A summary of my travels between Jul-Sep 2019

Another 3 months have passd on my worldly travels, here is a summary and taste of my time in Japan and Indonesia.

Fukuoka (Japan)

A short one hour flight from Busan has me arriving in the south-western tip of Japan. I go for a walk in this city of 1.5 million people but the first thing I need to do, is have some lunch, which of course means sushi. Being used to making my own sushi when I was working in London, fukuoka

and hence having an eye towards prices, I managed to find a selection of reasonably priced sushi in a supermarket. I then copied what I used to do in London and found a nice spot to have lunch on a bench by the river...... perfect. I would suggest staying in the Hakata or Tenjin area as this is where everything is happening with shops, bars and restaurants. Down by the canals you will find yatai food stalls, these very small and intimate eating places were extremely popular with locals.

Dazaifu (Japan)

An easy 30 minute train ride brings you to Dazaifu. This small historical town is home to many shrines and temples and has a small village feel to it and is very easy to walk around in a few hours.

Yanagawa (Japan)

Dazaifu to Yanagawa is another quick and short train journey.

It is known as the Venice of Japan. I wouldn't agree as it's not as grand with palaces, but still pleasant with its canal network. It is much more spread out than Dazaifu and takes quite a while to walk around. I managed to see around 20 temples and shrines by weaving in and around the canal network. Many visitors choose to take a 1 hour water punt for around £10 per person.

Nagasaki (Japan)

Initially not on my itinerary but as it wasn't too far away from Fukuoka, I decide to include it, I'm glad I did. I stayed in the Chinatown area which is pretty central to everything with the port and it's daily arrival of a different cruise ship. The town is pretty compact to navigate so you can easily walk around most parts easily.

For a stunning view of Nagasaki, especially by night, a hike or cable car to the top of Inasayama Park is a must.

The memorial museum is however a 1.5 hour walk from the centre of town so better to take the tram. A visit to the museum brings home the horror of the American decision to drop it's second nuclear bomb on Japan on the 9th of August 1945. This photo depicts the hyper centre or ground zero where the bomb exploded 500m above this spot. Civilians suffered terrible burns, people where begging for water to drink and douse themselves. A separate memorial, The Fountain of Peace was erected and dedicated as an offering of water.

Hiroshima (Japan)

The journey from Nagasaki to Hiroshima via Fukuoka was a long one as I chose the cheaper option of taking two coaches rather than trains. A total journey time of 7 hours for just over £50, I didn't think was too bad. Everything ran on time, coaches were new and had free wifi. It's funny how I now regard a 7 hour journey as routine, I guess it now is, as I've endured 12 hour ones in the past.

Another heavy day on the heart ensued as I visit The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. As you enter you are confronted by a huge 8 foot tall panoramic photo depicting the Hiroshima that was, walking further in, another panoramic photo shows the destruction caused. It really brings home the devastation the bomb caused.

Further in, the facts become harrowing and overwhelming. Graphic photos, showing dead charred bodies everywhere and the clothes civilians were wearing, burnt to shreds. Twisted metal from buildings demonstrating the force of the explosion. Most of those that "survived" with severe burns, died days later.

A poignant statue just outside depicts a mother shielding her new born baby from the nuclear blast whilst her second child is trying to get her attention by scrambling on top of her back. mother

This artist's impression will stay with me for a long time.

Another part of the museum is dedicated to a two year old girl that survived the blast. Later she developed leukaemia and died at the age of 12. Children from around Japan and the world gave money to create a peace bell. Visitors can ring the bell to symbolize future peace.

On a more uplifting note, The Itsukushima Shrine is an element of my website design (third far right) on my questions website.

I therefore had to include it as one of my destinations in Japan. You can either take a very expensive return boat from the centre of Hiroshima, or the tram which goes all the way down to the port area. You then hop onto the ferry across to the island. The 1 day pass which includes unlimited tram rides and the ferry is available to buy on the tram for under £7 and is a steal. Itsukushima shrine is pretty amazing in its sheer scale as it is free standing.

There are many long hiking routes around the island as well as a cable car to the top. The hike is paved for most of the way but very steep and on a hot summer's day not so easy. Arguably, it's probably the most enjoyable way to get to the top as you get to experience nature up close. The 360 degree view from the summit is pretty impressive.

Kobe (Japan)

A bullet train for £70 brings me to Kobe in a little over an hour. Kobe seems to be known for two things, the earthquake that struck in 1995 causing over 40,000 casualties and destroying around 250,000 homes & buildings and its beef.

They have happy cows in this region. The beef is covered in white marble streaks of fat which melt on cooking, giving a perfectly moist and tasty steak. In a restaurant expect to pay around £30-40 for a 200 gram A5 (top grade) Kobe sirloin steak. Fine dining restaurants charge 3 times more than this for a more sophisticated version.

