okinawa hai!

Seoul, Korea with Staci

One of my favorite travel quotes of all time comes from Yogi Berra:

If you come to a fork in the road, take it.

The best experiences over my years of travel have been the times when I allowed myself to wander down a street that caught my eye EVEN if it wasn't in the travel book itinerary. But I have always believed that you can travel without even leaving your town. You just choose to stop at that shop or restaurant you've always wondered about. You choose to take the kids to a new park or beach instead of the one you always go to. You do even simple things like trying a new fruit or a new item on the menu. It's all an adventure when you take the fork in the road.

Staci, our TO LEARN editor, happily shares with us her trip to Seoul, Korea. It's always nice to have several perspectives on a travel destination. HERE is another. Thanks, Staci!

1. How long was the flight?

We flew Korean airlines from Tokyo to Seoul (Incheon airport- which by the way is a very modern and cool airport). It was about a 2 hour flight from mainland Japan (Fukuoka to Seoul).

2. How much was the ticket?

Not sure about the cost from Okinawa. Perhaps you could space a it to mainland- and then fly commercial to Incheon (Seoul).

3. Where did you stay?

Dragon Hill Lodge, Seoul, Korea. You can book your hotel as well as check avilibility on the site. It's a GREAT hotel! Check it out!

4. Did you rent a car or use public transportation?

Taxis are inexpensive, and easy to flag right off base. They are everywhere. Seoul is a great city to explore by foot. They also have a bullet train much cheaper than the one in Tokyo in case you want to see different parts of Korea. We also took the hydro-foil boat from Fukuoka, Japan to Pusan, Korea. So there are many methods of traveling between mainland Japan and Korea.

5. English-speaking friendly or hard to communicate?

In Seoul, it was easy to get around. A lot of English was spoken. I did a lot on my own (my husband was working) and I felt very safe. I spent an entire day with a list of things I wanted to see- maybe I spent around 20.00 Total) on cabs. I found the locals to be very proud of their country- and they really wanted to show you around. Most of the cabbies were anxious to help you out- or to take you to all the good spots.

6. Is it small kid friendly or better to wait?

I think it's a great family vacation spot. It's relatively inexpensive to travel in Korea- shopping, foods, taxis are cheaper than in Japan. The Dragon Hill Lodge is perfect for families.

7. Highlights? One thing you MUST see.

The DMZ tour, was amazing. It was an experience that I will never forget. The fact that you are at a live, active war zone is so intense. Check out the USO website for Seoul. You have to scroll down
for DMZ tours.

8. Best meal?

Bimbia, Kimchee! Love Korean food.

9. Best thing to buy/tourist item?

I loved the colorful textiles (I bought a few cool pillows). My husband actually bought a bucket of kimchi- the airline wouldn't let him carry it on to our flight back to Japan. The smell! The smell! (they motioned).

10. Are you able to do laundry there? (Should you pack light?)

The Dragon Hill Lodge is similar to The New Sanno- Has restaurants, laundry, stores, a tailor (my husband
had a few suits and shirts made), salon, etc.

11. What was the weather like at the time of year you went?

We went in January-very cold, but just bundled up.

12. Did you have a tour guide or did you "diy" (do it yourself)?

We did it ourselves. The DMZ tour is arranged through base and the USO. The website mentioned above gives all the details. There is a dress code as well as a briefing before you head out. The neighborhoods of Seoul are easy to maneuver- just hop in a cab and say Insadong one of my favorite districts (the art and pottery area).

13. Did the area have a big city feel or an untouched feel?

Big lively city. When I left, I remember saying, "It's a bold, bright spicy place!"

Kyoto

Big thanks to Julia for sharing her trip with us!

1. How did you book your trip?

We booked our airfare through OTS at Plaza Housing although they have since relocated to Gate 2 street. We booked lodging ourselves either online or by calling the hotel using Skype.

2. How long was the flight?

We had to fly into Osaka Kansai Airport (KIX) which took about 2 hours. Then we had to take a train to Kyoto Station which was about another 60-90 minutes.

3. How much was the ticket?

We paid $240 roundtrip.

4. Where did you stay?

For the first three nights we stayed at the Westin Miyako Kyoto in their Kasui-en annex. The Kasui-en annex consists of Japanese-style rooms with tatami mats. In the evenings they will have someone come and set up futons for you. The room we had was supposed to be just for 2-3 adults but we called them and explained that we had two kids and they were very accommodating. They set up 3 futons for us and it was extremely comfortable…probably ended up being the equivalent of two queens pushed together. Originally I was set on staying at a traditional ryokan but we ended up choosing the Westin so we could have all of the amenities but still have a more cultural experience. The room was a pricey $300/night which I think is actually cheaper than some of the nicer ryokans. They used to have more photos on their site of these Japanese-style guestrooms but for some reason they are no longer there. Here are a few sites you can check for more information:

More Westin Miyako Kyoto
Frommer's Info on the same

In Osaka we stayed at the Kintetsu Universal City Hotel (about $130/night). We chose this hotel because it was right next to Universal Studios and a convenient 10 minute ferry ride away from the Kaiyukan Aquarium. Perfect for our trip there since those were the only things we planned on seeing in Osaka.

