Once I decided against visiting Central Asia this year (a decision sadly reinforced by the recent violence in southern Kyrgyzstan), the planning for my upcoming round the world trip seemed to get off to a good start. I put together a reasonable outline, booked my award plane tickets, and reserved hotels in New York (the Jane, again) and Vancouver (the YWCA). I even put together detailed itineraries for Japan and South Korea.
But then I stalled. True, I took care of some business – getting my house painted, for instance. And I planned a long weekend in Washington (June) and a long week in Canada (July). But six and a half months requires a fair amount of planning, at least on my end of the planning-winging it continuum. Rather than two steps forward and one step back it felt like I was going in circles. Or, worse, that I had embarked on a downward spiral.
Chateau Frontenac, Quebec City, by Bernard Gagnon, Creative Commons license
Trying to arrange hotels in Japan, I got especially frustrated. Too many web sites with no English. A chain with an English-language web site that wouldn’t let me book more than three months ahead, and then confirmed my reservation with the right name and phone number, but an address in a different town altogether. A consolidator web site that persistently rejected my credit cards. And prices that had noticeably risen over the last few years.
One shining exception involved the only visa I needed ahead of time. I Fed Ex’ed the lengthy (and expensive) application for my 10 year Indian visa to Travisa in Washington on a Monday, and come Friday my passport was back with me, complete with visa. And then I started making progress with Japan, even arranging a stay at one of the temples on Mt. Koya.
Dodam Sambong, Danyang by Steve46814, Creative Commons license
Time to move on to Korea. I already had that itinerary down, right? Well, no. Between the brochures the well-organized Korean Tourist Office mailed to me, a new, updated Lonely Planet, and some time at the bookstore with Moon and Rough Guide, I wound up with a new plan:
Oct 10 – 11: Seoul.
Oct 12 – 13: Bus to Danyang, afternoon visit to Guinsa temple, next day in Sobaeksan National Park.
Oct 14 – 16: Bus(es) to Gyeongju. Possible visits to Hahoe Folk Village in Andong and/or the Herbal Medicine Market in Daegu on the way. Gyeongju seems to be the rare Korean town to have escaped major desctruction of its historic sites.
Oct 17-18: Bus to Jeonju. I have hopes of staying in a hanok, a traditional Korean house. No English language web sites, though, I’ll have to try by phone.
Oct 19 – 20: Back to Seoul, with a possible stop at Suwon (historic fortress) or Icheon (pottery).
Now I’m trying to sort out transport in Taiwan, and am missing the excellent English-language transport web sites I used for Japan and Korea.
My Time to Travel 
When you have frustrations like you’ve had with the websites before you even arrive in your destination, doesn’t it make you kind of nervous about what it will be like once you get there? Good luck with it.
Thanks! I’m not too nervous, I’ve visited a number of countries where I don’t speak the language. I’m really tempted to just wing it without reservations, which I’ve also done in Asia, except it’s likely to be high season in Korea, and I hear that Taiwan has been getting a LOT of visitors from mainland china.
Hi – indianapearl from Fodor’s here. An old friend of mine and I might take a trip together to India. I went with my husband late last fall and would love to go back.
I notice that you seem to be able to travel frugally. Do you get your hotel suggestions from Lonely Planet? Or do you have other resources of information? Your last trip to India from what I can gather on your blog was in 2001. I found that we had a wide variation in hotel prices depending upon where we planned to land for the night.
My friend is inclined to “. . . squeeze a dollar ’til the eagle screams,” as my grandmother used to say about her very frugal grandmother. She’s traveled extensively in Europe and Mexico and once to Thailand, but no where else in Asia and she was in Thailand for a week.
Any friendly advice would be most welcome.
Thanks!
cp
Hi Carol – nice to see you!
Yes, my first and only trip to India was 2001 – more than time to go back. That trip I relied on Lonely Planet and Footprint. I mostly didn’t book ahead, either, but I was in India right after 9-11 and there were very few tourists around. I think things will be different this time. However, one or two of the places were very basic…
This time I’m looking at LP, Rough Guide, Frommers and Fodors, although Fodors doesn’t cover some of the places I want to visit. I’ve also checked Sawday’s, along with some chains mentioned on Fodors, but they tend to be a bit pricey. I should go over to indiamike.com and see what’s recommended there.
I intend to pick up LP South India and Footprint in HK or Nepal, but will likely make some reservations before I leave – if I don’t run out of time!
HI, I am from Taiwan. If you need any info about Taiwan, feel free to ask me.
Hi Christine – thanks for the offer. I have a reservation for Tainan, and I’m wondering whether to go to Kaohsiung instead – any thoughts?