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In Japan

Is Japan expensive? Making your money go further

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Sake Jars at the Meiji Shrine

Is Japan really that expensive? Japan has had a reputation as being expensive for a very long time, people paying hundreds of dollars for a piece of Kobe beef or a sliver of the finest bluefin tuna. Prices of hotels can be among some of the most expensive in the world. Public travel, whilst incredibly reliable can also make your eyes water. Well, some of this is true and some of it is a little more than a rumour that we have all perpetuated. Many people are put off traveling in Japan for a long period of time because they believe it’s so expensive. This isn’t always the case. We spent two months in Japan and it is comfortably cheaper than Australia, New Zealand, Western Europe and in some cases in is even cheaper than China! It sounds crazy, but here are a few really simple tips that could save…

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In China

What to do in Chongqing – China’s most unique city

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Chongqing's night skyline

Welcome to Chongqing Often mistaken for being the worlds largest city, until 1997 Chongqing municipality was part Sichuan province. Since then it has been it’s own municipality, similar to Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin. It is now one of China’s most important financial centre’s. With rumours of free trade zones in future, a skyline that could rival anywhere on earth, a diverse and powerful history and some of China’s most sumptuous cuisine, Chongqing is one of the middle kingdom’s most vibrant cities. In spite of all of this Chongqing is still unknown to the vast majority of visitors to China. Getting there and away Located in south western China, Chongqing is easily reached by train and plane from almost anywhere in China. Both the airport and main station, Chongqing north (重庆北站) are directly connected to the subway. However Chongqing station (重庆站) and Chongqing west (重庆西) are not connected to the subway and…

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In Japan

Visiting Nikko from Tokyo

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Iemitsu-Mausoleum-Taiyuinbyo

Visiting the World Heritage Site of Nikko Nikko is located in Tochigi prefecture in central Japan and is an easy trip from Tokyo. A world heritage site filled with temples, stunning scenery and onsen’s, it’s an excellent example of Japans Edo past. There is a lot to do in the area however things are quite spread out. For example the temples of Nikko are located centrally, very close to Nikko Tobu train station. The vast majority of onsens are a further train ride away. Further way still are the areas around national park areas dominated by the gorgeous looking Lake Chuzenji. If you are travelling on a 2 day pass you are likely going to have to drop one of the above three options. Since we only had 2 days we decided to drop the Lake Chuzenji area and focus on the temples and onsens. Also do bear in mind…

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In Japan

What to do in Tokyo

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Shibuya Crossing Tokyo

Welcome to Tokyo What can you say about Tokyo? For many Tokyo is the highlight of any visit to Japan; food, history, museums, culture and plenty of quirky things you’ll only find in the land of the rising sun. There is a lot to see and do in Tokyo, certainly plenty more to see than what’s listed below. However one of the joys of Tokyo is simply walking around and exploring. We have an article on budgeting in Japan, giving you some really helpful tips on making your money go further and explaining why Japan isn’t as expensive as many people think! Getting there and away Tokyo is served by two huge airports; Narita and Haneda. Haneda is closer to the city centre and can be reached via a combination of toei, subway and JR lines. Narita is much, much further away. You have a choice of the skyline or…

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In Japan

What to do in Osaka, Nara and Himeji

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Temple at Sunset in Nara

Exploring Kansai As Japan’s second largest city Osaka is an excellent place to base yourself and explore the surrounding area. Although Kansai is dominated by Kyoto there is still plenty to see and do around Osaka most notably Nara and Himeji. The big highlight being Nara. One of Japan’s ancient the city is most famous for is gorgeous temples and hordes of friendly, but very hungry deer. Below we have guides for Osaka, Nara and Himeji, covering transport, eating and sleeping as well as few awesome things to see and do. Nara and Himeji make excellent day trips from Osaka, and in truth a day is enough for each location. You can obviously stay longer and explore some of the more hidden gems, but most people don’t have that much time. We have a detailed guide on budgeting and saving money in Japan. This includes a section on JR passes…

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In Japan

What to do in Hiroshima and Miyajima

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A-Bomb Dome Hiroshima

Welcome to Hiroshima and Miyajima Hiroshima and Miyajima go together like sushi and wasabi. Most people that visit Hiroshima will combine it with a visit to the beautiful island of Miyajima. Most people will stay in Hiroshima and visit Miyajima as a day trip. There are hotels and guesthouses on Miyajima, however they are very expensive, and you it is possible to see everything in a day. Hiroshima is very well connected to the rest of Japan with direct trains from Kyoto, Osaka and Fukuoka. Most people are will come by train, and we have a handy section on JR passes in our article on budgeting in Japan. However if like us you flew in, we flew down from Sapporo having spent two weeks in beautiful Hokkaido, do be aware that the airport is a 40 minute bus trip from Hiroshima. Buses are very regular and they will drop you…

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In Armenia

Exploring some of the best monasteries in Armenia

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Hovhannavank Monastery Kasagh Canyon