5. Did you rent a car or use public transportation?

We either walked, took trains, or took a taxi. Both hotels were located near train stations so it was very convenient.

6. Is it small kid friendly or better to wait?

Kyoto was much harder with the kids since we were doing a lot of the tourist sites including shrines and temples. It’s probably better to wait if you can. We’ll be PCSing out soon so I wanted to make sure I visited Kyoto before leaving. Osaka was much easier since our trip there was geared towards entertaining the kids.

7. What were the highlights?

Highlights in Kyoto were Kinkakuji Temple (Golden Pavilion), Fushimi Inari shrine, and the Gion district. The Golden Pavilion was just breathtaking. Fushimi Inari shrine has a trail consisting of countless torii gates. It would have been a neat hike without the kids but since they were tagging along (of course) we just snapped a few shots and then left.

8. And lowlights?

I’d have to say that the lowlight for both cities was Universal Studios. It was expensive and not worth it for our kids since they were too young to enjoy most of it. Only one of them was able to do any of the rides and even though it was a relatively short wait of 20-30 minutes for a ride, that’s quite a long time for a 3 year-old. Something like Tokyo Disney probably would have been more appropriate. In retrospect I’m not sure why we thought Universal was a good idea.

9. The best meal on your trip?

Due to our picky kid we ended up eating ramen or soba for practically every meal so there was really no “best meal”. The best opportunity for a best meal though was probably the Ponto-cho area in Kyoto. It’s located across the river from the Gion district and has a ton of restaurants lining a narrow street. And for all of you beignet lovers out there there’s a Café du Monde in Kyoto Station as well as the mall adjacent to the Kaiyukan Aquarium in Osaka.

10. What was the best thing you found to buy (like tourist items)?

My favorite tourist items were change purses and little stuffed animals made out of kimono cloth. There was a store called Ippuya on the way up to Kiyomizudera Temple in Kyoto that sold change purses and handbags. There were a few other shops nearby that had little stuffed bears, kittens, and bunny rabbits that I thought would make great gifts for my nieces.

11. What was the weather like at the time of year you went?

We went in mid-May and the weather was fantastic. In the early morning and evenings it was cool enough to require a sweater or windbreaker but during the day it was warm enough for short sleeves. Perfect for sightseeing!

12. Any local cultural no-nos to keep in mind?

We had a soaking tub in our bathroom which is supposed to be used only after you’ve already showered.

13. Did you have a tour guide or did you do it yourself?

I had considered booking a one-day tour of Kyoto but we decided that it would be too strenuous for the kids since at least one of them needs a nap in the afternoon. We did it ourselves so that we could spend as much time at each site as we wished or skip some sites. We ended up seeing practically everything on the tour but it was spread out over the course of 2-1/2 days. There were times when we were walking from one site to another when I wished we HAD taken a tour. It was tiring since we only brought one stroller and oftentimes one of us was carrying our other child who is close to 30 lbs! However, I think it all worked out in the end.

14. Did the area have a big city feel or an untouched feel?

Depends on what part of Kyoto you were in. One of the reasons we liked Fushimi-Inari shrine was because the cobble stoned streets around it gave it a more of an old town feeling and the hiking trail was peaceful and quiet. Osaka felt like a big city.

15. What would you do differently if you went again?

I would go to the Gion district at night as well. We tried the last evening we were there but it started raining so we went the next morning instead. It was great for taking photos and to stroll around since it wasn’t as crowded but it would have been nice to see the hustle and bustle of Gion’s nightlife too.

16. Would you go again?

Absolutely! I’m so glad we got to see Kyoto before we move back to the States!

Kyoto Help!

Lin Yutang once said, "A good traveller is one who does not know where he is going to, and a perfect traveller does not know where he came from."

Great sentiments, but this guy obviously didn't have to run a chit up his chain of command to get leave days!

So, can we help out these good travellers intent on a fun trip in Kyoto:

My husband and I are doing a quick 2day/3night trip to Kyoto. I have the tickets but am overwhlemed with the amount of hotels in this seemingly LARGE city. I need help from O.H.'s well traveled readers with suggestions of where to stay. I don't need fancy, but I would like clean. :) I also am ok to be off the beaten path, as we only need the room to fall exhautstedly into bed each night after a faced paced day of sightseeing. What are the "must see's" of Kyoto and how can I track down the geisha to snap a few pictures?

And let the help commence...

