Philippines

On a FB video a Canadian guy who lives in the Philippines recommends Roxas City on Panay Island. From Manila, you can fly or take a ferry (2hrs 20min vs 13 hrs).

---

On another FB video I saw an interview with a Canadian woman who lives in the town of Siquijor on the island of Siquijor. The fastest way to get there is to fly from Manila to Dumaguete City then take a ferry to Siquijor Port.

From a Google search are the following recommendations

San Juan is the best area to stay in Siquijor for visitors, offering easy access to top restaurants, sunset beaches like Paliton, and central attractions. Top choices include luxury options like Coco Grove Beach Resort, boutique stays like Salamangka Resort, and comfortable, budget-friendly options, with most visitors staying 3 days.

Top Areas & Accommodations

San Juan (Best Overall & Sunsets) is the hub for tourists with high-end resorts, boutique hotels, and popular dining, all close to the beach:
Luxury/High-End: Coco Grove Beach Resort, Salamangka Resort, Infinity Heights Resort.
Mid-Range/Boutique: White Villas Resort, Coral Cay Resort.
Budget/Glamping: Siquijor Sunset Glamping Village, K Beach Heave n Bunk.
Lazi/Southern Area (Quiet & Scenic): Known for being more peaceful and close to nature, with options like Lazi Beach Club.
Siquijor Town (North Coast): Best for being close to the ferry port for arrivals.

Top Resort Recommendations

Best Overall Resort: Coco Grove Beach Resort (best amenities, 4.6/5 rating).
Best for Romance/Quiet: Infinity Heights Resort (secluded, high-end views). Best Value/Budget: White Villas Resort and Sea View Resort.

Important Tips:
Getting Around: Motorbike rentals are often available directly from hotels or at popular spots like Siquijor Sunset Glamping Village.
When to visit: The island is popular for its beautiful sunset views on the west side.
Trip Length: A 3-day stay is recommended to explore all major attractions, such as Cambugahay Falls and the Balete Tree without rushing

Best places to stay in Siquijor: San Juan is a good choice for first-time visitors to Siquijor. It has a wide range of accommodations, including Beachfront like Salamangka Resort Hotel in Siquijor
1. RCM Ecolodge $26 4.0
2. Thornton’s Sea View Cafe: $12 4.6
3. Apo Diver Beach Resort $78 4.7, 3-star hotel

The 10 Best Siquijor Island Beach Resorts for 2026 according to Tripadvisor
1. Coco Grove Beach Resort
2. Salamangka Beach And Dive Resort
3. Tropical Fun Ta Sea Rentals
4. Gold View Beach Resort
5. Infinity
6. Dolce Amore Resort Siquijor
7. White Bada Guesthouse Siquijor
8. Jungle KingDomes Siquijor
9. Beachfront Siquijor
10. Sunny Shine Beach Resort Siquijor
11. FIG Resort Siquijor

Weather 

It looks like January to March is the best time to be there: good temperature but mostly out of the rainy season.

Indonesia

Sites to see:

Coach Travel
Though I like train travel, Indonesia has many luxury coach services. Juragan 99 Trans, Pandawa 87, DAMRI Imperial Suites, and Sinar Jaya Shuttle provide premium services that compete with, or exceed air travel comfort on the Trans-Java road that covers cities like Jakarta, Surabaya, Malang, and, Bali. Most have reclining luxury seats like first class seating on an airplane, and some include individual suites like first class suites on long-haul international flights. 

I would use Juragan 99 Trans first: they have a proper website whereas DAMRI have only an Instagtam page though they supposedly have an app (as Juragan 99 Trans do). Pandawa and Sinar Jaya Shuttle have none of those, only a third party booking site. Pandawa 87 is the only one of these coach services without onboard toilets..

Juragan 99 Trans is known for "first-class" sleeper cabins with private, fully-enclosed pods, large screens, and excellent service (e.g., Jakarta to Malang/Surabaya/Bali). They also have an app for easy booking.

