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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

Several years ago, I took a ferry from Helsinki to Tallinn and spent a day wandering the cobbled lanes of its enchanting old town. That brief encounter left me wanting more — to see Estonia beyond its postcard-perfect capital. This year, I finally made it happen. I rented a car in Riga, Latvia’s vibrant neighbor to the south, and began the scenic 310-kilometer drive north to Tallinn, tracing the Baltic coastline and crossing into a country I’d long hoped to explore in depth.

After a couple of weeks exploring Argentina’s vineyards and flavors, I boarded a flight bound for La Paz—aware that I was heading into one of the world’s highest cities, perched over 13,500 feet above sea level. Acclimatization was essential, but I arrived at 9 p.m. feeling calm and as soon as I reached my Airbnb, I drifted into a deep sleep. To my surprise, I woke up feeling remarkably well—no pounding headache, no breathless panic. Encouraged by the calm, I set out to explo

For years, Ethiopia called to me with its ancient allure, but nothing stirred my curiosity more than the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela — a UNESCO World Heritage site and a marvel carved out of a monolithic stone. Perched in the Lasta Mountains of northern Ethiopia, this highland town offers breathtaking views and the portal to visit the ancient churches carved directly into the rugged terrain. Flying out of Addis Ababa with Ethiopian Airlines, I landed at Lalibela’s quiet ai

Addis Ababa, the vibrant capital of Ethiopia, is the heart of a nation home to over 126 million people. This high-altitude city is at approximately 2,355 meters (7,726 feet) above sea level — one of the highest capital cities in the world. From its bustling markets and historic cathedrals to its role as the diplomatic hub of Africa, Addis Ababa offers a compelling glimpse into Ethiopia’s rich cultural mosaic and its growing global influence. I arrived there in May, and the we

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

Years ago, on a visit to Thessaloniki, Greece, I had rented a car and wanted to go to FYROM -t he former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, but was told that the car would be pelted by the locals, and I decided to heed the advice, and deferred my trip. Turns out, I could never finish that goal because FYROM ceased to exist, and in 2020, it was named as North Macedonia. On my trip to Kosovo, I planned to go that neighboring country and visit their capital, Skopje . It was a two-h

I had a day in Switzerland before the next flight from Zurich and also had a rail pass which allowed travel anywhere in the country. The Michelin chef Richard and his wife Yvonne Stöckli at Alpenblick Wilderswil, where I had stayed the prior night, were very friendly and they suggested going to Lugano by train and then to Zurich. They said the train route was very beautiful and went through a small town in Italy. I walked to the station which was not too far away and began th

I have been aware of Oktoberfest since the early 1990s and quickly agreed to go to experience it when a friend proposed a trip. We decided to go to Munich for enjoying it for a couple of days. Late September in Munich is a time for booming business time. V isitors from all over Germany as well as the world participate in this beer festival, probably the biggest in the world. It is hard to find hotel rooms close to Theresienweise - the area that hosts the festival. To seem l

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

There are six micronations in Europe: Liechtenstein, San Marino, Monaco, Vatican City, Malta and Andorra. As I had just hiked the Camino de Santiago starting from the Pyrenees mountains, I wanted to seize the opportunity to see Andorra, which is nestled amongst the Pyrenees mountains, a nation that covers just 467.4km² with a population of around 78,000. Driving from Lerida in Spain, I passed through the rural green farming areas and came to the highway leading to Andorra’s c

Slovenia has a limited coastline on the Adriatic Sea on its west side and it is very picturesque. I drove towards Portorož from Ljubljana. It is a distance of about 80 miles due southwest of Ljubljana. As it was the Labor Day holiday, it brought a lot of Slovenians on the road. The mountains and houses on hills strewn all throughout the drive made for a very pleasant and scenic drive, however, when I reached the hotel for the night, I discovered it was in the old town that ha

Slovenia is a European country that was part of the Empire of Yugoslavia up until 1991 and has a lot of historical significance. Slovenia...

As a foodie, I had heard about San Sebastián for a long time and wanted to visit it. The Camino de Santiago also goes through it, if one is walking the route Camino Norte. After my Camino De Santiago walk by the Camino Frances route, which I finished 9 days faster than planned, I took the opportunity to visit San Sebastián. It is about a five-hour drive from Madrid. As I neared the town, I came across the iconic city gates which are two on each side on the river Urumea . They

The city by the North Atlantic, about 400 km south of Casablanca is the city of Essaouira, which has very chill vibe, is right by the ocean, and is beloved by tourists. Driving towards it, you can see the whole city from a distance and it looks very inviting. The city has a port area, has city walls and a medina. Next to the medina is the fisherman's area where the locally caught fresh fish is displayed. There are fish and seafood of various kinds on offer. One fisherman had

The sixteenth century Madrasa built by Sultan Abdullah Assaadi in Marrakech was an ancient destination for scholars in various fields including religious sciences. It is a stunning monument to visit. The visit costs a ticket priced at about $5. The entrance is very ornate, and it gets more and more beautiful as one goes inside the Madresa. The Ibn Yusuf Madrasa is considered as a historical treasure and a testament to the genius of Moroccan ancestors in architecture and decor