stumped for the hols

January 31, 2006 9:14 PM

Stumped. Please give me some ideas for a holiday.

This is pretty broad I know, but I have to get out of Japan for four or five days at the end of the month and I'm kinda stuck on where to go. If you had five days on Earth where is the ideal place to spend it? Obv. South America and Africa are out (too far away) but I'm up for anything that involves nice scenery, architecture, small and friendly, and not too hectic or busy. I'm travelling alone, 34, male. Airfares are pretty cheap at the moment but I don't want to spend too much.

posted by dydecker to Travel & Transportation (10 answers total)

Auckland, NZ is a great place to visit for a few days--tons of great day trips to be taken from there. Good food, nice people, affordable, small townish but still a city. Stunning scenery all around. If you're at all remotely interested in sporty adventures, NZ is a great place to be.
posted by missmobtown at 9:36 PM on January 31, 2006

Tahiti

Hawaii

New Zealand is a great idea, too.
posted by frogan at 9:40 PM on January 31, 2006

Response by poster: Oh god anywhere but New Zealand! No.

Note: I am a New Zealander.
posted by dydecker at 9:44 PM on January 31, 2006

something in southern France, northern Italy, or north-eastern Spain (hey, can you tell I like the region?)

Plenty of little towns. Amazing, amazing architecture. Great scenery. The only problem is they don't speak terribly much English (or Japanese...)

Exhibit A

Exhibit B
posted by devilsbrigade at 9:49 PM on January 31, 2006

1) Angkor Wat via Siem Reap, Cambodia.
2) Luang Prabang, Laos.

Though I've never been to either, both are UNESCO World Heritage Sites and appear cheap, small(er - especially Luang Prabang), architecturally/historically fascinating, low-key/relaxing, and warmer than most of Japan. Both are reachable with one change of plane in Bangkok (and probably other places too).

Given a choice, Luang Prabang seems a little more rewarding, especially from an architecture-that-people-still-live-in standpoint.

Have a great time.
posted by mdonley at 12:15 AM on February 1, 2006

Last summer I visited Hanoi, Vietnam, from Japan and had a great time. It's only about 4 hours to get there from Narita, where I presume you'd be flying from, and it fits your criteria of "nice scenery, architecture, small and friendly, and not too hectic or busy." And everything is very cheap.

Hope you have fun, whereever you decide on going!
posted by misozaki at 12:51 AM on February 1, 2006

Bali is worth a look and easy to get to from Japan. The South of the island is over-touristed and can be oppressive, but the North, around Lovina is peaceful and relaxing. Hire a jeep and explore the mountains, stopping every half-hour to chat with the amiable locals. Take a camera - it is possibly the most beautiful place on earth. You have to love a culture where a house temple is every bit as essential as a bathroom.
posted by grahamwell at 2:00 AM on February 1, 2006

Going to have to agree with mdonley, only I'd recommend Angkor Wat. I've been there, and it's really an excellent time of the year to go (dry season--no monsoon rains, though I didn't find them a nuisance). Be aware that one cannot just walk through the complex unaccompanied--you need to purchase a 2-day (in your case) pass, and be driven into and through the park. This sounds like a bigger hassle than it really is: my driver was knowledgeable, patient, and respectful of my desire to sit alone at Angkor Thom to watch the sun come up. I stayed at a small guest house in Siem Reap, where a mysterious & invisible benefactor would leave tea each morning & tidy up my room during the day. This was some years ago, but at that time, you could just get your entry visa at the airport in Phnom Penh when you arrived. Worth checking out the website of the Cambodian consulate in Tokyo.

The temple complex was really, truly astonishing. Highly recommended.
posted by Emperor SnooKloze at 5:32 AM on February 1, 2006

Grand Rapids, Michigan.
posted by Baby_Balrog at 12:27 PM on February 1, 2006

Rome is currently not very busy, with gorgeous weather, and TONS of architecture and historical crap to see. I just got back from 3.5 days there, which was enough time to sort of briefly see most of the stuff I wanted to see (Vatican, Colosseum, Forum, Pantheon, more piazzas than I could shake a stick at). Might not be all that worthwhile for only a couple days from Japan though.
posted by antifuse at 8:05 AM on February 2, 2006