Tokyo with kids

We just returned from a week long trip to Tokyo and I've been sorting through my 1400 pictures and 1000 unread emails when suddenly I realized it's Sunday! I thought, well maybe I should share some kid-friendly travel tips about Tokyo with you. Then, since I'm also behind on my Okinawa Hai reading, I caught up on the past weeks' posts and found Diana just gave you a ton of great information! But this is good timing since it's always good to hear different perspectives.

Getting there
You can almost always get tickets for 10,000 Yen per way per person and kids don't need a seat until age 4. It's actually really easy and laid-back to fly within Japan on a commercial flight. They'll check your stroller/carseat at the front for you, wrap it in plastic and it will not be destroyed when you get it back. Security is a breeze and you can walk right up to the gate at the last minute and still make your flight on time. If you're looking for convenience, it's very easy. Then on the other end the train leaves right from the airport to wherever your destination may be. This is how we did our first trip.

If your priority is more on budget, then you can take the Patriot Express to Tokyo without too much hassle. I admit I am not a fly by the seat of your pants kind of gal and I hated the idea of packing up my kids, getting them all excited about the trip, asking for good behavior, then waiting around at the AMC terminal only to find out that we missed that flight and had to do it all over again tomorrow. But, this particular flight, between Kadena and Yakota, is always scheduled and rarely full. I'm sure it's full between Seattle and Tokyo, but for that last little leg, Tokyo to Okinawa there are tons of empty seats, and even though we filled out the EML papers to bump us up to category II, everyone all the way down to a category VI retiree got on the plane. It was like a "real flight" in that it served drinks, lunch, and had the latest movies. The trick is getting to the hotel once you land. I know there is a shuttle as Diana mentioned but it left that morning and I wanted to get to The New Sanno that night because I'm spoiled and I love that hotel. We knew how to take the trains from our last trip, and we had great directions, but it is a long trip with a few transfers. I'm not complaining, I enjoy an adventure, but it's not necessarily the easiest trip for newbies.

Where to stay
As I mentioned before, I love the Sanno. We booked our trip around it's availability. Really. I think it's kid-friendly with the pool and movies to rent and two casual dining options. Or, just order room service in. There's an Exchange if you run out of diapers and a little convenience store to grab some extra goldfish and a juicebox.... and a bottle of wine for the parents after bedtime! We learned on the last night that you can order martini's from the bar and take them up to your room... Why didn't I think of that before! They'll rent you a stroller for $2 a day and I read you can even borrow a digital camera and they'll email you the photos!

One night we stayed at Hardy Barracks so I can report on that as well. I think I had very low expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised by this place. For a very low price, I think it was $30 + $5 per additional person a night, you get a suite. A bedroom and a living room with a pull out couch joined by a bathroom. There was a refrigerator, coffee maker, 2 TVs, iron and hair dryer in the room. Free internet, free movies, free books, and a free continental breakfast in the morning were all nice perks. The downside is that there were only vending machines for sodas and no restaurants on the premises. We had gotten in pretty late from our tour and needed to get the kids in bed so going back out wasn't an option. I asked the woman at the front desk and she gave me some menus for pizza delivery. Bingo! The instructions included using my own cell phone, telling them to deliver to "Akasaka Press Center" since that's what they think the place is, and you may have to run out to the gate and meet them there. A little amusing if you ask me.

Public transportation
We didn't have a car for either trip and relied solely on public transportation. Their train system is phenomenal. If it says it will leave at 9:53 then expect it to pull up at 9:52 so that it can be ready to go precisely on time. Most of the stations (except some of the very small ones) have maps in English and the ticket machines can be used in Japanese or English. The train will get you almost anywhere. Inside the city, the subway is all you'll probably need. If you want to take excursions farther out, you might need to pick up a JR map as well. Just beware of morning rush hour. I wouldn't recommend trying to take the kids on between 7am and 9am. It gets pretty packed in there.

Where to go
We went out to Mt. Fuji and Hakone for 2 days and had a great time. In Hakone, they have a rope way, sightseeing boats, and a cablecar. My 3 year old loved it. We took a tour for that part of the trip, but you can do it on your own. The concierge desk at The New Sanno can help you book that one or one of the hundred other English tours within the city or out. They are wonderful. You can tell them, "Hey I've got two little kids, we aren't hiking type people, we've got 4 hours tomorrow, what should we do?" They'll give you suggestions and even take the weather into account for you. For the first trip, I put together a 17 page Word document with directions and information on all of the places we might want to go. This time we did a few quick google searches so we had some ideas to talk about and then just went to the concierge desk and said "We might want to go to Kamakura?" The woman opened her magical cabinet of directions to anywhere someone might want to go and produced a map with precise instructions on how to get there and pointed to the places she thought we might like to see.

