Blogs from Asia - page 8

The final destination for our holiday was an add-on trip to the holy city of Varanasi. And while it was a bit of a hassle catching a domestic flight for just a day and a half it was well worth the effort. Before the Varanasi flight we crammed in a few extra Delhi sites - the National Museum and the Lotus Temple. The Museum contains interesting articles found in India and throughout S E Asia. I particularly enjoyed the ancient Buddha collection and a display of musical instruments that was collected by one woman and donated to the museum. The Lotus Temple is a Bahai house of worship that is built to resemble a lotus flower. I expected to find a lotus garden with a small temple, instead it’s a large building that reminded me of ... read more

From Tokyo, I headed to Fujikawaguchiko, which is a resort town easily accessible from Tokyo by train. As I do often, I hadn't booked a train ticket in advance and realised that all trains reserved seats were full, so I had to travel standing in the train in an unreserved ticket. It was a short 2 hour journey, but I learnt a lesson that in Japan, in peak tourist season, it's important to book in advance. The Kawaguchiko station had a lot of people, all had come to see Mount Fuji, the Kawaguchiko Lake and surrounding areas. I headed to the Kawaguchiko Lake after settling in, but it was a cloudy day, so I didn't get good views of Mount Fuji. The sunset was beautiful. Next day was also a rainy forecast, so instead of focusing ... read more

Amazing. It’s the last day, and I can’t believe the time has past so quickly. The previous trips have been for 2 weeks of training. After the last couple, I noticed how I improved as the second week ended, and wished I had a third to see if the gains continued. When this trip was booked, it seemed like I was going to be gone for an eternity. I’m glad it was for this long but wish I had taken a few more afternoons off to do some sightseeing. It was good to stay focused on the training though, because there just isn’t anything like it back in Savannah. The morning started as usual with a quick stretch, and out the door quickly. It was a beautiful sunrise today. Got to the gym right on time ... read more

Singaporeans love to travel! They seize every opportunity to explore new places, from wandering through the ancient castles of Europe to relaxing on Bali's beautiful beaches. However, travel isn't always filled with sunshine and selfies. Sometimes, lost luggage, unexpected medical bills, or missing your flights can transform a dream trip into a headache. Imagine being all excited for your adventure, then BAM! - travel troubles hit and dampen everything. Forget about hiding your vacation money in the backyard! Here's a travel hack many explorers overlook: an Emergency Travel Fund. It's like a superhero cape for your wallet, ready to swoop in if your trip takes an unexpected turn. Now, let's clear up a misconception. We're not suggesting you carry a heap of cash in your backpack—that wouldn't make it past airport security. Instead, the spotlight turns ... read more

My next destination after Vietnam was Japan, I landed in Tokyo at an odd hour and just crashed the first night. While end March is spring time in Japan, this year the winter has lasted longer and the cold, rain and the winds have lingered. The next day, I went out in search of Cherry Blossoms to Ueno Park, but due to the cold weather, only a few trees had bloomed. At Ueno Park, I was fortunate to see a Torii Gate without people though. Torii Gates are found at the entrance of Shinto Shrines as a mark of transition from the mundane to the sacred. As I explored more, scattered cherry blossoms trees appeared and I saw both the Yoshino cherry blossoms and the weeping cherry blossoms. Next day, I headed to Sumida Park in ... read more