If you are looking for a beautiful and budget friendly travel location -- SE Asia is the place.
Low cost everything. You could live well in many places in SE Asia on less than $1200 per month. Luxury accommodations and great food. I remember eating yellow curry chicken at a Michelin starred restaurant in Phuket for $5, and a huge plate of Pad Thai in Bangkok for $2. It's safe and the people are friendly. Many areas of Asia are a bit rough (infrastructure and cleanliness), but still better than Mexico.
So if I'm looking to go someplace and not break the bank, this is the place to go.
Singapore is excluded from this as it's not inexpensive. Singapore is great for a lot of other reasons, but it's not a budget travel location.
So what's the problem then?
If you are a single white male who goes to SE Asia (or Philippines even worse) for vacation, people automatically think sex tourist. There are a lot of older white men wandering around in SE Asia, and they are probably up to no good. But not everyone goes there for that. The activity is there, and it's really obvious at night.
I was just watching White Lotus third season set at a resort in Koh Samui. Two girlfriends were at the resort enjoying drinks and talking, looking at two older white males sitting in the distance. "LBH's -- that's what the locals call them." Losers back home. Really?
For me, SE Asia is an adventure. Totally different than home and gets my mind refocused. But I don't want to be viewed as a sex tourist. I could go to southern Europe, but it's for sure more expensive. Mixed feelings about this.
Yes, many white males love settling down in SE Asia because it is inexpensive and the cost of living is low. Thailand and Malaysia are the most favorite place they love coming to. And the weather day is all year summer.
ReplyDeleteWhen comes to older white man being named as sex tourist, it is unavoidable. The stereotype has been instilled into the their mindset for years and it is true that at night the local bars in the town center is full of white single males accompanied with local man or woman. They love the inferiority complex to the "upper class" white male so much I wonder why. Esp the gay community. When one of them got hooked up with a white single male or got into a relationship, they always deem they are ultra lucky because white-asian interracial relationship is exotic.
Sounds like a nice place. The White Lotus was a great show and I enjoyed it, a great plot. Take care!
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