Taiwan has been on my bucket list ever since I read about it on a friend’s travel blog. Seoul is about two hours away from Taipei and it seemed perfect for a trip. October has hot days and cool nights with occasional rainfall. Typhoon season is mostly over and that increases the likelihood of exploring…
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This year fall started pretty early and was cut short by temperatures plummeting in November. However, we managed to do some short trips (mostly subway rides) around the city and capture the best views of Seoul in this season. Seokchon Lake (석촌호수) Lotte World Tower literally cuts into the blue sky above. The tower looks…
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The past two months have been busy with back-to-back travel and visits from friends and family. Fortunately, we didn’t miss fall and tried to make the best of what Seoul had to offer. It’s already winter now and the weather has been iffy with cold spells and showers of snow. As we brace ourselves for…
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Mistaken Names & Towns I’ve wanted to experience a temple stay program for a very long time. So, last year, I was very excited when my Korean friend gifted us a couples’ stay at a temple of our choice. We chose Woljeongsa Temple (월정사 전나무숲) in Gangwon Province. Woljeongsa Temple lies in Odaesan National Park (오대산국립공원) — a popular fall viewing…
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Early Morning Train Ride Our hotel in Yogyakarta was about 15 minutes away from the railway station. The entrance to the station was buzzing with foreign tourists, their guides, and few locals. There’s a ticket and passport check at the entrance, but surprisingly the security check isn’t very strict. It’s preferable to carry only a…
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“Life is like the river, sometimes it sweeps you gently along and sometimes the rapids come out of nowhere.” ― Emma Smith Life prospers around rivers. And when a river cuts across a densely packed urban city — it literally brings in a breath of fresh air. We’re incredibly lucky to have the River Hangang (한강)…
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Graharu Boutique Hotel Our boutique hotel, in Borobudur, was pretty charming in daylight. It had looked very different on the previous night and the wee hours of the morning — before our sunrise visit to Borobudur Temple. The manager was disappointed that we were rushing to Yogyakarta after spending only a couple hours in the hotel.…
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As a kid, I wanted to be more like my older siblings. I wouldn’t say they are the bravest people that I’ve met, even if, back then, it did feel like they were my magical protectors and nothing (living or otherwise) could destroy them. Somehow, even as kids, they knew how to not let fear…
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We woke up at 3:00 a.m. to the sounds of the alarm and crickets. I was tempted to skip sunrise because of the tiring day at Prambanam. But once I was up, I couldn’t contain my excitement and was all set to go. Eko, our guide, was waiting at the lobby of our boutique hotel.…
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We woke up at 4 a.m. to leave Bogor before rush hour. Our taxi picked us at 5 a.m. and we reached Jakarta Airport within an hour. After 4 long days in Indonesia, our trip had finally begun. Given the distances and time constraints, we opted for a private tour (Backyard Travel) of Java —…
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