Narai-juku is one of the most popular towns to visit on Japan’s Nakasendo trail. With a glimpse of its streets lined with old wood facades, it’s very easy to see why. For my second trip to Japan, I opted to make Narai-juku a stop and it was a very lovely place that definitely lived up to the hype.

Some of Narai-juku’s History

Narai-juku is part of the Nakasendo trail, which is an Edo-period road that connected Tokyo to Kyoto (circa 1603-1868). It’s one of the 69 post towns where people would stop to rest. Many of these towns are still … Continue reading

Tsumago is one of the many towns located on Japan’s historic Nakasendo trail, and it looked so lovely that I opted to visit it alongside Narai-juku. It was such a nice stop and should definitely be on your list of places to visit in Japan.

A Snippet of Tsumago’s History

Tsumago started as a post town among the short Kisoji trail, but was subsequently absorbed as part of the Nakasendo trail, which is an Edo-period road that connected Tokyo to Kyoto (circa 1603-1868). It’s one of the 69 post towns where people would stop to rest. Many of these towns … Continue reading

Hakone’s a popular day trip from Tokyo to see the iconic Mt Fuji. I’m a fairly seasoned traveller so taking a day trip, with a Romancecar ticket in advance, seemed quite easy. But once I missed my train, things started to go downhill. There was nothing wrong with Hakone itself – just me being royally ignorant and unprepared.

I seemed to be the only one out of the loop but maybe I wasn’t, and maybe my knowledge in retrospect can help. Here’s what I did wrong so that you don’t make the same mistakes I did!

Keep Note of the

With its charming old town, Kanazawa – the “Samurai city” – quickly made its way up to the top of my travel bucket list. There are several districts to experience its centuries-old past. But it’s also a large city, so I wasn’t sure what I would really think. I only had a day’s visit but there was a lot of great stuff to see!

Some of Kanazawa’s History

Kanazawa started as a fortified temple, or fortress, dating back to the Muromachi period. In 1583, the fortress was taken over the by Maeda clan and reconstructed into a castle while a … Continue reading

It goes without saying that Shirakawa-go is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Japan, its popularity fueled by photos of its old rural houses against a large mountainous backdrop. Naturally, it was a place I also wanted to go, though I always head to these places with a bit of caution. Is it actually worth the hype? I have to admit, I found Shirakawa-go to be very cute.

The History of Shirakawa-go

A note that Shirakawa-go is the name of the region and Ogimachi is the name of the village that most people visit, and the one talked

For my trip to Korea, Jeonju really stood out as a place to visit for its beautiful old town or hanok village, which is the largest in the country. It is a lovely as laid-back city and I enjoyed spending the day there. It makes an excellent day trip from Seoul!

A Brief History of Jeonju

The history of Jeonju officially goes back tens of thousands of years and started as a small town during the Silla kingdom. In more recently millennia, the city had already been established and growing by the 7th-9th centuries. But the history of Jeonju as … Continue reading

With its large historic district, Takayama’s a popular place to visit – and it was the main draw for me, as well. Wanting to spend time in a smaller city, I ended up spending a few days in Takayama and it was absolutely lovely. There’s a lot to see and the city is absolutely lovely.

Some of Takayama’s History

Takayama has been inhabited for thousands of years. Traditionally, Takayama is part of the “Hida providence” which is why you’ll commonly see “Hida Takayama” and some other town names with “Hida” in front. Its most modern form came around 1600. This … Continue reading

With its ancient history, Gyeongju was a place I put on my list for my first trip to South Korea. It did not disappoint! As a day trip, it was a bit of a long day, but it was lovely to see so many beautiful places and explore another side of Korea. It was one of my favorite places I visited on my trip!

A Brief History of Gyeongju

One of the main draws of Gyeongju is its incredibly rich history. It was under Silla rule, which reigned all the way from 57 BC to 935 AD, and what’s remarkable … Continue reading

For my first trip to Korea, Seoul was obviously my first stop. The country’s lively capital is a place not to be missed whether you love history or living in the modern era. It’s such a lovely city!

A Brief History of Seoul

On the outside, Seoul is a modern marvel but it has such a long and rich history. The area of Seoul has been inhabited for thousands of years and it got its start as a central city early. A few years BC, the area was a place called Baekje and it’s believed that their capital of 500 … Continue reading

There’s a lot to do & see in Chiang Rai, but since I was short on time, I decided to take *the* day trip from Chiang Mai. This itinerary is typical and includes the famous White Temple, Blue Temple, and Black House – and you’ll probably see it a lot as an organised tour. It’s done in a day so you start early to take the 4 hour drive to Chiang Rai.

Chiang Rai is constantly on lists of the best places in Thailand so going there was a no-brainer. But as the title might suggest, I was a bit … Continue reading