!!!Click on the above picture to start the D.tube video!!!
I did it! Over 1 year and a half travelling in Asia uninterrupted.
Here is what I learned and what the top spots are in each country I visited.
China
The wages of the people are increasing dramatically in the developed regions such as Shenzhen and Shanghai. Some cities, especially Shenzhen, is great to live in as expat due to low pollution as compared to the rest of China and great infrastructure at an affordable price.
Most beautiful: Zhuhai city
Japan
This is a magical country of your dreams. Everything you think should happen is happening here. Things here just work the logical way. Toilet seats open automatically for you when you approach them, people smile at you all the time, the countryside is full of untouched nature. I have a constant mesmerizing feeling, a state of between-states, a dreamy kind of state where I would do stuff that I dreamed about such as writing poems, music compositions, climbing mountains etc.
Most beautiful: Freaking everything
Taiwan
A very quiet, relaxed place where small cities have great infrastructure and the people are relaxed and smiling. This is a great place for retirement and prices here are fair. Amazing street food everywhere and they are very hospitable. Couchsurfing here works like a breeze.
Most beautiful: Taroko National Park
South Korea
Here I have seen something astonishing. There are much more Asian-male White-female couples. In the West, it is usually the opposite. But in Seoul, this trend is very surprising to me. I saw them everywhere in museums and parks. It is a place that is very cold in winter and mild in summer. They do have amazing street food and their fried chicken is the best I have to eat. I repeat, their fried chicken is the best.
Most beautiful: Parks of Seoul
Hong Kong
This is a place where you can learn how to make business. On the flip side, everything here is extremely expensive, I would argue that it is more expensive than in Tokyo for the same standard of living. So, if you visit here, I suggest no more than a week. They have a very busy city lifestyle and an amazing coastal view from the main island. There are lots of small outer islands and places to hike. You still can visit a lot of nature.
Most beautiful: Victoria Peak
Macao
It is a sort of similar state as of Taiwan with the people being more like in Hong Kong, although more relaxed. This place is very small. You can visit everything worth visiting within a few days. There are amazing European styled buildings and you still see lots of Portuguese people or people who are mixed. I really enjoyed their street food and also the fact that you can pay here with three currencies: Chinese Yuan, Hong Kong Dollar and Macao Dollar.
Most beautiful: Old Town area
Vietnam
This country has by far the most amazing coastal beaches. I do not know why, but although the general condition of the streets is dirty, the coasts are always clean and beautiful. The water is deep and dark blue with amazing waves. The coconuts are so fruity and juicy, it is beyond belief. The prices here are the cheapest I have seen in Asia during my trip. You can get a cup of noodle for less than one USD.
Most beautiful: Hoi An city
Laos
Ok, you think you have seen nature? If you have not taken a slow boat on the Mekong River in Laos, you have not seen what is untouched jungle and nature stretched over a thousand km. This country has by far the most natural setting I have seen. I feel like that there are no humans and we did not touch the nature at all. When you arrive at a mountaintop, all you can see is pure green, valleys, rivers of blue, mountains of grey and sunlight of yellow. Blue sky and white clouds are the general conditions everywhere.
Most beautiful: All the bank areas on the slow boat on the Mekong River plus the Kuang Si waterfall
Thailand
The land of the Buddha. Truly, here you can still discover some of the original teachings of the Buddha. It is here you can learn how to be in the present moment and how to be at peace in the modern world. Did you get burnout? Buy a ticket to Chiang Mai and volunteer in a temple. You might find your peace. The people are happy, conditions are generally ok and cleaner than you might think.
Most beautiful: Chiang Mai city
Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia
I have only visited a few days within these countries, so I make it brief. Singapore is soulless but you can make a career there if you have a decent education. Malaysia has some of the most comfortable long-distance buses and Indonesia is full of palm trees in the land of Sumatra. I took a 28 hours bus ride in Indonesia to Palembang without air-conditioning and on a bumpy road. Never do that, especially if it is on your birthday…
Most beautiful: I would say it is still Singapore because it is so clean and the food is amazing.
Well, this was the top spots of my adventure. Does it stop here? No, I recently got a remote job and now I am travelling even more and longer. Right now I am in Europe and taking videos as I am writing this. I will publish them on my social media channels.
Like my travel content? Follow me on my social media channels to watch amazing travel videos and read useful information that helps you with your trips.
YouTube: www.youtube.com/johnwu
Steemit: https://steemit.com/@bikeitjohn
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bikeitjohn
