We started our journey on a very wet and cold morning in Cape Tribulation, not what you’d expect from northern Australia but it is winter,

We headed towards Lake Eacham, I visited this place with my parents about 20 years ago and remembered it as my dad would not go for a swim as he said he didn’t know what might be in there! Well when we arrived there was a sign saying a fresh water crocodile was living in the lake and not to disturb it (like you would ?..,). Anyhow people were swimming and even though it was a bit chilly and still raining we went for a dip.

We found a good spot at a free camp for the night and early next morning headed West to Innot Hot Springs and enjoyed an early morning soak in the springs at the side of the road, surrounded by flocks of parakeets, which seemed a little annoyed that we’d disturbed them.

The day went a little downhill then! We passed a sign for copper gouge which entailed a 60 km drive down a very rough dirt track including creeks, not ideal for a city car with a tent on top.

But we persisted as Chat GPT said it was worth it! You could also then loop further West so we wouldn’t have to drive back. Jokingly we said how funny it would be if there was a river right at the end of the track, well there was and it was too deep to cross, even though 2 people said ‘you’ll be fine’ we walked the crossing and in parts it came nearly up to my knee!

so we had to drive all the way back to the main road!

The day ended on a positive note though when the woman in the gas station recommended a camping spot out of town. When we pulled up it was this amazing little wetland area with loads of birds.

And even a few wild pigs.

Was a great little spot and we had a walk at night to see what was about.

The next day after a quick swim at a dam in a town called Croydon ( more fresh water crocs)

We headed further West and spent the night in a little town called Normanton and the free camp was right on the river, and they recommended we camp at least 5 meters back from the river edge due to crocs, again they were a little elusive although we went to the local pub for tea.

And on the way home we saw some eyes floating around in the river.

We’d heard about a detour to the coast that was worth a look, Karumba is on the northern coastline and one of the few places in Australia where the sun sets over the sea, it’s also known as a good place to catch barramundi fish, which is very tasty!

We filled some water bottles up with wine and sat by the coast watching the sun set, and it was pretty special.

And of course barramundi and chips for tea at the local pub.

The Queensland outback is probably not what most people outside of Australia would think it’s like. It’s not barren and lots of open red soil, but in parts thousands of acres of lush green grasses, forests, and wide open green spaces.

It’s also dotted with little towns that always have a hotel (pub) and the odd interesting local with a story to tell you. We’ve visited as many as we could! And often if you buy a beer or a meal they will let you camp in the back for free.

There’s a lot of mining history, and the towns are trying to create a sustainable tourism from this with local museums and historical artefacts. Not massively my thing (Richard loves it) but the towns are so architectural with Victorian and art deco buildings it’s hard not to be a little impressed,

It also offers up some unusual experiences, the outdoor cinema in Winton.

And you can’t say you’ve experienced outback Queensland without going to the toilet while there are half a dozen frogs living in it (preferable to a snake I suppose!).

If you ever get the chance, grab a camper and head west in Queensland and although we covered about 3000 miles it was only scratching the surface!

Next stop The Blue Mountain region…..🚗

So first road trip of retirement. We’ve been in Australia since March and staying in Hervey Bay catching up with friends and enjoying the autumn sunshine.

Life’s a gamble!

Our first road trip has an element of our decision to retire, not sure it’s the right thing, but you only live once.

So we are heading North for a 28 day 2800 mile tour when the cyclone season is lingering on, and doing one of Queensland’s most remote roads during a fuel crisis.

We’ve rented a roof tent camper so absolute luxury compared to just sleeping in the back of a car which is how we usually go!

The trip between Hervey Bay and Arlie Beach which is about 550 miles is a well trodden path for us and we have done it many times over the years, so we didn’t intend to spend too long heading up the coast and then onto Cairns, some 900 miles away, before heading up to our most northern point of Cape Tribulation. Richard’s never been to Cairns and I’ve only been a couple of times, but heading north from there will be a first for both of us.

