Newbie & Oz, Bangkok & Tokyo

[scottri]

Hi,

First off, hello, its my first post on here although i've spent a lot of time lurking around in the background.

Currently own a Mondano TDCI due to doing 25k+ miles a year. I am trying to resist temptation to buy something more fun....

Anyway, the reason for my post is that I'm planning a 3 week trip with a couple of mates in Oz, stopping in Tokyo for a couple of nights on the way out, and a couple of nights in Bangkok on the way back.

In Oz we're planning to fly into Cairns, travel south by bus to Brisbane seeing Whitsunday Islands & Fraiser Island along the way. From there we plan to fly to Sdyney and then fly onto Melbourne. So we're only really going to get to spend 3-5 days in each place.

The question is, what's the best things to do and see in each place?! Also interested in recommendations for Hotels/cheap B&B's along the way.

Thanks

(P.S I don't want to set up a pasty shop and and I am aware of the epic performance of a remapped 335d)

[Nitro...]

Can only help with the Tokyo bit I'm afraid.

Couple of nights.....hmmm.

You could get a shag in the Roppongi district (the nightclub area).
Just make sure that it's a 'she' not a 'he'.


(okay, so it's not really much help)

[Rob K]

I've spent quite abit of time in Melbourne over the past few years - in terms of what to see depends what you are into?! The MCG tour is pretty good, maybe try and see an aussie rules game if you can ( this will depend on if the season is still going) Docklands is a recently regenerated area so there are some interesting bits and pieces there (would recommend the James Squire brew house at the end of the pier). Fed Square is in the centre of the city and its a like it/hate it bit of sculpting. Luna Park is a funpark which has kept the majority of the rides that were there when it was first opened many moons ago. Melbourne has loads of great places to eat and drink hidden away so I'd recommend just going for a wander around some of the smaller streets.
Sydney, the obvious is the opera house. The tour is pretty informative too. Manly beach is good, you can get a surf lesson for $50 and hiring a board for the rest of the day is pretty cheap too.
Hope that helps

[anonymous-user]

Tokyo, if you're limited for time then a few suggestions for atrue flavour of Japan...
- Yakitori and copious Asahi under the railway arches in Ginza nr Sukiiyabashi crossing
- Train ride to Mount Fuji- not a huge ride out of Tokyo,
- Trip to Nikko or Kamakura - both areas with many things to see - temples, shrines, giant Buddhas, etc Kamakura close to Tokyo and well worth a visit
- Giant carp and the gardens of the Imperial palace
- The german style beer hall on Chuo Dori in Ginza (I hope it's still there!)
- Very early morning watching them land fish at Tsukiji fish market then mega-fresh sushi for brekkie, or VERY fresh sushi at any time
- Akihabra shopping for high tech
- Senso-ji temple in Asakusa or Meiji-jingu shrine - you HAVE to do one temple/shrine
- drinking in Kabukicho red light district near Shinjuku
- Sunday mornings in Harajuko / Yoyogi park
- Stay away from Roppongi - especially if there is a US carrier in port in Yokusuka
- Drinking/eating in any Izakaya - Shibuya has my favourites - get talking to any random Japanese chaps on nearby tables and you will have a VERY good time.
- Rush hour on the Chiyoda line from Otemachi Stn

I suggest you watch Black Rain to get a taste of Japan (although that was filmed in Osaka I think)


One of my favourite cities in the world.... yoroshiku onegaishimasu!

[rsv gone!]

Bangkok is a fantastic, vibrant place. Loads to do, lots of funky clubs and much besides the sex industry and smelly Khao San Rd backpackers.

Hotels can be found from a tenner upwards, with a nice, clean, reasonably central hotel for about £25 a night. For a short trip, aim for somewhere near the river and see the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and take a trip along the Chao Praya River on a longtail.

[anonymous-user]

rsv gone! said:

For a short trip, aim for somewhere near the river and see the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and take a trip along the Chao Praya River on a longtail.

[scottri]

Thanks folks, trying to book the flights now but having a few problems. They seem to have increased in price by £300 in the last week. Brilliant.

[havoc]

Agree with both of the above posters - very good advice from both.

BKK - do stay near the river - traffic can be VERY bad there, so best to be close to the main tourist bits if you're time-limited. Oh, and don't trust tuk-tuk drivers, take a cab instead!

Tokyo - definitely try and get out of the city, unless you're a big fan of big cities - Tokyo is about the biggest and busiest there is! Kamakura a nice little place, although VERY busy 2 Sundays a month when the samurai-style horseback archery competitions are on (we went - really cool to watch, but SO crowded!).

[Mojooo]

Sydney
Bridge Climb and then a tour of the Opera House (and maybe watch a show)
Oz Walk (basically going to the top and otuside of Sydneys tallest building
Vist Bondi Beach

I stayed at the Bondi Beachouse hostel.

You may want to stay in town though - there are lots of hostels there


Cairns
Its quite a small place - but here you can do all sorts of adventure stuff like bungy jumping and skydiving as well as the great barrier reef visit.

very tropical climate... doesnt have a major beack of anysort though

I stayed at Glligans backpaers - its huge and the main one is cairns.

Melbourne

I found meblourne to be the closest to england i nterms of weratcher and building set up - there isn;t a huge deal for the tourist to do here IMO.
Obviously you can do the Neighbours tour - they also have a zoo and aquarium.

they also do a visit to somesort of penguin island which i never went on.

I stayed at the Greenhouse backpacker

The hostel in sydney was quite chilled out, the other 2 were i nthe town centre and very big, its a bit hit and miss which is the best - the smaller ones are prob better for meeting people. Cairns hostel was quite chilled as peopel were coming and going all the time - whereas in mebloruen people seemed to only comeback to sleep so never met anyone there.

sydney airport intl is packed full of tourist info - melbourne isn't.

all the hostels had tons of tourist info and leaflets etc