OK, I%26#39;ve reached the hell out of all of the above cities and I like what I%26#39;ve read on all four. All I need now is some comparative insights from seasoned travellers who have been to some or all four of the above cities. I love to hear your inputs so sock it to me!
About me:
-Only have 5 days to spare and want to visit only 1 Asian city.
-Never been to Asia
-In my early 30s
-Going alone
-Interested in something new, culture, food (very important), interacting with the locals, walking around, and clubbing/non-seedy nightlife (also very important).
-Not really interested in shopping.
WHICH IS THE BEST CITY FOR DINING OUT, WALKING AROUND AND GO CLUBBING AT NIGHT?
Will be posting this question on Tokyo, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Bangkok forums to make it fair.
*THE* Asian Metropolis:Tokyo, Shanghai, Hong Kong or Bangkok
Hi i had been to Bangkok several times,Hongkong at least 3 times,Tokyo once n of cos most of the time in Shanghai for past 7 yrs.I had gone stale with Bangkok cos the sity has not much to offer except for the famed thai massage n bars,other than that its a buddhist culture just like any buddhist country,city is pale by comparison not much of landscapingn devoid of decorations but the people r nice n friendly.Hongkong with its mnagnificent skyline seen over the Victoria peak but i can cover Hongkong within 1 full day,not much to do as far as tourist spots r concerned n mini by comparison if compared to Shanghai,also not much of cultural sites or things that r reminescent of history,though u have several nice clubbing areaswhich r more or less same like in Tokyo or Shanghai,Hongkong is just like any big western city populated mainly by chinese, but its a very clean city.Tokyo is indeed a nice city,relaxed if ur not working,not much to say about buildings ,air quality is good,some beautiful temples n gardens,but the city has more or less remained the same for past few yrs as i was told,nuthin much has changed,n finally...yes we have Shanghai , easily the most talkabout city in the world right now,everchanging each time u go back there r new changes in terms of developments like buildings ultramodern,the city skyline seems like alive n changing every second,compared to the other cities its the most populated city with 20million people n many many expats there from all sorts of nationalities,a city thats battling to save the old architecture n culture trying t o maintain n preserve the old alongside the new.but right now its blending beautifully,walking around is never boring a lot of things that u never thought u could see anywhere but dont be surprised if u see in in Shanghai,its also a city thats so receptive of anything foreign so its truly a cosmopolitan worldly city,food wise well its a understatement to say the least that Shanghai has the world food all in this city apart from the countless chinese cuisine,walking around isconvenient,clubbing is the same like any major city as for value for money Shanghai beats the rest as it is still affordable comfortably as compared to Tokyo or Hongkong which is much more expensive.Hospitality for services is good in Bangkok n Shanghai.,that is if u have money to splash.,U have the maglev train,many subway lines,people exercising early in the morning with all sort of expertise whether its sword ,dancing,acrobatics along the major roads n parks,many joining in on their way to work.,n cultural n artistic buildings whether its chinese or western along the bund,French concession area,YuYuan lots more lol.So i will definitely say Shanghai tops them all...cos i have had never a dull moment eversince i been to this glowing city not unlike Bangkok,Tokyo or Hongkong.Some people may not be so polished here but what do u expect from a city of 20 million its also kind of very amusingto observe all types of behaviours here.Actually so much of freedom of expressions.In Tokyo n HongKong its more of quite mechanical n the people r maore like automated machines but of cos more polite in that sense.Well considering all this i still prefer Shanghai handsdown.,truly vibrant n very beautiful city.
*THE* Asian Metropolis:Tokyo, Shanghai, Hong Kong or Bangkok
bennystar99, WOW thanks man for your input. REALLY appreciate it. Questions... what are your three top restaurants in Shanghai for lunch adn three top for dinner?
Thanks again and keep %26#39;em coming!
Eugene AKA Lightseek
You wrote:
About me:
-Only have 5 days to spare and want to visit only 1 Asian city.
-Never been to Asia
-In my early 30s
-Going alone
-Interested in funky designs, something new, culture, food (very important), interacting with the locals, walking around, and clubbing/non-seedy nightlife (also very important).
-Not really interested in shopping.
WHICH IS THE BEST CITY FOR DINING OUT, WALKING AROUND AND GO CLUBBING AT NIGHT ?
_____________
This is a tough one, but I can%26#39;t imagine why you would fly all the way from NYC to spend 5 days in *one* Asian city. But anyway.
';funky designs'; - I think Tokyo tops the lot with some really interesting Architecture / Fashion / Industrial Design / urban minimalist stuff that comes out of there. Many would say they are the %26#39;trendsetters%26#39; in Asia for pop culture.