So we set the van up and headed just a short 150 miles up the coast to test how everything worked. We’d decided to stop at a very small town, nothing more than a public rest stop and petrol station with a few houses, But the reason for stopping was the nice pub! No official free camping here and last time we stayed in the back of the car at the side of the road. We did find a spot on the grass.

But then the nice bartender suggested we park on their back lawn as it would be quieter, told you it was a nice pub!

Next morning we headed off early, quietly impressed with the roof tent, and the service station 2 mins walk away did the biggest egg and bacon rolls, so we were set for the day!

We never really set a route by day and usually just drive until I’ve had enough. We are free camping this trip and download a great App called Campermate, this seems to be better than some of the other ones available, it’s free to use, and you can also search for free showers. For the trip to Cairns it gave us a couple of nice places, one in a very small town with views of the mountains.

And then one by the beach.

Most free camps seem to have toilets and some with showers as well. But they are all pretty clean and a chance to chat to other people on their travels.

Cairns was a little bit of a disappointment, we paid for a site as there were no free camping options in the city and regretted this. We should, have just drove in for the day and then headed out of the city for the night. But lesson learnt we carried on our way to Port Douglas. The weather has been kind and we’ve taken advantage of a couple of swimming spots, Belinda Boulders just south of cairns.

Then Mossman Gorge, just north of Cairns.

Both were freezing, but once you were in it was pretty special.

Our most northernly stop was Cape Tribulation. We were quite excited about being up here as it’s proper crocodile country and we were hoping we’d see one. I’d managed to book us a spot on a government run site ‘Noah Beach’ and it stated that Crocs were regularly spotted around the camp. Another good reason to be in the roof top tent!

The camp was fairly organised and was fenced off to keep the crocs out, which I must admit was a little bit disappointing! But it was in the forest and right next to the beach.

So this was the most northerly spot, spotted loads of kangaroos, kookaburras (my favourite), a wild boar, a few dead snakes, but no platypus this time and these were the only crocs about.

Coming up: going outback.

I’d read a couple of months previously that hiring a tuk tuk in Sri Lanka to travel around had become popular.

So I found a company that seemed pretty respectable as it ran as a social enterprise for the local community, tuktukrental.com.

They organised a Sri Lankan driving licence for me before we arrived and took you out for a driving lesson, which thankfully I passed!

The weather had looked a bit wet when we’d checked from Australia but other than the first day when it did pour it down, we followed the sunshine around the country.

As usual we had no itinerary and we taking recommendations from other travellers as we went, this has worked to varying levels during this trip but I think here we hit some amazing spots.

Negombo to Puttalam Peninsula

For some reason we always do too much on a first day anywhere and the journey from our starting point to the coast was no different. We headed off thinking we had about a 3 hour journey, with the very misguided understanding that there would be loads of places to stay as where we were headed was the main kiteboarding area, how wrong we were!

Although the tuk tuk speed limit is 40 kph you really average about 30-35, once you’ve dodged the dogs, cows, monkeys, potholes, and people just wandering all over the main road. This in itself wasn’t too much of an issue as we’d clocked up many miles in Indonesia in similar conditions, but the tuk tuk was less agile and the gears were really clunky.

We arrived at the northern tip after about a 7 hour drive and must admit I was thinking the whole idea had been a massive mistake, everywhere was closed up, it was getting late and the roads had turned into sand tracks, with holes so big I still don’t know how we didn’t tip the tuk tuk over.

We managed to get a bed for the night and as with everything it wasn’t so bad the next day, we ended up moving to a nice place and took the tuk on the beach to watch the wind surfers

We had a couple of days to settle into driving the tuk and even made a friend at the beach

Puttalam Peninsula to Anuradhapura

The nest stop was an historical capital city but now is a World Heritage Site famous for its well-preserved ruins of the ancient Sinhalese civilisation. Richard had read up about this and we made use of the tuk to travel around and see the ruins, and a few monkeys.

Anuradhapura to Dambulla

We made a short move to the town of Dambulla as there we 2 things we wanted to see near there.

