the Travel Enthusiast
- 25 Novkachou_n in Food Experiences | 1 COMMENT
Eat like a local in Tokyo
If you’re one of those people who can’t leave without their regular portion of sushi, tempura or ramen (even the instant kind!) then going to Tokyo and tasting the real thing is probably a dream come true. But like all major tourist cities, Tokyo can be a bit on the expensive side if you eat only at restaurants that cater specifically to tourists.
So if you want to save some money and to experience the real Japanese cuisine, the best thing to do is to eat like a local in Tokyo. Little known joints, obscure cafes and street stalls will surprise your palate without ripping you off, and you’ll eat like a local in Tokyo. …
- 21 Novtibi60 in Travel tips and tricks | NO COMMENTS
Weird foreign laws that you should beware of
As the saying goes, when in Rome, do as Romans do. But in the case of tourists, I think a modified version would be more appropriate: when in Rome, don’t do anything that Romans themselves don’t do. Delays, small accidents and unfortunate accommodation choices are not the only things that can potentially ruin your vacation.
Some of these laws are so obscure that sometimes not even the locals are aware of it, but in any case, better safe than sorry, especially if you don’t know how to say sorry in the language of the country you are visiting. …
- 10 Novtibi60 in Travel Planning | NO COMMENTS
Top 10 Sights in East Asia
We’re slowly making our way across the map in our attempt to point out the ten essential sights that will make your trip so much better. Now it’s the turn of the fascinating Far East, and choosing only ten sights will be a very difficult job. Culturally and geographically, East Asia is as diverse as it can get. Between China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea and Taiwan, there are also the city states of Macau and Hong Kong.
However, what all these countries have in common is the Chinese influence. From cuisine to philosophy, religion and even writing systems, there’s is a cultural heritage that these countries share to some extent. But delve deeper below the surface and you’ll find that they could not be more different! …
- 27 Octkachou_n in Food Experiences | NO COMMENTS
Top 10 weird Japanese drinks that you might (not) want to try
Japan is unique from many point of view, not the least of which is the Japanese people’s inventiveness when it comes to coming up with flavors for their candy and their soft drinks. While going on a soda-tasting trip in Japan sounds weird when you say it, the fun part about it is that no one has to know that you are actually sampling the country’s soft drinks.
Just pretend that you are thirsty whenever you see a convenience store or a vending machine, and look for the bottles and jars with strange designs on them or the random unsettling English word. Don’t be scared away by strange combinations – one things that’s for sure is that your drink will be palatable, and sometimes even delicious! …
- Vago in Amazing Places | NO COMMENTS
The Blank Spot on the Map – Central Asia
Travelers who are making plans to see the world often think of the usual places. Australia, Thailand, Japan, China, Europe, maybe even India, Brazil, or Kenya. Conspicuously absent from most agendas is the magical land of Central Asia. Central Asia is a a veritable blank spot on most top ten lists and the reason for this is as intangible as the ideas of the land itself.
Ask someone what they know about Central Asia and you might get an answer that makes sense. More likely you will get a confusion of India, China, and Borat. Yes, Borat.It’s a sad thing that the amount of knowledge most people have of this vast area of land is a spoof movie that makes the residents look like village bumpkins and the landscape look like Russia. While it may be true that there are certainly villages, bumpkins, and Russian landscapes- this is hardly the entire picture. …
- 26 Octtomtum in Travel Planning | 2 COMMENTS
Top 10 most famous mountains in the world
One of the first things that kids learn in geography classes is how high them mountains in their respective countries are, and of course all of them are compared to Mount Everest, or some other peak that is among the highest in the world. Mountains have somehow become a reason for national pride in many countries, and woe is the country that is unfortunate enough to have only plains and hills on its territory.
So naturally, when we visit another country, mountains are an instant attraction (well, maybe only for those who are into hiking and trekking). In any case, should you wonder which mountains are famous enough to be checked out during your travels, here’s a list (in no particular order) of some of the most famous peaks in the world. …
- 08 Octevike14 in Travel Planning | 2 COMMENTS
Top 10 places to see in Asia
Are you planning on visiting Asia anytime in the future? When thinking about tours that will take your through most parts of a continent, it’s really difficult to pick the most essential destinations. Asia is one big continent, so it’s so surprise that there should be quite a lot of things there that a visitor might want to see.
And while the more attractions the better, it can be really annoying when you travel somewhere and just can’t decide what to see first, and how to organize your time so that you manage to see all the important places. To help you, here’s our list of top ten places to see in Asia. …
- 03 Octkachou_n in Travel Planning | NO COMMENTS
Top 10 movie-inspired travel destinations
How does one usually choose their travel destination? Well, budget and time are certainly an issue, and some people like to sit down in front of a map and just pick the unlikeliest place. Or maybe you see a documentary about a place and you decide to visit it. But let’s face it, when it comes to TV, it’s movies that we watch most of the time.
And if you really, but really like a movie, it’s only normal to want to go visit the filming site, or to go to the place where the action takes place (even if it was filmed in a studio). So I don’t know about others, but movie inspired travel destinations sound like a pretty fun idea to me. Therefore, here’s my top 10 movie inspired travel …
- 22 Septibi60 in Travel Planning | NO COMMENTS
Dark Tourism: the macabre side of tourism
Dark tourism’ is a fairly new concept, and one that not many people will find enjoyable. It is also called ‘grief tourism’, which sounds even worse than the other name. As you might suspect by now, the objects of dark tourism are not the usual fun, happy and vibrant locations that you’d normally expect to visit, but quite the opposite.
Dark tourism deals with sites where terrible things have happened more or less recently in history. It’s certainly macabre, but at the same time, educational and illuminating. Sites where people (usually a large number of them) have inflicted violence or been on the receiving end of it, offer some interesting information about these historical events. …
- 16 Sepitachan in Travel Planning | NO COMMENTS
Hiking trips on Mount Takao
Some people like hiking, some people don’t, and some people would like it if they weren’t so discouraged by the physical aspect of it. Let’s face it, not everyone can boast of climbing the Himalaya. But fellow sloths, don’t despair!
There are a couple of ‘mountains’ that we, the inexperienced hikers, can tackle as well, without the humiliation of having to return after only a couple of hours of wheezing and sweating. Mount Takao in Japan is the perfect spot where we can get our fill of scenic views, while leisurely walking on paved hiking trails (or even taking the funicular halfway up the mountains). …