1. Cuba
2. South Africa
3. Japan & Korea
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| A street in Havana with the iconic classic cars |
So far everyone I have spoken to has voted for Cuba and neither South Africa nor Japan/Korea have received a single vote. I am keen on Cuba as it is one of those places where people don't speak English and I do speak Spanish. Whilst there are 11 official languages in South Africa, it's a real bummer that people tend to speak English there and that tends to be something I really try quite hard to avoid when on holiday. I love the fact that the Japanese and Koreans can't and won't speak English; though this is a summer holiday and I am really concerned that I will be hitting Japan and Korea at the peak of the monsoon season (July-August is hideously wet in Seoul) and it'll be no fun in the rain! Cuba is less wet at that time: Seoul in July gets about 400 mm of rain vs Havana in July with about 100 mm of rain - that's 4 times wetter in Seoul vs Havana. Besides, I'd really prefer to visit Japan and Korea in winter when it is way below zero, rather than in the summer when it is hot and sticky and pouring with rain all the time. Yikes.
Also, I have watched the Amazing Race Australia season 2 where they raced through Cuba and I totally loved it. Think of the videos I could do for my vlog in Cuba. Or am I not being fair on South Africa by not ranking it as high as Cuba? The great thing about South Africa at that time of the year is that it will be winter and cold - you know I hate hot weather. What about Japan and Korea - am I paranoid about the monsoon rain over there? So what do you guys think? Kindly leave a comment below, let me know what you think. Thank you, gracias, dankie, arigato, kumsahamnida!
I would vote for Japan, but since you will be going in the summer, then as you said the weather won't be very desirable. Although I am curious to know more about Cuba, since you said that everybody you spoke to is encouraging you to visit Cuba. What are some of the special attractions of Cuba?
ReplyDeleteRight, let me tell you the details from my Facebook straw poll - totally unscientific, just my FB friends.
DeleteSouth Africa: 0
Japan/Korea:Half a vote (Paul voted for both Japan and Cuba)
Cuba: 26.5 (ref split vote)
Most of them left a v short reply like, "go cuba!" But I'll cut and paste the replies that are longer and more thoughtful:
Got to go to Cuba, before embargo is lifted and gets ruined by mass tourism and resorts!
Haven't been to Cuba, but a friend who has lived there - coincidentally also a Londoner waxes lyrical about the place.
I would love to go to Cuba, but the financial gymnastics that non-Cuban Americans like myself have to do to go there make it very difficult and much more expensive than it would be for you
I would vote Cuba because it is so unique and it will change dramatically if the embargo is dropped which seems likely soon.
Go to Cuba. You can get to Cancun from Havana, or vice-versa if it's something you want to do as well or easier for miles. If you can't get a flight direct to Havana, you can always go to Miami, then connect to Havana via Cayman. And of course, going to Cuba you can come visit us in Cayman! Well if you do make it to Cuba, you're more than welcome to take the short hop across and stay with us for a few days. If you can scuba dive there are some amazing dive sites.
Cuban food (apart from fresh lobster) is quite basic. Japanese cuisine is amazing. Weather probably better in Cuba but you're hassled a lot more there for being a rich westerner. Cultures fantastic in both. Enjoyed Japan much more.
OMG it's definitely Cuba - go go go before it changes, its a little gem - the political situation is kinda fucked up with the embargo and everything but the people are amazing and it's like no other place on earth.
Go before it turns into just another Caribbean tourist destination - I know the people are suffering because of the embargo but that's what makes Cuba unique.
Japan & South Africa won't change that much in the next 10 years but Cuba will - go NOW, like go to Cuba ASAP before it changes. Japan and South Africa can wait, like come on, it's a no brainer.
CUBA!!! Definitely Cuba! Everyone who has gone loves Cuba it is amazing. It is unique, the people, the culture, the landscape and the unique political situation has created something that is like no other.
I think it depends on the kind of tourist you are Alex, I know you will adore Cuba. If you're the kind of decadent tourist who wants nice hotels, nice beaches, nice restaurants and nice shopping then Cuba is totally wrong for you. But I know you - you like culture and history, you take an interest in the people of the country, you understand the political situation there, so I can't think of a country that you will enjoy more (apart from the hot and sticky weather there, well) - but you and Cuba will be a great match. And you speak Spanish as well. It's perfect for YOU Alex.
So there you go Ron, that's just from my FB page. In a few words, "politics, culture & embargo".
Maybe the same thing will happen if North Korea ever decides to open its borders. I have thought of going to North Korea for the same reasons that your friends told you to go to Cuba, but I don't think I can ever get a permit to enter the country.