Dambulla Royal Cave Temple and Golden Temple

We’ve seen so many Buddhist temples and statues this last few months but this complex was pretty amazing. You arrived at the complex, greeted by the Golden temple and a very over decorated museum

A short walk up a very steep hill and you reach the complex of 5 caves.

Each cave is fully painted with religious drawings and statues.

Sigiriya Rock

Also known as Lion Rock. According to the ancient Sri Lankan chronicle the Cūḷavaṃsa, this area was a large forest, then after storms and landslides it became a hill and was selected by King Kashyapa (AD 477–495) for his new capital. He built his palace on top of this rock and decorated its sides with colourful frescoes.

When you arrive you make your way through some remains of a formal garden and then there are a mixture of steel or stone steps to climb up the side to the top

Once on the top you can make out the perimeters of the buildings that once stood there, it’s so high and must have been fantastic.

The views of the jungle surrounding the rock was also as impressive.

Dambulla to Minneriya National Park

We hadn’t done an organised tour here yet and so glad we decided to pay the £50 each to get a jeep into this national park. We hadn’t seen any elephants yet, but on the way there we did spot one on the road.

We met our guide and we managed to avoid all the other tours and he took us to a stop where we could see a couple of elephants in the distance. This was quite good in itself, however, we drove for about another 20 mins and turned a corner to be met by a herd of about 50 elephants! We were still on our own so we had about 40 mins just to sit with them and watch them play and feed, there were even a couple of tiny baby ones

Could have stayed all day, the park was so pretty and they are such gentle giants.

Minneriya National Park to Polonnaruwa

Another day, another ancient city!

The ancient city of Polonnaruwa remains one of the best-planned archaeological relic cities in the country, and has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Again the compound was spread out over quite a large area so the tuk came in handy again to get us around

We even had a local monkey offer to drive!

Polonnaruwa to Arugam Bay

After all the historical sites we felt it was time to head to the beach, and settled on this little bay on the east coast. It had a feel of maybe an Australian town 30 years ago. There were lots of Europeans strutting their stuff along the beach and in the numerous cafes, made me feel very old!

But the beach had great waves to body surf in and the water was the perfect temperature.

Arugam bay to Ella

From beach to mountains we headed to Ella for one of Sri Lanka’s most famous journeys through to Kandy. Most people do this by train and it winds up through the tea plantations, but we’d decided to complete the route by road, if the tuk made it up the 2000ft climb to Nuwara Eliya.

Before we started we’d heard about a train from Ella that would take a 3 hour journey into the local hills that would give us a taste of the famous train route and got a ticket for £2 so seemed rude not to do it!

The journey to Kandy was pretty steep and I thought we might not make it in the tuk as it was sounding like it might fall apart at any minute. But we made it to the tea plantations and after the heat it was quite refreshing to have to cooler mountain air.

Kandy to Negombo

So it was our final journey back to where we started.

What a fantastic trip we’d had, if you fancy a fairly easy adventure then riding a tuk tuk around this amazing country is a good option.

I’ve probably spent more time in Australia than any other country. Poor Richard has also had many a trip with the expense of another country. However, this short month long return visit was initially his idea, he’d needed some time to complete some editing and I wanted to see if I could spend time with my friends in Hervey Bay and be at the celebration of a special birthday.

This worked out perfectly as my friends arranged for Richard to stay in their friends apartment for 2 weeks to get his work done, which had pretty special views of the beach.

And I could stay with my friends (John and Sally), to leave him to it and spend the next 2 weeks having lots of nice food, drinks and catching up.

And in between got to celebrate Sallys special birthday.

We decided to have a road trip up the coast after Richard had finished his 2 weeks working, and hired a car that we could sleep in to save a bit of money. A single mattress in the back, 2 chairs and stuff to make fresh coffee, all you need.

We’ve ’free camped’ before in Australia and it’s amazing how good some of the spots are, where you can just stay for the night, most having toilets but some also have bbq areas and showers.

