Asian Cities Great for Fall Travel

I've been traveling to Asia for nearly 70 years, starting with Navy service in World War II and the Korean War. Since then, on business and pleasure trips, I've visited dozens of times. Each journey gives me new experiences and more understanding for that exotic part of the world. The fall is a great time to visit, as the weather remains comfortable and the heavy summer tourist season has ended. Airfare prices are also lower, with coach tickets to all three suggested cities available for under $1,000.

Here are my favorite three Asian cities for fall travel:

Shanghai

I first saw Shanghai as World War II was ending. My Navy troopship sailed from the Philippines to pick up just-released Allied POWs. The city had bomb damage, but still echoed of its elegant past with beautiful scenery. The city has enjoyed a building boom to make Shanghai a modern metropolitan center. Today, Shanghai's hotels, historic sites, restaurants, fashionable shopping, and sightseeing attractions lure business and tourist travelers. American Airlines serves Shanghai via direct flights from the U.S.

My favorite hotel in Shanghai is the Pudong Shangri-La (33 Fu Cheng Road, Shanghai 200120). One of its restaurants, the Yi Cafe, offers a fantastic buffet, featuring made-to-order Chinese, Japanese, and Continental foods.

Singapore

Singapore, then a British colony, was also occupied by Japan during WWII. As with Shanghai, the city recovered to become one of the world's most modern industrial and commercial centers. Whenever I visit on business or as a tourist, I'm impressed by the cleanliness and efficiency of the city. Additionally, the friendliness of its people always makes my Singapore experiences pleasant ones.

The most picturesque Singapore hotel is the 125-year-old Raffles (1 Beach Road, Singapore 189673). Surrounding the hotel is an arcade with many upscale shops, restaurants, and other facilities. British and Hollywood royalty have stayed at Raffles through the years.

My favorite restaurant there is Royal China at Raffles. It's set elegantly in a welcoming, light blue and white dining room, where both Cantonese and Continental dishes are served. Royal China is best enjoyed with friends sitting around a steaming basket of dim sum meat and seafood dumplings.

Seoul

I first visited the South Korean capital while in Navy service during the Korean War. It suffered from the North Korean attack and occupation in 1950 and 1951 for several months before being liberated by American forces. Since then, Seoul has become a thriving, modern city of 10 million citizens, proudly featuring skyscrapers, worldwide commerce, upscale shopping, restaurants, and lively nightlife. Over the past half-century, I've visited Seoul several times for business and as a tourist. I've always found it a bustling city, full of vitality and innovation.

I've stayed at the five-star InterContinental Grand Seoul Parnas (Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul). It's conveniently located next to the city's big convention hall, the World Trade Center. The hotel features luxury facilities, shops, and a large variety of nearby restaurants. I've been a fan of the Todai restaurants in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, so when in Seoul, I tried their seafood buffet.

Todai (159 Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu) is right next to the World Trade Center. I sampled all kinds of ethnic dishes, including Japanese sushi, tempura, sashimi, Chinese dumplings, calamari, Korean udong, Alaskan king crab legs, and many others.

You can follow travel writer Ted Sherman on Twitter @travel4seniors and check out his blog travel4seniors.com.

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