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One Day, Two Hikes: Soni Highlands and Akame 48 Waterfalls
I am not only a spontaneous person but also a stubborn one. When I put my mind to something, I don’t give up. For example, I remember telling my husband to take me to Shimane Prefecture for more than a year until he gave in. I also insisted on going to Yamaguchi Prefecture just as…
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Book Review #1: Sahara Unveiled by William Langewiesche
There are places in the world that we want to see and often fantasize about. However, when we actually go there, sometimes our dreams can turn upside down. I guess deserts are one of those places. The desert is a place we long for from afar, but it becomes frightening when it looms closer. But…
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Shinjo Village: A Journey to One of the Most Beautiful Villages in Japan
“I don’t feel like going anywhere but I also don’t want to stay at home!” This is one of the common feelings I share with my spouse. If we ever feel like this, two things are usually bound to happen: I will either travel solo, or he’ll cave and agree to travel with me. Visiting…
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Hiking Solo: Yay or Nay?
I love traveling solo, but I also admit that it can be challenging, especially for those who don’t know what they are doing—i.e., me. I took a solo hike last week and traveled more than five hours to get there. The hike itself lasted about five hours, but it could have been less if I…
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Light It Up! My First Lantern Festival in Japan
Nara ticks all the boxes if you are a history aficionado, deer lover, and coffee shop hopper. Narrow alleys leading to random restaurants and workshops bring the townscape to life. No wonder it’s one of the first places I fell in love with in Japan. So, when I craved a visit to Nara last week,…
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What Happens in Kyushu Stays in Kyushu (Because I Can’t Photograph it Anyways): Part 3
And here is the last part of our journey! If you haven’t yet read Part 1 and 2, check them out first to discover how our misadventures in Kyushu began. When we decided to visit Kyushu, we thought we would start our journey in Fukuoka and travel neatly along the coastline until we reached Oita.…
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What Happens in Kyushu Stays in Kyushu (Because I Can’t Photograph it Anyways): Part 2
If you haven’t already read it, please check out the first part of the story to learn how our misadventures in Kyushu got started—or don’t… This isn’t a straightforward journey, so be forewarned that you enter this blog at your own peril! Okay, okay, rather than making my blog sound like an episode from A…
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What Happens in Kyushu Stays in Kyushu (Because I Can’t Photograph it Anyways): Part I
A grandfather is looking after his grandchildren on a beach in Kagoshima. The children are having a blast in the sand, and the sun isn’t hiding behind the clouds. Their joy is matched by the radiant light. A lion-hearted little one jumps into the water in the blink of an eye while her family watches…
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A Quiet Sunday in Izushi and Kyotango
I still haven’t gotten around to writing about my adventures in Kyushu—well, except for this one introductory reflection. Instead, I have been crafting Instagram posts and sporadically introducing some of the most famous tourist spots in Kyushu. My mind is still busy with all the beautiful places I saw there, making it difficult to focus…
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4 Things I Love About Japan
My arrival in Japan was due to a fortuitous combination of circumstances. I was a dazed twenty-something traveling in Hong Kong and trying to figure out life. I didn’t have any plans to live in Japan, nor had I been actively looking for a job in Japan when I met my then-boyfriend, now-husband. Back then,…
Bahanur is abroad! 