Getting Around There are many ways to explore Taiwan’s northern and northeastern tourist attractions. The easiest way would be to sign up for the shuttle bus tour offered by either KKday or Klook. It’s best to book your tour before your travel date, especially during tourist season. Avoid weekends because Shifen Waterfall isn’t included in most…
Read More
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) Bora (my friend) and I had never visited Lotte World Tower before.…
Read More
Most locals, tourists, and expats visit national parks to enjoy fall colours. It’s our third fall in Korea and I wanted to visit some of the famous mountains in the southern provinces. However, travelling there isn’t easy during fall (or high tourist seasons) and we didn’t have the time. A local news anchor comforted those…
Read More
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…
Read More
Adventures on Horse & Sand We had just witnessed a fantastic sunrise at Penanjakan and now it was time to explore Mount Bromo. It was about 6:30 a.m. when my horse-ride started. I would have preferred my feet over a pony (to cover a 3 Km patch), but I was so tired and the sun…
Read More
To Penanjakan 1 (2,700 m) We had to wake up at 2:00 a.m. in the morning to ensure we got a spot at Penanjakan — the popular viewpoint. But we weren’t the only ones. The cottage was buzzing with alarms and hurried footsteps. Eko (our guide) met us at the reception area and looked pretty…
Read More
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…
Read More
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.…
Read More
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.…
Read More
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 —…
Read More