Vietnam

[jasoncapecod]

Food is for the most part free. lol dinner avg 25$ for 4 pp including tip
A beer avgs 1-1.50$
Stayed in 5 star accommodation. Most expensive hotel was 150$ / night per room
Including a fantastic breakfast
On the way over we stopped in hong Kong for 2 nights. It’s a long flight

 

[EMSC]

On the way over we stopped in hong Kong for 2 nights.

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Ever since I first went to Asia, I nearly always try to stop in a 'westernized' type of place first before heading to less developed countries. The flight is very long and it's just better to regain your bearings before hitting the "confusingly interesting" spots. Singapore is another great stopover for a couple days on the way over IMO.

 

[jasoncapecod]

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Ever since I first went to Asia, I nearly always try to stop in a 'westernized' type of place first before heading to less developed countries. The flight is very long and it's just better to regain your bearings before hitting the "confusingly interesting" spots. Singapore is another great stopover for a couple days on the way over IMO.

It was a toss up between Singapore an HK..HK came in 500$ cheaper...My wife has been to both , said HK as bit more edge to it...It was a good way to easy into the trip...

 

[Sbooker]

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Ever since I first went to Asia, I nearly always try to stop in a 'westernized' type of place first before heading to less developed countries. The flight is very long and it's just better to regain your bearings before hitting the "confusingly interesting" spots. Singapore is another great stopover for a couple days on the way over IMO.

You usually stop on the west coast or fly from the east coast straight to Asia?

 

[jasoncapecod]

You usually stop on the west coast or fly from the east coast straight to Asia?

Non stop jfk to hk

 

[EMSC]

You usually stop on the west coast or fly from the east coast straight to Asia?

Denver has a direct flight to Tokyo so when I've gone its been a mix of transfer on the west coast of the US or transfer in Tokyo to a second flight.
US preference is Seattle to change flight since every flight from LA and SF simply head north around the Alaskan arc and back down... So why waste even more hours on a plane? I will cut off the corner and asave an hour or two as it were...

 

[jamesdeluxe]

I was surprised to find dried durian yesterday at Costco. There are dozens of online articles that explain how this fruit from southeast Asia manages to be both delicious and revolting at the same time (here's a good 2013 NYT piece). As opposed to the brutally pungent fresh variant, you only catch the telltale landfill aroma if you're within two feet of the dried version.

Let's see if the great American middle class is ready for it!

 

[jimk]

I was surprised to find dried durian yesterday at Costco. There are dozens of online articles that explain how this fruit from southeast Asia manages to be both delicious and revolting at the same time (here's a good 2013 NYT piece). As opposed to the brutally pungent fresh variant, you only catch the telltale landfill aroma if you're within two feet of the dried version.

Let's see if the great American middle class is ready for it!

View attachment 43291

My four adult kids spent two weeks recently in Indonesia including time in Jakarta and Bali. One of them lives there for State Dept/Foreign Service.
A brave daughter tried fresh durian, said it tastes delicious. But another reported the obnoxiously strong sulfur smell.

Notice she's eating it outdoors

 

[jasoncapecod]

I was surprised to find dried durian yesterday at Costco. There are dozens of online articles that explain how this fruit from southeast Asia manages to be both delicious and revolting at the same time (here's a good 2013 NYT piece). As opposed to the brutally pungent fresh variant, you only catch the telltale landfill aroma if you're within two feet of the dried version.

Let's see if the great American middle class is ready for it!

View attachment 43291

It smells awful. I couldn’t bring myself to try it