';something new'; - If its your first time in Asia everything will be %26#39;new%26#39; to you and so I consider all the cities equal in this respect.
';culture'; - this is a broad term but I%26#39;ll assume %26#39;uniqueness%26#39; is the requirement. My vote goes to Tokyo again.
';food'; - I%26#39;ll assume you%26#39;re adventurous, like asian food in general, have no problems with spicy food and won%26#39;t be looking for the nearest MacD%26#39;s once you get off the plane. ;) My vote goes to a tie between Tokyo and Bangkok for *consistently* good food based on previous trips personally.
';interacting with the locals'; - I would think Tokyo-ites are as friendly as New-Yorkers (pre-9/11), busy-ing about their hectic lives... ;) My vote goes to Bangkok for this requirement.
';walking around'; - My vote goes to a tie between Hong Kong and Shanghai - you could get wonderfully lost exploring antique shops on Hollywood Street and vicinity (HK) and the old European quarters, Nanjing Rd. and the Bund (Shanghai).
';clubbing/non-seedy nightlife'; - If you%26#39;re used to the Avalon/Twilo kind of clubbing my vote goes to Tokyo but Bangkok is my personal favourite. There are several clubbing areas, each catering to a slightly different crowd than the others. There is a small but very good and friendly after-hours scene but it helps if you know someone. Actually, scratch Bangkok - they%26#39;ve recently elected a new Government so things are a little quiet of late. ;) If you%26#39;re more a Greenwich / East Village kind of guy then I would say Shanghai or Hong Kong - Mao Ming Lu (Shanghai) and Lan Kwai Fong (HK).
So there you have it, looks like Tokyo with Bangkok a close second.
Happy travels!
Will be posting this answer on Tokyo, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Bangkok forums for consistency. :)
Hi for lunch LOST HEAVEN at Gao yu lu(near Fuxinglu),Cloud 9 at Shangrila,Element Fresh at Portman Hotel.For Dinner at XinXiange at627,Huai hai zhonglu,Quanjude at786HuaihaiZhonglu,and House of Canton at Nanjingxilu.
I would have to pick Tokyo. I fell in love with it instantly and have been several times on my own (early 20s). I lived in Japan for 6 months and Tokyo was the first place I touched down in Asia, completely alone. Nostalgic feelings aside, I did not have any problems getting around on my own speaking English with a few handy Japanese phrases. People very helpful and friendly.
The food is incredibly delicious. Contrary to what you may hear about Tokyo it isn%26#39;t that expensive as long as you stick to Asian staples instead of Dominoes Pizza and Western chains. You can easily find a three course meal for under $10.
Always felt very safe on my own and the city is very clean. Lots to see and do, in and around the city, as well transportation is top notch (although shuts down early compared to Toronto or NYC) and easy to figure out to get out of the city to Nara or Yokohama, as well daily trips to Mt.Fuji or Nikko are offered everywhere. The different neighbourhoods in Tokyo are each like their own cities of electric lights, or traditional temples, modern fashion, etc.
I also found that Tokyo had a great nightlife for clubbing, but also lounges, bars, karaoke and meeting both locals and foreigners.
Comparatively, I also travelled to Hong Kong alone for a week. I felt much more overwhelmed and crowded than Tokyo. I did not feel as safe and it is not as clean. The people are friendly enough and English is spoken much more widely. transportation in and around HK was okay. There seemed to be much more emphasis on shpping in HK compared ot Tokyo.
As for the food, I only had TERRIBLE experiences. Bt my third day I had given up and was eating at Starbucks and The Outback Steakhouse. I%26#39;m quite a adventurous and have a wide variety of tastes but I just couldn%26#39;t get a decent meal.
I wasn%26#39;t as comfortable with the nightlife scene being on my own in HK. I%26#39;m not sure if I was just too used to Tokyo but it just didn%26#39;t compare as a single traveller.
I haven%26#39;t been to Bangkok and am visting Shanghai in September...
Good luck and have a great trip. You%26#39;ll fall in love with Asia
raverboy, WOW! Thanks, dude. You%26#39;re da man! Anymore words of wisdoms?
bennystar99, Once again thanks for restaurant suggestions. That means a lot getting usual info from people who knows the place well. Will take Shanghai serious consideration with you suggestions. Thanks again for your contributions.
Filmgal, Thanks babe for your suggestions and tips on Tokyo. Best wishes and any last minute thoughts would be appreciated!!
BTW a few people suggested that with 5 days I%26#39;d have time to visit 2 cities. Is this true or would I be spreading myself out too thin? I mean when I go to big European cities like London, Madrid, Berlin (my favorite Euro city) and Amsterdam ... I can easily spend a full week there.
Thanks again!! Keep %26#39;em coming.
Eugene AKA Lightseek
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