DeleteHang on Ron, what passport do you hold? Singaporeans have no problems entering N Korea at all. It's only if you have an American passport that you may have difficulty getting a visa to enter N Korea but loads of my Singaporeans friends have been to N Korea - you just have to join an organized tour (which departs from Beijing, Koryo tours http://www.koryogroup.com/ are good. I have a friend in S'pore who is a travel agent and he's not only been to N Korea but has arranged for loads of Singaporeans to visit.
DeleteAre you an American? Cos N Korea absolutely welcomes Singaporeans.
Whilst the Singaporean government may not shout about it - but Singapore actually maintains fairly cordial relationship with the N Korean regime, the same way Singapore maintained really a good relationship with the Burmese military junta even when they locked up Aung Sung Suu Kyi for a long time. The PAP doesn't care about politics in other countries, they close one eye and shut the other and don't kaypoh. They only think about trade and commerce and possibilities for Singaporean companies in other countries - so for that reason, Singapore's government does not speak up against N Korea for any reason (human rights, nuclear bomb etc) - this keeps the door open for Singaporean companies to one day invest in N Korea and set up factories there for example.
DeleteWhat that means in the meantime is that Singaporeans are free to visit N Korea via organized tours as Singaporeans are not seen as a threat, unlike Japanese, South Koreans, Americans and allies of America...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_North_Korea There you go, Singaporeans and Malaysians do NOT even require a visa to enter North Korea for 30 days.
DeleteAhh, I didn't know that! Well perhaps I can really go there one day!
DeleteAnd yeah, I am Singaporean.
DeleteThere you do - don't make any assumptions until you check the facts out. A Singaporean passport is probably the best passport to have for tourism to North Korea as you don't need a visa for both China and North Korea (you need to enter N Korea from Dandong or Beijing in China) - as a Brit, I need visas for both countries = expensive. But it's just money. Singaporeans don't need visas for a lot of countries that I need visas for - Turkey, Indonesia and Vietnam being recent examples of when I realized damn I need a visa for these countries as a Brit now...
DeleteYou need to realize that the foreign policy of Singapore means that Singapore is v good friends with a lot of countries for a range of reasons (trade, defense, tourism etc) so a side effect of that is that you (as a S'porean) enjoy visa-free travel to these countries. So get traveling Ron!
PS. Just heard on the news that Zimbabwean dictator has been in Singapore again for medical treatment and Mugabe's daughter studied at a Singaporean university. Most of the West have treated Mugabe as public enemy number one after the way he terrorized his own population to cling on to power and massacred thousands who dared to defy him. But Singapore? Nah, Singapore doesn't care about things like that, don't kaypoh, Singapore welcomes people like that - North Korea, Myanmar, Zimbabwe are amongst the PAP's good friends. It's a disgraceful political situation as I feel it is immoral to condone such regimes even with diplomacy: but there you go Ron, that means you enjoy more visa-free travel to countries like North Korea than I do (as a Brit).
DeleteOff-topic question I know, but I'm stuck with a mental roadblock. I'm applying for a research associate position for defense policy with the Council on Foreign Relations and I'm staring at my CV where I'm supposed to fill in the byline of "Applying for xxx" or "Seeking for x position for y organization." How should I do it? Any suggestions?
ReplyDelete*Puts on my gatekeeper hat.
DeleteDon't fret about it mate, that's not going to make or break your application. Just put a label on it in a most straightforward, plain talking manner and really, the gatekeeper will breeze through that and look at the stuff that matters. IMHO.
Thanks. I'm also rather nervous about my CV. Could you be so kind as to help me give it a look-over?
DeleteAt the risk of sounding unhelpful, I don't think it matters. Any decent gatekeeper should be able to look at your CV and pick out what is important - your CV merely gets you the first round interview, everything after that is down to your performance during the interview. It's a question of substance over style - keep it simple, plain talking, honest, direct. These gatekeepers know what they're looking for and your CV's layout/format isn't going to make or break your application.
DeleteAnd even if I were to say, "there's a gap in your CV, you clearly lack experience in _____________" what are you going to do? It's not like "oh I have no more tomato ketchup, I'll just run to the shop downstairs to get some." Gaps like that are not stuff you can just plug easily. Your CV is just what it is I'm afraid.
No, please don't come to Japan during summer, you will DIE. Seriously. It's so freaking hot it's crazy. It can get around 37deg and the humidity will kill you. Every Singaporean will know that hot sticky feeling - it's ten times worse in Japan during summer. It's so bad that the authorities will warn residents to not stay outdoors for more than 20 minutes every summer, but I couldn't even stand under the sun for more than 10 minutes. Like you said, Cuba is just hot, but Japan and Korea are hot AND humid. If you are coming to Japan now, though, I'm sure you'll enjoy the weather now thoroughly since temperatures are at all-time low.
