Post: #1

For me, Hawaii is the ultimate landscape and paradise location. Setbacks are the hostility towards whites and the cost.

For those of you who've traveled extensively, where in Southeast Asia is most similar, as far as the natural environment goes?

I'm imagining somewhere in Indonesia or the Philippines. I find photos of the east coast of Taiwan look similar to Kauai.

Beyond All Seas

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.
To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes
frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Kipling

Post: #2

Interesting.
You mentioned the setbacks, but I'm curious to know what makes Hawaii the ultimate place to be in your book?

Post: #3

Indonesia.....you have the ring of fire, loads of volcanoes and great surfing. Nightlife/Picking up is not as good as Thailand though

Post: #4

I'm surprised by what you said. I have absolutely not encountered any hostility towards whites - if anything it's the opposite! The landscape and the nature is nice but pretty average if you've been to similar places in the world. The ultimate living location? You like slow traffic and no parking anywhere? No jobs and high cost of living? Bums everywhere ? You like getting laid I assume? - it is super hard with locals!
When I think of Hawaii I think of being in Japan without traveling to real Japan.

Post: #5

(05-28-2014 06:22 AM)Chaos Wrote:  Interesting.
You mentioned the setbacks, but I'm curious to know what makes Hawaii the ultimate place to be in your book?

As I mentioned, I'm just referring to the natural beauty of the place. For me; may not be universal.

Probably because it resembles the place I come from, only tropical. And I think a lot of people feel like Hawaii is the most beautiful place on Earth actually - not everyone, but it's a pretty widespread opinion.

Beyond All Seas

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.
To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes
frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Kipling

Post: #6

(05-28-2014 06:25 AM)Wayout Wrote:  I'm surprised by what you said. I have absolutely not encountered any hostility towards whites - if anything it's the opposite!

I'm not the only person who has noticed hostility towards whites. It's a very observable phenomenon. I know a lot of people who have lived there and dealt with it. I also know white kids that went to school there and they had the shit beat out of them around the clock.

This is an easily researchable phenomenon and is widely discussed online.

There were also a lot of Hawaiin college students around where I grew up and they were constantly ratpacking whites.

Just like there will be people who argue that Vietnamese aren't the most aggressive people in Asia, that doesn't discount everyone else's experiences.

People will be friendly to you in HI and very cool in the bars, but you ever wind up in a minsunderstanding, you'll see what I mean. And if you live as a long-term local, other locals will fuck with you for being white.

Quote:The landscape and the nature is nice but pretty average if you've been to similar places in the world.

Great. Well, bust out the locations similar to Kauai that are in Asia then. Makes it an easy answer if there are tons of other places and it's just average.

Quote:The ultimate living location? You like slow traffic and no parking anywhere? No jobs and high cost of living? Bums everywhere ? You like getting laid I assume? - it is super hard with locals!

I was talking about the natural world there. And sure the slow pace of life.

I'm not sure we're you're going with all this. My Op was not meant to argue the benefits and negatives of living in Hawaii. We could do that about any location all day. Just was asking where in SEAsia looked most similar. And mentioned it was the ultimate place "for me."

Personally, if I lived in Hawaii, I'd focus mostly on tourist bitches, but again, actual logistics of living in Hawaii is besides the point of my OP.

Quote:When I think of Hawaii I think of being in Japan without traveling to real Japan.

Now we're getting somewhere.

Beyond All Seas

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.
To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes
frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Kipling

Post: #7

Indonesia would be my best guess.

Post: #8

(05-28-2014 06:25 AM)Beyond Borders Wrote:  And I think a lot of people feel like Hawaii is the most beautiful place on Earth actually - not everyone, but it's a pretty widespread opinion.

Slighty off topic but..
Isn't that because American mainstream media have pictured Hawaii as the paradise on earth for a long time?
How many songs have been written about " Blue Hawaii"?
In how many movies and series has Hawaii been advertised as the ultimate top of the American dream?
" If I win the lottery I would move to Hawaii"
" When I get rich I will move to Hawaii and live there for the rest of my life" etc etc.

Hawaii sounds so.. 80's. Or maybe I'm thinking about Hawaii shirts. lol.

Post: #9

(05-28-2014 06:43 AM)Chaos Wrote:  

(05-28-2014 06:25 AM)Beyond Borders Wrote:  And I think a lot of people feel like Hawaii is the most beautiful place on Earth actually - not everyone, but it's a pretty widespread opinion.

Slighty off topic but..
Isn't that because American mainstream media have pictured Hawaii as the paradise on earth for a long time?
How many songs have been written about " Blue Hawaii"?
In how many movies and series has Hawaii been advertised as the ultimate top of the American dream?
" If I win the lottery I would move to Hawaii"
" When I get rich I will move to Hawaii and live there for the rest of my life" etc etc.