There are some questions regarding whether the lower end restaurants are actually serving you the top grade as advertised. I opted for the backpacker version which meant buying my own from an up scale supermarket, therefore guaranteeing l was getting what I paid for. kobe-waterfall-kobe

I then cooked it back at my hostel with some bok choi. It was truly delicious and with a nice half bottle of red wine all for under £15.

Kobe is a very compact city, so if you're staying in the centre it's very easy to walk around down to the port area, restaurants and bars. There's a posh shopping area similar to Bond Street in London with the upmarket brands represented.

I spent the best part of half a day going for a hike in the forest that forms the backdrop to Kobe. You can easily walk up the many paved paths into the forest and visit a couple of waterfalls. I continued deeper in, following various tracks, but even with my smartphone satellite maps, it was sometimes difficult to determine the right path.....all good fun though, as over the five hours I only crossed paths with a dozen people.

I also spent a couple of nights at my first capsule hotel for a reasonable £12pn which includes free access to a sauna and dipping pool. The hotel was for males only, women only versions also exist. It was a bit of a surreal experience as everyone keeps themselves to themselves even in the communal areas but strangely also very liberating.

Osaka (Japan)

A quick 30-minute, £3 train ride from Kobe takes me to the centre of Osaka. osaka

It immediately feels like a much bigger city with my hostel in a trendy "Camden Town" urban type area, with lots of independence retailers, shops and restaurants, very cool with a hipster young crowd. The Shinsaibashi area is well within walking distance of everything you will need for a weekend trip without having to resort to the metro. Temples, shrines, parks and shops, from the deluxe to pedestrian, are on your doorstep.

Nara (Japan)

A compact city of around 350,000 people make this an easy place to walk around for a 1-2 day stopover on the way to Kyoto. nara

The Horyu-ji Temple is a must-see as it's the oldest wooden building in the world dating back to 670 AD. The natural population of thousands of friendly deer makes for an enjoyable time in Nara park, the backdrop to the city and where all the famous temples & shrines are located.

Kyoto (Japan)

Kyoto as well as being one of Japan's most ancient cities, is probably the most popular tourist destination. It was the official capital of Japan for over a thousand years and now home to just under 1.5m people.

A few must see attractions include The Kyoto Imperial Palace which was home to countless Emperors, a 20-minute walk north, takes you to the Kifune Shrine.

A visit to Nishiki Market is interesting with many stalls selling fresh seafood, pickles and other produce that are particular to Kyoto. golden

Most people buy one item from each stall and eat on the go. If you are looking for a sit down lunch there are restaurants too, but things shut for the evening. The golden temple is exactly what it says on the tin, a small temple with the upper portion wrapped in gold leaf foil making it shimmer in the sunshine. It's surrounded by nicely manicured gardens with an hour or so being sufficient to see everything. Unfortunately I did not have time to visit the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove as it is a little further out of Kyoto, but have read it's another impressive area. shrine

The Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine is one of the most famous in Japan as featured on many photographs depicting the country. As you enter everyone is trying to take the iconic photo, however, you should wait until you hike further up the hill. There are fewer people and you will have ample time to take your own iconic shot. It's an enjoyable circuit which loops up and down the hill.

Tokyo (Japan)

I decided to take a night bus from Kyoto for £22 which left just before 11pm and arrived around 7am. The equivalent train ride was around £95 taking only 2.5 hours. In one sense, the cost of the bus was zero as I saved one nights accommodation, this is one of many backpacker hacks for which I will create a separate article for.

Tokyo has been one of my must-see destinations for many years and is the main reason I extended my trip from six to twelve months. I spent just over three weeks here, taking my time to see and live in different parts of this mega-city.

It's big......really big, with a population of 37.5 million, which is a staggering 25% of Japan's total. In fact, around 92% of people live in and around a city with this expected to rise to 95% in the not too distant future.

The train system is pretty complicated as every train company tends to have its own train station. You can arrive at one station and then have to walk 10 minutes to another separate train station to pick up a different train from the different train company.

Hostels in Tokyo, from my experience, tend not to be really close to the popular sights which is odd, as in other cities they tend to be right in the thick of it. I suspect it's the higher price of property which Tokyo is known for, as a consequence I stayed at hostels usually within a 20-30 minute walk from the major sights. For me this is nothing as I tend to walk all day long anyway.

