Taroko National Park is one of the highlights of Taiwan, with the Taroko Gorge ranking among the great natural wonders of Asia. When I was planning my trip most of the information I found was from travel agents selling tours. If you are in Taipei on a short visit it is possible to visit Taroko […]
Hanoi to Haiphong by train
The Hanoi-Haiphong railway is one of the few railway lines in Vietnam that is not part of the main north-south railway. Originally this line was part of the Yunnan-Haiphong Railway that was built by France between 1904–1910. Haiphong is the closest seaport to Hanoi so it’s always been an important access point for Hanoi. Haiphong […]
Notes on Haiphong – A historic port city in Northern Vietnam
Haiphong is the third-largest city in Vietnam, and it’s one of the five municipal cities. apart from being an industrial port city, it has a historic city centre that should attract more tourists than it does. It rarely makes anyones list of places to visit in Vietnam, but if you have time it’s worth a […]
Shamian – the historic concession island of Guangzhou
Shamian in Guangzhou is a former concession island that was established by the French and British after the Second Opium War. This small island has some of the best preserved colonial architecture in Asia. It might also be the best 19th century historical site that isn’t a UNESCO World Heritage Site (yet). The island was […]
Notes on Guangzhou: A worthy stopover city beyond the trade fair
I was in Guangzhou on a stopover with China Southern Airlines. In addition to being a modern megacity, it also has some of the best preserved heritage architecture in Asia. It had been nine years since my last visit to Guangzhou. Nine years is a long time in modern China, and Guangzhou (like Shenzhen) seemed […]
Hostel Review: Piece Hostel Sanjo, Kyoto – Japan
Hostel Name: Piece Hostel Sanjo Address: 530 Asakura-cho, Kyoto, Japan. I stayed at the Piece Hostel Sanjo in Kyoto. This was my first time to Kyoto so I didn’t have a feel for what the best area would be. After a little research it looked like the area west of the Kamo River looked like […]
The Acropolis and the saga of the Parthenon Marbles
On my first visit to Athens I of course went to the Acropolis. How could you not. This ancient monument is so well known that there was the danger of it not living up to a lifetime of expectations. Fortunately I was more impressed than I thought I would be. After my Athens visit I […]
Flight Review: Bamboo Airways – Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City
Flight: Bamboo Airways QH 203 From: Hanoi (HAN) To: Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) Bamboo Airways is a Vietnamese airline that began operations in January, 2019. I had been waiting for an opportunity to review them, so when I had a trip planned from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City I booked a flight. I […]
Notes on Athens – Acropolis views for everyone, golden passports, graffiti, Greek coffee, and street cats
I knew I was going to like Athens even before I went. Apart from being one of the most culturally significant cities in Europe, Athens has a reputation of being a bit rough around the edges. That sounds like my kind of place, and after arriving I was asking myself why I hadn’t visited sooner. […]
Notes on Malta : old knights, planned cities, and EU passports
Malta is the 10th smallest country in the world, and it also qualifies as a microstate. When looking at a full map of Europe, Malta barely registers as a biscuit crumb under the Island of Sicily. This was my first time in Malta, and for this trip, I just stayed on the island of Malta. […]
