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I’ve wandered across many of Indonesia’s islands — Bali, Java, Lombok, Komodo, and the Gili chain — each with its own rhythm and charm. Java, of course, carries the weight of the nation, a densely packed hub where most of Indonesia’s people live and work. Yet what I longed for was something wilder: Sumatra, that vast, untamed island stretching across the equator, lightly populated and brimming with mystery. I had originally signed up to climb Mount Kerinci, Indonesia’s highes

I recently discovered that South Korea has its own sister pilgrimage to the Camino de Santiago, the Jeju Olle Trail, a network of coastal and inland paths that circle Jeju Island. Jeju, often called the “Hawaii of South Korea,” is a volcanic island roughly 73 km across and 31 km from north to south, known for its dramatic cliffs, lush forests, and a culture shaped by wind, stone, and sea. The trail itself was created in 2007 by Suh Myung‑Suk, a Korean journalist inspired by h

I first learned about the Kumano Kodo—the spiritual sister of Spain’s famed Camino de Santiago—and felt a desire to walk its ancient paths when I walked the Camino Frances. Recently I decided to hike it and arrived in Osaka. From Kansai, leaving the bustle of Osaka behind, I boarded a charming little train bound for Shirahama, its retro design and scenic coastal views already hinting at the journey’s quiet magic. The Kumano Kodo offers two main pilgrimage routes: the forested

I’ve visited Kyoto several times, and each trip reveals something new—like the city is quietly waiting to share its secrets one layer at a time. On a recent journey to walk the Nakahechi route of the Kumano Kodo, I carved out a side trip to Kyoto. I flew into Kansai International Airport, and what I learned about it completely floored me. The airport is built on a massive man-made island—7 kilometers long and 4 kilometers wide—and it actually sinks a little each year. That fa

In my previous three visits to Malaysia, Borneo remained a distant dream—always on the list, never on the itinerary. This time, I finally crossed the South China Sea to explore the island of Borneo -- the third largest island in the world, shared by three nations: Brunei, which claims a sliver of sovereignty; Malaysia, whose states of Sarawak and Sabah hug the northern coast; and Indonesia, which occupies the lion’s share under the name Kalimantan. Flying in domestically to K

About an hour drive from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, it a UNESCO world heritage site, Gobustan which is also written with a Q. There is a prehistoric cultural site as well as a geothermal phenomenon that attracts tourists here and I was on my way to see the Mud Volcanoes. I was told that there is a government managed site that one can drive to and see these. I also heard that the real ones are in the wilderness and need a 4x4 vehicle as the roads to it are non-existent.

Dharamsala is a beautiful city on the foothills of the himalayas in the state of Himachal Pradesh. It is the place that has hosted the Dalai Lama for the past several decades. There are several beautiful hikes that start from Dharamsala and I decided to do a short day hike with a guide. The route to the start of the hike is a dense forest and the road is uneven. The tall old-growth trees are mesmerizing and remind me of California forests. After about an hour of driving on re

Amritsar, a city very close to India's border with Pakistan has the most holy temple for the Sikh religion named Harmandir Sahib , popularly called the Golden Temple. On a clear day, I landed, checked in, and headed straight to Sikhism’s holiest shrine — the stunning Golden Temple, wrapped in the calm embrace of the Amrit Sarovar. Inside its sacred walls, the Akal Takht is housed, the highest seat of Sikh spiritual authority. From every angle, the Golden Temple was a visual e

Oman is a beautiful desert dominated country on the Arabian sea and Gulf of Oman. A country with about 5 million population, 40% of it is composed of foreign guest workers. As I got out of the airport, I was happy to see cleanliness everywhere and everything was very well organized. I had booked a rental car, but when I reached the counter, I had no confirmation number on it, somehow it had gotten lost. Dreading to be taken advantage of, I was pleasantly surprised to hear th

Driving to the city of Muscat from their international airport, you cannot miss the ornate mosque on the way. It is the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque . Built by 2001, this mosque is huge and can host twenty thousand worshippers. The large grounds around it look like an oasis. On a sunny day, I decided to visit the mosque. It is customary to wear full pants, shorts are not allowed. There is an entry ticket, but it was not being charged on the day I visited. From the entry door, t

