Some travelers are lucky enough to have seen the popular places and now choose the second-tier sights, but why do we wait? Why not sometimes start with the less-knowns? I offer Kanazawa, Japan as a prime example.
Kyoto has a massive number of sights, and you need more than a listing; you need a solid strategy to tackle them. Here, let me lay out a way to think about tackling a visit to Kyoto.
Pan amb oli (panamboli) or Pan con tomate is a canonical, beloved dish of Spain’s Mallorca island and of Catalonia, but gosh it’s simple. Can bread with tomato and olive oil really be considered a composed dish? An outsider contemplates what makes a dish a dish.
You want to see Switzerland. We all do. The mountains, the lakes, the cheese and chocolate, yes yes. Plus there are watches and army knives involved. But the country is prohibitively expensive, and you don’t have a secret Swiss bank account to cover it. How does one travel to Switzerland cheaply?
Have you ever seen animals killed in front of you? The Toraja region of Sulawesi, Indonesia is obsessed with death. In my visit to their villages, I saw ritual sacrifice in a funeral, cliff graves, skulls, and lots of blood.
What to do on a rainy day in Osaka? This city, not known for its must-see sights, is woven with covered arcade market streets called shotengai. Some are like any shopping streets, others dedicated to a niche such as kitchenware, and one brilliant one holds a food market made for snacking. Here is how to explore these, whether it’s raining or not.
You need to see some ruins when you’re in Sicily, because they have much, and some are brilliant. Once easy site is Solunto, in the northwest, for the ruins, the view, the setting, the very easy day-trip, and the sense of place.
Macau has only a few top sights, one every other blog will list. But you need more, because the former colony is awfully charming if you know where to schlep. Let me tell you several spots in which to hang, to get a feel for the city and to discover its many charms. Macau is great, if you know where to go.
Hong Kong is not known for hiking, but it should be. One can do many urban hikes there, where less than an hour’s public transportation gets you out of the urban jungle into the incredible dramatic countryside. Here, one of the outer islands named Cheung Chau offers an easy trail with beaches, scenery, and seafood restaurants at the end.
Hong Kong is not known for hiking, but it should be. One can do many urban hikes there, as less than an hour’s public transport gets you out of the urban jungle into the incredible dramatic countryside. Here, one outer island named Lamma offers an easy trail with a beach, scenery, and seafood restaurants at the end.
Why Batumi, Georgia, on the Black Sea, is the next playground/resort to check out. It’s contrived, as they are all, but with great food and drink and a seaside playground to enjoy.
Visiting Malta is like ordering a small, unknown appetizer and lucking out with an amazing dish. Their wine helps, and here I explain exactly why Malta is a good dish.
