East Asia in review

Closing out another chapter of the year, East Asia has delivered some surprise big wins over the last three months, most notably in China and in our budget spreadsheet. There were some losses too: we had to cancel the second half of our plans in China, Dan’s waistline continues to recede, and we never want to visit Hong Kong again. When we wrapped up Southeast Asia at the end of our Vietnam visit, it was much easier to say different strengths and weaknesses of each of the eight countries we explored. This time, looking back at the five countries we've toured in East Asia, it's much more difficult. That's because (spoiler alert), Japan is outrageously fantastic by almost every measure. But we'll give it a fair go anyway!

Favourite country: Japan 🇯🇵
Although it's not the cheapest country we've visited this year, you absolutely get what you pay for. We could have spent the whole year travelling up and down the country without getting bored. Japan has the most varied cuisine, the best seafood, the best beer, the best public transport, the best hot springs, the best art galleries, the best service availability, the most chatty English-speaking locals. It's the easiest to navigate, the most reliable, it's safe and fun and colourful at every turn... it just never misses.

Best city: Seoul 🇰🇷
This is one area where Korea has the edge on Japan. We had a mixed experience in Korea overall, but Seoul is incredible. The variety of experiences, the natural beauty, the cultural richness, the affordable public transport. We also loved Osaka, Tainan (Taiwan) and Chongqing (China), but Seoul was the best all-rounder.

Best value: Taiwan 🇹🇼
China was also cheap, and (against popular wisdom) South Korea too, but Taiwan was even cheaper—and much more fun! We loved this island and think it probably packs the best 'bang for your buck' in the region. The culture is quiet and respectful, and it still hasn't been discovered by too many tourists like other parts of Asia. It has efficient, modern cities, sprinkled with beautiful temples and historic colonial buildings, as well as being covered in mountainous national parks. A hidden gem, that only cost us around £110/day for two people.

Biggest disappointment: Hong Kong 🇭🇰
The badge of dishonour goes to HK, which was the least interesting place we visited in East Asia. Maybe you need a local friend to show you the secret side of the city, but we found very little that we enjoyed here unfortunately. The food was worse than mainland China, there was much less to do, the streets were less vibrant, and the CCP's tightening grip was noticeable. A shame! But we won't be coming back when there are so many better options.

Surprise hit: China 🇨🇳
We expected China to be one of the most difficult and uncomfortable countries we visited this year, and had a lot of preconceptions about it before arriving. In reality, China vastly exceeded our expectations: vegetarian food was delicious and readily available, payment systems were efficient, transport was slick, hotels were cheap and comfortable, and people were nowhere near as rude as we'd been warned about. It was beautifully weird in places, with strange architecture, intense surveillance, hilariously bad translations, inexplicable products and bizarre clothing choices (Beijing Bikini!), but that was part of what made it so fun. There were downsides, especially the overcrowding at major attractions, but we would absolutely visit again to explore further!

A few other notes...
• Best landmark: Itsukushima Shrine, Japan 🇯🇵
• Best hiking: Seoraksan, South Korea 🇰🇷
• Least crowded: Taiwan 🇹🇼
• Most expensive: Hong Kong 🇭🇰
• Spiciest food: Sichuan, China 🇨🇳

For now, we're off to the third and final chapter of our Asian experience: the Silk Road. Expect another big review post at the end of November 🌏Baca lagi