Asia
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Day 3 of the Shimanami Kaido: The Beautiful Road to Imabari
Day 3 was the sunniest of our three cycling days. We cruised along to the Hakata-Oshima bridge, bringing us to Oshima: the last island on the journey. Something that makes the Shimanami Kaido special is the incredible cyclist infrastructure. Attractions and rest stops along the way offer dedicated bicycle parking[…]
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Day 2 of the Shimanami Kaido: Omishima Island
We started off the rainy, second day of our cycling journey with the Tatara Bridge, which brings you from Ikuchi to Omishima Island. If you stop on certain spots along this bridge and clap, the echo ostensibly sounds like a roaring dragon. Clapping sticks are even provided for this purpose.[…]
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Day 1 of the Shimanami Kaido: Onomichi to Ikuchi Island
The Shimamani Kaido is a famous cycling route in Japan. It takes you from Imabari to Onomichi, across six islands in the Seto Inland Sea that are connected with a series of spectacular bridges. We decided to complete the route in three days, giving us plenty of time to explore[…]
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Kayaking Around the Seto Inland Sea
Our next stop was Onomishi, which attracted us with its famous Shimanami Kaido cycling route. However, we couldn’t visit a major body of water and not paddle it, so we also booked a sea kayaking tour. The excursion began on Mukaishima Island, near the Mukaishima Bridge. From there, we made[…]
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The Wild-ish Deer of Nara, Japan
The city of Nara is about 45 minutes outside of Osaka by train. It’s a popular day trip mainly because of Nara Park: an enormous park that is home to thousands of wild yet very friendly deer. We were initially hesitant to spend one of our two Osaka days on[…]
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Peak Sakura Season in Osaka
Osaka is the third major city we’ve visited on our Japan trip. Like Tokyo, Osaka is known for offering up a lot of colorful, cosmopolitan excitement. We arrived in Osaka in time for peak cherry blossom blooms. Having left Kyoto too early for the sakura peak, I was worried that[…]
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Wrapping Up Our Magical Kumano Kodo Trail Experience (Days 5 and 6)
The final hiking day was the one with the biggest payoff: the iconic Nachi Taicha Grand Shrine and Nachi Falls. To get there though, you have to complete the most strenuous part of the trek, with 1200 meters of ascension in total. Whereas James bravely opted to keep his pack[…]
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Day 4 of the Kumano Kodo: Cherry Blossoms Everywhere!
Saying goodbye to Yonomine Onsen wasn’t as difficult as leaving some of the other villages along this journey. Not only did the sulfur from the natural hot springs make the whole town smell like eggs, but the inn we stayed at was run by a strange, pushy woman who kept[…]
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Day 3 of the Kumano Kodo: Completion of the Main Route
We awoke on the third day of our trek at Guesthouse Mui. In addition to offering incredible food – which seems to come standard with any accommodation on any hiking trail in Japan – this guesthouse was notable for being the home of two pet goats. The goats were trained[…]
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Days 1 and 2 of the Kumano Kodo Trail
Last week, we embarked on our six-day trek through the Kumano Kodo: a UNESCO-recognized network of pilgrimage trails that have been important spiritual routes for over a thousand years. The itinerary we followed (described here) was the classic Nakahechi trek that starts in Takijiri and ends at Nachi Falls. I[…]
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Pretending It’s Not Crowded in Kyoto, Japan
Kyoto, formerly Japan’s capital city, is known for being the cultural heart of Japan. Whereas Tokyo is the epitome of modern Japanese life, Kyoto represents the country’s history and tradition. It’s also an extremely popular tourist destination, especially during cherry blossom season. There’s a funny impulse among tourists, while photographing[…]
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Day 3 of the Nakasendo Trail: Tsumago to Magome
On our third and final Nakasendo hiking day, we covered the 8km from Tsumago to Magome. This is the most well-advertised section of the trail, covering the distance between these two historic, well-preserved villages. No need for trains, as you can hike directly from one village to the other, staying[…]
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Day 2 of the Nakasendo Trail: An Unexpected Winter Wonderland
Typical daytime temperatures on the Nakasendo trail in mid-March are around 8 degrees. So, we were quite surprised to wake up on the second day of our hike to this! Day 2 was originally going to be an 18km hiking day. But, given the weather plus the unexpectedly long hike[…]
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Day 1 of the Nakasendo Trail: Getting Lost
After a simple, hearty breakfast buffet in Matsumoto, we shipped our luggage to Kyoto, donned our warmest clothing, and set out for (what we thought was) the Nakasendo trail. In theory, the historic Nakasendo trail goes all the way from Tokyo to Kyoto. However, in practice, the trail has been[…]