Hawaii sounds so.. 80's. Or maybe I'm thinking about Hawaii shirts. lol.

Possibly.

I think what is characteristic of Hawaii is the huge jagged green mountains that jut right out of the ocean (especially in Kauai). The unspoilt beauty, the colorful fauna, and the abundant wildlife. That's the type of unreal landscape I'm talking about.

The wildlife can be a real troubling issue in Southeast Asia. I also find that the vegetation isn't quite as lush and fast-growing in places like THailnd and Cambo. I think Indo and Phils share a lot of that same mountainous/marine topography, due to the seismic activity, and the colorful fauna. I haven't been to either places, which is why I presented the question to the forum.

That pic of Indo above is great, but in similar pics of Hawaii there would be a lot more green. Those peaks are very barren in comparison.

Beyond All Seas

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.
To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes
frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Kipling

Post: #10

I have a feeling that the place you're looking for can be found on a island in the Pacific Ocean.
In Oceania/Micronesia or what it's called .
Have you checked any of them out?

I'd love to check all these islands out but I'm sure a big baller budget is necessary...

Post: #11

Hmmm...yeah I don't have a big baller budget.

Beyond All Seas

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.
To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes
frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Kipling

Post: #12

The problem with Pacific islanders are they are the fattest in the world

Post: #13

Maldives maybe and Fuji, although not sure if that classes as Asia.

Post: #14

(05-28-2014 06:31 AM)Beyond Borders Wrote:  I'm not the only person who has noticed hostility towards whites. It's a very observable phenomenon. I know a lot of people who have lived there and dealt with it. I also know white kids that went to school there and they had the shit beat out of them around the clock.

Yeah, I've heard a lot about this. Everyone I've talked to who's lived in Hawaii has said the same thing.

Get caught in the wrong place at the wrong time and you can really get fucked up or even killed for absolutely no reason.

One guy I knew had a kid with a chick out there and he said things were just as bad, if not worse, for his son.

Quote:I think what is characteristic of Hawaii is the huge jagged green mountains that jut right out of the ocean (especially in Kauai). The unspoilt beauty, the colorful fauna, and the abundant wildlife. That's the type of unreal landscape I'm talking about.

The wildlife can be a real troubling issue in Southeast Asia. I also find that the vegetation isn't quite as lush and fast-growing in places like THailnd and Cambo. I think Indo and Phils share a lot of that same mountainous/marine topography, due to the seismic activity, and the colorful fauna. I haven't been to either places, which is why I presented the question to the forum.

That pic of Indo above is great, but in similar pics of Hawaii there would be a lot more green. Those peaks are very barren in comparison.

Well, I haven't been to Hawaii. But just looking at pictures of Kauai, I don't think you're going to completely replicate that in the Phils.

It's one of the most biodiverse spots in the world. It's also got plenty of green mountains. Davao, for instance, is actually surrounding on three sides by mountains.

But they're much softer than what you'll find in Hawaii. They don't have that jagged quality, towering right out of the ocean like I'm seeing in pictures and you're describing. They simply don't have the same height.

This is Samal Island:

Post: #15

^ Thanks for understanding what I was getting at. Was starting to wonder if we were all talking about the same Hawaii.

For anyone who still doesn't get it, there's a reason Jurassic Park was filmed there. Think back on those sweeping scenes from the helicopter ride in the movie. That's what Kauia looks like, and it ranks among a small handful of the most beautiful places on Earth. You can be walking through dense foilage and step off a cliff you didn't even know was there to plummet thousands of feet. Obviously not ideal but gives you an idea of the grandiosity of the terrain.

I think Costa Rica was considered for that film - another paradise with that kind of rainfall, biodiversity, and landscape - so that's another option. But of course it's not in Asia. I think Indo might be the closest bet.

Beyond All Seas

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.
To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes
frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Kipling

Post: #16

Palau is nice too but it's more of a historical zone or scuba diving paradise. It still might meet your criteria though.

Post: #17

Palawan might not be too far from what you're talking about. This is Tapiutan island. It's near El Nido, Palawan, which Scott Free actually dropped a data sheet on.

It's in the Northern part of the Phils, closer to Manila. Palawan as a whole has a reputation as possibly the nicest, most untarnished island in the country and it's reefs are considered some of the best diving in the world.

Post: #18

I probably should have just started an "epic paradises" thread because I do realize there are a lot of paradises that look nothing like Hawaii but are still mind-blowing.

Sometimes I kick myself in the ass for always living in the middle of the city. That's not what I had in mind when I dreamed of the location-independent lifestyle.

