of the cheaper flights, and is guaranteed to be warmer than Korea in winter. What's more, you're pretty much guaranteed to have a good time there. (Not that there aren't problems in paradise.)

I'd like to give the Philippines a try, but frankly I'm a bit scared. Stories of robberies and kidnappings and so on worry me.

Call it a function of age. Once upon a time when I was a young buck in my twenties, my attitude would have been, "Hey! I'm tough! I'm brave! Besides, what are the odds, really? I'll just stroll right in and then stroll right out again, taking a few precautions along the way of course."

Now it's as though I've matured beyond that. I don't need to prove my courage. Been there, done that. I'm simply averse to unnecessary risks, or to unnecessarily large risks, when smaller ones are available. By this calculus, Bangkok looks like a better bet than Manila.

Though having been to Bangkok four times without having seen other parts of Thailand, I am thinking about heading down the coast to Pattaya this time round.

Your thoughts, anyone?


BEE POSITIVE

[justagirl]

I've never had a problem in the Philippines. I think the only area that is really dangerous is the far south--Mindinao province.

I went once, and liked it so much that I went back 6 months later. Totally beautiful landscape, friendly people, low prices and the best scuba diving.

If you stay in Manila for a while, go to Makati and stay near the Greenbelt, which is filled with restaurants, botiques, malls, theatres, etc. Such a fun place to hang out for a couple of days before heading south to a beach. We felt 100% safe while in Makati and in the Visaya province/region. We rode the local transportation, took taxis, etc. Never a problem and 2 wonderful trips.

justagirl

[joe_doufu]

a little update... travel agents told me the Phillipines are all sold out, and tickets to BKK would be over 750k won. I'm on the waiting list for the Phillipines, but I think my backup plan will be to go bum around Japan for the vacation. Who do I see about the boat ride over?

[rapier]

Thailand is my base. I always head there first, then decide what next once I'm there. You can do everything in B'kok: cheap flights, visas etc. too easy.

[joe_doufu]

[SarcasmKills]

[peppermint]

Quingdao isn't exactly warm, but tickets there are dirt cheap, and you could get a train from there, maybe.

[Rteacher]

My Bangkok round-trip from Top Travel (EunSungKang) I just got is 565,000 won (including tax)

I'll spend most of the time in Chiang Mai (where I took my TEFL course - and where Dave of ESL Cafe fame first got into EFL teaching - at Chiang Mai University, I think...)

[chiaa]

Gwangju

[VanIslander]

I managed to book today a flight to Bangkok leaving the day after tomorrow... (650,000 won return dec 24th-31st)

now i just need to find myself a hotel on the beach somewhere in the kingdom

i have a sprained ankle and injured knee ligaments so NO WALKING, just beach lounging and swimming at the beach

any ideas of where in thailand i could find several nights accommodation?

i worry i might have trouble finding a room during their busy season... and i'm in no condition to go walking around to a dozen hotels!

suggestions pleeeaaase

[rapier]

[VanIslander]

[Tiger Beer]

[fidel]

For the cheapest flights in Korea check out this company.

http://www.nextour.co.kr/