Free camping is a big thing in Australia, there are people living on the road both for financial reasons but also retirees, grey nomads, think we might fit that category!, travelling around this wonderful country by buses, caravans and converted camper-vans.

When we come back for our extended trip around Australia this is absolutely how we will travel, maybe with a camper or caravan though, 10 nights in the back of the car on a single mattress for the both of us was enough.

Sapphire

We headed inland on the way up the coast as I’d not seen a lot of this and Richard hadn’t been at all. We even got to do a bit of gem prospecting. More Richard’s thing, he’d have spent all day there, but we were visited by some kangaroos.

Springsure

I think the best free camp stop we had was at a place called Springsure. We came across it by accident, as with most things, we were just rolling through and saw that you could camp under this amazing rock face.

So we grabbed some essentials, wine and crisps! And set up for the night. It was a really busy spot and I was a little jealous of people’s roof tents and fancy camping set up, but the sun setting, being lit up at night, and the sunrise were pretty spectacular considering we’d just sat on the side of the side of the road.

Wildlife

We were also treated to some great wildlife this trip with encounters with some of Australias most famous residents!

Rainbow Lorikeet

Hundreds of these little critters nesting at dusk by the beach in Hervey Bay.

Cockatiels

We saw lots of flocks of these but these were flying around our campsite, again at dusk.

Of course some kangaroos !

But it think the stars this trip were the platypus. We’d headed to see them at Eumundi national park. We stopped at a sign on the way which said ‘platypus beach’ what looked like a scene out of Huckleberry Finn movie and they were feeding just off the bank.

Next day we headed into the park to ‘Broken River’ a place known for seeing them. When we arrived we were told it was too late in the morning to see any, as early morning and dusk is the usual time. But we headed down the track anyhow which was pretty in itself.

Almost immediately we saw one and it was slightly bigger than the ones we’d seen the night before. There were 2 swimming about and although the video doesn’t do it justice they came really close and was really amazing.

I’m completely biased when it comes to Australia, we had a great time visiting friends, it truly is our second home and I can’t wait to be back (another special birthday 2025)

Busan

Our journey from Yeosu to Busan got off to an interesting start. When we’d left the ferry the night before a man in full army gear had approached us and given us some tourist leaflets for the island we’d just left.

This was all a little odd but he was being friendly chatting to us in Korean so we just smiled and took the information.

When we arrived at the bus terminal the next morning (which was right across town from the ferry) the same man from the night before was asleep in the street outside the main entrance.

Now this is most unusual in Korea to see someone asleep on the street, and when we entered the terminal he’d set his clothes up very orderly on one of the seats.

We both debated if we should get him a drink and some food and decided that we would, big mistake. I think honour and reputation is embedded in Asian cultures in a way we can get it wrong inadvertently.

Anyhow, I took the drink and food out to him and gently woke him and offered him the goods and also reminding him we’d met the night before. He proceeded to start shouting at me very angrily and waving his hands so I quickly left the food etc and went back inside.

Richard was sat in a cafe and we had an hour to wait for the bus, so I decided to go for a walk.

On my return the man had already been over to Richard and given him a jacket, over the next 30 mins he kept coming back and giving us his clothes, food, and some tablets, in between walking up and down the station talking to himself.

I did a bit of googling on how to respectfully give him his things back with thankfully he eventually did, and we left on the bus with him saluting us from the terminal.

Busan

We decided to stay in one of the coastal neighbourhoods (Haeundae) in the city and it was getting to dusk when we arrived and had a walk along the sea front.

There were huge skyscrapers lining the beach front but there were lots of restaurants and great links to the metro so a good base for exploring.

There was a sand sculpture event on, pretty impressive

Next morning we headed out to Gambeon cultural village

After a very steep walk up a hill to get to the village it was almost like being in Greece. Colourful houses, narrow lanes, filled with cafes and shops, and again street art.

Busan really is a great city, I love a place that has a Metro, they are so easy to get around and really cheap!

