Where would you go in 2026?

 

Eric.

Not telling in order to keep the likes of you from coming.

Liked Vietnam in March, still a lot to see and would like to go back someday.

14 minutes ago, novacova said:

Not telling in order to keep the likes of you from coming.

You sound like a lovely chap to be around at sunset.

 

Eric.

Philippines?

19 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Philippines?

Maybe the first time.

Certainly not a second, sir.

China

Just now, w00n s3n said:

Maybe the first time.

Certainly not a second, sir.

why, what's wrong with it?

 

Eric.

7 minutes ago, Stressed Eric said:

why, what's wrong with it?

 

Eric.

It's a third-world <deleted>hole.  

I would reverse gears, and head for Canada.

1 hour ago, Stressed Eric said:

Where would you go in 2026?

 

Eric.

Why not add Singapore and Myanmar to your list

 

For me direct flights would be a selling point. Taiwan isn't on the list but there's a direct flight from where I used to live (near London).  I've now been there a few times and I like the vibe there, but maybe not as a starting point.

 

But from all the places I've now been to in SE Asia I'd say Hong Kong is the easiest entry into SE Asian culture.  But Thailand has got to be up there due to allure of the beaches.

Places in Asia, I want to visit the next few years...

 

1. Vietnam (loved it before, want to visit again and see more)

2. Taiwan (would like to experience genuine Chinese culture and history, unlike the scams and crap in the PRC)

3. Indonesia

 

Thailand?? Meh!

Bali isn't a country. Indonesia has a lot more to offer than Thailand. Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi, Java, Lombok. Burma can't be overlooked either.

1 hour ago, KhunLA said:

China

OP says SEA, 

2 hours ago, fredwiggy said:

Liked Vietnam in March, still a lot to see and would like to go back someday.

Yeah, Vietnam is great for a tourist visit.

If I were single I'd probably marry (or impregnate) a local for the easy 5 year family VISA.

10 minutes ago, Peter Crow said:

OP says SEA, 

OP doesn't know that, as lucky if he, she, it, leaves the basement.

 

SEA = 5 countries & 1 province  

 

Missing as many as listed, Bali ??? ... 

Brunei

Cambodia

East Timor

Indonesia

Laos

Malaysia

Myanmar

Philippines

Singapore

Thailand

Vietnam

My first visit to SEA was on a gap year so I visited all of the countries on the OP's list as well as a number of others while on a break from work.  If you have the time and money why limit yourself to one country?

48 minutes ago, Peter Crow said:

Bali isn't a country. Indonesia has a lot more to offer than Thailand. Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi, Java, Lombok. Burma can't be overlooked either.

Burma? Time travel is expensive, tho.

Thailand is the only place i was home

 

I prefer to keep my distance from people with a mentality shaped by communist ideology. But as a tourist, you can visit any of the listed countries.

 

Malaysia , first time visitor to SEA , ease your way into it ,more people

speak English ,relatively safe, 

 

regards worgeordie

I always tell my friends that are coming here for the first time to always be aware of the fact that Thailand is not a foreign country, but rather it's a distant planet. If you keep that in mind things tend to make more sense. 

7 hours ago, Hummin said:

Philippines?

In the Ghetto. 

8 hours ago, Stressed Eric said:

Where would you go in 2026?

 

Eric.

Add Singapore. 

3 minutes ago, Mike_Hunt said:

In the Ghetto. 

I agree, Philippines is a different place, different culture, and also comes with a lot more exposed poor culture than Thailand, and crime against tourist and expats. 

 

Still many nice places to settle outside the poor districts. 

6 hours ago, Watawattana said:

For me direct flights would be a selling point. Taiwan isn't on the list but there's a direct flight from where I used to live (near London).  I've now been there a few times and I like the vibe there, but maybe not as a starting point.

 

But from all the places I've now been to in SE Asia I'd say Hong Kong is the easiest entry into SE Asian culture.  But Thailand has got to be up there due to allure of the beaches.

Did you spell Beaches correctly?

Just now, Hummin said:

I agree, Philippines is a different place, different culture, and also comes with a lot more exposed poor culture than Thailand, and crime against tourist and expats. 

 

Still many nice places to settle outside the poor districts. 

I never encountered any problems, and I also walked through the poorest areas in Manila to get from airport to bus station late at night. Everyone was very friendly, quite amazing really.

1 minute ago, BritManToo said:

I never encountered any problems, and I also walked through the poorest areas in Manila to get from airport to bus station late at night. Everyone was very friendly, quite amazing really.

I didn’t have any problems either, but when my hotel picked me up, it was not just with an driver, it was with and body guard to, who went out first before me, and stood on my side when I wanted to go to the atm for local money 😉 It was not even a 5 star hotel. 

 

Walking in the streets being overwhelmed just going from bar to bar or restaurants in the tourist districts by children and other poor begging for money, was a bit disturbing if you ask me. It was quite intense behavior if you ask me

6 hours ago, Peter Crow said:

Bali isn't a country. Indonesia has a lot more to offer than Thailand. Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi, Java, Lombok. Burma can't be overlooked either.

 

Yup, if I could do it all over again and go to some place in Asia first, Indonesia would be right second to Thailand. And Bali would not make the list of first ten places there.