ask for sharing opinions about Timor, Perth, Darwin and HK?

Saudade

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I have to go out of Indonesia on 11 April in order to enter on a social visa and apply again for my family KITAS. I know the easier places are Singapore and KL, but I really would like to have new experiences and know new places this time, so checking prices I think Darwin and Perth are quite cheap.
The choices it could be Timor, Perth, Darwin and HK, have you been in these places?
Some people told me Darwin has a lot green places outside the town and it can be a nice place to stay a few days.
Timor, I know has some tiny beautiful islands and somebody told me it can be quite expensive and everything is in american dollars and probably is raining season as well.
In Perth I have friends, who probably been very lucky, they invite me to stay with them but at the same time I have not idea about things you can do in Perth or around Perth.
HK, to be honest I don't like big cities but sometimes I think HK it could be like NY, I mean, this kind of unique places I think people should see once in a life, with a bit of luck, I may have some friends as well who could invite me to stay with them.
Have you been on theses places? Any recommendations or things to do? Any preferences?
I could be there around one week.
Terimakasi banyak
Have a beautiful day
 
I think Perth could be a good place, especially if you have people you can stay with.

For a few days, there are a lot of things to do. Just on top of my head:

- Hang out in Fremantle on a week end. Very busy with buskers, markets and such. Eat some good fish and chips. Go see some whales with a boat tour or do a speedboat adventure.
- A day at the beach in Cottesloe. If a week-end, turn it into a Sunday Sesh (for Sunday Session, hang out at the trendy pub on a Sunday afternoon by the beach).
- Visit Rottnest Island. That's a whole day trip.
- Take a trip down South to visit the wineries. Can go by car (don't drink and drive) or abus tour that goes from winery to winery to taste and buy all the different wines.
- Take a trip up North to see the Pinnacles and play at the Lancelin Sand Dunes.

Hong Kong is cool but I prefer Singapore. It's one of those cramped up cities so unless your friend is very rich, you would probably be sharing a tiny apartment. Might not be very comfortable.

Never been to Darwin, but I'm sure it's amazing.
 
El Goretto has given a list of things you can do in Perth which is a sparkling city not yet overwhelmed as are most big cities. There are also galleries and museums and the Kings Park overlooking the river and city a great spot to picnic. Darwin is a very different kind of Australian city but bear in mind it is very humid and tropical and if for that reason alone, as you already in the tropics, Perth may be a nice change.
 
I always respect @El_Goretto and @harryopal 's opinions. But in this case for me it's the opposite.

In Perth I was bored stiff after two days. (So for a short trip it might do I guess.) In the list you gave I would do HK anytime. Esp. if you've never been there. On the scale of chaos and cleanliness it is right between Jakarta and Singapore, not too extreme. The public transportation is great. So is the food and the things you can do and see. And yes, the comparison to NYC is not that bad, as you say, a place you need to have been once in your life.

An alternative I would think of, is Tokyo. If that's too far, Bangkok.
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I always respect @El_Goretto and @harryopal 's opinions. But in this case for me it's the opposite.

In Perth I was bored stiff after two days. (So for a short trip it might do I guess.) In the list you gave I would do HK anytime. Esp. If you've never been there. On the scale of chaos and cleanliness it is right between Jakarta and Singapore, not too extreme. The public transportation is great. And yes, the comparison to NYC is not that bad, as you say, a place you need to have been once in your life.

An alternative I would think of, is Tokyo.
.

For sure Perth and HK are on opposite ends of the spectrum haha.

But like I said, for a short trip, there's enough to do not to get bored, especially if expectations are kept in check.

I miss Perth though. It's nice to get out out of the bustling of Jakarta once in a while.
 
I was there quite often with my son still at Murdoch. And it always reminded me of one of these sleepy retirement beach cities in SoCal. I can imagine you would want to go for the peace and quiet but for that I have places in Europe, so it wasn't something I was craving for. All their own of course. As you say, for a shorter trip it will be fine.
 
I was there quite often with my son still at Murdoch. And it always reminded me of one of these sleepy retirement beach cities in SoCal. I can imagine you would want to go for the peace and quiet but for that I have places in Europe, so it wasn't something I was craving for. All their own of course. As you say, for a shorter trip it will be fine.