We spent the next couple of days wandering around the coast, and interesting neibouthoods

We weren’t decided where to head after Busan. However a woman at the bus stop on Jeju Island we got chatting to had suggested Gyeonju, which was about an hour North of Busan (it’s so random how we decide where to go!). But again it turned out to be a good recommendation.

Gyeonju

There are train systems throughout Korea but the buses have been so easy and cheap that we have stuck with them.

On arrival in the town we weren’t really sure what to expect, as usual we hadn’t really done much research on the place.

We dropped the bags off and it was still only early afternoon so we headed out to a park right night to the hotel.

There are large garden areas dotted all over the town which have grass mounds that are tombs from the Silla empire ( https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silla).

The surrounding area looked really pretty so we headed out the next day to a temple complex about 10 miles away.

Although the bikes were a bit rickety and the brakes were a bit suspect it was fun to ride out and get a bit further without walking.

We arrived at the temples feeling a little sore, but it was quite an impressive complex, very busy with tourist from within Korea who were wanting to chat and find out where we’d been and what we were doing in Korea. People seemed very proud and often thanked us for visiting the country.

Heading back thankfully it was mostly downhill so we cruised along without much effort.

That night we wandered through the park and it took on a whole new atmosphere.

It really was the perfect stop before leaving Korea and so worth a visit.

So after nearly a month it was time to head back North to get our flight back to Australia.

It’s amazing how once you are in Asia you can jump to different countries relatively cheaply, which has allowed us to have that flexibility in our somewhat erratic route of travel, but how wonderful!

So after 2 weeks on Ko Lanta we are on the road again, the weather looked warmer and more settled so we headed 6 hours on a flight North to Korea. Thailand has never been high on my places to visit but we’ve had a great time enjoying the beach and amazing sunsets

Seoul

So in line with the tradition that has been created this trip we flew into the country during a big storm and heavy rain. However, it promised sunshine and temps in the mid 20’s for the next day and remainder of the week.

Another country another currency and transport system to master, we are getting pretty good at this and within a couple of hours we were sat in a local cafe near our accommodation having, yep, you guessed it, some noodles!

Heading out the next morning the weather, as promised, was perfect, not too warm for wandering, but clear and sunny.

We came across an outdoor library event and got our first glimpse of the famous Seoul tower

There are palaces dotted around the city, but thankfully Richard agreed we should maybe just visit the main complex

People were dressed up in traditional clothing that you could rent – and then get free entry to the palace – but we weren’t convinced!

Heading to the tower we walked into a street festival, and I think this was K-pop but not sure.

After the distraction of the music we’d left it too late to head up the tower to see the sunset, so headed for a walk-way that cuts through the city that’s been made in a storm drain, with trees and planting, but still floods if there’s rain.

I’m pretty impressed with Korea so far, I think it could be a contender for first place over Japan. Seoul is much more relaxed than Tokyo and almost has areas that feel quite villagey.

Richard had some work to do so I booked onto a day trip to the DMZ (the border with North Korea). Not sure what I expected but after a couple of science stops and a cable car…

… we arrived at the border. Looking across what can only be described as stunning mountainous landscape it was strange to imagine how different life would be for those folks just a couple of miles away.

After the war North Korea continued its aggression in the form of tunnels into the south that troops could be sent through to invade. 4 tunnels have been found since the 50’s and they think there are more. We were able to go into one of the tunnels which it was only about 3 foot wide by about 5 foot tall, so a squeeze for me. Unfortunately as the area is still an active military zone we weren’t able to take pics in some places and the tunnel was one of them.

Heading out and back to Seoul you feel how the South still remain wary of the North, and although there have been some initiatives and cooperation between the two countries, it still appears to be a very fractious relationship.

Last night in Seoul, we found a great little bar right next to our accommodation for a final beer.

Seoul has set a high bar for the rest of the country!

We arrived early evening into a very hot and humid Bangkok. Our wish to hop to a warmer climate was met, that instant heat you get when you go on holiday is something you cannot beat!

Normally we would work the train out to get into a city but it was getting late and since we’d been up since 5am we decided on a taxi, and it actually didn’t work out much more expensive than the train.

