Asia is so big and diverse there are so many options when it comes to which are the best. There are so many factors that play into what are the best countries to visit. Do we categorize by cultural experiences? Safety? Cost? Friendliness? Ease of access? Pollution? As there are many different factors there can be no definite answer. If I were to choose my top 5 based on these criteria I would probably rank them:

1. Taiwan: I am a woman who travels alone a good 95% of my time. I chose Taiwan on a whim after dating a Taiwanese man for 2 years. As a woman, Taiwan was EXTREMELY safe, I could travel alone throughout major cities with a friend or by myself without any issues at all, even at 4 AM (while a little tipsy)! In terms of cost, Taiwan is a fairly cheap country with few places really driving up the price. At bars, you usually pay an entrance fee but will get alcohol for free once inside (If it’s a Wednesday night it’s usually ladies night so free entrance and alcohol). A hotel room (not even a hostel!) will set you back only $30 in a major city. A meal will only be a few dollars, I never paid more than $5 for any singular food item while there and even got a few discounts for being a sweaty American woman (just kidding, but I did get a free mango). The people in Taiwan were extremely friendly, they operate on a lot of traditional customs and mannerisms that make their hospitality on point! When I was lost in Tainan, a man offered to drive me to where I was going (he literally went and got his car because I couldn’t figure out the bus system) just because I couldn’t read Chinese on a bus poster. This leads to my final point, ease of access, Taiwan while still a developing country has some of the fastest and most efficient transit systems in the entire world, you can pay only $30 US and go from one end of the country to another in less than 2 hours on the High Speed Rail. The Taipei metro system is one of the cheapest and most accessible in the world, where they even recycle single ride passes! A trip only costs a dollar and some change and you can go so far on that!
2. South Korea: My heart is still in South Korea. While it’s my favorite country that I’ve visited it just doesn’t make the top of my list for a few reasons. For one, while it’s cheap there are certain things that are way more expensive there than in the USA. You can definitely do things cheaply there if you stay in a hostel, but a private room in an AirBNB or a hotel will run you more than Taiwan. If you’re feeling a bit more adventurous you can stay as a solo person in a love motel (they’re actually pretty clean!). Their subway system is quite advanced and it’s very cheap (around $1.5 per ride no matter the distance within the city which is very cheap by American standards). The only issue with their public transit is the cards that you use have to be refilled in cash unless you have a Korean bank account and cash can be hard to come by as the ATMs are scarce for visitors. Entertainment wise there is SO much to do in Seoul alone that you’ll never be bored. They have everything from museums filled with optical illusions to tandem biking down the Han River, there’s something for everything. They have a HUGE cafe culture there that is a treat as the cafe culture has created some unique cafes such as the LEGO cafe, comic book cafes, flower boy cafes, and even raccoon cafes among other unique places. The best part of all of this is the cafe culture and food culture has made food so cheap that it doesn’t make sense NOT to eat out! I personally had so much fun in South Korea that if I had the chance I would move there. Safetywise I always felt safe but you need to be careful if you’re approached by people as South Korea has a lot of cult members who are recruiting on the streets. [1]
3. Japan: I personally have not been to Japan but they are ranked as one of the safest countries in the world. Their violent death rates due to guns are under 10 per year! However, they do have a high suicide rate due to societal pressures. Out of all of these, Japan is one of the most expensive countries according to my friends who have gone, this is in part due to the cost of food and other things, but should not deter you from going. Their transportation system is the most advanced in the world and it shows! You can do so much in Japan and there’s always something going on. I would say that by going to Japan you won’t be disappointed.
4. The Philippines: The Philippines is one of the cheapest Asian countries to visit and one of the most gorgeous. I haven’t been but there will be a day when I finally get the chance to go. You can’t go wrong with the country with the friendliest locals you’ll ever meet.
5. Singapore: One of the most expensive cities in the world (and home to the Crazy, Rich Asians), Singapore is absolutely stunning and filled with unique things to do, Chiangyi Airport alone has a butterfly garden, movie theater and other amazing amenities. Singapore is famous for it’s hawker centers and food as it’s a culturally diverse country filled with all sorts of ethnicities.

