If you have the cash, where will you go?

A titillating question on the minds of people ever since travel has become a part of the middle-income lifestyle. Of course, the answers will vary according to age group, gender, nationality and educational attainment. Barring all the factors, let's zoom in on the Filipino middle class - man or woman - with at least a college degree...meaning, maintaining an upwardly mobile job position. Of the 30-something age bracket.

You will most probably choose Hong Kong for the affordability of a 3-day/2-night stay where shopping can be a fun adventure. Not to say, quite attractively cheap...if you know where to buy and how to haggle with the wily - and sometimes formidable - street vendors. Night markets make up the adventure, especially if you are a night owl and become more animated as the evening grows deeper. The Jade Market and the Antiques Alley, on the other hand, are for those with finely honed tastes.

Wafting savory promises of yummy hot dishes assault the olfactory sense as the tourist walks through the streets of Hong Kong. Chinese food being so familiar among Filipinos, Hong Kong can seem like rows of familiar restaurants. Add to that Disneyland which just opened its doors, then Hong Kong becomes not only a place to eat but a family playground, as well.

Another affordable destination to consider is Thailand. If your taste buds tolerate spicy dishes, then Thailand it is. Not to mention the luscious fruits they have in the markets and those naturally sweet orange juice in plastic bags vendors offer, with a pinch of salt, so quenching on a hot humid day of shopping. Which brings us to the other lure of Thailand - cheap, cheap apparel and other basic items like bags, shoes, sandals. The bargain finds that are in the flea markets hereabouts come from there, as well as from Hong Kong and Vietnam.

The Thai temples are magnificent and their flower-filled golden decors can dazzle the eyes. Each ordinary home has a quaint colorful little altar in the garden for rituals to the gods.Thai culture and tradition are indeed fascinating.

For those with more money to spare, Singapore is the place to be. Shops there are more upmarket and items are more expensive than Hong Kong. Same Chinese culinary lures with Indian and Malay cuisine thrown in.(Have a bite of crocodile barbeque at the hawkers' market. Reminds you of skewered chicken!) They have the Night Safari, a must-see for tourists. Sentosa Island holds a lot of fun activities. And a Shangri-la Hotel is luxuriating at the island's tip for visitors to luxuriate, in turn.

I may suggest Tokyo, for the upper end of the curve, or Seoul. But these are expensive places and one may need winter clothes, or spring sweater sets, for first considerations. Not to mention the strict visa requirements of Japan and South Korea. Otherwise, Mt. Fuji is ethereal in the autumn dusk or at sunrise in early spring. The Japanese culture is equally engrossing...try watching a kabuki performance or Noh theater - the swirl of colors, vibrant drums and eerie sounds will cocoon the spectator into another dimension of experience.

Ah, but one can take a short cruise from Hong Kong to Singapore and Malaysia. It is relaxing, with the ship as the "hotel" base. Onboard food, as is expected, is unending from pre-breakfast croissants and coffee to midnight buffet. Shopping can be very convenient since one can just pack up in the cabin. Of course, there is the danger that passenger can be pushed out of the accommodations by the bulk of purchases accumulated during the cruise. Have you tried sleeping on your feet?

Or, why not rent a beach house for a week in Siquijor where they have white sand beaches, too. Just like Bohol, only less expensive and less tourists around.

And you will be spending in pesos in your own country.

So, if you have the money, where will you go? Take your pick!