Best Monasteries in Armenia As the first country to adopt Christianity as its national religion it is unsurprising that Armenia is littered with stunning monasteries; many dating from 1000AD. We were lucky enough to visit some of the best and most famous monasteries in Armenia. Getting Around Visiting some of Armenia’s most spectacular monasteries is much easier if you have your own set of wheels. There are a number of tours and private taxis making these sacred sites accessible. However these tours can be quite expensive and can limit the time you have to explore. We rented our car with travelcar.com and if you would like more information about the 18 day road trip we took across Georgia and Armenia please click here. As a quick note, driving in Armenia can be a daunting experience at times as you deal with poor roads and erratic driving from the locals, but…

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In New Zealand

A Few Great Hikes in New Zealand

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Looking towards Mount Cook

New Zealand is a country of outstanding natural beauty, friendly people and activities galore. You could be there for years (not necessarily a bad thing) trying to do everything. Hiking, or tramping as it’s called in New Zealand is popular and accessible almost everywhere. The 9 great hikes get a lot of attention from books, blogs and guides, but there are hundreds of other excellent hikes all over the north and south island. I-sites as well as DOC (Department of Conservation) information centres are usually good places to pick up information on local walking routes. Naturally New Zealand’s National Parks are full of excellent trails that range from short and easy to challenging multi day treks. Particular favourites of ours were the Tongiriro, Abel Tasman, Aoraki and Arthurs Pass National Park. Below are a few of our favourite hikes from our 5 1/2 week trip. Bay of Islands: There…

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In Sri Lanka

Beach Hopping in Southern Sri Lanka

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Sunset over Marakolliya

Beach Hopping in Southern Sri Lanka Southern Sri Lanka has been a mainstay for holiday makers for years. Despite its popularity there are still a few hidden gems along this stunning coast line. We stayed in Marakolliya, Hiriketiya, Mirissa and Delawella moving in that same direction, west to east. Any other beaches we visited we did so by either renting a scooter or taking a tuk tuk. We spent 10 days beach hopping along Sri Lankas southern coastline and below are all of the beaches we visited with a rundown of the things we liked and didn’t like. Marakolliya Located 2.5 hours south of Udawalawe Marakoliya is a stunning expanse of sand close to Tangalle. Many travelers end up in Tangalle for couple of days before heading on to some of the more popular beaches along the coast. Due to the fact that it is bypassed by the majority this…

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In Australia

Exploring Tasmania’s East Coast

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Bay of Fires

Welcome to Tasmania’s East Coast Mainland Australia’s east coast has been getting the plaudits for years now. With beautiful beaches and stunning scenery it has been on the list of many travellers. Myself included, back in 2008. However there is another east coast in Australia with a fraction of the visitors and some of the most beautiful scenery on the continent. Welcome to Tasmania’s East Coast. Where Starting from the dramatic cliffs of the Tasman Peninsula and snaking all the way to Mount William National Park, Tasmania’s east coast is one of the highlights of any trip to Australia’s ‘other island.’ This is not a definitive list of everything available on the east coast. We spent 6 days on Tasmania’s east coast and loved every second of it. Sadly we only had 2 weeks in Tasmania itself, if we had longer we would’ve gladly spent more time on this part…

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In Cambodia

2 Days in Phnom Penh

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Crowds at Wat Phnom

2 Days in Phnom Penh Cambodia may be famous for the stunning Temples of Angkor, the rolling highlands of Mondulkiri and Ratanikiri and souths gorgeous beaches. Sadly, its wonderful capital Phnom Penh does sometimes get overlooked. It may not have the lure of some of Asia’s other great capitals, but it definitely packs a punch and is well worth a couple of days. Where to Stay When I first visited Phnom Penh back in 2008, most accommodation was in the lakeside district. Budget guesthouses built on the edge of an extremely polluted man made lake. Nowadays the lakeside no longer exists. There are 2 clear areas to stay, the first is in the north of the city close to the river. Here you will find lots of bars, clubs and partying. This is not really our cup of tea, so as a result we stayed close to the Russian market…

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In Sri Lanka

Safariing in Udawalawe – Morning or Afternoon?

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Elephants play fighting

When is the best time to do a safari at Udawalawe Udawalawe National Park, located on the southern fringes of the hill country is one of Sri Lanka’s premier safari destinations. Over the last few years accommodation has sprung up around the edges of the park making it more accessible than ever. Generally travelers will arrive from the south, Tangalle, Mirissa, Hiriketiya etc or from hill country, usually Ella. If you want to check out Sri Lanka’s other awe-inspiring creatures check out our article on blue whale watching in Mirissa. Getting there Bus From the south – Direct bus from Tangalle, takes approximately 2 hours From the north (Ella) – 3 buses (at time of writing) – Ella to Wellawaya, Wellawaya to Embilipitiya and Embilipitiya to Udawalawe Car From the Tangalle – 4500 rupees From Ella – 6500 rupees. We came from Ella and took a car as we wanted…

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