Angkor Wat in a day – say what?! Surely not – after all, Angkor Wat is the biggest religious monument in the world, built in the 12th century and spans over 162 hectares. Plus, it’s crawling with tourists and vehicles – how could you possibly see it all in a day? Well. Technically, you can’t. But that doesn’t mean you can’t… Read more →
Our very first day trip in Japan was to explore the mountainous region of Koya, in particular the small town of Koya-san. Koya-san is a small temple town, home to one of Japan’s most spiritual sites – Okunoin, a buddhist cemetery and location of the mausoleum of Shingon Buddhism’s founder, Kobo Daishi. Today Okunoin is one of the most popular… Read more →
“Is it really not snow? Are you sure?!” I asked Mike, looking up towards the gleaming white hill. Even as we began making our way up, the white surface beneath us coarse and rough against our feet, warm spring water trickling downhill – I still couldn’t believe it. We were visiting Pamukkale – a small town in the south-west of… Read more →
When you first arrive in Hiroshima, it feels no different to any other major city in Japan. The busy train station is full of people rushing in every direction to catch the next train. The local streetcar operates like clockwork, transporting locals around the different parts of the city. High rise buildings with flashing neon signs line the main streets,… Read more →
There’s not many places in the world where you can step out of a central, buzzing train station in the middle of the city, to have a perfectly framed view of that country’s most famed and beautiful castle. But you can in Himeji, Japan. A quiet city in the Kansai region, just a short shinkansen (bullet train) ride from Osaka,… Read more →
Georgetown, Penang is an absolute feast for the senses. The Dutch East India Company established themselves in the town in the 1700’s, to conduct trade between China and India. This multi-cultural history is still very present today, with many well preserved examples of British, Dutch, Chinese and Indian influences in both the buildings, the customs, the food and the people.… Read more →
Georgetown, the UNESCO World Heritage listed township in Penang, Malaysia, is home to a huge number of museums. With state museums, heritage listed houses that have been turned into museums, jewellery museums and a number of others that showcase the area’s fascinating multi-cultural history, there’s no shortage of places to visit! As well as the more traditional museums, Penang also… Read more →
Gently rising through the crisp morning air, we huddled together as we gazed out towards the unworldly landscape that surrounded us. Hues of grey, purple, reds, greens and yellows marked the gigantic rock formations that jutted out of the ground. The morning sun was just starting to peek through the clouds, the skies dotted with balloon-shaped silhouettes… Where exactly were… Read more →
The ancient city of Polonnaruwa (pronounced pol-oh-nah-roo-wa) is one of Sri Lanka’ cultural treasures, located in the central part of the country along with other commonly visited cities like Anuradhapura, Sigiriya and Dambulla. For over three centuries, Polonnaruwa was a royal capital and thriving commercial centre before being abandoned in the early 13th century. The ancient city of Polonnaruwa became… Read more →
If you were to Google ‘Sri Lanka’ no doubt one of the first images to appear would be that of Sigiriya – a 200 metre tall rock, home to the preserved ruins of a palace built over 1500 years ago, and Sri Lanka’s most visited historic site. Whilst the rock itself is commonly referred to as Sigiriya by most, it’s… Read more →