One of the biggest faux pas you can possibly make in a Korean bath house is not knowing what you should do when at a bath house. Upon arrival, you will receive: 1 small towel (not great for much if you're not used to it a.k.a American), the most unflattering baggy shorts and t-shirt, and a receipt or wristband for the lockers. When you first enter and get your wrist band, you will go to a small locker room where you will store your shoes, the locker number will coincide with either your wristband number or the number on your receipt, as well as a locker in the main gendered locker room where you will store your belongings (bags, clothes, etcetera). Once you reach the main locker room you can choose to either strip down and go straight to the baths or put on the clothing provided and explore, either is great, I prefer to bathe first instead of other things. Don't be afraid, you'll likely be more self-conscious than others will be, just relax and enjoy the experience. 

There are so many features of Korean Jjimjilbangs that you will come to know and love as you spend time there. From the bathing areas to the sleeping rooms there are things to do for everyone. Not all bath houses are the same nor are they going to charge the same prices, however, you will always be able to enjoy your time if you plan accordingly. 
I went to Dragon Hills Spa and Resort so if you're looking for a clean, safe environment I really enjoyed their service, you can check out there services here

For more information on Korean spas and bathhouses check out this link from vloggers Simon and Martina of Eat Your Kimchi.

Disclaimer: This is not a post that is meant to scare you or lead you to not want to go there because of this event. Instead, by educating you on the way that it happens you can be aware in the event that you ever experience this. Overall, to me, South Korea is a very safe country and I have never had any ill will befall myself. 
You’ve heard of cults before, be it the Heaven’s Gate cult of yesteryear or the modern day cult followings of celebrities. To us, they are groups that only really exist in the media and we really don’t see them very often, at least in the USA. There’s something almost otherworldly about them as the only experience some people will ever have is through their tv or computer screen. However, in some countries, like South Korea, cults are flourishing. I should know, I almost joined one. Here’s the story about how I almost ended up in a cult and how you can avoid it.

Seoul, 2017. I exited Hongik University station into the blazing sun, hurrying on my way to Hongdae Shopping District to see some busking (basically the Korean version of performing for cash) while I waited for a friend to go to the Trick Eye Museum. As it is a generally safe country, I had very few reservations about traveling alone, since, up to that point I hadn’t had any real issues, even late at night. I feared nothing except running out of cash and having to find an ATM (in South Korea cash is still king).
As it so happened, today was the day that I would have to get cash from the ATM as I ran dangerously low. Without it, I wouldn’t be able to get on the subway to go to my apartment or anywhere else. I doubled back through the streets of Hongdae and arrived where I had started, Hongik University exit 8 where I knew a Citibank was close by. While I waited to cross the street, a pair approached me and struck up a conversation. Later I would find out that this was a common practice. Comprised of a tall, lanky Korean gentleman and a short, stout Korean woman, no older than 25. By this point, I had been approached by random people who wanted to help me if I seemed lost or needed anything, so I didn’t experience any true red flags. The couple introduced themselves and said they were headed to a tea ceremony and then food afterward, immediately my mind went into overdrive. I read about this before, it was a common ploy to convince foreigners to go to their “cultural events” which were thinly veiled meetings for their respective churches (aka cults). While I decided what to do I was flanked on either side, the woman holding an umbrella over my head. As it’s not unusual for Koreans to do so. This is where things started to get weird. 
The woman held the umbrella and tried to cover me entirely with it, commenting on my white skin and how beautiful I was. By this point, those red flags were raised and billowing in the wind. I knew I had to get out of there before something else happened. 

