All right! We’re finally back with the final installment of our Kyoto Fall & Winter Trip Report (if you’ve missed it, start with Part 1); the culmination of our 2-month stay in Japan. We’ve got a lot of ground to cover in this final installment, so rather than beginning with a rambling introduction, I’m going to […]
Minion Park is the newest addition to Universal Studios Japan in Osaka, a moderately elaborate mini-land anchored around Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, a 3D ride through Gru’s lab, which replaced Back to the Future: the Ride. In this post, we’ll share some info and thoughts about Minion Park. When Universal Studios Japan announced that Despicable Me Minion […]
Château du Clos Lucé is located in Amboise, France near the Loire River in the Centre Val de Loire region. The castle’s claim to fame is being the residence of Leonardo da Vinci during the last 3 years of his life. You can’t miss this fact when visiting, as Château du Clos Lucé’s entire existence […]
World-renowned as the cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant, Tim Ho Wan is famous for its baked BBQ pork buns. This Hong Kong dim sum spot’s most famous dish only costs under $3, and is truly one of the most amazing things we’ve ever eaten. In fact, we loved Tim Ho Wan so much that we dined here […]
Over the course of our time in Kyoto, we’ve spent a lot of time “researching” the best places to eat. This list focuses mainly on cheap and authentic Japanese cuisine, with a clear emphasis on value for money rather than fine dining. From that perspective, it’s probably the best restaurants in Kyoto for value, but we’re […]
With the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang sparking new interest in South Korea, I thought it’d be a perfect time to finally share our experience visiting nearby Seoul with a quick trip report and 50+ photos from our travels. A lot of new travelers are going to fall in love with South Korea from afar…so why not add […]
Daitokuji (大徳寺) is a walled temple in Northern Kyoto with a number of subtemples that feature some of Japan’s finest zen and rock gardens. In this post, I’ll share photos I took at Daitokuji, history, info & tips for visiting, and thoughts on our experience at Daitokuji. The free grounds at Daitokuji Temple are highlighted by […]
It’s been a while since our two months in Japan ended (and since Part 1 of our Kyoto Trip Report), and this recap seems to be losing steam, both on my end and in terms of reader interest. Rather than dragging it out unnecessarily, I’m going to wrap it up with two final installments. I […]
Tenryu-ji Temple (天龍寺, Tenryūji) is the most important Zen temple in Kyoto’s Arashiyama district. It was ranked first among the city’s Five Great Zen Temples, and is now registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In this post, we’ll share some photos from our visit to Tenryu-ji and thoughts on whether it’s worth your time. […]
Our original plan for our first full day in Kyoto was to relax and decompress. It was a weekend during foliage season, meaning all of the tourist spots with fall colors would be crazy-busy. The day before, I suggested maybe we should do something in Osaka or Nara to get more value out of our […]