Monthly Archives : April 2014

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Hiroshima: I could totally live here!


Every trip I take, I always find a place that resonates with me. A place where, if I had to move to that particular country, I could totally live. In Vietnam, it was Hue; in China, it was Shanghai; in Italy, it was a toss-up between Stresa and Assisi; in the Former Yugoskavia, it was Sarajevo; in Turkey, it was…

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Overnight in Kinosakionsen


The two and a half hour train ride from Kyoto was nothing short of spectacular. The train snaked through ravines with sheer drops to meandering rivers, only occasionally angry and foaming below; mountains thick with pine forests and splashed white and pink with cherry blossom; rustic towns and villages dotted with thin two story housing, cemeteries, glass houses and manicured…

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Kyoto highlights


I spent three nights in Kyoto and it wasn’t nearly enough time. This city is a really interesting blend of traditional and modern Japan. Wide boulevards funnel into tiny side streets with limited pedestrian access; department stores compete for the attention of shoppers with local markets selling all manners of goods; space age buildings are within walking distance of shrines…

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Matsumoto and Tsumago


Yesterday I caught the train from Nagano to Matsumoto, where I stayed overnight, before heading to Tsumago today. Matsumoto was a lovely town, albeit chilly. I checked into my hotel, and then walked up to Matsumoto castle, which was a pleasant 2km stroll. The main street looked almost European in the way it was set out with its shopfronts and…

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On independent travelling


I’ve been travelling since 2010 and this is my first trip ever that I’ve done as a solo traveller. Previously, I’ve relied on group tours to get me around, and up until last year’s trip to Eastern Europe, I was content to be a relatively passive traveller. So what happened last year? This. Three bus tours back-to-back, packed full of…

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Overnight in Nagano


I took the Shinkansen (bullet train) from Tokyo to Nagano, and it was a very relaxed and pleasant journey (once I found my way through the organised chaos of Shinjuku and Tokyo stations). Travelling this way – as in local transport options – certainly broadens the travel experience into something personal and unique. It’s almost, but not quite, an immersion.…

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Sayonara Tokyo


Tonight is my last night in Tokyo. It’s been a wonderful week, and I’ve packed the days (and some evenings) with all sorts of sightseeing experiences. Here are my highlights, in no particular order: Tokyo transport I must admit I was extremely nervous about using Tokyo’s transport system. I mean, it’s a city of 13.2 million people and HUGE. What…

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My most favorite travel app ever!


I often get asked that if I had to travel with just one app, what would it be? I can reply without hesitation that it would be CityMaps2Go. This handy app – available for iOS and Android – allows me to download maps of the cities I am will be visiting for access offline. No nasty and expensive data connection…

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Do you speak Japanese?


This a quick post to describe what it’s like not being able to speak Japanese, and how difficult it is getting around only being able to speak English. The answer is: it hasn’t been as hard as I thought I thought it might. Everyone seems to have at least a few words of English, so I can generally make myself…

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Tokyo: three days packed full


I arrived in Tokyo exhausted after 21 hours travelling – 7(ish) hours from Adelaide to Singapore, 7 hours stopover, then 6(ish) hours from Singapore to Tokyo. The flight was uneventful apart from some slight turbulence. I can’t speak highly enough of Singapore Airlines – they make long haul flying bearable with their fabulous service, food and entertainment. Now if the…

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Tokyo: first impressions


Let’s get something out of the way up front: my phone doesn’t work! Thank God for wifi! I was warned that this might happen, so I’m not too disconcerted. I use WhatsApp over wifi to text my daughter, which beats the telcos at their own game. Friends stay in touch via Facebook, Twitter, this blog or email. Tokyo is clean,…

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Adelaide Airport: a missed opportunity


This trip to Japan has come at a good time. I feel like I’m running away, but in a positive sense, because I need to reconnect with myself. I need to sort out my head space, do a man detox and recalibrate my dating filter, because it’s been really skewed, and I’ve let men through who really shouldn’t have gotten…

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