MARCH 2008… Kyoto is the ancient cultural city of Japan and its main draw is the many Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, some of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Tourists come here for a piece of old Japan – admiring the religious architecture, walking down historic Gion and appreciating traditional Japanese crafts. Convenient day… Continue reading Kyoto: Old Never Looked So Pretty
MARCH 2008 After some healing time at Hakone, it was time for some adventure. My friend wasn’t interested in theme parks, so I made my way to DisneySea myself. DisneySea is one of the two theme parks at the Tokyo Disney Resort, the other being Disneyland. I have never been to Disneyland either, but since… Continue reading Tokyo Part 3: Adventure at DisneySea
MARCH 2008… For our first excursion out of Tokyo, we headed to Hakone, a town on the outskirts of Tokyo. It was easy to get there with the direct train from Shinjuku Station in Tokyo, which took about 90 minutes. Alternatively, there is a shorter 55-minute route by Shinkansen and local train for those pressed… Continue reading Tokyo Part 2: Healing At Hakone
JUNE 2007… For our next trip out of San Francisco, we didn’t have to cycle our way there. Nope, it’s too far to peddle all the way there actually, so we took a bus instead. There are many locations just beyond San Francisco that are perfect for an excursion or day trip. These are the… Continue reading San Francisco Part 3: Sonoma & Yosemite
JUNE 2007… If you noticed the blatant absence of the Golden Gate Bridge in my previous article, that’s because I saved it for this piece instead. In an out-of-character “adventure”, I rode a bike across the Golden Gate Bridge. Why did I even do it in the first place? That’s because I was a freeloader… Continue reading San Francisco Part 2: Cycling The Golden Gate Bridge
MARCH 2009… Whistler is a mere 90-minute drive from Vancouver, approximately 125 km north. In summer, it is popular for hiking, golf and mountain biking. But in winter, it’s all about the skiing. While I wasn’t there for the skiing, the proximity to Vancouver was too close to pass up a visit. With Whistler just… Continue reading Whistler: Snow White, Snow Bright
JULY 2011… There is a reason why coastal drives are so popular: the views are simply amazing. From sheer cliffs to rock formations to gorgeous sunset views, there is never a dull moment. And one of the world’s best coastal drives is right here in Australia. The Great Ocean Road is a 400-km scenic drive… Continue reading The Great Ocean Road
JUNE 2011… For my next excursion, I went to Lucerne, a popular city 52 km southwest of Zurich. Sitting on the edge of yet another river-lake (this time Lake Lucerne and River Reuss), Lucerne was just the right size for a day trip. The scenery en route from Zurich to Lucerne. The experience started right… Continue reading Lucerne: Small Town Charm
JUNE 2011… The main reason for my trip to Zurich was actually to visit Rhine Falls, the largest plain waterfall in Europe. Though in no way comparable to Niagara Falls, it was still a formidable sight to behold. A panoramic view of Rhine Falls from the south bank. To reach Rhine Falls, I took a… Continue reading Rhine Falls
JANUARY 2008… Our last stop was none other than Monaco, the next major destination on the French Riviera after Nice. Monaco is an independent city-state bordered by France, but there are no border formalities between them. At just 200 hectares, Monaco is the second-smallest country in the world (after the Vatican City) and the most… Continue reading French Riviera Part 3: Monaco
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