Akihabara:
This is a gadget haven for tech heads with a huge selection of products. In one of the big stores I counted at least 200 ear & headphones. In another, I was able to have access to multiple hi-fi rooms to test speakers often costing over £10,000. The sheer choice of items was an eye-opener. Akihabara is also famous for manga and anime with numerous shops selling costumes and books. You can even pay to spend 30 minutes talking with a character....not cheap and obviously better if you speak Japanese!

Asakusa:
This area is famous for its Buddhist temple, Senso-Ji and has more of a local neighbourhood feel to it, with shops selling high end chef knives. asakusa

The Marugoto Nippon building specializes in "Made in Japan" products and is an interesting place to spend some time too.

Ginza:
This is the posh shopping district of Tokyo where all the up market brands have their flagship stores as well as restaurants, night clubs and cafes; also not far away is the famous Tsukiji fish market. Unfortunately it has become a tourist haven with everything selling at inflated prices, better to wander away from this area for reasonably priced sushi.

Roppongi:
Everything in this area happens within a 500-metre circumference of the metro station. Bars, restaurants, nightclubs and shopping malls are all easy to walk around in this compact and up market residential neighbourhood.

Shibuya:
This is the area of Tokyo that is famous for one of the busiest pedestrian crossings in the world and is often featured in films. Shopping is probably the most important element in this part of town with my personal favourite area being "Cat Street". It feels like Hampstead in London, a narrow road lined with independent and up-market boutique shops on either side. shibuya

Other shopping areas include, Takeshita, Meiji and Omotesando streets.

Shinjuku:
This is probably the number one destination where everyone comes to. I would describe Shinjuku as the Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square and Soho equivalents of London, but possibly on a grandeur and crazier scale. The neon lights blaze down onto the streets below and everything from large department stores to small independent restaurants, bars and gambling joints are available on this side of town.

If you only have time to visit one area of Tokyo, this would probably be the area that is familiar from television & movie screens. It is pretty chaotic any day of the week, but really comes to life at night as the lights change the character of the area to a party town down some backstreets. The small area known as the Golden Gai consists of some very narrow paths with tiny restaurants & bars. When I say tiny, these are small even by Japanese standards with most just having enough space for 6-8 people which makes for an intimate experience with the chef/bar tender.

Jakarta (Indonesia)

I arrived at Jakarta airport just after midnight and was aware from my research, that the coach into the centre of town was no longer operational. I walked towards the coach zone anyway and asked two people whether there was a coach to town and was told that there wasn't. I then asked a security guard who showed me where to stand and within 5 minutes a coach arrived for a tenth of the cost of a taxi.

I firstly stayed in a posh residential area surrounded by a number of embassies where the homes probably belonged to many of the higher up employees. Not too far away was modern Jakarta, with upscale shopping malls and western style shops and restaurants. Even around this area, traffic is chaotic. Motorbikes, the majority of which are taxi's, cram up every available space which makes it particularly difficult to cross roads. I would probably say that it is worse than Vietnam and Myanmar as they even mount the pavements. Nobody respects the zebra crossings. You really have to be slow and look towards the motorbikes and weave between them to cross the road. Never go too fast as they do not have time to react, a slow steady pace should keep you safe.

My attempt to obtain a Philippines visa in advance of my travels failed on multiple levels. The Philippines embassy was closed on my first attempt, on my second visit I was informed by the security guards that I needed to wear long trousers. After a long discussion, I managed to persuade one of them to lend me his jeans, which surprisingly were the correct size. After these hurdles, I did not meet all the visa criteria so decided to simply get the visa on arrival at the airport when I arrive.

While walking down one of the main roads in Jakarta, cobra

I spotted a street food stall with a cobra logo. I thought it was the name of the restaurant. A few paces later, I see a cage full of cobra snakes.....can't say I was tempted. I ended up staying 5 days in Jakarta, which for many, is probably too long. The main reason was that this city suited my photographic style and may have yielded a shot or two.

Bandung (Indonesia)

A three-hour scenic train journey via plateaued rice fields from Jakarta brings me to the highland university city of Bandung. The cooler temperature draws people away from steamy Jakarta particularly in the summer.

It seems as though the two main activities are shopping and scenery. Locals and Jakartians flock here to the factory outlet stores and shopping centres which are full of branded products at discounted prices. It's also famous for activities around the surrounding countryside. Volcanoes, hiking, trekking and resorts are all within a few hours reach, making Bandung a good base. As for the city itself, I can't say there is much to do or see.

Yogyakarta (Indonesia)

An 8 hour/400km, economy class train journey for £11.40 brings me to Yogyakarta which is the spiritual capital of Java. There is plenty to do as it is known for its art, museums and cafe culture.

If you only have one day, stay in the centre, in and around the Malioboro neighbourhood. It is surrounded by some sights, landmarks, shops restaurants, cafes and nightlife.

