This post about our trip to Mount Fuji from Lake Kawaguchi has been such a long time coming. It’s been a year now since I was there. As memorable as the cities we visited were – Osaka, Kyoto, Miyajima, Hiroshima, Takayama, Kanazawa and…
Shirakawago: Rural Japan
We made a brief two-hour stop at Shirakawago en route to Kanazawa from Takayama. While we wanted to maximize our JR Pass, the place is not accessible by train. Thankfully they had the option of a one-way ticket from Takayama…
Kyoto: Of Geishas, Maikos and Matsuris
Kyoto was probably the city I was looking forward to the most on my Japan trip. I’d heard endless stories from fellow travellers about how Kyoto is the city which best preserved Japan’s cultural heritage. This holds true compared to…
Weekend in Phuket
I have so much more to write about my Japan trip but I’ll skip to my short weekend in Phuket last month first. It was my third time in Phuket. I had great fun the first couple of times I was there,…
Miyajima: The Ryokan Experience
I read before that Miyajima could be done as a day trip combined with Hiroshima. While that may be true, I am just so glad that I decided to spend one night there instead. After all, the Torii Gate is…
Luang Prabang
My trip from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang may have been a nightmare because of the ridiculously cold weather and incessantly winding roads, but I just love that place. It has a very strong French influence, in terms of architecture…
Vang Vieng
When you reach Vang Vieng by land from Vientiane or Luang Prabang, you see yourself on a defunct air strip where dogs run about freely and kids play in the dirt. A tuk tuk picked all the passengers of the…
Gorgeous seas of El Nido
Boracay has been labelled by many as one of the top beach destinations in Asia. I haven’t been there yet but from what I hear, it is a perfect spot to party, enjoy the sun and indulge in water sports.…
Weekend in Koh Samet
Bangkok is a great place but sometimes it gets overwhelming with all the hustle and bustle. If you want a cheap, quick and easy get-away, then a weekend in Koh Samet is just about right. It’s only about 4.5 hours…
The Golden Rock on Mount Kyaiktiyo
The golden rock is the reason why people make the journey to Kyaiktiyo in Myanmar. It is the second most sacred site after Shwedagon Paya. Getting there is not a straightforward task. To reach the golden rock requires a compulsory truck ride…
Serene Inle Lake
Inle Lake is probably the highlight of my trip to Myanmar. It was literally a breath of fresh air after braving the dusty roads of Yangon, Mandalay and Bagan. Two years ago, I visited the Tonle Sap lake in Siem Reap. The floating…
Bagan temples
If you’ve always marvelled at photos of Bagan in Burma / Myanmar with its endless layers of stupas, I can tell you the feeling is enhanced a hundred times when you’re there. It’s simply hard to conceive that an area…