OK, there was a thread like this a while back, but maybe it's worth
exploring a bit more: a good place for shelling and snorkeling in the
Indo-Pacific on a tight budget.

I was almost asleep when I saw the commercial for Qantas' deal: 2 weeks in
Australia (from LA) for $1499 including Sydney, Melbourne and the Great
Barrier Reef. I got AWAKE real fast. Well, that's about 3 days in Sydney, 3
days in Melbourne and 3 days in Cairns. The transport from Cairns to the
reef and any other expenses is extra. True, the $300 extra from NYC leg is
pretty good too. But I'm not too excited about Sydney and Melbourne, just
gimme the tropical reef part. But maybe shelling's very good in southeast
Australia even without big reef.

With admittedly incomplete research on fares, I turned up some other
possibilities. The following fares might indicate something about the
possibility of saving so that I can spend a little on an extra leg (of the
journey) or on various chatchkas, comfortable lodging and good meals once I
get there.

Here's what I did last November: flew to Trivandrum in southern India for
$1155 and then on to Colombo, Sri Lanka for $110. The latter was terrific
but now the fare to Colombo is about $1800. Since I'm probably going to be
paying for two fares, my options are narrower.

I remember someone recommending Saipan and Tinian as excellent shelling and
fairly inexpensive. Roundtrip fare is $1444. Hmm, maybe....

Manila $999.

Seoul $900.

Taipei $848

Hong Kong $980

Shanghai $770

Jakarta $1182

Singapore $1050

Bangkok $1025
Thailand always sounded intriguing to me but Bangkok itself is nightmarish
from what I've heard. And there's probably no easy way around it.

Here's a question: I haven't seen anyone discuss shelling conditions in
Korea, is the coastline all like the Inchon landing: rocky and wave-dashed?
I'll bet it's a terrific place culturally, historically and for good food.

How about Taiwan? Anyone with experience on the shorelines?

Has anyone been shelling in China recently? Accommodations not yet suitable
for soft Westerners?