Even if you know there is someone here who is from that country, feel free to give pointers on it - an outsider-looking-in perspective is quite useful, I feel, as people who live in the country might not realize certain things are odd (i.e. Most Japanese wouldn't know to tell Americans not to tip at any Japanese establishment, whereas most Americans wouldn't think they'd need to tell a Japanese person they'll absolutely have to rent a car to get around America.)
When I get around to it, I'll post people's guides on this OP.
Guides I intend to add myself:
America
Things To Understand
Americans are very blunt. In other countries, you say "No" tactically; like, "I am not so sure that this will work out,"
To an American, that doesn't mean, "No," it means you literally have a lack of knowledge about the result of what you're speaking of. Americans don't mean any offense by this at all. We just want clarity.
Americans, I've noticed, also are more up front with emotions as well. If we smile, we're happy, if we're upset, we frown. Unless you're dealing with someone in a service industry, like a waiter or waitress, what you see is what you get with Americans. Many other countries, I've gathered, this is not always the case, and people try to appear happy when they aren't.
For all this Americans are notorious optimistic in our endeavors, and are often more upbeat.
You can't generalize Americans. Many foreigners consider us all to be rich, rude, fat, lazy, gun-toting rednecks, or something to that effect. America is however a melting-pot of nationalities and cultures. The sheer size of the country, and the fact that unlike many equally or larger countries, a fair portion of the nation is, in fact, populated and contains cities, means that our cultures are very diverse, to the point that it might seem like a different country entirely at points; Los Angeles is rude and always in a hurry, the Southeast is hospitable, kind, and laid back. Most Americans don't even realize this, which is easily seen in our bickering politics.
America is not entirely safe. Odds are you aren't going to get shot in the street, but don't tempt people by leaving out valuables; you lose a wallet in the street, it's gone by the time you come back. You might actually get it mailed back to you with all of your ID and credit-cards untouched, if the person can find your address anywhere, but American code-of-conduct dictates you should probably expect at least a few dollars missing, if nothing else to pay for postage.
Some areas are safer than others; it's generally easy to know the difference between safe and not-safe. They align pretty well to most cities I've been to. Areas around ports and airports are usually not good, areas near hotels are good. If you see grafitti everywhere, unless it's especially well-done, you are probably not in a well-off area, though you could easily be perfectly safe. Just depends.
To an American, that doesn't mean, "No," it means you literally have a lack of knowledge about the result of what you're speaking of. Americans don't mean any offense by this at all. We just want clarity.
Americans, I've noticed, also are more up front with emotions as well. If we smile, we're happy, if we're upset, we frown. Unless you're dealing with someone in a service industry, like a waiter or waitress, what you see is what you get with Americans. Many other countries, I've gathered, this is not always the case, and people try to appear happy when they aren't.
For all this Americans are notorious optimistic in our endeavors, and are often more upbeat.
You can't generalize Americans. Many foreigners consider us all to be rich, rude, fat, lazy, gun-toting rednecks, or something to that effect. America is however a melting-pot of nationalities and cultures. The sheer size of the country, and the fact that unlike many equally or larger countries, a fair portion of the nation is, in fact, populated and contains cities, means that our cultures are very diverse, to the point that it might seem like a different country entirely at points; Los Angeles is rude and always in a hurry, the Southeast is hospitable, kind, and laid back. Most Americans don't even realize this, which is easily seen in our bickering politics.
America is not entirely safe. Odds are you aren't going to get shot in the street, but don't tempt people by leaving out valuables; you lose a wallet in the street, it's gone by the time you come back. You might actually get it mailed back to you with all of your ID and credit-cards untouched, if the person can find your address anywhere, but American code-of-conduct dictates you should probably expect at least a few dollars missing, if nothing else to pay for postage.
Some areas are safer than others; it's generally easy to know the difference between safe and not-safe. They align pretty well to most cities I've been to. Areas around ports and airports are usually not good, areas near hotels are good. If you see grafitti everywhere, unless it's especially well-done, you are probably not in a well-off area, though you could easily be perfectly safe. Just depends.