Don’t know if you’ve used sites like Booking.com but previously we’ve ended up miles away from where they say is the centre of an area — and this was the same.

However, it was cheap and pretty decent and not too far to walk to the underground so in the end not a bad option.

We were only going to stay a day in the city so decided to head to the royal palace complex for a visit.

Next morning we headed to the bus station for our first stop down the coast. We’d never really intended to complete a lot of distance while here. The idea would be to find a smaller town with a nice beach bar and possibly an apartment to rent and then settle for a couple of weeks.

First stop was Hua Hin which was billed as as a good option not far from Bangkok. As soon as we arrived we knew this wouldn’t be the place to stay, it was a busy mass-tourist type town, although the kiteboarding was pretty cool.

Second attempt was a smaller place called Khiri Khan about an hour on the train further South, and we got to leave Hua Hin from what was described as the prettiest train station in Thailand?!

The town seemed smaller and pleasant and had a nice feel. Our accommodation was right on the sea front and the bay looked very pretty with rocky islands dotted at each end and lots of fishing boats.

We had a wander around when it had cooled down, and after a beer!

We set off around the head and there was a temple complex on hill and the woman at the accommodation said there were hundreds of monkeys, so go up at our own risk. We decided not to!

The coast was really pretty, but the beach was more of a working beach than one for relaxing, so on we went!

We’d read about an area called Krabi so decided to head there.

We arrived in Krabi town expecting beautiful beaches but found it lacking. It was located on a sea inlet (so no beach at all), although it did have a floating restaurant which had a great setting on the river. So 2 very nice evenings watching the sun set, listen to jazz, and someone playing the saxophone.

Undeterred, we joined a tour the next day, exploring various islands and beaches along the coast, including those featured in “The Beach” and “The Man With The Golden Gun” films.

We also had time for swimming, snorkeling, and a bit of shark spotting.

During a conversation with an Australian couple, they mentioned they were heading to Ko Lanta, an island located two hours south of Krabi town. With numerous islands to choose from, making a decision had been a challenge!

However, considering the positive recommendations from fellow travelers previously, we opted to follow suit.

So, after a two-hour bus ride and a car ferry journey to the island, here we are, ready for a two-week break from packing and waiting for public transport, I know you’re probably feeling very sorry for us at this point 😂

The beach boasts a line of beach bars and has a backpacker vibe, precisely what we were seeking.

Tokyo

Japan has always been on our itinerary for this journey. We visited nearly 8 years ago and fell in love with the place.

However, we were eager to explore new destinations rather than revisit old ones, so we’re aiming to discover some lesser-known spots if possible.

It also happened to be the cherry blossom season, one of Japans most notable times of the year.

The weather had improved as we left Taiwan, but upon arriving in Tokyo, we were greeted with cold, rainy weather, reminiscent of our arrival in Taiwan.

Getting to our accommodation was a bit of a trek, since we arrived just before Easter, and staying in the city was too costly.

The next morning, we rose early to explore the city. Despite the chill, the sun was shining, making it a perfect day for wandering. We took a train ride, lasting over an hour, and headed straight to one of Tokyo’s many food courts for a picnic lunch.

These food courts hold some of our fondest memories of Tokyo, bustling with a variety of delectable foods. After making our selections, we headed to the park.

We also managed to grab some street food on the way, this was off the BBQ.

A leg from one of these little critters! (When in Japan)

We arrived a bit early for the full blossom display, but we noticed some early signs of blooming on most trees, with the occasional one already in full bloom.

We explored the city until early evening before making our way to the lively suburb of Shinjuku for dinner. The streets were lined with bars, restaurants, and the occasional ‘hostess’ lounge, which we decided to skip.

We did find a great little pub though, and a place for some more noodles!

