Journal

Manon

Mar 31, 20233 min read

Stepped in history

A day for history buffs between medieval gardens and ancient shrines. And sakuras make everything better, even a climb up 700 steps!

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Manon

Mar 30, 20233 min read

Along the coast of Shikoku

A relaxed travel day from West to East Shikoku as we go to our base for the next few days, "small" Takamatsu.

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Manon

Mar 29, 20234 min read

Sakura and samurais

We move on to our third Japanese island, small Shikoku. Another lovely Shinkansen trip, and a beautiful samurai castle decked in blossoms.

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Manon

Mar 27, 20234 min read

Oh deer, more tourists

Today is the first of what we hope will be many exciting day trips to see some of the most renowned sights of Japan. We haven’t activated...

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Manon

Mar 26, 20234 min read

Hiroshima mon amour

First steps on Honshu to Hiroshima. Despite the cold we squeeze in a picnic under the cherry blossoms, lovely!

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Manon

Mar 26, 20235 min read

Foxy lady

After seeing Nagasaki from above, we explore it on foot and visit the Atomic Bomb Museum: sobering!

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Manon

Mar 25, 20237 min read

Million dollar view

Having finally made it to Japan we have a fantastic first afternoon checking out Nagasaki’s ten million dollar aerial view

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Manon

Mar 24, 20235 min read

I don’t believe in ferry tales

We take a ferry to cross into Japan - or at least we try to! The weather is not cooperating

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Manon

Mar 23, 20234 min read

Train to Busan

The Korean bullet train very efficiently takes us all across the country to Busan, through mist and endless factories.

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Manon

Mar 22, 20233 min read

New Balance

After trekking all around Seoul yesterday we have an “off” day and I buy some new shoes.

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Manon

Mar 21, 20235 min read

She’ll be coming round the mountain

After seeing the centre of Seoul, we head south over Namsan mountain to the National Museum of Korea - hidden behind an unexpected detour.

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Manon

Mar 20, 20235 min read

Princesses and Pokémons

A sunny first day exploring Seoul much improves our impression of Korea, as we marvel at the period buildings and costumes in Gyeongbokgung.

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Manon

Mar 19, 20234 min read

Cloudy, cold, confusing and cramped

Nothing much planned except the flight to Seoul. After falling in love with Taiwan our first impression of Korea is rather grim!

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Manon

Mar 18, 20235 min read

Soaking it in

Back to Taipei for our last day in Taiwan with two other typical experiences: hot springs and a nigh market!

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Manon

Mar 17, 20237 min read

Gorge-ous

We sneak on to a Mandarin day tour of Taroko Gorge - and despite the limitations of translator apps, the landscape is well worth it.

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Manon

Mar 16, 20235 min read

Spirited away

Jiufen continues to be a magical place - spectacular views and a lovely tea ceremony make me feel like I’ve been transported to an anime.

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Manon

Mar 15, 20237 min read

Formosa the beautiful

We leave Taipei for Taiwan’s beautiful mountains: forests, waterfalls, picturesque villages and historical trains. Formosa has it all!

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Manon

Mar 14, 20233 min read

On the elephant’s back

After a very urban first day we focus on a greener side of Taipei, with a mountain hike and park visits - not forgetting fantastic views.

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Manon

Mar 13, 20236 min read

Taipei 101

The highlight of our first full day in Taiwan isn’t even the famous Taipei 101 building: it’s the seamless efficiency of the country.

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Manon

Mar 12, 20234 min read

An unexpected detour

On the last day of our visa, we leave Vietnam for Taiwan - an unexpected addition to our itinerary. And it turns out we love it!

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