DAMRI Imperial Suites are luxury double-decker sleeper buses operating between Jakarta and Surabaya, featuring private lower-level sleeping pods and upper-level Royal Class seats. Passengers enjoy premium amenities like personal entertainment screens, snack boxes, amenity kits, hot meals, and a lavatory,

Lower Level (Suites): Features leather reclining seats (not fully lie-flat) with privacy curtains, window curtains, and storage compartments.

Upper Level (Royal Class): Offers 30 reclining seats with individual entertainment screens and pillows.

Service & Comfort: Includes a hospitality bar (coffee/tea), hot meals, and amenity kits containing slippers, a dental kit, wet wipes, and an eye mask.

Sinar Jaya Shuttle's Suite Class is a premier luxury sleeper bus service in Indonesia, operating primarily on Java routes like Jakarta-Surabaya, featuring 21 private, near-flat sleeping pods in a double-decker configuration. Known for affordability compared to trains, these buses utilize the Trans Java toll road for efficient travel.

Juragan 99 Suite

 

Sinar Jaya Suites

 

DAMRI Suites

DAMRI Royal Class

Vietnam

There is a comfortable overnight train from Hanoi to Sapa (Lao Cai) and Hanoi to Da Namg run by Chapa Express.

For a first class luxury ride try Sjourney. They have from 2 to 8 day journeys, and include excursions. The 8 day Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh Southbound Legacy looks very interesting and is priced at $USD9,890 pp. The 4 day Trail of the Dragon’s back from Hanoi visits Sapa and Ha Long Bay for $USD3,890 pp.

Sites to Visit 

Trang An temple and cave system

Ha Long Bay 

Thailand

So many sites to see in Thailand: Chang Mai, Phuket, Krabi (see below).

One from a travel article is Phang Nga Bay in Krabi as seen in The Man With the Golden Gun.

Phang Nga Bay

From Google AI: "Thailand's best railway journeys offer iconic experiences like the historic Death Railway to Kanchanaburi, the scenic overnight trip from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, coastal views on the way to Hua Hin, unique market stops like the Maeklong Railway Market, and special excursion trains to places like the Pasak Chonlasit Dam." This will need further research to decide on the best ones to try.

Singapore

Part of a return to East Asia and especially Malaysia (see Malaysia post below) would be Singapore.

I would like to try Raffles Hotel.

 

Georgia

I really enjoyed my visit to Tbilisi, Georgia. The combination of old and new and the geography are interesting. The river running through the city adds to the appeal (as it does in Ljubljana).

I stayed at the very nice Mukhrantubani Boutique Hotel. It had a very good restaurant and breakfast was included. Located at 23 Nikoloz Baratashvili Street 23, 0105. Ph +995 322 99 74 74.

I ate a great meal of braised beef cheeks at Otsy, 20 Ioane Shavteli Street. Anthony Bordain recommended Gabriadze Cafe, 13 Ioane Shavteli St, a café that offers traditional Georgian fare.

Mukhrantubani atrium

Mukhrantubani restaurant

Mukhrantubani patio

Mukhrantubani room

Otsy Restaurant

As a seasonal or long-term stay an idea of the weather in Tbilisi:

Central Asia 2026

Itinerary around the 5 "stans" tour. Start in Vienna then on to a couple a places adjacent to the tour Istanbul perhaps going to Cyprus first. At tour end go from Ashgabat to Baku, Azerbaijan then home.

For entry requirements to Eastern Europe, see here. For entry requirements to Central Asia, see here.

Flights to Chişinău, Moldova require a stopover in Warsaw so I could add a brief stop there.

Below is the most efficient order and can be reversed depending on overall trip plan:

• Belgrade, Serbia
• Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Podgorica, Montenegro
• Tirane, Albania
• Pristina, Kosovo
• Skopje, North Macedonia
• Sofia, Bulgaria
• Bucharest, Romania
• Chişinău, Moldova (sleeper train from Chişinău to Bucharest)

I could get to Bishkek in two ways: directly from Istanbul, or from Istanbul or Ryadh to Lahore to Bishkek. A visa is required before entering Pakistan or Saudi Arabia.

See itinerary spreadsheet here.

Sleeper Train: Chişinău to Bucharest)