Even in Australia, Perth is known as a boring city. :)
 
Perth also the most isolated city in the world, nearest city is Adelaide about 2600km away?
 
Poor old Perth. It certainly had been the case and, may still be so, that there is a slight touch of paranoia that Western Australians have towards the eastern states where it was felt all the important decisions were made without them having a proper say. I had personal experience of this in two ways. Back in the early 80s I was with an organization that had state offices. As I became aware of the WA sensitivities I made it clear to the WA office that they should not hesitate to call at any time they felt there was something about which they were not properly briefed. I think that helped but the suspicions lingered.
A few years later I visited the Cocos Keeling Islands in the Indian Ocean. Australian administrative staff were assigned for two year periods. At first glance it looked like paradise. Crystal clear water, white sand beaches, coconut trees. I soon found that there was a social division and that generally speaking, West Australians would not socialize with anyone from Canberra.
And there is the ever simmering notion of separation from the rest of the Federation.
Be that as it may, and valid as it may be to describe Perth as a boring city if you were living there (and I don't necessarily share that point of view), on the basis of a visa stopover I think there's every chance that Saudade could safely enjoy himself for a few days without being driven to suicide by the boredom of it all.
 
I’ve a friend wasting time in Australia for a month for no particular reason, and he’d much rather be in SIN, KUL or BKK if Indonesia wasn’t possible. Australia is generally a lot more expensive, and if staying in hotels, the service standards, dollar for dollar are lower.
 
I’ve a friend wasting time in Australia for a month for no particular reason, and he’d much rather be in SIN, KUL or BKK if Indonesia wasn’t possible. Australia is generally a lot more expensive, and if staying in hotels, the service standards, dollar for dollar are lower.

Well, I can't argue on this point as this is why I am now living in Indonesia.... modestly but comfortably. On the pension in Australia the alternative was to live in poverty.
 
Trust me, once you’ve gotten accustomed to the positive things in SE Asia, traveling in the US is no fun either. I really miss my hotel “family” in Indonesia. We have a hotel in Jakarta that we stay regularly in, and have known many of the staff since the hotel opened. We know when they get married, have a new baby, etc.

In many bigger cities in the US, if you spend $150-200 a night and maybe only get a basic continental breakfast. In Jakarta, Bandung or Bali, you’ll spend half as much, and get treated royally. I’ve stayed at basic 200k IDR places that the staff were so friendly, and had a better breakfast than in the US.

I’m excited to go to Jakarta, Bandung and Bali this summer!
 
If your friend just wants to chill and have fresh air and green parks and bbq etc and nice wine, sure Perth is perfectly fine for a few days

HK is just crazy on steroids busy busy stress rush etc, yeh good food, pricey and also cheap eats, good hotels pricey but yeh some cheap places too

But for a few days R&R then Perth, especially if you have friends because taxis are a bit difficult there and you cant just walk around town from your friends place

Plus if you go to HK you will spend a lot on shopping also
 
I really miss.....

Grass. Greener. I do miss the abundance of good Mexican restaurants, Trader Joe's, the desert climate with non humid heat, being able to drive around in a convertible, to enjoy a good glass of wine sitting outside without the mozzies, ..... even Best Buy (my wife would say factory outlets and Ross/Marshall).
 
Ideally, I would spend 4 months in Asia, followed by 2 months in the US. I like many of the US dining options, and of course the road driving conditions are usually better.

Plus Costco, and decent sales on meat at supermarkets. I can often get nice quality beef chuck roasts for $5 per kg. Sous Vide them for a couple of days, and you have some very tender meat.

Now if I can just convince my kids school to just attend 4 months a year...
 
Home schooling is allowed, right?
I’m sure we could home school to some extent, but honestly my kid thrives in the classroom, and enjoys interacting with the other kids.

I asked her if maybe a Kindergarten education was enough, but she just rolled her eyes. ;)
 
Thanks to all for all the information and opinions, finally I am going to Perth on Thursday, this is going to be my first time in Australia. I have been already in Tokyo and Bangkok, so I was looking for a new place, with new experiences. I am very lucky, I will be in my friends house and the flight ticket it was sooo cheap.
Have a beautiful day
 

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