Finally, the must-do with kids in Tokyo is Disney. There are two parks. Disneyland is very similar to Magic Kingdom in the States. But the hidden gem was the second park, Disney Sea. I hadn't ever heard of it and had no idea what to expect. It was sort of a cross between Epcot and MGM. I loved the Venetian section. It wasn't as crowded either which was nice. If you go for two consecutive days, then it is $100 per person but you have to specify which park you plan to go to on which day. Rumor has it that this is because they will only admit a certain number of people per day. I think this is a good thing since you can actually get into the restaurants once you're there rather than make reservations months ahead of time. If you purchase a single day ticket it is $58, but the Sanno can give you a coupon to get in for $54. So $8 might be worth the flexibility to be able to go on whichever day you want and choose which park suits your mood that morning.

So bottom line, we love Tokyo, have been twice with kids in tow and I'm sure we'll do it again sometime. Maybe we'll see you there!

China

Spring is finally here! What an amazing place this island is!  We've been kayaking and snorkeling two weekends in a row over on Torii Beach.  Here's a fun tip:  rent a double kayak for $4 over at Torii Beach, then have your partner row while you hang off the end of the boat with your snorkel gear on so you can see everything below.  It's like an awesome underwater roller coaster.

So, I have a question from a reader:

"We are hoping to travel to Tokyo, with 2 young kids (4 and 2)  this summer.  Can you maybe do a post soliciting info on affordable places to stay if the New Sanno is booked, and things to do and see that kids would like besides Disney?"

I will look into this further, but is there anyone with useful information for our reader?

In other news, a girlfriend of mine, Melissa, just wrote me to tell us about her trip to China last month. Any of you heading there for the Olympics?

Melissa in front of the Forbidden City, trying hard to not look like a tourist.

1. Did you travel with people who had been there before, or with a group?  Was it intimidating once you got there?  Is english fairly prevalent?

I travelled from L.A. through Seoul to Shanghai by myself. In Shanghai I met an American friend who is now living here, so I never really had to struggle with the language barrier, because he speaks Chinese fairly fluently. Some people speak English, or at least recognize that I do not speak Chinese. Therefore they point at numbers/prices instead of talking. Without the language, the adventure would be much more limited, but by no means impossible. Most people seem to know enough English to get you what you need. . .still its good to know a few words. And always a good idea to pick up business cards of places you're staying, or wanting to go that have Chinese on them, so that you can just hand that to a cab driver to get where you want. That also applies to Beijing.

In Hong Kong, a vast majority of people speak English. When we first arrived though, our cab driver spoke neither English nor Mandarin Chinese. Still he managed to understand Harbour Plaza and got us to our destination. Every where else we went, people spoke English.

2. What has been your best spot so far that you've been to?

Hard to say the "best spot." But I will say the hutongs (alleys) in the Ho Hai section of Beijing were by far the most interesting places I have seen or hung around in in my life. So much Chinese culture, definitely a non-tourist region. Even I looked quite obviously out of place, being of non-Asian descent. But the food there was quite good, from both carts and restaurants. Most places I ate were definitely places I wouldn't consider eating at in L.A., but I wanted to real Chinese experience and I would say I got it. At night, we walked around the hutongs with cold beers and just enjoyed being outdoors walking around such a strange place. Despite it appearing to be one of the slummiest locations I've ever seen, I felt completely safe and un-threatened the entire time. We stopped into a bar (not by the foreigner bar strip section) and a group of Chinese invited us to join them. Probably one of the most fun nights of my life. A group of complete strangers, sharing tons of beer and food with us, and despite the complexities of communicating in broken forms of two languages, we managed to have a blast--laughing, drinking, sharing party tricks and cultural differences--really so much fun.

3. What's the best street food you've had?

Best street food  is a three-way tie, which I hope drives home the point that the street food here is quite delicious, despite looking like it might kill you. I will say that I generally avoid meat though. Anyway, the spicy fried rice has been sooo good. One cart in particular, but it moves around so its hard to find. Don't know what they're throwing in there, but it's got a spice/spices that make it one of the best tasting meals I've ever had. Next is what I'm going to call "waffle balls" which are some kind of waffle like substance, cooked in a sort of waffle iron and then separated into little balls, super sweet, super good. Finally, I have no idea what's in this thing, but its like a mix of a pastry, a breakfast burrito and an egg mcmuffin. Should also mention that all of the above street food, costs around one single dollar.

4. Where did you stay, and what was cost?

In Shanghai, I stayed at a friend's place. In Beijing I stayed at the Ho Hai Courtyard Hostel, I think it was around 15-20 US$ a night, and was pretty much the kind of accommodations someone could expect for that price, although, the staff was very friendly and the location and the set up, really made my trip to Beijing a truly Chinese experience. In Hong Kong, I stayed at the Harbour Plaza hotel in Kowloon. It was $175 per night, which seems like a lot, but after 5 days without a shower in Beijing hostel, I needed some five-star accommodations.