Food
The only foods that I know of that are truly unique to America are hamburgers and barbeque.Hamburgers, almost everyone has most undoubtedly had thanks to McDonalds, though you might be surprised to find fewer of the excentric McDonalds items like the Big Texas Burger (sometimes found in Japan) and the like, don't exist in American Mickey-Ds. (For this reason, the "I don't want to eat at an American restaurant in another country" arguement is rather invalid. Fast-food chains alter quite a bit country-to-country. "Sit down" restaurants like Outback Steakhouse and TGIF are pretty standard, though)
Barbeque, on the other hand, is a must-try. Be it pulled pork, brisket, ribs, or the popular offshoot of flavored (usually spicy) chicken wings, if you aren't from America, definitely check out barbeque here. It's often quite regional, with most popular being New York, St. Louis, Carolina, Kansas City, and Memphis style barbeques, but I'm sure most big cities have a spin to it.
Barbeque, on the other hand, is a must-try. Be it pulled pork, brisket, ribs, or the popular offshoot of flavored (usually spicy) chicken wings, if you aren't from America, definitely check out barbeque here. It's often quite regional, with most popular being New York, St. Louis, Carolina, Kansas City, and Memphis style barbeques, but I'm sure most big cities have a spin to it.
How to get around
Car. You have to have a car if you are anywhere but a major city. If you are in a major city, you'll probably find American public transit to be quite lacking. What this means is you'll probably be stuck having a American friend drive or you are limited to a city.
Driving is probably the best in the world, I'm told (and so far in personal experience), especially in the Midwest. Los Angeles is probably the worst in the world, with some of the Eastern Seaboard areas likewise being rather poor.
If you want to get from one major city to another, like going from Miami to New York, plan on taking a plane. America's pretty big. You could take a bus or train and maybe see some cool landscapes along the way, but it gets old.
Things to See
Um, a lot. Unfortunately most aren't very well concentrated.
Where I'm at now in Charleston, South Carolina, has a lot of history.
Historical places, usually on the eastern seaboard, can be interesting.
Do NOT go to Norfolk, Virginia. It's that dark shadowy place that Mufasa warns Simba about. Trust me.
Japan
Things To Understand
Take that personal bubble you've got and pop it. Japan is crowded but orderly. You will have to be shoulder-to-shoulder with people on the train. Get used to it. It's worth it.
Don't tip. Ever. They, and many other Asian countries, do not understand the concept of leaving extra money for your waiter, waitress, or taxi-driver, etc. It's literally foreign tot hem. In Japan, they'll even chase you down for a few yennies (American military slang for the Japanese 1-yen coin, which is rougly size and value as the American 1-cent coin).
Japan is safe. Super safe. Scarily safe. As in, it is not uncommon to see a 5-year-old riding a train all on their own.
Be prepared to queue. If you're British, this is probably not a problem. If you're American, the lines will be long enough to be rather annoying, but doable. If you're French (or at least from what I've heard about the French from French people) or Chinese, be prepared for a culture shock. Orderly, long queuing with little complaint. And it can get to utterly ridiculous levels. Things that Americans would go out overnight for to stand in line for, like new games, movies, or "lucky bags," (a Japanese News Years tradition, well worth it), the Japanese will almost literally camp-out for lines that are several miles/kilometers long. Utterly. Ridiculous. Lines. Like, multiple train stations away from the head of the line.
Sexuality is more open. Being committed is much less of a concept until you're actually engaged in sexual activity.
As with much of asia, prostitution is much more widely accepted, and human trafficking - at least for "common" prostitution is much less a thing.
Japan is polite. They might think poorly of your race (especially if you are another Asian race). but they won't show it. They are polite and professional far more than they are racist, which is saying something. When you have a nation that is 99.5% of the same nationality - not even just skin color, but nationality - racism breeds easy. They regard those of European descent rather well, all things considered. If you're darker skinned, be prepared for either some racism or outright amazement at how "exotic" you are. Younger crowds are more accepting. If you're another race of Asian, or look Asian (i.e. Native American), be prepared for some hate. Like with black people, younger Japanese are more accepting. Many Japanese, though, absolutely hate the Chinese with a passion that burns like the fires of a thousand rising suns.
If they tell you, "No Gaijin" and make and X with their arms, it mean "No Foreigners." Listen to them. There can be any number of reasons they'll deny you entrance to their shop/store/facility. They might not be able to say enough English to help or sell to you. They might be horridly racist (illegal, most will let you in if you mention getting the "Koban" (Police) to deal with the issue), some places, especially near Ginza (a district of Japan) they might be trying to keep you away from a place where Yakuza are known to hang out - and Yakuza are the exception to the "Japanese are always polite to everyone" rule.
If you are with someone else, you will almost never get talked to; they don't want to interrupt (even if you aren't actively talking). Again, polite.