For a more leisurely and arguably a more authentic experience, backpackers and those looking for boutique hotels, tend to stay around the Kraton or Prawirotaman area.

These neighbourhoods having established themselves as a creative and artistic hub. I managed to find a dorm room in a trendy boutique hotel for £8pn.

Yogyakarta is famous for its temples which lie around an hour outside the town. Watch the sunrise at Borobudur, regarded as the largest Buddhist temple in the world and catch sunset at Prambanan, the largest Hindu temple in Indonesia. There are also many more outdoor activities to make your time in Yogyakarta fly by.

Surabaya (Indonesia)

Just under 6 hours away by train for a fare of £12.50 has me arriving at Indonesia's second biggest city with a population of around 3 million. It is one of the cleanest and most modern of Indonesia's cities with countless shopping centres with Tunjungan Plaza being particularly huge, probably beating many western counterparts including Westfieds in London.

Travellers tend to pass through either on their way to Bali (like me) or heading west to Yogyakarta. It is a good base if visiting the active Mount Bromo volcano for the sunrise. tea

Having afternoon tea at the famous Majapahit Hotel which was built in 1910, was a highlight, especially as the cost was £8 compared to £58 in London. This for me you was definitely one of the friendliest places I have been so far. Walking through local neighbourhoods, the residents probably have not seen a westerner in their lifetime. Everyone would shout out "hello mister" and strike up conversation, asking for my name and where I was from. On many occasions, I was asked if I would join in a selfie with them.

Bali (Indonesia)

It's a relatively cheap and quick flight from Surabaya to Bali taking under 40 minutes and under £30. On arriving at the airport you have the compulsory taxi mafia waiting for willing victims. If you want to save yourself a headache, don't have a SIM card and want to save a few pennies, walk away from the airport, hook up to some free hotel Wi-Fi (The Harris Hotel) and use the Grab App to get yourself a motorbike or regular taxi to your destination for between a third to a quarter of the price. This part of my trip, just like my 3 weeks in Chiang Mai, was designed to be another "slow down" time, which I feel is important every 4 months or so to avoid burnout.

Nusa Dua:
The Nusa Dua area south of the airport is for those seeking the 5-star treatment. All the major hotels are represented on the beautiful curved beach with a backdrop of big waves crashing out at sea. This part of the island has been designed with a lush landscape to appeal to the pampered crowd, which I feel is a little soulless......but hey......what do I know........I'm a backpacker.

Kuta:
Down town Kuta and Legian merge into one along its main thoroughfare. If you are looking for the cheaper side of Bali, then this is a good bet. Restaurants & bars are cleary catering to the mass market with prices lower compared to Seminyak which is more up-market. Shops are also down to earth with everyday items rather than luxuries and there is also a horde of tattoo parlours for the creative types.

Legian:
This area north of Kuta and just south of Seminyak was a good base to explore both areas. It is known as one of the best places to learn to surf and go for long leisurely walks along its huge 2km beach.

Seminyak:
An upmarket area with fewer people on the beach and with many independent boutique shops, restaurants and bars together with an art scene. potato

My favourite beach bar & club was Potato Head which morphs from a cool lounge to sophisticated club during the sunset hours.

Canggu:
It is also known for its surfing, beach/lounge bars, clubs and small independent cafes & restaurants serving healthy food and juices. Watching an often dramatic sunset with either a cocktail or beer in hand is a must-do daily experience. brisa

My favourite beach lounge bars include La Brisa and The Lawn. The countryside is covered in beautifully green tiered rice fields including the infamous "canggu shortcut" road where a regular occurrence is for moped riders and cars alike to misjudge the narrow cobbled road and fall into one of the rice fields.

Ubud:
Many backpackers will hire a moped for their time in Bali for around £16 per week and use this to get everywhere. Ubud is about a one-hour journey inland from Canggu and is known for its natural beauty, spas, yoga, healthy food scene, surrounding waterfalls but also, unfortunately its severely congested roads. You will find no shortage of events and classes to attend as notice boards are plastered with leaflets. Vegan, gluten free all-you-can-eat buffets are also numerous, with a meal setting you back around £3......it's easy and cheap to live a healthy life here in Ubud. events

My advice would be to stay near its centre of ubud village to take advantage of all its amenities, just make sure your accomodation is a santuary with an open outdoor space and zero traffic noise.

It is also known as one of the locations from the 2010 film, Eat Pray Love, starring Julia Roberts. She discovers the true joy of eating in Italy at L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele which now has a branch just down the road from where I live in London in Stoke Newington. She also learns to meditate in India and discovers her true inner self in Bali by ultimately learning to love herself.....a definite film to watch while in Bali or before arriving.

HOMEPAGE