Here is a recommended intinerary.
Some assumptions:
a) you must use Cathay Pacific.
b) you are a male US or European citizen.
c) you are going to get guidebooks for these cities.
d) you have lots of energy.
on Cathay you can travel from India - BKK - HKG - Japan
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Day 1: fly from Mumbai to Bangkok (4:50 AM to 10:25 AM). take a
metered taxi from the public taxi booth at the airport (not from one of
the touts). use the expressway. ($2 extra). try the Suk 11 Hostel -
it is quite nice (I've seen it) and costs about $15/night. good
location too. look and book at
www.suk11.com have a nap and go out to
get visa photos nearby.
Day 2: take the skytrain to the river. buy a ticket on the tourist
boat. it is a hop-on, hop-off thing with drinking water, booklet, and
guide for about $2/day. goes to most of the major attractions such as
Grand Palace, Wat Phra Keow, Wat Arun, Wat Po, royal barges, etc.
Day 3: take the subway to the railroad station and the train to
Ayudhaya. it is a ruined former capitol of Siam. engage a tuk-tuk to
take you around to the famous monuments, palaces, etc. back to town on
the train.
Day 4: fly on Bangkok Airways to Sien Reap (about $240 RT). (11:20 AM
to 12:30 PM) by the way, they have a lounge at the airport, a good
place to fill out the immigration form. visa on arrival is around $20.
bring crisp, new US currency since that's all many places will take.
hire a motorcycle pulled carriage for $12/day and visit one of Angkor
Wat, Angkor Thom (Bayon), and Ta Prohm (jungle temple). get a
three-day pass for around $20. see the sunset somewhere.
Day 5: visit the other two temples. do a sunrise and maybe another
sunset.
Day 6: fly back to Bangkok (1:10 PM to 2:20 PM). see any sights you've
missed. do a dinner with a traditional Thai folk dancer show.
Day 7: fly to Hong Kong (9:50 AM to 13:40 PM). take the nice train
into town. stay in Kowloon. take a Star Ferry to Central and look at
the HK skyline. take the tram up the Peak. stay for sunset. go to
dinner somewhere. take a Star Ferry back to Kowloon and look at the
lights of HK.
Day 8: go back to Central by ferry or subway. take a double-decker bus
around the edge of the island to Stanley market. then take a bus to
Aberdeen. arrange a sanpan tour of the Aberdeen harbor. take a bus
back to Central. take a ferry to Discovery Bay for dinner in one of
the Chinese restaurants that serves Peking Duck.
Day 9: take a hydrofoil to Macau. do the sights. have dinner. return
to HK that evening.
Day 10: fly to Japan.
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Notes:
a) going to Beijing seems difficult on Cathay.
b) Hanoi is pleasant, but I did not find it as interesting as
Bangkok, Siem Reap, or Hong Kong.
c) take about $200 US in clean, crisp, new bills for Cambodia. 1's,
5's, 10's, and 20's only.
d) this is an agressive itinerary. more time could be spent in any
of the cities, especially Hong Kong.
e) ATM's are widely available in Bangkok and Hong Kong. Not in
Cambodia. Japan is wierd about ATM's.
f) if you're of Indian descent, keep in mind that many young people
from India go to SE Asian countries to work illegally. at immigration
in Bangkok, make sure you've got your onward tickets handy. also proof
of solvency (ie, credit cards). and always dress nicely during travel.
