Ok, may have missed some countries here, sorry if I did but only so much room in the poll options.

Personally though I love India and Nepal I have always wanted to visit Japan, especially Tokyo but the cost of it has held me back so far but I am hoping to go sometime next year.

Don't think about money, just a month somewhere away, where would you choose and why?

oops, just noticed a glitch and put in korea twice, better call that one N. Korea.

Ok, may have missed some countries here, sorry if I did but only so much room in the poll options.

  Personally though I love India and Nepal I have always wanted to visit Japan, especially Tokyo but the cost of it has held me back so far but I am hoping to go sometime next year. 

Don't think about money, just a month somewhere away, where would you choose and why?

oops, just noticed a glitch and put in korea twice, better call that one N. Korea.

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Also philippines twice but thats ok , i really enjoyed my three months stay on Boracay . Very friendly , cheap , and beautiful . The place wasnt bad either , if you know what i mean

Ok, may have missed some countries here, sorry if I did but only so much room in the poll options.

  Personally though I love India and Nepal I have always wanted to visit Japan, especially Tokyo but the cost of it has held me back so far but I am hoping to go sometime next year. 

Don't think about money, just a month somewhere away, where would you choose and why?

oops, just noticed a glitch and put in korea twice, better call that one N. Korea.

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Where's Thailand?

All expenses paid!!??

It was a close call between Malaysia and Singapore but the thought of a suite at the Mandarin Oriental and a free run at some of the very tidy ladies to be found in KL swung it!

Where's Thailand?

In South East Asia between Burma on oneside and Cambodia and Laos on the other!!!

I think BKK meant apart from Thailand!!

Is this with or without the spouse?

Bhutan.

It was the "all expenses paid" that sealed it.

The high season tariff (Mar-Nov) just to be in Bhutan is $200US/night.

Low season drops that to a much more palatable $165 per.

Besides, it's the last place on earth.

jb

Two places I never visited, Bhutan and Tibet. So voted for Tibet.

(N-Korea? make this 3 I never saw)

Bhutan would definetely be top on my list...One of the most closed off countries in the world....India is a must for anyone once in a lifetime, especially Rajasthan, and Himachal Pradesh..Mcleod Ganj,Bagsu, Manali, Manikaran...

Ok, may have missed some countries here, sorry if I did but only so much room in the poll options.

  Personally though I love India and Nepal I have always wanted to visit Japan, especially Tokyo but the cost of it has held me back so far but I am hoping to go sometime next year. 

Don't think about money, just a month somewhere away, where would you choose and why?

oops, just noticed a glitch and put in korea twice, better call that one N. Korea.

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Where's Thailand?

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Question is holiday away from Thailand.

Yep Phillipines twice, sorry about that, I was copying and pasting names over and messed up.

Is this with or without the spouse?

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Well since its kind of a dream holiday being all expenses paid, I would have to say without the spouse

Bhutan would definetely be top on my list...One of the most closed off countries in the world....India is a must for anyone once in a lifetime, especially Rajasthan, and Himachal Pradesh..Mcleod Ganj,Bagsu, Manali, Manikaran...

Same here, Bhutan.

I agree about India, so many people I know here in Thailand who like to think themselves as well travelled have never been there.

What makes me laugh is people that complain about services and the way things are run here as a 'third world backwater' country, they should try the madness of India

Saying that, one of the most beautiful countries I've visited and though I'm not sure I could live there but I would have to say beats any S.E.Asian country I've visited for scenery. And the Himalayas are just magnificent.

never been to philippines, would like to one day though

Well I see most going for the Phillipines, for the girls and cheap beer I wonder?

I heard it's got great diving too, and I bet you could be playing some great pool there having produced some of the best players of the game.

Well I see most going for the Phillipines, for the girls and cheap beer I wonder? 

I heard it's got great diving too, and I bet you could be playing some great pool there having produced some of the best players of the game.

I went there just sfter the Yanks pulled out the base in Angeles City. It was not what i expected. Yes there were beautiful girls and cheap beer and great diving, I had a great time, but I couldn't believe the anount of guns. One disco I was in, there was a german guy shot in the head for telling some local that he couldn't have a cigarette. Has it changed since 13 years ago?

I have heard it's a touch dodgy, my friend recently opted for Bali as a trip out from Thailand instead of the Phillipines because he heard too many bad stories of scams.

I know you can hear them about Thailand as well, police killing 2 tourists dead in kanch for example but there does seem to be a certain less relaxed edge from what I have heard about the place.

Anybody been that could inform us better?

The Philippines is great, I often wonder why I'm here and not there. But the truth is I prefer Thailand. Nothing to do with beer or women it's purely culture.

The people of the Philippines speak English and are so friendly, warm and hospitable, yet there is a kind of insincerity mixed up with their Roman Catholic belief.