Kochi or Cochin as it used to be called before the name was re-changed to its original form, is a city in south India in the state of Kerala. It is a historic trading port and traded with the Romans, Persians, Arabs, and Chinese. Taken over by the Portuguese, then Dutch in the 16th century, it was later ruled by the British. In my recent visit, I enjoyed a boat trip in the Kochi backwaters. Right at the start, I was greeted by cormorants, lounging on a chinese fishing net st

Thinking about Japan, my mind always goes to the World War II bombing, and I visited Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I went again in the most recent trip and walked around the Peace Memorial Park. On the towards the ground zero monument, I saw the 'A-bomb Victim' sculpture. It had a brief description of the bombing. The statue reminds us of the victims of the atomic bomb and the roof tiles melted by the heat rays. The ground just below the explosion reached 4,000 degrees centigrade a

It is a hopeless task to find the pre-iPhone era pictures of my visit to Kyoto, Japan. When I visited it again, armed with my iPhone, I was determined to revisit the gem of the Kyoto temples, the Kinkaku-ji . I took a bus and arrived close to the temple area, then walked the remaining distance, bought the ¥500 ticket and entered the temple. The Kinkaku-ji temple is a World Heritage Site, a Zen Buddhist temple from the 14th century, one of the most visited in Kyoto and famed t

On multiple trips on the Shinkansen from Tokyo, I have seen the almost perfect, snow-clad Mount Fuji and have wanted to climb it. The tallest mountain in Japan, with a height of 3,776 m (12,389 ft), it is almost equal to Mount Rinjani in Indonesia. Mount Fuji is a stratovolcano that last erupted in the eighteenth century. The mountain's symmetrical cone is visible from Tokyo, which is about 100 km away. Mount Fuji is a Japanese cultural icon seen in art and photos and visite

Yogyakarta is a city on the most populous Java Island in Indonesia, about 45 minutes flight from its current capital, Jakarta. It is a gateway to two amazing UNESCO world heritage sites. There are many tour operators in there and the most popular trip starts with a 4am pickup to see the sunrise over Merapi mountain. Tourists are driven for just over an hour to the parking lot of Punthuk Setumbu, a popular place to watch the sunrise, northwest of Yogyakarta. The Mount Merapi a

On maps from the olden times, we have seen the phrase here be dragons . Today was the day for me to see the actual dragons. After Padar Island, we started towards pink beach but there were almost hundred other boats headed there already. The guide changed our course and took us towards Komodo Island first, hoping to escape the crowds. From the pier, you can see the colorful shops. After that you have to wait around until the guide pays the entrance fees to the tourist office

Overnight, the ‘Captain Octopus’, my tour boat, had docked at Padar Island after starting at Kalong. We were 14 passengers onboard and after having a sumptuous dinner, which was completely seafood based, including crabs, fish, and salads, we were told to wake up by 4:30am. The sky was dark, with no light pollution, except that emanating from the hundred or so other boats that were docked here. I learned something new from a young British medical school student about night pho

Barely a half an hour flight from Denpasar is an island named Labuan Bajo, the gateway to Komodo national park. Renting a small scooter, for $3 for the evening, I set out to Sylvia Hill, a spot beloved for sunset viewing. A German fellow traveler led the way, and I was at the spot just as the sun was about to set. The island had many high spots for great pictures of the surrounding area. There is a single lane highway close to the coast and it can be seen when landing onto La

A few tourists told me about a town named Lovina at the north of the Bali island which was reachable in about two hours on a drive over a 5,000 feet pass driving on a very winding way. It was well worth the drive because the path goes by the two beautiful lakes : Beratan and Danau Buyan, before arriving at Lovina which is situated on the Bali Sea. Lovina has a very long, black sand beach with many restaurants and moored boats. Walking on the beach, it is easy to wade in the

An active volcano in Bali , Indonesia , close to another volcano on the same island, named Mount Batur , lies the highest point on Bali, and dominates the surrounding area, influencing the climate, especially rainfall patterns. It is named Mt. Agung and has a beautiful cone shape. From the top of Agung, the peak of Mount Rinjani on the island of Lombok is visible as well. Agung is a stratovolcano , with a large and deep crater with a recent eruption in 2017-19. In my last