Japan/Thailand

[pintsizedblondie]

Hi all,

My fiancé is 40 next year and has always expressed an interest in visiting Japan so we're looking into it for his special birthday next year. We would also like to visit Thailand while we're out that way and I wondered if anyone has ever done these two destinations in one holiday? If anyone has any suggested itineraries or people to book with, that'd also be great to hear.

Thanks in advance.

To be really blunt - don't combine them. Japan is such a different culture, and so wonderful, you really would want to stay in Japan. Ditto Thailand but more geared up to tourists of course. They are not that close so do each as individual cultures and experiences.

If you want a tour, I would look at Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand.

Agree with Bubbles - I wouldn't do it, especially if you are only going for two weeks.
However, I imagine it is possible to combine the two if you stick to the big ticket sights - Bangkok - with perhaps Kanchanaburi (bridge over the river kwai ) and Ayutthaya as day trips and then some beach time and Tokyo and Kyoto in Japan.
I book all my holidays myself - just takes some research time. Lonely planet guide books are good and I also use trip advisor and booking.com The Selective Asia website is pretty good for ideas and I adapted one their trips for my summer holiday to Japan and South Korea this year.

Both wonderful destinations and they deserve a full two weeks (or more) each. They're also not that close - it's about a 6.5 hour flight from Tokyo to Bangkok - so I don't think it's a practical combination. You could add Okinawa to a Japan itinerary if you wanted a tropical/beachy element. Otherwise just pick one and enjoy!

I’ve been to both and definitely agree - better to focus on one than the other. I went on holiday to Japan last year, and spent a month and only really scratched the surface. I spent a month on a previous holiday in Thailand. They are very different cultures.

Unless you have a very long holiday, I’d focus on just one - otherwise it will be such a whirlwind tour you might feel like you haven’t really managed to get to know either country and will have to miss out so many things.

Thanks a. Any recommendations for who to book Japan with? We're thinking, at present, of having a week sightseeing and then a week relaxing in Okinawa.

I have lived in Japan and lived next door to Thailand so visited many times.

Have a look as to what your after from a holiday as I agree with the others combining them both unless you have lots of time, really does not do either country justice.

They are very very different places to visit and offer very different experiences.

I have never used a tour/travel agent to visit either country, just booked our flights direct with the airlines and then used say in Japan used a booking service called Japan I can, to book accommodation.

www.japanican.com/en/

If you wanting to go down to the beaches of Okinawa, flying is the best way otherwise its a long train journey, flight about 3 hours with plenty all day.

The southern islands are a great place to visit. Hire a car and get out and about for greater flexibility

You may also want to thing about getting a JR pass for the trains which you can only buy outside of Japan by foreigners.

I did look at the costing of tours and some are crazy expensive, but then I just like to do my own thing.

Thailand, even-though is one of my favourite places over the years, is getting more and more expensive.

I could go on, but if you would like more specifics just ask.

I’ve never booked any organised tour, Japan is very easy to travel around - with a week taken up by Okinawa really you’d only have time to go to one or two places - Tokyo and Kyoto would be the obvious ones. You can then fly to Okinawa from Osaka (very near Kyoto).