ReplyDeleteArigato gozaimasz Amber! Yeah there is an option for me perhaps to do Japan-Korea in the Easter period for 2 weeks but I wonder if that is enough if I am flying all the way there. The good news is that I could probably ski in Korea if I am doing that. And if I do go to Tokyo we could meet.
DeleteEaster period is good! Perfect weather, not too hot and not too cold, but might be a little warm for you though. Yeah 2 weeks might be a little too rushed if you're coming from Europe, but good thing is that Japan and Korea are really close (only 1 hour plus away by plane) and there are multiple flights a day between the two countries so hopefully that helps in planning your itinerary!
DeleteI live in Osaka :( But if you happen to drop by anywhere in West Japan let me know!
Konichiwa! The problem with Easter is that it is just way too rushed to do both Japan and Korea - like 2 weeks for Japan just ain't enough bearing in mind that I live in London, so for me if I do plan this trip, it'll be a Japan-Korea bucket list trip, ie. everything I wanna do in Japan-Korea (including skiing mind you) will be done so I am thinking more in terms of a winter trip as opposed to a rather rushed Easter trip. So probably not this time methinks.
DeletePS. Osaka is one of those places I wanna visit too - I once watched a movie about Osaka on a plane (can't remember the title) but the characters were eating all the time and the food looked soooooooo good.
That's too bad :( If you had come this winter I'm sure you'll like it very much because this is the coldest winter we've experienced in about a decade or so and even big cities like Tokyo and Osaka were snowing heavily! Rarely happens because apart from the northeastern region, Japan is never really that cold!
DeleteOsaka is all about food! It's like the kitchen of Japan! For 500yen, you can get a tasty Japanese set meal in Osaka but the same kind of food will cost twice more in Tokyo! Do come if you have the chance!
It's one of those things that I have to make up my mind and book - but I have been procrastinating because of so many other things that require my immediate attention, like work. Groan...
DeleteQuick question please Amber: just how expensive is traveling in Japan in terms of food, travel, accommodation - if you were to compare it to Singapore for example? I know you can have a range of options: ie. best restaurant in town vs street food, 5 star hotel vs youth hostel etc - but generally, is it on par with S'pore or more expensive? I'm just nervous about hemorrhaging yens left, right and centre everywhere I go in Japan when I do get there ... Arigato!
Hi LIFT!
DeleteThe average restaurants and eating places are actually quite affordable! It's not all that different from Singapore actually. You can get pretty tasty food for 1000 to 2000 yen (1000 yen = about S$13 with the current rates I think). And if you order udon or ramen in small stores in those back alleys they are usually less than 1000 yen and still very tasty! If you are really on a tight budget there're always beef bowls to help you out. At Yoshinoya, Sukiya and Matsuya you can get a set meal for around 500 yen or less, and they are almost everywhere in Japan so you'll never go hungry! Or if you want to eat till you drop you can go to those all-you-can-eat restaurants (usually they call them izakaya) and for about 3000 yen you can order as much as you want for 2 hours. Yakiniku (Japanese-style Korean BBQ) restaurants also have all-you-can-eat menus and you can gorge yourself with all sorts of meat, also about 3000 yen.
As for travel, JR (Japan Rail) has a lot of passes for different areas, and they are usually sold at a very reasonable price. You can board any trains within a designated area without lining up to buy tickets every time with those passes, but just be careful not lose them because JR is really stingy and doesn't do any refund or replacement!
As for accommodation, business hotels like Toyoko Inn are actually quite affordable, like 6000 yen per night, and it comes with free WiFi and breakfast. Or if you don't mind the squeeze, capsule hotels cost even less but of course, you don't get a room because you only get a bed! Or if you want to experience Korean culture in Japan, there are also Korean-style guesthouses in major cities called Myonbak I think? My Korean friend booked a room for me on my upcoming Tokyo trip and it's only 3500 yen per night! Quite a steal in an expensive city like Tokyo!
IMO, if you are not shopping or going to theme parks, Japan is still an okay place to visit! There are lots of places in Tokyo that don't cost a yen - check out this one http://en.rocketnews24.com/2011/09/25/2346/
With a bit of research, you can enjoy Japan without going broke!
Cheers,
Amber
Konichiwa Amber - this is such a brilliantly written little guide to Japan, I am going to cut & paste it into a proper article because I feel that more people need to read what you have to say about Japan. Since I may not make it to Japan this year, I would like others to benefit from your wonderful advice. Arigato!! :)
Deletehttp://limpehft.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/q-just-how-expensive-is-japan-for.html Thank you again Amber :)
DeleteHi LIFT! Just came back from Tokyo and I'm honoured that you have made my comment into a blog post! Thanks so much! Glad it helps!
DeleteCheers Amber and thanks again, domo arigato! Since I probably won't be going to Japan this year, I thought I'd share the useful info on my blog :)
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