Avoid Jakarta, we have been here for 2 months and cannot stop counting the days until we leave. This for us is country number 25 and Jakarta has been the worst city. People are very very nice but there are two things that made our stay miserable.

1. pollution. Jakarta is very polluted, it is hard to breathe and make it is impossible to go out unless you plan on wearing a mask all day. We didn’t believe that the quality index was something to worry about but from now on it is something we will look at before choosing our destinations.

2. TRAFFIC!!! 5 miles usually take 45 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes. Your days will be gone.

Fyi we are a family of 4 so we are stuck taking taxi or grabs maybe if you are willing to get in the back of a scooter traffic won’t be a problem but it’s still hell.

We visited other parts of Indonesia but pollution is still high, Bali is not even Indonesia with all the expats

Listen friend, I get the wanderlust, but maybe try connecting more with the place you’re in instead of chasing the next high. There’s beauty everywhere if you slow down and let it find you.

Pokhara Nepal, Ghandruk Nepal, Dhulikhel ,Nepal. All of these places are awesome and super cheap for digital nomads. I met few dozen people last time I was there.

It’s not a place that you mentioned, but maybe try Taiwan? I used to live in Taipei, it’ll be cheaper than Seoul, and maybe scratch a bit of that Chinese itch, but you’ll instead be in a vibrant democracy that doesn’t require a special visa if you’re an American passport holder. Dating scene was very good to me and if you’re contemplating heading to the Philippines anyways, you’ll meet tons of Filipinas on dating apps in Taiwan. It’s where I met my Filipina wife a few years ago.

I loved living in China and Chengdu is amazing. That being said, it is so hard to get into the country. Once you get in, you have to work around their firewall. It’s a hassle that is almost impossible if you don’t speak Chinese or have someone that can do it for you.

Check out Pattaya, the scene is great here as long as you’re willing to pay the girl money for taxi

If you meet the following criteria, you are entitled to 144 h visa free policy to China. Assuming you fly to Chengdu directly.

• Carry a valid international travel document.
• For travelers entering through most ports under the transit visa-free policy, the visa-free stay period is calculated from 00:00 on the day following entry. If the port is marked with “*”, the visa-free stay period is calculated from the day of entry. [53]
• Hold a connecting ticket with a confirmed date and seat to a third country (region) departing within 144 hours from entry.
• Enter and exit from the same port and must not leave the specified activity area.

You can stay in these cities: Chengdu City, Leshan City, Deyang City, Suining City, Meishan City, Ya’an City, Ziyang City, Neijiang City, Zigong City, Luzhou City, Yibin City.

For foreigners entering the country through the 72-hour (or 144-hour) visa-free transit policy and needing to extend their stay or travel to areas beyond the specified activity range, they must apply for a visa through the local immigration authorities.

Source

Tinder works great in most big cities in China, but you do need a reliable solution during your stay. Can DM me for assistance on that if you plan to come.

Manila but skip it and go to palawan - el nido or coron specifically

For what you’re looking for, I’d say Bangkok probably, even if I’m not personally a big fan of the city as it’s too chaotic for me. Dating might be a bit difficult in Seoul. I just spent 3 months there and love the city so much, the nightlife is a big part of it. But even if you’re not a night owl you can have a really good time here as there is so much to do and people are amazing. It’s getting super cold right now though.

I recently visited Chengdu after wanting to go for awhile and I found it difficult to navigate even with basic mandarin skills. It’s hard to find anything if you don’t read Chinese. The food was incredible though.

Taipei on the other hand is awesome and super underrated. Lots of cool places just outside the city too. Amazing food as well and very very easy to navigate. Unsure about Tinder scene.

I live in Bangkok and I think it checks all your boxes. Siem Reap, Cambodia is also fun but probably more for a short stay than a long trip

KL is developed, but still affordable. Penang has amazing food.

Bali has amazing nature and culture and party scene.

Bangkok is more fun tho. I’d avoid the rest.

Bangkok is great.

Legal weed, excellent and cheap food and accommodations, amazing markets and street food, and kind locals. Lot of westerners too, very modern, so you’ll have no problem on tinder. It’s also pretty big, lots to do and explore!

Edit : I haven’t been to Chengdu in ten years, but I wouldn’t recommend it, especially for tinder. It was… Still developing last time I was there. Food is incredible, as is the case in most of China, and cheap, but the city itself is underwhelming. There was one very high end mall and area in general, a few beautiful parks, and then lots of retail. Endless retail.

I have no idea what the process is for getting a Chinese tourist visa outside of America but when I went through the process a few years ago, it was a hassle. They asked for bank records, proof of employment, etc. They also asked for a full itinerary of where I was staying. I just paid for a visa agency to take care of it for me so the process took maybe 2-3 weeks. I know people will go to Hong Kong and go through visa agencies there so maybe that’s a good option for you - no idea if Vietnam has a similar thing going on. The good thing is that the visa lasts for 10 years so if you’re passionate about visiting China you can use the visa multiple times.

Seoul is cool, but felt like it’s a pretty big party scene. My favorite food in asia though.

Imo, im not a big fan of hectic, hot Asian cities, but Bangkok is awesome and can still be super affordable. Also tinder and bumble work quite well

Avoid Seoul in my opinion