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A Perfect Spring Day in Matsumoto, Japan
We spent only one full day in Matsumoto, on route to our Nakasendo Trail hike. Luckily, it was a beautiful early spring day, and the perfect amount of time to explore this pretty historical town. We started the day off with a visit to Matsumoto Castle: a 430 year old[…]
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Kawaii Culture in Tokyo
During our time in Tokyo, I found myself exceedingly drawn to all of the colorful, tiny, and otherwise adorable things that are part of Japan’s “kawaii” culture. Starting with: this poodle cafe! That’s right. It’s a cafe in which you can spend time with sweet, fluffy poodles. And not, like,[…]
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The Search for Cherry Blossoms: Tokyo Edition
One of the main reasons we decided to visit Japan this year is because we had the rare opportunity to travel during the spring. And that means cherry blossom season! Japan takes their cherry blossoms, or sakura, very seriously. These beautiful flowers hold a lot of cultural significance, representing themes[…]
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Wandering Through Tokyo’s Neighborhoods
Like CDMX, Tokyo is one of those cities that’s impossible to fully explore in a single visit. But, after six weeks of solo travel, reuniting with James gave me a second wind for exploration. We were both determined to experience as much of Tokyo as we could in the few[…]
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Should You Rent a Scooter in Thailand?
The decision of whether or not to rent a scooter really depends on where you are in Thailand. Major cities like Bangkok have specific rules for how scooters are supposed to behave that can be confusing and overwhelming to non-locals. Things are much more relaxed in rural areas. In Koh[…]
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Singapore’s Southern Ridges Hike
One of the things that makes Singapore feel so modern is its impressive prioritization of green space. The Southern Ridges is a continuous 10km hike that takes you on a journey through several of Singapore’s best parks. It consists mostly of paved pedestrian paths, including walkways through the treetops that[…]
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Phang Nga Bay Kayaking Tour
Thailand is full of beautiful kayaking opportunities. But, this small group tour around Phang Nga Bay takes the cake. Not only was this day trip the highlight of our time in Phuket, but it was the best overall kayaking experience that James and I had during our three months in[…]
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Diving at Hin Muang and Hin Daeng
Hin Muang and Hin Daeng are two of the best dive sites in the Andaman Sea. Both sites feature enormous, submerged rock pinnacles, way out in the ocean, that drop dramatically into the abyss. They are located within Mu Koh Lanta National Marine Park, and are about an 80 minute[…]
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Diving in Koh Lanta
Koh Lanta Yai is a beautiful, laidback island off the coast of Krabi. Surrounded by clear, protected waters and stunning reefs that are teaming with wildlife, it offers some of Thailand’s best diving. Tired of missing out on deep dives due our basic open water qualifications, James and I decided[…]
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Hiking to the Railay Beach Lagoon
Even though Railay is technically a peninsula, it feels like an island because the limestone cliffs completely isolate the area from any roads. The lack of cars, bikes, and general infrastructure gives the place a distinctive summer camp vibe. Although you could spend your whole time in Railay kayaking (and[…]
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Kayaking At Railay Bay
Railay Bay is a stunning peninsula in Southern Thailand, known for its iconic cliffs. There are many boat tours you can take to explore the nearby islands. But, naturally, I think the most fun way to see the coastline is by kayak. There are plenty of kayaks along the beach[…]
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Motorbiking the Mae Hong Son Loop
The Mae Hong Son loop is a 600km route that takes you on a beautiful journey through Northern Thailand. The route covers several rural, scenic places that are difficult to access by other means. In my opinion, if you’re comfortable on a motorcycle, this trip is well worth your time.[…]
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Hiking at Doi Inthanon
For the most part, I wouldn’t classify Thailand as a hiking destination. Kayaking, diving, and motorcycling: definitely yes. But the hot and humid weather generally makes for uncomfortable hiking. Perhaps for this reason, hiking is also not a very popular activity among the locals, so the hiking infrastructure is sometimes[…]
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Kayaking Chiang Mai’s Ping River
Although Chiang Mai is not exactly known for kayaking, it is indeed possible to paddle the Ping River that flows through the city. Downtown, the river offers a fun urban paddle as you pass by various restaurants, bars, and bridges. As you move away from the city center, you get[…]