The Philippines is like the Tony Blair government: full of hippocracy and lies and deceit. Everyone is absolutely bent (not sexual, I mean jiggery-pokery), including the priests. At least in Thailand you know where you stand, although money is still 'God' at least Thais admit money is 'God'.

I remember once a Manila taxi driver got very nasty with me: He wanted money, yet on his heavily carpeted dashboard were plastic popes, Jesus loves you stickers and even three kings. Likewise the lies of Philippine people is staggering, all to 'save face'. At least the Thai immigration are rude and ignore you, that is a good feeling compared to the absolute go-ho and bribe go-ho I experienced in the Philippines.

BUT, it is still a superb holiday destination; but to live there you must be either rich or stupid.

W.S.

Would you say its a violent holiday/expat destination compared to Thailand? Or is it just a case of keeping your wits about you a bit more and being a bit more alert to the situations around you, streetwise/asiawise you could say?

never been to philippines, would like to one day though

Then you simply must check out some of those LBFM's!

whats a LBFM Boon Mee, are you using some American code?

I would have to say Japan as I am utterly fascinated with their culture and language. It's much too expensive to consider it for a long term holiday but as you said, all expenses paid so I would want them paid at the only place I worry about paying for.

Thats exactly the same reason I chose Japan for this all expense paid trip, the cost of the country has always been a problem for me especially coz I would like to party in Tokyo.

Saying that I have a friend who is a Tokyo Nurse and she said I could crash at hers while I'm there

Japan and China, in particular Hong Kong have all been MUST VISIT countries for me coz I love big cities and bright lights and hedonism.

I have always wanted to visit Japan, especially Tokyo but the cost of it has held me back so far but I am hoping to go sometime next year. 

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If you want to know how to do Tokyo on the cheap and cheerful, PM me. I lived there 2 years and I too will visit friends there soon. Take a look at Tokyo Metropolis Magazines website (plenty of accomodation listings). The accomodation offered is for long term stay, however for approx 60,000 yen (around £300) you can get a room in a 'gaijin house' (literally farang house) where a lot of English Teachers stay. The English Teachers in Japan are qualified and not a bunch of ratbags! Often there are fairly offbeat Japanese males staying in these places too. Like I say PM me, it is possible to do Tokyo cheap and there are some great places citywide to visit that do not appear in the guide books.

I have always wanted to visit Japan, especially Tokyo but the cost of it has held me back so far but I am hoping to go sometime next year. 

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If you want to know how to do Tokyo on the cheap and cheerful, PM me. I lived there 2 years and I too will visit friends there soon. Take a look at Tokyo Metropolis Magazines website (plenty of accomodation listings). The accomodation offered is for long term stay, however for approx 60,000 yen (around £300) you can get a room in a 'gaijin house' (literally farang house) where a lot of English Teachers stay. The English Teachers in Japan are qualified and not a bunch of ratbags! Often there are fairly offbeat Japanese males staying in these places too. Like I say PM me, it is possible to do Tokyo cheap and there are some great places citywide to visit that do not appear in the guide books.

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Sorry, the 60,000 yen (£300) fee for staying in a gaijin house is for ONE MONTH!!!! - forgot to say that!

whats a LBFM Boon Mee, are you using some American code?

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LBFM is Little Brown F'n Machine, sometimes I hear Thai girls referred to as the Other LBFM.

Gun control is a lot more strict in Philippines right now, but I don't know what the stats on gun violence are. I never seen any problems the four times I've recently been there, just the pressence of force was disturbing. Every mall, metro station, and public place has armed security details with machine guns you'll also see some heavily armed police at busy intersections waiting for something to happen. Also Manila airport is a hassle to get through, they reccomend you arrive 4 hours prior to takeoff.

Anyhow there's Philippine expats and Thai Expats and talking to ppl who've experienced both cultures there seems to be no plausible reason why they prefer one over the other. They ussually say something like I don't like Thailand because blah blah blah and my girlfriend isn't Thai or vice versa. Of course there is a difference in cultures, just hard to categorize, only relation is that the extremist rebels seem to prefer the south in both countries?

aah, ok man, with you now, without the risk of this thread turning into a bargirl topic I had a Phillipino LBFM in Singapore, the accent really is something else.

Toddy, great bargain room there 300 quid a month, but I do feel if I travelled Tokyo on a budget then I would miss out on many things that I would love to experience so I'm not going there til I got a fat wad of cash.

aah, ok man, with you now, without the risk of this thread turning into a bargirl topic I had a Phillipino LBFM in Singapore,  the accent really is something else.

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Was her name Kim?

can't remember her name, but it cost me 100 singapore dollars though.

and I thought she really loved me