Nikko

We decided to head North of Tokyo to the little mountain town of Nikko

Nestled beneath mountain ranges, this town is known for its hot springs, making it an ideal spot for relaxation. During our visit, the weather was perfect – comfortably cool with snow on the ground and clear blue skies. With two full days to explore, we took advantage of the dedicated bus service to visit all the must-see spots. The landscape, still in its winter slumber, offered a serene beauty with bare trees dotting the hillsides.

First day we headed up the mountains. It was really sunny and quite warm in town, so Richard put his shorts on (I always wear mine anyhow). The scenery was pretty spectacular

However, as we went up into the hill the snow got deeper and the temperature dropped, resulting in us getting some funny looks from people in all there specially bought survival gear.

Back to Tokyo

Back in Tokyo, we hoped the cherry blossoms had started blooming. Despite the rain forecast, we arrived to sunny weather. Our new place was close to a big temple and lots of places to eat.

We took a walk and ended up in a restaurant where you cook your own food. We had octopus, pork, and noodles. For desert cheesecake that was burnt with a blowtorch!!!?

The next day was sunny again, perfect for walking in parks and seeing cherry blossoms. Lots of people had the same idea. The mix of nature and cherry blossoms was beautiful.

We grabbed sushi and wagyu beef sandwiches for another picnic later.

Hakone region

Our trip to Hakone didn’t go as planned. We realized we were sacrificing sightseeing opportunities due to accommodation costs, so we decided to splurge £100 a night for our stay.

Upon arrival, the quaint little town nestled in a valley seemed promising as a potential viewing spot for Mt. Fuji.

However, despite the heafty cost our accommodation resembled a budget version of ‘The Shining,’ sporting outdated 70s décor, and it felt eerily empty. Our room, located in the basement, lacked a real window and a bathroom, adorned instead with an oversized plastic chandelier. Despite our disappointment, we ventured into town, taking the local train which took visitors up from the main town to the various little outposts dotted amongst the forests.

The weather was cold and wet, so returning to the hotel, we eagerly anticipated a relaxing soak in the hotel’s onsen. Sadly, the onsen remained cold despite attempts to heat it, and to our dismay, I even found a dead lizard in the water. It was far from a pleasant experience.

Undeterred, the next day we set out to complete the circular route, which promised a view of Mt. Fuji from a cable car. Despite the worsening weather with heavy rain and clouds, we persisted, having already arranged a refund with the hotel manager for the following day.

Our journey comprised three legs: a cable train, a cable car, and a boat. However, the inclement weather persisted, making the experience cold and disappointing, as we were unable to catch a glimpse of Fuji.

That evening, disheartened by the turn of events, we decided to cut our Japan trip and make a brief stop in Korea before heading south to Thailand in search of sun and beaches!

Kyoto

We discovered a ferry to Busan in South Korea departing from Osaka, offering a more enjoyable and budget-friendly alternative to flying. So, we embarked on our journey southward. Passing through Kyoto, a city we had visited previously, but given its status as one of Japan’s premier tourist destinations, it felt obligatory to spend a couple of days there.

As we left the rain behind in Hakone and arrived in Kyoto, the sun emerged, seemingly affirming our decision to pause here. Hastily depositing our bags at the hotel, we set off for a leisurely stroll.

As the sun started to set we headed for the river that runs through the city and joined lots of families and friends having picnics.

Whilst we were sitting I noticed something swimming across the river and thought it was a beaver. However, later Richard looked it up and it was actually a coypu

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutria#:~:text=The%20nutria%20lives%20in%20burrows,Asia%2C%20primarily%20by%20fur%20farmers.

As night fell, we headed to the historic area of Gion. This district is lined with streets of traditional-style houses, boutiques, and places to eat and drink.

Of course, there was a lane full of cherry blossoms, which I think was the prettiest so far.

Our stay in Kyoto was prolonged a day due to my needing to attend the hospital for a shoulder injection. I think carrying all the stuff we’ve picked up along the way is too much for this old English man!

However, before heading to Osaka, we did then have the time to see an exhibition.

https://takashimurakami-kyoto.exhibit.jp/en/

I really love this crazy manga ish art, and it’s one of the very unusual times that myself and Richard like the same thing!