A hutong in the Ho Hai area of Beijing is under construction, yet people just keep truckin on through.

5. Is it Olympic madness there yet?

I don't know if I would call it madness, but the preparations are definitely apparent particularly in Beijing. So much constructions going on there from the hutongs to the Olympic park area, almost everything that looks remotely run down, is being reconstructed. Although, in a very weird way, hard to explain. It also appeared that sewage lines were going in underground in the hutongs, where almost every building was being re-bricked. I was in Hong Kong during the torch relay, but didn't go see it. No opposition or protest towards the torch here though. Oh, and Olympic knick-knack junk is available EVERYWHERE from the market, to the airport, to the hostel "lobby" to street vendors and so forth.

6. Where would you not go back to?

I don't think there is anywhere I wouldn't go back to. Everything I've seen has been so eye opening and amazing. I don't necessarily ever want to feel as disgusting as I did when I left the hostel, without having had a shower in five days, but I wouldn't trade the experience for a different one. It was too real, too valid, too important.

Night skyline of Hong Kong from Kowloon.

Thanks Melissa for the great read!

Readers, we'd love to hear from you...any trips you'd like to share with Okinawa Hai?  Please email me!

 

Tantalizing Taipei

This job is tickling my jealousy bone. My neighbor Staci took what sounds to have been a fantastic trip to Taiwan a month or so ago, and was sweet enough to share the details with us. She even let us see a photo of her husband in a shower cap.  Oh, the goofy things husbands do when they think no one is looking....

How did you get travel info on Taiwan? I couldn't find any good info on Taiwan...so looked at The New York Times travel section before we departed. Proved to be right on! I attached what their website had to say... NY Times below:

"the vibrant capital of Taiwan, distills the best of what Asian cities have to offer — great street food, crackling night life, arguably the world’s best collection of Chinese art, and hot springs and hiking trails reachable by public transport. With interest in mainland China surging, Taipei — one of the most underrated tourist destinations in Asia — offers a look at a different side of China, one that escaped the deprivations of early Communist rule and the Cultural Revolution. Here is a Chinese culture (some contend that it is uniquely Taiwanese) that practices bare-knuckled democracy and has preserved traditions thousands of years old in a way that was impossible to do on the mainland."

How did you book your travel? We flew to Taipei, Taiwain on China Airlines. We booked the tickets and the hotel through the travel agency on Kadena. I tried researching information myself- but it's difficult to get information. The flight is quick- 45 minutes. We took a four day trip. Perfect amount of time.

Where did you stay? What was approximate cost? (around 100.00 per night) We stayed at The Landis Hotel in Taipei. The accommodations were great. Breakfast buffet was included each morning- and easy to get a cab from the front of the hotel. My son cracked his head open (in the hotel) and they had us take someone from the hotel to help translate. They were great.

Did you travel with children, and if so, were there any particularly accommodating or not accommodating parts of the trip? (see above).

What is something you recommend doing while there? The night markets are fun, the zoo was great, Taipei 101 - one of the seven modern wonders of the world.  Some good details from the NYTimes:

"But enough of ancient culture, at least for now. Immerse yourself in modern Taipei by going deep into the belly of the tallest building in the world, the 1,670-foot Taipei 101 (7 Xinyi Road, Section 5; www.taipei-101.com.tw/index_en.htm). The first five floors, with stores like Armani, Louis Vuitton and Sogo, should satisfy any shopping urge. Take a high-speed elevator to the indoor and outdoor observation decks, starting on the 89th floor, for unparalleled views of Taipei and its environs. In every direction lie city blocks and avenues winding among concrete-and-glass towers, with verdant hills rising in the distance. Wisps of cloud float past the windows. Beware of vertigo."

The national museum was worth checking out:

"The National Palace Museum (221 Chih-shan Road, Section 2; 886-2-2881-2021; www.npm.gov.tw/en/home.htm) is considered by many to be the finest repository of Chinese art in the world; it houses artifacts dating back to the earliest days of Chinese civilization. The collection includes oracle bones, which have the first known written Chinese ideograms, as well as ritual bronze vessels, Ming Dynasty pottery and jade sculptured into the shapes of cabbage and fatty pork."

My favorite day was when we headed up to the "onsen" district  Beitou (known for their japanese style hot springs- Wen Quan Road). Very cool to walk around, take a spa, have a beer...neat little area

"..starting now...After a quick breakfast at one of Taipei’s many corner bakeries, hop on the subway, called the MRT, to the New Beitou stop, about 40 minutes from downtown. The northern town of Beitou is renowned for its hot springs resorts, some modeled after those in Japan. Walk up the hill to take a soak at one of the newest of the spas, Villa 32 (32 Zhongshan Road; 886-2-6611-8888; www.villa32.com). It has all the atmosphere of a luxury spa in a uniquely Taiwanese setting, with outdoor pools of different temperatures shielded by wooden awnings and the shade of leafy trees. Rent a room for several hours or spend the morning with other bathers in the outdoor pools, separated by gender...and just walking the streets is interesting."