However, if you are on your own, they are very friendly. A number of my friends met a lot of Japanese people while we were over there, because they traveled on their own. I was always with my wife, so I hardly ever talked to them (I also didn't have time to learn the language due to my job, so I couldn't have talked to many anyway.)
Also, don't mess with the police. Their police are awesome and most, if not all, know at least one martial art, if not two.
Japanese will often say they don't understand English. Many have at least a base knowledge, especially those living near cities. Those who lie are often ashamed they aren't fluent, and so they don't want to look bad. Japan has a lot of "saving face" traditions.
Also, little quick tip: If you see a "u" following an "s" in a Japanese word, don't pronounce the "u." For instance, I was stationed in Yokosuka, which is pronounced "Yo-ko-ska" not "Yo-ko-su-ka."
Food
Ramen. It is not at all like what Americans are used to. Even the instant stuff is different in Japan.
Curry. Japanese curry is good. I recommend Coco's Ichibanya curry, a chain restaurant.
Sushi, but everyone knows about sushi. Sushi-Go-Rounds (Sushi rides around the restaurant on a conveyor) is a good way to cheaply try lots of different kinds.
Kobe beef, if you can afford it. (in Kobe, Japan, it runs about $40-100 USD equivalent. In some places in Amerca, it hits $400 USD.)
Whale is something hard to get anywhere else in the world, and despite what Greenpeace and Whale Wars might have you think, most places regulate whaling rather well. But, the flavor is not so impressive that you're missing anything. Just tastes like beef with a bit of a fishy flavor to it, cuts like fish, but it's dense like beef. More of a check-in-the-box food. But, if you want it, there is a place just a couple of minutes walk from Shibuya Crossing. I can give you directions.
How to get around
Before I forget, something westerners are not used to: Be prepared for stores and places you want to go to be located entirely above another place. You might be looking for a big sign or storefront, confused as to why Google Maps says the restaurant you want looks like a stationary store. It's probably because you missed the tiny doorway with steps (or a tiny elevator) behind it, leading up to the restaurant above.
Trains. If you want to get around Japan, use trains. I don't care if you're scared, don't be. It's crazy easy once you get over the "I've never done this before" factor (Find map in station. See station you are on. See station you want to get to. If they are on different lines, find intersecting stations. Find big stations along those lines and use those to figure out where your train stops at in the station)
Most train stations have rumaji, which is Japanese words in English lettering, so you can pronounce them.
In spite of all this, if you're staying long enough, traveling by car isn't terrible. All Americans are considered "professional" drivers once they obtain a Japanese driver's license. Cars are remarkably cheap, though tolls are very frequent if you want to get to anywhere of import. People follow rules of the road, are almost just as polite about it as American Midwesterners, if not moreso. Downside is that the lower safety ratings of Japanese cars means that speed limits are lower, and the mountainous nature of much of the country and poor road planning (as in, much of the country was built before the invention of the car, unlike America) means that a 20 mile drive might take you an hour, and you're almost guaranteed to have to pay for parking, though this isn't uncommon in most cities.
And yes, the roads and cars are small. My Chevy Cruze is considered massive by their standards. The BMW 180i that I had there was "large." Parking spaces are small.
Things to See
Honestly, just look at stuff on Tripadvisor.
TOKYO
- Akihabara, the Electronics/Nerdy district
Pokemon Centers
Asakusa (Traditional area)
Temples in general
Ueno Zoo. If you go in March/April timeframe, you might even get to see the Sakura blossoms in the nearby park
Festivals
Tokyo Sky Tree and Tokyo Tower. Be prepared for lines.
Malls
Shibuya Crossing & Hachiko
Harajuku
Meiji Shrine
Castles, though most are more museum like.
Kyoto
Golden Pavilion (actually gold plated)
Temple of a Thousand Gates
Silver Pavilion (not actually silver played, guy bankrolling the project died, still rather pretty)
Castles
Getting done up like a Geisha or Samurai.
Kiyomizu-dera Temple and the shopping street leading up to it.
Zenrinji-temple, Eikan-do
OSAKA
Nightclubs. It's more of a party & shopping city all around.
Universal Osaka.
[Note: If you want to go to Osaka, pair it with a trip to Kyoto & Kobe - not much to do in Kobe other than to get delicious Kobe steak.]
HIROSHIMA
Peace Memorial. Be prepared for a kick in the feels if you're American, but they're much nicer and more understanding in Hiroshima than they are in Nagasaki. They actually acknowledge that the Japanese did some terrible stuff, too.
