Tokyo moves fast. Tucked along the eastern edge of the city, Asakusa and Ueno seem to exist in a time of their own. From the crowds beneath Senso-ji’s Kaminarimon gate to the quieter paths of Ueno Park, this corner of the city stacks centuries of history under a very modern hum. Two days was never…
I flew into Manila two days before my Crystal cruise departed. Most people fly in and head straight to the ship. I wanted one full day in Manila to explore before that. That gave me one solo morning and one guided afternoon before embarkation. This post covers both. A Chinatown wander on my own. Then a private tour through flower markets, lechon stands, a cemetery, and the walled city of Intramuros. It is…
There’s a moment on the DMZ tour when a military officer boards your bus, checks a list, and asks everyone to hold their passports open above their heads. That’s when it hits you that you’re not on a normal day trip. Just an hour north of Seoul, the Korean Demilitarized Zone delivers one of the…
Seoul has a way of stopping you in your tracks. One minute you’re standing in front of a 600-year-old palace, and the next you’re wandering lantern-lit alleyways and soaking in the views from a tower that doubles as an air quality forecast. If you are looking for a city that layers history, culture, and modern…
Jeju Island doesn’t do anything halfway. South Korea’s volcanic island paradise packs UNESCO World Heritage sites, a legendary food scene, and cultural experiences unlike anywhere else in the country, all on an island you can cross in under two hours. I had one day here as part of a cruise stop, and somehow managed to…
Tucked into the forested slopes of Jogyesan Mountain about an hour outside of Yeosu, South Korea, Seonamsa Temple feels less like a tourist attraction and more like a secret the mountain has been keeping for fifteen hundred years. Getting here takes a little effort, but the moment you cross the iconic arched stone bridge and…
Some places just have a way of slowing you down, and Mojiko, Japan is absolutely one of them. On a recent visit to this charming port town on the northern tip of Kyushu, I wandered through the beautifully preserved Meiji and Taisho-era buildings of Mojiko Retro, geeked out over vintage locomotives at the Kyushu Railway…
Some trips change the way you see the world. Spending time in Hiroshima and Miyajima, Japan will definitely affect you. The Atomic Bomb Dome will stop you in your tracks, a thousand-year-old torii gate will take your breath away as the tide rolls in around it, and a very shameless sacred deer will almost certainly…
Kochi doesn’t show up on many travel itineraries, and honestly…that’s exactly what makes it special. Tucked away on the Pacific coast of Shikoku, this laid-back city packs a surprising amount into a single day. From crashing waves on a dramatic beach to a feudal castle that’s been standing since the 1600s, there’s a lot to…
Kyoto is a city where history doesn’t just sit behind museum glass — it surrounds you, and occasionally squeaks beneath your feet. From a golden temple that literally glitters in the sunlight, to a centuries-old castle built by a shogun so paranoid he lined the floors to chirp like birds, to shrine gardens so serene…