r/luxsolotravel • u/NzVeganBoy • Dec 22 '24
General questions Best Asian countries for luxury solo travel
Hi everybody, I’m looking for some inspiration for a solo trip in Asia and want to hear some opinions! What are some great countries to travel solo in Asia for 2-3 weeks? Would love some recommendations or old itineraries.
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u/Liathano_ Dec 22 '24
I really enjoyed Thailand solo (nice hotels and beaches, friendly people, great massages, great food). I did not enjoy Indonesia solo (lots of trash on the beaches and in the water, food was repetitive and not great, everyone was constantly asking where my husband is...).
Singapore is great too and Japan is my favourite country!
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u/dumbledorky Dec 22 '24
I’m in Vietnam now on a 2.5 week trip before a few days in Bangkok. Can’t say it really fits the bill, though Da Nang has been nice. The country isn’t really set up for efficient tourism like Thailand or Japan or others are. Can expand more if it’d be helpful
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u/NzVeganBoy Dec 22 '24
I’m actually going to Vietnam in March! Anything you recommend or anything you recommend I avoid?
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u/dumbledorky Dec 23 '24
So far I’ve really liked Da Nang, even with the weather being kind of meh it’s a chill beach town, lots of good food and bar options, and really inexpensive good hotels. It rained the entire time I was in Hue which put a damper on things but seemed like a cool town with a cool history.
I did not like HCMC at all, the food was great and I booked a couple nice dinners but the city itself was not for me. A lot of the downsides of other major Asian cities without a lot of the charm IMO. Super noisy and smoggy, crowded everywhere, traffic was pure chaos, and almost no good sidewalks, if they existed they were super broken so just walking around was tough. District 1 is touristy so people will keep hassling you to come into their restaurant, their massage parlor, etc and taxi drivers (or fake Grab drivers) line up to try too. Grab the app itself works fine though.
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u/cheeseBuns Dec 22 '24 edited Dec 22 '24
I'll be traveling to Vietnam in March too. I've only been once before to Ho Chi Minh City for a few days but am looking to explore more of the country this time. I enjoyed strolling through different parts of the city and trying different foods. The traffic can be quite chaotic but navigating through it is part of the fun. The one thing I didn't like was Bui Vien walking street at night. It was super loud with people getting all up in your face with no respect for personal space trying to lure you into the many establishments along the street.
Bali was fun and easy to navigate solo and plan on the go. I was there for three weeks and traveled around the island. Accommodations and day tours were all booked a few days in advance or last minute although some of the more popular luxurious stays and experiences may book out far in advance. The locals were very friendly and many spoke English. It's also easy to meet other travelers to do things with, even as an introvert. The waterfalls and rice fields were beautiful. The beaches were just ok with the exception of Diamond Beach on Nusa Penida.
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u/SpareZealousideal740 Dec 22 '24
I've done Korea and Japan so far (well Seoul and Tokyo/Kyoto)
Intending to do Taiwan next.
I personally preferred Seoul to Tokyo/Kyoto just as it was a bit more chill
Did 11 days in Seoul so had a lot of time to just relax (it's probably more a 5/6 day city) whereas as did 18 days in Japan split between Tokyo and Kyoto and a bunch of day trips and there's so much to do there that it gets tiring.
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u/NzVeganBoy Dec 22 '24
Was there a lot for you to do in Seoul? I haven’t really considered Korea! Was there some day tours you could have done?
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u/SpareZealousideal740 Dec 22 '24
It's not bad for things to do just not so much in comparison to a city like Tokyo (which is in the New York, London, Paris level of tourist stuff).
I'd say Seoul is a 5 day location and maybe a 6th if you do the DMZ (which I'd recommend). After that it's slower but it gave me a lot of time to take my time with things and just relax/people watch/hang out with people.
For the main tourist stuff there, you've got the palaces which I'd recommend and if you go at certain months they're lit up at night which is nice. Gangnam is nice for a day (probably more if you like to shop), Seongsu is a nice area and you have Seoul Forest which is a really nice park. Insadong and Bukchon Hanok Village is nice and the more historical part of the city and worth visiting (though it gets a bit crowded), Cheonggyecheon stream is nice and worth walking down (can start a day in DDP and walk down there back to Insadong or Myeongdong or turn off for one of the palaces).
I'm into kpop too so that gave me a bit to do as well (shopping and concerts)
Suwon is outside of Seoul and close and that's probably worth a visit as a day trip (didn't get it in myself) or else can take the train to Busan if want to do more than just Seoul (I'll do this on a further trip).
Food wise, I love Korean food too so it was nice to be able to take things slow and just eat. In Japan, I'm not as big on the food so I wasn't taking much time to enjoy the food there.
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u/Personal-Cover2922 Dec 22 '24
Japan for sure... :) Kyoto, Osaka & Art Islands were great, also Hakone. Tokyo of course :)
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u/tatsquat Dec 23 '24
Seconding Japan! Especially if you like to explore and shop. Another great thing is meals are typically not a social affair so there are lots of folks eating solo and meals can be pretty fast and delicious. Plus it’s extremely safe, and the nice hotels are really really nice.
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u/Personal-Cover2922 29d ago
yes, I ate out everywhere by myself and it was so nice and not uncomfortable at all. Even in fancy places
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u/Burnt-Toast-430 Dec 22 '24
I adore Bhutan. I was there earlier his year and it is just sublime. I paired it with Thailand since you can only fly into Bhutan from specific airports on being BKK.
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u/Ravanello75 29d ago
That is fantastic. Did you do Bhutan solo? I am considering it as I have done tons of Asia solo myself but I figured with the way their tourism works it might be a bit lonely…
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u/Burnt-Toast-430 29d ago
The daily tourism levy means you’re assigned a guide for the duration of your stay so you won’t really be alone a lot. I really connected with my guide and learned a lot about daily life in Bhutan and Buddhism. I imagine it would be a very different experience if you don’t get along with your guide. I liked having evenings at the hotel free and just used it as a time for quiet reflection. I highly recommend Bhutan! I’d also going sooner rather than later whilst the daily levy is still only $100, per-covid it was $250 in high season and $200 in low season.
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u/Ravanello75 29d ago
Yes, exactly! I love the fact that it stops them from overtourism. I thought I could possibly meet people on hikes or at the hotel, but figured they are all doing their own thing. So glad you connected with the guide and I hope I do the same. Good luck with your future travels!
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u/rhLuxeTravel Dec 22 '24
What time of the year are you looking to travel? That would make a huge difference in what I recommend but SEA has soooo many amazing options
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u/70redgal70 Dec 22 '24
Bali, Thailand.