Miyajima Island & Floating Tori Gate. It's a bit of a train ride and you have to take a ferry, but worth it if you're staying in the area (which is ideal). Cool island, lots of traditional stuff, and tiny cute little deer that will eat anything you accidentally let get to close to them. They love maps, especially. The floating Tori gate has it's base covered by water at high-tide, and is exposed at low-tide, so you can walk right up to it. Be prepared for a bit of mud, but it wasn't all that bad when I went.
Fuji
Climb Mt. Fuji. [Late Spring, Summer months, Early Fall]. Expected to take 5-12 hours, but very doable.You can also do a night-hike, stay at a "hotel" (more like a hostel) partway up, then finish the climb and be at the top for sunrise. Definitely look up gear to bring if you go. (You can message me, I've done it twice, like an idiot).
Fuji-Safari. See lots of animals. Go on a bus-ride, feed lions, tigers, and bears. And other animals.
Fujikyu. A cool amusement park, but only 4 coasters. Keep in mind that the Japanese have no qualms with queuing. This is easier for Americans to handle than it is other nationalities, though it's enough to upset many Americans.
Singapore
Things To Understand
Very western, but a melting-pot of cultures.
Food
Go eat at Hawker centers. Usually open air, lots of food stalls. Great food. Generally unsightly by western standards, but you'll be glad if you get over it, which there is no reason to actually look no them in dis
Sup Tu Lang ("Lamb on Bone"), spicy, messy, very good.
Chili crab, expensive, spicy, and mess. Singapore's signature food
Sup Tu Lang ("Lamb on Bone"), spicy, messy, very good.
Chili crab, expensive, spicy, and mess. Singapore's signature food
How to get around
Things to See
Whole island is a tourist trap, and fun, but expensive. See everything. If you've got the money, stay on Sentosa Island. A tourist trap inside a tourist trap.
Malls have just about every high-end product you can ask for.
Go to Clarkes Quay for good food, and, if you drink, it's an awesome party area. Even if you don't drink, it's pretty cool.
Look at the Marina Bay Sands. Just look at it. It's awesome. Very expensive (stayed there two nights just for the hell of it) and it's got an awesome infinity pool.
Malls have just about every high-end product you can ask for.
Go to Clarkes Quay for good food, and, if you drink, it's an awesome party area. Even if you don't drink, it's pretty cool.
Look at the Marina Bay Sands. Just look at it. It's awesome. Very expensive (stayed there two nights just for the hell of it) and it's got an awesome infinity pool.
Korea
Things To Understand
Food
Korean Barbeque.
Kimchi
Kimchi
How to get around
Things to See
Hong Kong
Things To Understand
In my personal experience, Chinese culture does not mesh well with Western culture, especially American. It's what we'd call "Every man for himself," or "dog-eat-dog." You look out for yourself and few others. Rules are "guidelines." Cutting in line? Common. Bum-rushing to get off a bus or plane? Common. Throwing yourself into oncoming traffic for insurance fraud? So common that go-pros on dashboards are just as common so drivers can protect themselves.
Sorry if I write that with a bit of disdain. I left Hong Kong, the three times I was there, liking it much less than I expected I would, to the point that after the third trip, I'll be happier if I never have to go back there again.
Like Japan, China is crowded. Unlike Japan, it's not nearly as orderly.
Sorry if I write that with a bit of disdain. I left Hong Kong, the three times I was there, liking it much less than I expected I would, to the point that after the third trip, I'll be happier if I never have to go back there again.
Like Japan, China is crowded. Unlike Japan, it's not nearly as orderly.
Food
Try the weird stuff.
Also, Dim Sum. There is little about Dim Sum that is specific, other than it's typically small. It's more a category of food than a specific food.
Steamed Pao, also known as Steamed Buns. Some of them are a bit... eh. Some are quite good. I've had both- a bun that was chewy and had a terrible filling, and another that had a delicious spicy pork and was decorated to look like a panda.
Also, Dim Sum. There is little about Dim Sum that is specific, other than it's typically small. It's more a category of food than a specific food.
Steamed Pao, also known as Steamed Buns. Some of them are a bit... eh. Some are quite good. I've had both- a bun that was chewy and had a terrible filling, and another that had a delicious spicy pork and was decorated to look like a panda.
How to get around
In Hong Kong, the subway is quite well done. Not as good as Japan, but no public transit is quite as good as Japan. It's good, though. Between that and the occasional taxi, Hong Kong/Kowloon is quite easy to get around, especially for English speakers.