I felt very safe and transportation was super easy. Cabs are CHEAP- and the MRT train is immaculate and easy to get around. Overall, an easy and inexpensive trip compared with traveling to China.

Anything you think readers would be interested in that I have not mentioned? You can get your ears picked and have some tea eggs... (um....exsqueeze me? that's an interesting visual)

Thank you Staci!

Time for Thailand

[Photo Courtesy of http://www.tourismthailand.org]

With the U.S. dollar flopping about like slimy, gasping, beached trout, it's difficult to find a travel destination that doesn't make me feel...well...poor.  (Let's just all be happy we are not currently stationed in Europe.)  I've always heard an American could do pretty well in Thailand, and apparently this is even more true these days.  According to Lonely Planet, one could travel comfortably in Thailand for $15-$35 per day. (Although keep in mind that Lonely Planet seems to cater more to the 20-something single tourist, so if you're traveling with a family and like a bit more comfort, plan for the increase in expense.)

My friend Lauren took a trip there recently with some friends, and I must say that after hearing about her trip, I've already told my husband where we're going this fall.

How did you travel? Flew roundtrip to Bangkok - tickets from Kadena ITT.

Where did you stay? Julie's Guesthouse, which prides itself on NOT being a hotel, but a vibe-y mix and meet location for travelers.  There a lots of options for things to do from this "non" hotel, like trekking, mountain biking, rafting, and kayaking. We chose to try Muay Thai boxing ($10), to take a cooking class ($20), a one day elephant ride/bamboo rafting/hiking excursion ($50), and to spend the last day on rented scooters riding up a mountain to Doi Suthep temple/Royal Gardens just outside of Chiang Mai ($30 for rentals/admissions...$60 if you wreck the bike, like my friend Marvin).

Any particular places you would recommend? The Irish bar on the main drag for Duck curry, night bazaar - huge, and there are lots of bars on the walk back to Julie's from there including one that was Texas themed. (full disclosure, Lauren is a Texan.)

That night we took an overnight train to Bangkok (book in advance for a sleeper car and watch your luggage) and checked into an unremarkable hotel that was in an Indian neighborhood/red light district. While in Bangkok we went to the floating market and walked around a gigantic mall. Because we happened to do all of our temple site seeing on a Buddhist holiday, we paid about $5 for a cab for the whole day since the government tuk tuk's were discounted. (Tuk tuks are the auto rickshaws that are used for cabs in particularly busy areas such as Bangkok.)  We saw the Royal Palace, Wat Pho, Leaning Buddah, Emerald Buddah, etc...felt like uber tourists on that day...and basically let the driver take us to any place he could think of, all of which were free for the holiday. Bangkok has a great night market, a bit more expensive than Chiang Mai - but a bit more upscale.

During our three days in Bangkok we hired a cab to take us out to Pattaya. It's a 1.5 hour drive, and only $25 per person or so for the trip...but in terms of beaches, the main road was kinda a tourist trap and loaded with strip bars even in the afternoon...you can't see much from the streets. Unfortunately, there isn't much else there besides bars and shops. There is a private beach that you can access from the top of a hill at what I think was called Hotel Asia that had a bar on the beach...a dive shop on the drag had recommended the place and it was a great end to the trip.

I also really recommend Khosan Road in Bangkok for good bars and food.

If I did it again, I would spend more time, if not all, in Chiang Mai, it was more of a hippie town. Very relaxing.

Thanks Lauren! 

If you'd like to share your travel experiences with us, please email me at jen@jibandgenoa.com

Medical Tourism in Asia

It's bikini season again.  Oh lordy, I haven't truly celebrated bikini season since '96 or so, but for those of you who still like to bare *almost* all...may the force be with you. I must say, the good weather comes to Okinawa even earlier than in my native Southern California, and that's saying something (hello, Easter?). Also, I hear that it tends to rain here in the summer? Slight humidity perhaps?? Well then, best get your coconut oil and get thyselves to some sandy beaches before we're locked in with our dehumidifiers on full blast all summer.

Speaking of baring all, I had a reader request last week to do some digging into plastic surgery tourism in Asia. It seems like this is happening more and more - I would surmise because American MD's are just so much more expensive than MD's in other countries. Ironically, a friend of mine had emailed me the day before telling me all about her trip to the Philippines for a mini face lift....although the email ended with the threat (and I quote) "if you blog about my plastic surgery I'll have to come and hunt you down." Unfortunately for my friend, as a blog-ournalist, I have a duty to my readers to report what I can.  She's a good sport though, and agreed to answer some questions anonymously. She traveled from Los Angeles, what may be the capital of American plastic surgery, to Manilla.  Overall, she reports that the experience was quite gratifying and she was even willing to recommend her physician.

