Guest fountainhall Posted January 11, 2012 Posted January 11, 2012 The New York Times has printed yet another list of places to see – this time The 45 Places to Visit in 2012. Why 45? Why not 50? No idea! Those closest to Thailand are - 3. Myanmar - Back on the tourist map after being off-limits for years.9. Lhasa, Tibet - New luxury hotels bring respite — and controversy. 15. Halong Bay, Vietnam - New ways to visit a natural wonder in Southeast Asia. 18. Moganshan, China - Luxury in the former mountain hideaway of Shanghai gangsters. 21. Kerala, India - A new Indian biennale will make its debut in this coastal state. 23. Koh Rong, Cambodia - A string of islands recalls an undiscovered Asian paradise. 27. Maldives - A cushy place for hard-core surfers? Here it is. 28. Malacca, Malaysia - A World Heritage site ramps up its tourism options. http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/01/08/travel/45-places-to-go-in-2012.html?pagewanted=1&ref=general&src=me There are a few paragraphs on the reasons for visiting each place. I guess for most locals and tourists, it’s the opening up of Myanmar that will be of greatest interest. For me, I hope to get to Lhasa later this year. Quote
Guest Posted January 11, 2012 Posted January 11, 2012 The New York Times has printed yet another list of places to see Quote
pong Posted January 25, 2012 Posted January 25, 2012 There are a few paragraphs on the reasons for visiting each place. I guess for most locals and tourists, it’s the opening up of Myanmar that will be of greatest interest. For me, I hope to get to Lhasa later this year. Burma=MYanm, has never been ''closed''=was there, as a normal individual tourist, visa arranged here in BKK, flying AirAsia a few yrs ago. But various parts of the country are off limit. Recent reports from travellerfora suggest there is already a boom of visitors-making the few accom's very precious to get in now. Have also been to Lhasa/Tibet (flying in from CHina and going overland to Nepal) some 20 yrs ago-the brief period when it was really moreorless 'free'' to enter. Effectively Tibet is now more restricted as MYanm ever was-only chaperoned guided tours, only approved (chinese owned) HTLs etc. With the big chance to get terribly mountain-sick. IF you really want to have a glimpse of how those Buddists from there live, go to Bhutan (also only guided and extremely expensive) or the parts in India/Nepal, like Ladakh. Quote
Rogie Posted January 25, 2012 Posted January 25, 2012 Have also been to Lhasa/Tibet (flying in from CHina and going overland to Nepal) some 20 yrs ago-the brief period when it was really moreorless 'free'' to enter. Effectively Tibet is now more restricted as MYanm ever was-only chaperoned guided tours, only approved (chinese owned) HTLs etc. I can't imagine Fountainhall going along with all that, but assuming it is possible to visit independently I most certainly hope he does, for selfish reasons - namely we on the Forum will be treated to one of his wonderful reports, complete with sumptuous photographs. Quote
Guest fountainhall Posted January 25, 2012 Posted January 25, 2012 Effectively Tibet is now more restricted as MYanm ever was-only chaperoned guided tours, only approved (chinese owned) HTLs etc. With the big chance to get terribly mountain-sick. IF you really want to have a glimpse of how those Buddists from there live, go to Bhutan (also only guided and extremely expensive) or the parts in India/Nepal, like Ladakh. I have not yet done all my research on trips to Lhasa, but despite what the official propaganda states, several friends have told me it is absolutely not essential to go on fully escorted tours. Not that I have anything against well-organized tours. In the thread on the Harbin Snow and Ice Festival, I listed one which, after chatting with one of the guides, seemed especially interesting (as did the guide ). In any case, four years ago I went on a 10-day fully escorted tour in Bhutan, and loved almost every minute of it. (And frankly, for what you get - all accommodation, all meals, full-time guide, car and driver, entrance to temples and museums etc., I found the price more than reasonable.) Several friends in China say the key is not to list Lhasa as your destination when you arrive in China. That’s easy because the Immigration form only asks for one city/area, and almost certainly you will have to spend a night somewhere en route. Then you are more or less free to travel there. In any event, Lhasa has western-run hotels like the St. Regis, Four Points by Sheraton and Days Inn which happily accept bookings from individual travellers. As to elevation, in my experience this all depends on what you do to acclimatize. Anyone jumping out at that elevation and expecting to race around the city is in for trouble. But when you visit the old Inca capital of Cusco en route to Machu Picchu in Peru, most tourists take the 40-minute hop from Lima at sea level straight up to 3,400 meters. The guidebooks all say that you should spend the first 4 – 5 hours drinking the local cocoa tea and resting in bed. (On my trip 15 months ago, I read for a couple of hours, got bored, and then went on to gayromeo to find out if there was anyone on-line from Cusco – there were more than 110 listed there and a few on-line, which resulted in a very pleasant encounter with a student the following evening! ) When I visited Jiuzhaigou last October, the airport there is even higher, at 3,448 meters. Again I had no problem. And Lhasa is less than 50 meters higher at 3,490. So as long as one is sensible, elevation is no great problem. What I will probably try and do is find some way to link a trip to Lhasa with visits to Zhongdian (Shangri-La) and Lijiang. (I know Lijiang is a major tourist destination now, but worth it, I'm told, for one night). Quote
Rogie Posted January 25, 2012 Posted January 25, 2012 What I will probably try and do is find some way to link a trip to Lhasa with visits to Zhongdian (Shangri-La) and Lijiang. (I know Lijiang is a major tourist destination now, but worth it, I'm told, for one night). Looking good for us eager photo-philics among the membership. Quote
