Things I remember from Hong Kong:
- spent 2 nights there, by myself, as a layover on way home from 5wks in Oz/NZ
- was psyched for the food (via Bourdain), but didn't do any prep work and had no idea how to find the good spots. Also struggled inside restaurants that seemed awesome, b/c I had no idea how to order. Toward the end, I just went for Dim Sum joints so I could see the food they were wheeling around and just point. Also embarrassingly finally went Yankee at Bubba Gump's at the top of the Peak Tram
- all the pedestrians walking streets with surgical masks was pretty jarring
- my stopover was free, but after 2nights of hotel cost, I regretted not paying another $500 onto my big flight plan to stop in Singapore to visit & stay with a great Aussie friend instead. Still haven't been there.
Things I remember from Thailand:
- spent no time in Bangkok--only flight transfers
- value for money was excellent--food on the islands and goods & wares in Chiang Mai
- did 4+ day stints on two islands: koh samui & koh phi phi. I'll spare you the stories, but did get my first dive certification in phi phi--it was awesome!
- I loved Chiang Mai!
Things I did in Chiang Mai:
- rode an elephant. Have since read how poorly they're treated, so a little gutted, but the experience was amazing. They're truly Gentle Giants
- bought my first tailored suit. Rode in a tuk-tuk to the tailor three times to get the fitting perfect
- didn't have a girlfriend at the time, but bought jewelry for the (hopeful) future. Kept the necklace in a drawer for 3 years and scored mad points on Valentine's Day when I gave it to who would become my wife. If your wife is at all into shopping, do take her to the big jewelry stores. They're massive, fancy as hell and--get this--affordable.
- stayed in a 5 star hotel. Can't remember its name, but it was fancy as hell and maybe $40/night, in 2001.
- went drinking with my bell hop. (sorry, have to do this one story) His English was flawless and even though I wasn't shopping, he was an amazing & hilarious resource when hookers approached us at a few bars. We played a fun game of Guess the Ladyboy and if I had been shopping, I would have lost. Badly. It was shocking.
- drank Mekong Whiskey. Careful; it's got something weird in it, ala tequila worm
- took a bamboo rafting trip down a river. Went barefoot and regretted it. Bamboo was uncomfortable, but scenery was beautiful.
- did all my Christmas shopping at outdoor markets. Had to barter for every dang thing, which crushed my soul. Even though every item was probably less than ten bucks.
- value for money was extremely good. Oh, forgot I said that.
- heavily endorsed for a stopover!
Hope that helps!
