Asia Archives - Page 2 of 2

March 19, 2015 by Steve Owen 1 Comment

Riding a Minsk in Vietnam

Get Off the Beaten Track on a Minsk Motorbike Tour

We try to see countries from a different perspective if possible whether it is going to a local fruit and vegetable market away from the busyness of the tourist centre, taking a bike ride into the country or hiking on little known trails. We tend to shy away from the larger tour crowds when we can just due to the fact that we don’t like the jostling of crowds and vending opportunities that many tourist sites have to offer. Of course if you want to see a sight like the Louvre, the Grand Canyon or any well-known attraction it is almost unavoidable to show up and see six tour buses getting off to join you. Fortunately, there are still some amazing attractions and things to do that offer an adventure off the beaten path but close enough to your accommodation to get back in time for dinner.

Or in the case of Hoi An Motorbike Adventures, on and off very beaten and historic tracks on a an old Minsk motorcycle.

Tour Information

Tour Operator: Hoi An Motorbike Adventures

Location: Our tour was out of Hoi An Vietnam with additional riding opportunities offered in Sri Lanka and Laos. The tour included side streets in quiet neighborhoods, a short ride through Danang, up a steep climb along jungle and the sea as well as historic sites.

Price as of March 2015: $95 each or $140 in total for two if your partner rides pillion, check website for latest pricing

Tour style: Easy riding, some technical riding involved if you choose to drive vs ride on back

Length of tour: 1 day although many other options available for multi-day trips, also in Laos and Sri Lanka

The booking office is just outside of the Hoi An ancient town and provides anything from day trips to overnight or multi-day trips for anyone who wants to get a taste of Vietnam in a new perspective.

About The Minsk

If you happen to be a motorcycle enthusiast [Read more…]

May 5, 2014 by Steve Owen Leave a Comment

Trip to Seoul, South Korea, May 2014

Our take on Seoul:

We have put together our costs breakdown and itinerary for our trip to Seoul in case you might find it useful for planning. There are many accommodation options and things to do here so we recommend a visit to the handy Seoul Visitor’s Guide along with some input from TripAdvisor, which the visitor guide conveniently provides on its site.

Length of Time: Short Term Trip, 4.5 days from 3 May – 7 May
Total Expenses for 2 in $US excluding airfare as of May, 2014: $532.45
- Accommodation for 4 nights at AirBnb (Jen’s Place): $242.16
- Entertainment Costs for 2: $33.61
  Pavilion of Far-Reaching Fragrance
  - TrickEye and Ice Museum: $28.01
  - Palace Entry: $5.60
- Food and Drinks for 2: $205.32
  - Most Expensive: $29.14 – dinner at traditional restaurant
  - Least Expensive: $13.07 – breakfast at café
- Transportation for 2: $51.36
  - Train from airport to apartment: $14.01
  - 2 Visit Korea cards for 2 days on Seoul Train System: $37.35 / 36,000 KRW
- Itinerary:
  - Day 1 – arrival
  - Day 2
    - Gwanghwamun Square
    - Cheonggyecheon (Stream)
    - Seoul Metropolitan Library (former Seoul City Hall)
    - Tapgol Park
    - Insa-dong
      Bukchon Hanok Village
  - Day 3
    - Gyeongbokgung Palace
    - TrickEye and Ice Museum
    - Jamsil Area
      - Lotte World Adventure
      - Lotte Department Store
      - Seokchon Lake Park
  - Day 4
    - Heunginjimun (Gate)
    - Seoul City Wall
    - Bukchon Hanok Village
    - Myeong-dong Shopping District
    - Dongdaemun Design Plaza
- Good place for info: Visit Seoul – helpful guides, basic info like etiquette, national holidays, maps, and things to do/see
- IOS Apps Used: TripAdvisor City Guides – Seoul, MapMyWalk, Maps.Me Offline Maps, Google Offline Maps, WorldMate, TripRider, GuideWithMe Offline Travel Guides – Seoul, Google Translate, Electronic versions of Seoul guidebooks and maps: Official Seoul City Guides
- Internet Country Rating: Very fast. Our experience was that the Internet, at least where we stayed at our AirBnb accommodation was lightning quick.

First Impressions Rating: 8 out of 10 – Friendly and Clean:

After we got off the train, we exited the station and looked very touristy and confused, standing with our luggage and trying to get an idea of which way to turn. You have seen us where you live, standing out, vulnerable and probably a little anxious. A young guy was one of many friendly people we met who tried to help us, all without a hidden agenda. We got the impression people wanted to practise their English, and were eager to help out of common courtesy rather than gaining anything from helping us. Not to say that there are no pickpockets, or whatever in Seoul but it was a nice feeling to meet some genuinely helpful people on our first night. Over the next few days people randomly talked to us and asked questions about where we were from, if we liked South Korea so far, and usually ended with “Enjoy your stay!” Our impression from our trip to Seoul, albeit a very short trip, was that the people are friendly, the city looks clean and well kept, and we would like to come back for more.

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