Our Japan itineraries provide plans and step-by-step strategy for self-guided tours of Tokyo, Kobe, Osaka, Nara, Miyajima Island, Kyoto, Uji, and more. These offer tips & info for temples to visit, where to eat, transportation, and efficiently seeing the highlights as part of a 1-day itinerary. With our 1-day to 1-week Japan plans, you’ll be […]
November 2024 is Kyoto’s peak fall color dates, great weather, special events & night illuminations, and festivals at temples & shrines. Despite heavy crowds, it’s an excellent month to visit Japan, and you’ll have too many choices for seasonal things to do during a November trip to Kyoto. Note that exact dates listed below are tentative and […]
Following the reopening of Japan to tourists, we returned to Kyoto and spent several weeks in the city. Suffice to say, a lot has changed. We revisited every major temple and shrine, checked in on hotels, wandered Gion, Arashiyama, Higashiyama, and other districts to see what things are like now. This update shares Kyoto photos, how things that […]
October 2024 is the start of fall in Kyoto, Japan. Leaves begin to change color, weather improves, and big festivals celebrate the season. It’s a great month to visit to enjoy lower crowds, special events & night illuminations, with lots of things to do in the city, its temples & shrines. This guide to October […]
Our Los Angeles itineraries offer step-by-step 1-day plans for every area of the city, plus itineraries for Southern California outside L.A. These touring plans offer tips and strategy for the best things to do (and skip!), museums to visit, where to eat, and more. Other cities covered by these itineraries include Laguna Beach, Malibu, Pasadena, […]
Kobe Luminarie is one of the best winter light displays in Japan, and this free event will return in 2024 for the first time in 4 years. We attended Kobe Luminarie and wow is about all I can say. In this post, we’ll offer some background about the event, plus photos and thoughts from our experience at […]
Volcano House is the National Park Lodge located inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park with views of Halema’uma’u Crater at the rim of Kilauea caldera that costs ~$300 to 500 per night. This review features room photos, my experience with the accommodations & amenities, and thoughts from my stay. Volcano House is “Exhibit A” in the […]
Our 1-day Osaka, Japan itinerary offers a step-by-step plan for visiting Dotonbori (and eating!), Osaka Castle, and other highlights. We cover the must-see museums and best points of interest, all of which are easily accessible via walking and Osaka’s public transportation. If you’re looking for an Osaka itinerary that offers as many experiences as possible […]
Many Glacier Hotel is a National Park Lodge located inside, you guessed it, Glacier National Park in Montana that costs ~$300 and up per night. This review features room photos, my experience with the accommodations & amenities, and thoughts from my stay about the views, restaurants, and location. Speaking of location and views, you know what, if the […]
You might be wondering, who are these people and why did they email me?! If so, we don’t blame you. Many of you started following our newsletter for the updates we provided during Japan’s border closure and subsequent (slow) reopening process. Aside from some minor updates here and there to keep things accurate for 2023, we’ve […]