Planning a First Trip to Asia

Pick one country for a two week trip

Japan, Thailand, Vietnam and South Korea each easily fill two weeks. Adding a second country typically costs you two travel days plus the friction of new currencies, transport systems and language.

If you do want two, choose neighbours with a short flight and similar climate rather than opposite ends of the region.

Jet lag and the first two days

Eastward long haul is the harder direction for most travelers. Plan a gentle first day and avoid booking anything important or expensive in the first 36 hours.

Arriving in the late afternoon and going to bed at a normal local time works better than arriving at 6am and trying to power through.

Season is a real constraint

Monsoon patterns, typhoon season and extreme summer heat vary widely across the region and even within countries. Northern and southern Vietnam, for example, have quite different weather at the same time of year.

Check the specific area rather than the country as a whole, and be willing to shift the route rather than the dates if the season is fixed.

• Japan: spring and autumn are mild, summer is hot and humid
• Thailand: cooler and dry roughly November to February
• Vietnam: north and south differ, check both
• South Korea: strong seasons, autumn is comfortable

Getting around

Rail is excellent in Japan, South Korea and parts of China. In Southeast Asia, short domestic flights and buses do most of the work, and internal flights are usually inexpensive.

Book long distance rail in advance in peak periods, particularly around national holidays when domestic travel spikes.

Practical preparation

Check visa or entry authorisation requirements early, as they differ substantially by nationality and change periodically. Carry some cash even in card friendly countries, since small vendors often prefer it.

Leave a genuinely empty day in the middle of the trip. It is the day people remember most, and it absorbs whatever goes sideways.