Let me preface this by saying that I am nowhere close to a medical professional, and cannot vouch for any doctors mentioned herein.

Where did you go to get your surgery? Manilla, Philippines.  I was visiting family there.

What procedure did you have? It is called a temporal life which is a fairly simple procedure.  It took about an hour and a half. They cut at the ear line and go up and pull back. It looks as if you were to pull your hair back on the sides into a tight ponytail that is sort of the effect.

How did you find that particular doctor? My Doctor was Dr. Raul Guanzon, he is a well known plastic surgeon in Manila, and I had a referral from my Filipino cousin, who had rhinoplasty surgery with Dr. Guanzon.  I was reassured by his extensive medical background, outside of what his website says. He has extensive education in the field and has studied plastic surgery in the U.S. He is very unassuming and has zero I mean zero arrogance. http://www.rguanzon.com

What was the price difference from getting the same procedure done in the US? My temporal lift procedure costs me $2,400, including the antibiotics, scar gel, and another cream I had to use. A well-known high end plastic surgeon in Los Angeles would have cost me between $4,000 - $10,000 for the same procedure.

Was there a payment plan offered or did you pay cash/credit all up front? It's all cash or credit card up front, baby.  But hey they take credit cards.

Do they offer a package of recovery time in a hotel, etc?  I am sure they do. They wanted me to stay overnight in their facility, for no extra charge, but I wanted to go home [to my relative's] that night which I did.  The facility was that of a medical clinic - a very nice recovery room, with nurses (not regular staff) in attendance 24-7.  I'm sure arrangements can be made to suit a client's needs....the Phillipines is so good that way. There was a cardiologist, anesthesiologist, Dr. Guanzon, and about 5 nurses involved during my procedure.  At one point during the procedure, I was aware of my surroundings and could feel the nurse holding and petting my hand - it was really soothing and I have to say it made me feel really safe.

Now, I have to say that I personally am a little frightened of elective surgery. Who am I kidding, I'm afraid of my dentist. As for aesthetics, I prefer to drink my breast-enhancement herbal tea and hope for the best.  But for those of you who are interested in plastic surgery tourism, there is an abundance of information out there.  I've hunted down a couple helpful websites, listed below. Can any of readers contribute to this topic? Do any of you have information regarding plastic surgery MD's on the island?  Particularly of the breast reduction and/or tummy tuck expertise? Have any of you had any type of surgical procedures done in Asia?  What were your experiences?

http://www.cosmeticsurgerytravel.com/
http://www.cosmeticsurgeryphil.com/beauty_travel.htm

Searching for Seoul

Konichiwa, readers!  Watashi wa Jen, and I’ll be your “To Travel” editor this Saturday, and every Saturday, presuming I post on time and keep the hits quota up. I’ll try my best at the former if you take care of the latter.

Why “To Travel”?  Because we are already in Asia, and that is 7/8 of the way to some amazing and exotic locales.  Why not turn this assignment into an excuse to explore the continent?  And beyond?!

Now when OkinawaHai! generously offered to send me to these destinations, (all expenses paid, natch), to review trendy hotels, dine at fine restaurants, and document all that Asia has to offer, I hesitated.  I thought to myself, No! OkinawaHai! is nothing if not democratic.  I want to hear from YOU, dear reader!  What have YOU seen?  Where have YOU eaten?  Where would you never go again, and where did you never want to leave?

For those of you who’d like to tantalize us with your adventure-seeking ways, or simply want to inquire about the most kid-friendly spots in a given city, please email me. 

My goals for this column are: 1. Helping readers to travel by creating a network of people who have been there and done that; 2. Review travel destinations so readers can make a more educated choice of where they’d like to spend their hard-earned cash (and leave); and 3. Provide some entertainment for those of us who must temporarily confine our travels to the world wide web.

Hope you’ll come along for the journey! 

And now, for my first adventure.....

Desitnation:
Seoul, South Korea

How did you travel? 
We flew Asiana Airlines.  The flight was about 2.5 hours long. A roundtrip ticket cost about $450.

Where did you stay? Hotel Incheon (by the airport) & Hotel Itaewon (Seoul)
Price of Hotel: Hotel Incheon $141 per night, Hotel Itaewon $110 per night

Accommodations: Both were perfectly reasonable.  Hotel Itaewon (where we spent 5 of the 6 nights) was centrally located in the lively Itaewon section of Seoul. I was traveling with two other adults, so as long as we were comfy, we were fine.  More important for us was the location of the hotel, which was great...walking distance to a plethora of restaurants and street life.

Other recommendations: I’ve heard that the Dragon Hill Lodge on Yongsan base is amazing, but it apparently books up quickly since we were unable to secure a room. It's also cheaper than anything we could find.