My survival instinct kicked in, I knew I needed to shake them while staying as visible as possible on the street. As South Korea is the land of CCTV I had few reservations save a concern that the umbrella would block anything from view. I had to think fast, any time wasted could mean I would be led to a side street and out of view. The first thought that I had? The bank. Banks have cameras everywhere, near ATMs, at ATMs, and surrounding the building. All I had to do was get myself and my followers to the bank where I could be caught on camera. We exchanged pleasantries as we walked, I fed them false information about themselves, while they asked questions about my trip thus far, “was I a teacher?” “no” and “was I alone?” “meeting a friend” were two questions that cemented my concerns, a teacher might be missed at work there while someone traveling alone may not be missed until much later. I pretended to be as naive as possible, answering the questions as if I had no idea what was going on, aware that at any moment things could turn ugly. 
As we neared the bank my heart began to beat faster, I needed to get there and bide my time, maybe they would leave. I walked straight to the ATM and ducked inside. To my chagrin, they remained there, waiting for me to leave and continue with them. I was out of options, unable to communicate with anyone, and stuck. Everything I had learned about situations like this came back to me. I had to lose them. I exited the ATM and made the only excuse I could think of “I’m meeting a friend soon” in hopes that they would just give up once they realized that. They persisted, insisting that they walk with me to where I needed to go. I agreed, not wanting to cause a scene. I took the lead, going straight for the spot where we met just minutes before. Not to dissuade they followed.
When we arrived back at the corner where we had met, I pretended that I had seen my friend in the crowd, walking away from us. I said my pleasantries and made my mistake, weaving through the crowd near the station. For the next 10 minutes, I ducked in and out of stores along the shopping street, sometimes doubling back to ensure that I couldn’t be followed. For a while, they followed but gave up after about 5 minutes. To be sure, I went into a coffee shop and sat with a drink for a while just to keep myself from being seen. I am lucky that I am able to speak about this today.​

There are many cults in South Korea, but there are two churches that created the most prolific cults, The Unification Church and the World Mission Society Church of God. I was approached by followers of the Unification Church, you may have heard about them in the media. This church aims to create marriages for their followers, to whatever extent that they can, even tricking foreigners into it.
Their modus operandi is to send out followers in groups of two, usually a male and female or two females into the street. There, they will approach women, usually foreigners, and introduce themselves followed with an invitation to a cultural event that they’re going to. They prefer foreigners because there is a higher chance that they don’t know what is going on and will go willingly, happy to have a free event to go to. If you follow, you might find yourself in a pseudo wedding ceremony with a strange man, usually older. 
Be diligent and always aware of your surroundings. They are less likely to approach you if you’re in a group or walking with a friend. Typically that is enough to keep them away. If you’re alone, make sure that there is someone who is aware of where you are, be it a friend or family member through some sort of tracking software, I suggest Life360. I would also arm yourself with knowledge of where CCTV cameras are and how to remain in sight, the last thing you need to have happened is for there to be a blind spot.
If you follow along with them and start to realize that you’re lost or are unaware of your surroundings, fake a phone call or text message to have an excuse to leave the situation.
In terms of the World Mission Church of God group, as I didn’t have any experiences with them, I would suggest reading Travel With Karla’s post on the matter.

So you've decided to travel to South Korea, great! Maybe you know about the country and wanted to experience it first hand or you're on track to become a teacher over there. Maybe you're even trying to decide whether or not you want to visit South Korea. With such a beautiful country available to almost all travelers, who wouldn't want to visit. 

​This is a big pet peeve of mine. As such a large city system you would think that metro cards would be rechargeable using whatever currency method you have (cash, credit or debit). However, as it stands Seoul is still a largely cashed based city and South Korea a cash based society. As such, t-money cards and the like must still be recharged using cash. They can be charged in convenience stores but they are still requiring cash to be used when completing the transaction. I have been in a bind before with cash since not all ATMs work (as I shared in “Seoul Must Haves”) and having to find an ATM that worked for me just to take a bus or a train can be stressful. If you think your card is getting low you can always check the balance and plan for getting cash, but if it catches you by surprise, I hope you can find cash easily.

 This is probably the most extreme thing I discovered in my time in Seoul, the cult. In Korea, cults are usually faith based churches that recruit members through shady means, specifically coersion. They offer to take you to a cultural event and will flank you on either side so that you can’t get away. The cults are usually the Unification Church or the Church of God. They target foreign women specifically and have a track record for making women go to events that are less than savory. I’ll be covering these more in a post later this month on my experience with the Unification Church. ​