What I had in mind was paradise. People talk about how that gets old, but doesn't everything? As long as there's enough going on, and you stay active in activities like rock-climbing, scuba, etc, there's no reason it should. And as long as there's enough nightlife to go around (like I need more of that anyways).

A small island can indeed get boring sometimes, but if you're on a big island with a city or two or on the coast of a mainland, there's no reason you can't jet off somewhere else from time to time.

Beyond All Seas

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.
To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes
frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Kipling

Post: #19

Look at that

Bloody hell I love limestone cliffs

Reminds me of a story I've probably told three times elsewhere:

I went on one of those 'Four Island Tours' down in Krabi

We stopped at one with the most beautiful limestone cliff. We were only there for an hour. I spent the whole time lying in the water like a starfish staring at it

Everyone else on the boat walked around the island taking photos for Facebook

Post: #20

A few snapshots of my home might explain why I'm drawn to such epic terrain.

It's kind of like the non-tropical version of Kauai - though still more subdued as our mountains erode faster.

Don't let the perspective fool you - these mountains are massive, and that coastline down below is notorious for swallowing people up and never spitting them back out.







That's a herd of elk in the pic below.













And don't forget the redwoods.

Beyond All Seas

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.
To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes
frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Kipling

Post: #21

East Coast of Tawian.



I feel like this is more reminiscent of back home than the pics I was able to find up above.

Palawan looks amazing, but there's something about these kinds of mountains up against the ocean that really humbles to you to the core.

Last time I was home, I'd just drive down to the beach and sit in my pickup for hours staring out into the water and listening to music.

I've seen multiple rigs get taken by the water coming in to fast. And if you run into a bear on the beach, you've got nowhere to go.

Beyond All Seas

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.
To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes
frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Kipling

Post: #22

(05-28-2014 11:58 AM)LeightonBlackstock Wrote:  Look at that

Bloody hell I love limestone cliffs

Reminds me of a story I've probably told three times elsewhere:

I went on one of those 'Four Island Tours' down in Krabi

We stopped at one with the most beautiful limestone cliff. We were only there for an hour. I spent the whole time lying in the water like a starfish staring at it

Everyone else on the boat walked around the island taking photos for Facebook

That's exactly how I feel any time I go to a beautiful natural place with tourists around. I just zone the fuck out while they scimper around like squirrels collecting nuts. For what, I don't know.

Beyond All Seas

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.
To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes
frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Kipling

Post: #23

(05-28-2014 07:03 AM)Moriarty Wrote:  The problem with Pacific islanders are they are the fattest in the world

I had a chance to get a Pacific Islander flag, but fucked it up due to her getting so drunk she pretty much blacked out. Had to get her obese ass friends to drag her home half naked. She was bangable, definitely skinny as fuck though for a PI. I'd say you'd really have to lower your standards if you really wanted to flag collect the entire world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-7rf9hz-Ko

Original video was removed, so have to post this version.

Post: #24

Double B,
You're a Hawaii boy? I was under the impression you were a Cali beach boy!
Damn, we learn new things here everyday!

Regarding your question, I'd say Palawan would be your best option. Has it all.
Btw, how are the beaches in Cambodia? Have you been to any there? If yes, you know the drill: drop a data homie!

Post: #25

I'd like a clean tropical place too.. Tahiti is probably almost as expensive. There's Guam which is USA and Samoa, and Tonga. When I lived in Hawaii some of the thinnest Tongan girls who were part white were very pretty.

The ones I knew were Mormons, so no drinking and no caffeine, they seemed like honest people-- but culturally about as far from a Suburban East Coaster culturally as you could imagine. I commented to one girls brother that she was pretty and he grinned and said "You want to marry her?". It was so straightforward.

I went to grad school in Hawaii and it is definitely a magic place.
No snakes which is miraculous in a tropical place, very few mosquitos, I think in three years there I got bit less than 10 times.

It's 20 degrees from the equator, so you don't get the unbearable heat of Philippines where parts are closer to equator.

At might you can smell the delicate fragrance of flowers on the warm breeze, because there's virtually no pollution to smell up the air, all American spec cars. It is an incredible place.

Some of the Polynesian locals are hostile, I got chased out of a west coast of hawaai junkyard by a local. I remember surfing on New Year's Day for hours without a wet suit and not getting cold. First world sanitation, no sewage or cooties in the water.

The girls are hard, all the guys lift weights and surf and the competition is rough. You don't need money if you live there except for rent and food because the whole islands are like unbelievable outdoor resorts. That means your money doesn't talk that loud, and there's plenty of White guys so you get no WGF.

Pissed off locals will rarely assault an 30+ adult unless you are in some conflict with them. That's kid 20-something stuff, stuff that happens in bars or junkyards or schools.

Also, as far as I know no scary diseases like Dengue fever, which is found in rural areas of the Philippines.