Because we landed at the airport at 1:00am, and Seoul is over an hour from the airport, we figured that it would be best to stay in Incheon (the Airport district) on the first night, and then stay in Seoul for the remaining nights.  Our first hotel was The Hotel Incheon
Our second hotel was the Hotel Itaewon.

The Hotel Itaewon was located in Itaewon, which is the “foreign” part of Seoul.  That meant a wide variety of Irish pubs, Canadian bars, and Moroccan, Indian, Chinese, French and Italian eateries. We definitely ventured out to the more authentic “Korean” parts of town, like the Changgyeonggung Palace, and the Artist’s district of Insadong. But the beauty of traveling from Okinawa to Seoul was a taste of a metropolitan atmosphere. I didn’t realize just how much I missed real cities until I experienced the hustle and bustle of Seoul.  It’s like leaving the farm to go to the big city for the weekend.

Must Do/See: We took a tour of the Demilitarized Zone of the border between North Korea and South Korea.  You can arrange the tour through the Dragon Hill Inn on Yongsan base.  The tour cost $50 per person. It is about 4 hours, and maybe not the best for young children, but for those children old enough to write a social studies report, this is an absolute must see.

For those of you jonesing for some cultural influence, check out the Leeum Museum. Within walking distance of our hotel, this beautifully modern museum takes you from ancient Korean pottery all the way to video installation sculpture.

After being inundated by streetcarts brimming with knock-off purses, sunglasses and Beckham jerseys, cleanse your artistic palate in the artsy district of Insadong. Here you’ll find tiny shops with handmade papers, jewelry and pottery.  Don’t be afraid to cut back in a shady alleyway to find a good meal – the best authentic Korean meals are in the mom and pop holes-in-the-walls. “Bibimbap” is a western-friendly sizzling bowl of rice, veggies, egg and meat, offered in almost all the Korean restaurants. Also, for meat lovers, the Koran BBQ is as entertaining as it is filling.

Wish I’d skipped: I’m not much of a mall girl (although I am a true-to-life valley girl, free-falling right out of a Tom Petty song). Lotte World is the ultimate mall-rollorcoaster-tourist extravaganza. Perhaps because it was our last day in Korea, perhaps because I had walked 150 miles in 6 days….by the time we got to the ice skating rink at Lotte World I was OVER IT. However, for those of you with children, I think most would find Lotte World more entertaining than the DMZ, so definitely check it out.

We couldn't have made the trip without our Lonely Planet guidebook, purchased at the BX. They also have a very helpful website. And our Korean-American friends from the states were happy to give us lists of their favorite spots, so don't forget to tap that resource.

If you have some time to kill, you can read a more detailed description of my Korean excursion here. Happy surfing!

To Thailand, with child, what to do, what to see?

I have spent some of my hottest and fullest days in Thailand. But those were single days. Husband-less and child-less. So I am not a real help for this next question. Although there is lots to do on foot in Bangkok just didn't have my parent vision then so I can't confidently recommend much.

How about you?

I'm starting to plan a family trip to Thailand. I have a daughter who is almost three.  We are a pretty adventurous family and have already traveled to Mexico and the Carribean with her.  I am looking for recommendations for family friendly locations in Thailand... Which cities did you enjoy? What hotels were family friendly?  Which sites in particular are "must sees"?

What’s the deal with Space-A?

Because what if I get it in my head that I'd like to meet Joe in Thailand with my little munchkins in tow. Do I need to be talked off this ledge?

Give me the inside scoop. What tricks, tips and tales do you have up your sleeve?

Options for your car flying out of Naha Airport

We recently went on a trip to Taiwan and parked at Naha Airport.   The airport is south on 58 for about 40-50minutes from Foster.  I know, it was expensive and cost us 2200 yen per day and 1200 yen per additional day.   As with most things, I blame my wife because we were running late and forced to park there.  Parking for the domestic side is indoors and for the international side is outdoors.  The international parking is directly in front of the terminal and really convenient.

Another option is the Naha Port (Army base I think)parking lot which is on your right as you head south to the airport. It is located just before the ramp for the airport and about 5 minutes by taxi to the airport.  One thing you will need to park there is TAD orders.  So if you are on orders and take leave, you can still park there and it is free.  I think it costs about 600Yen for the taxi.  All branches can use it.

Another option is to park at Kinser.  I have not personally tried it but was told that the taxi ride cost about 1700 yen.  Anyone can park there but it is still about 20minutes or more away from the airport.  Again it is free. Just ask the guard when you enter Kinser and ask him to call a taxi for you.

Of course, having someone drop you off is the cheapest and most convenient for you but not for your friend.  I think if you are traveling for a few days, Naha airport is a very convenient option.  Otherwise try Kinser or your buddy.