Things to See
There is a lot. Street vendors (you can barter with them) that set up dozens of shops in parking lots or down streets, tall towers, the light show at sunset (done on the buidlings on the waterway between Hong Kong and Kowloon, would recommend going to a skyscraper observation deck to see it, like the IFC) Just walk around the city. It's cool.
Thailand
Things To Understand
The value of things in Thailand is based on the perception of the customer rather than the perception of the seller. What this means is that in many Western countries, you see a price, decide if it's worth it, then buy it or don't. in Thailand, you see an item you like, decide what you want to pay, then haggle for it. (Good tip is to always start asking for less than what you want to pay, then have the seller work down to what you want to pay.)
Often times you'll see a price tag that might be too high. Be polite about it, for the most part. They are usually not trying to rip you off, though if you are light skinned or obviously American or British, they might think that you're rich, and you might very well be by their standards, and think that you should probably pay more. For instance, average Baht-Bus (more about those below) for a local is 20-30 (<$1 USD) for most places around a city; for an American, they might ask you to pay 500 Baht (right now, about $14 USD), it's not hard to work it down to 200 Baht. If they speak enough English, you can often say, "Look, locals pay 30 Baht. I'm not paying more than 50 Baht. If you don't like that, someone else will and I'll go with them."
This does not often include established storefronts, and never chains - don't think you can haggle your way down to 30 Baht for a latte in Starbucks. If they say it's 150 Baht, it's 150 Baht.
Thai are very laid back. Relaxation is very important to them. Not being overloaded or stressed out.
Food
Tom Yum Goong, Thai Curry... Thai food is very good, unless you have a peanut allergy, they use a lot of peanuts.
How to get around
Taxis & Baht Buses.
A Baht Bus is a converted flatbed truck. Benches in the back, steps to get up, and usually a covering, and almost always open air. You get used to it, or might not. my wife didn't like them at all.
Things to See
Temples & Shrines. If you're near Pattaya, the Flight of the Gibbon (really long and awesome zipline course) is a bit pricey but totally worth it.
Malaysia
Things To Understand
A mix between Singapore and Thailand. Lots of Muslims - not saying this is bad, of course, but be careful if you're a guy. Malaysian law, like Singapore, dictates that you can be fined or jailed for "insulting a woman's honor" - by simply looking at her a little too long in a way she doesn't like. Usually won't happen.
Food
Not much that I found different from Thailand that was all that interesting.
How to get around
Depends on where you are. In Kuala Lumpur, I just did taxis.
Things to See
Patronus Towers were awesome.
Peru
Things To Understand
Some parts downright feel like they should be in a Call of Duty warzone map. Others are very modern.
Food
Guneau pig, aka Cuy (pronounced "kwee") is worth a try but rather unimpressive. Tastes like gamey-chicken. More of a check-in-the-box food. I got it from a rather nice restaurant that seasoned it very well, but you can't get around the fact that you get very little meat, and seeing the head is a bit creepy.
How to get around
Taxi, at least around Lima.
Things to See
Machu Pichu
Chile
Things To Understand
Food
Foods are more bland than what most westerners are used to, and indeed what much of the world is used to. Be prepared for high-quality meat with little flavor other than what it brings to the table on it's own. This was one country I was not ashamed to grab a pizza from a Domino's Pizza place for lunch.
How to get around
Taxi, at least around Val Paraiso
Things to See
Not much as notable about Chile. There is Easter Island, of course, and Val Paraiso is quite cool.
Brazil
Things To Understand
Some parts have been in a Call of Duty warzone map. Some parts are awesome. In some parts, as a foreigner, you will fear for your live. When you and your buddies are driving by an area with "Bem-vindo à zona da morte" ("Welcome to the zone of death") gratified everywhere, you start fearing for your life a bit.
Other parts are straight out of a tourism add and are perfectly fine and wonderful. Just be careful where you go.
To be fair, I've only been to Rio de Janiero, and for a few days. Other uses will probably have much better insight.
Other parts are straight out of a tourism add and are perfectly fine and wonderful. Just be careful where you go.
To be fair, I've only been to Rio de Janiero, and for a few days. Other uses will probably have much better insight.
Food
Brazilian Barbecue, aka Churrasco, is to die for. Especially in Brazil.
How to get around
Things to See
If you're in Rio De Janiero, definitely go see Cristo Redentor
I want to add something about Australian, but straight up Brisbane was just like any American city, for the most part, except more expensive.