We should be heading to Korea now but the great thing about this trip has been the ability to change our minds at the last moment. The weather just isn’t improving this far North yet so we are heading straight to Thailand. So our time in Japan ends (for now), just as the blossom season does.

So half-way though our time in Taiwan we’d made it to the most southerly point of the country.

Kenting is known for its national park and pristine beaches, and offered a refreshing change from the industrialized and less tourist-friendly stretches along the eastern coastline. Here, we discovered sweeping bays with soft sand, a stark departure from the rugged shores we had encountered earlier.

In Kenting town, it felt like a British seaside resort. As night fell, the main road came alive with a bustling street market offering various food and drink options. Arriving on a weekend, we found the area bustling with activity, though it leaned slightly towards tackiness, it added to the lively atmosphere.

The next morning, we managed to rent a motorbike for a couple of hours. I’m not entirely sure about its legality, but she allowed us to take it, so we just went along with it. We rode up to the nearby national park, which was only a few miles away. The park was fairly developed, with well-marked paths leading to caves and viewpoints. It felt more like a city park than a national one, but the caves were impressive nonetheless.

The tower also gave you a great viewpoint of the most southerly tip of Taiwan.

Our next destination was Tainan, the oldest city in modern Taiwan. From there, we planned to visit another island cluster just off the west coast. A quick 35-minute flight from Tainan would take us to the Penghu Islands, where we were going to spend a week.

The weather had drastically changed for the better, so we spent the first day exploring the main town on the island. While walking around, we spotted a massive statue facing the sea and decided to check it out.

After about an hour of walking and getting extremely sunburnt, we finally reached what I believe is the tallest statue I’ve ever seen.

If you look at the photo below, I’m standing in the middle at the bottom! The structure was made of some kind of metal and depicted a Goddess of the Sea.

We had no luck with illegally hiring a motorbike here, so we had to settle for an electric bike instead. It wasn’t ideal since they’re mainly designed for one person, and with both of us and our luggage, the battery only lasted about 5 miles. You had to change the batteries at convenience stores scattered around the island, which were quite frequent, but we still ended up with Richard pushing the bike on the first night due to a flat battery.

Undeterred, we set off to explore the islands, connected by causeways and bridges. The coastline boasted some beautiful beaches as well as rocky headlands.

The island was dotted with many temples, each adorned with intricate decorations and some even had their own statues.

And of course the beef noodle soup, mine with beef ribs this time which was very tasty, if not hard to tackle with chopsticks.

Throughout the week, we explored the islands, stumbling upon forts, caves, and the occasional peculiar structures or statues.

After a quick flight back to the mainland, we headed for our final destination, Sun Moon Lake, nestled in the hills. It had a Swiss-like feel to it, and once again, we were fortunate with the weather.

We had 2 activities planned, the first day we did a 2km cable car ride.

Then on the second a 30 km bike ride around the perimeter of the lake

As our time in Taiwan draws to a close, we head back to Taipei and catch our flight to Japan. While I’m not entirely sure if I would recommend Taiwan as a destination, as it’s relatively expensive compared to its neighboring Asian countries, and I’m not certain if you’re getting anything extra in return. However, I’m glad we came to see it.

My knowledge of Taiwan was limited to childhood memories of TV commercials proudly declaring that the latest gadgets were ‘made in Taiwan’.

However, I anticipated the island would be a blend of Chinese and Japanese influence.

The trip around Taiwan was going to be a bit different since we couldn’t hire motorbikes. I didn’t get my international driver’s license before leaving the UK (didn’t know they still existed, to be honest). So, we were going to rely on tours and public transport.

Nevertheless, with its renowned train system, we embarked on our adventure!

We landed in Taipei, the capital, greeted by a sudden change in weather—cool and wet.

Navigating the city’s public transport proved challenging at first, but a kind local stepped in to assist, even covering our bus fare.

Equipped with travel cards for buses and trains, we found it to be an economical and convenient way to explore the city. With only a few days in the city, our focus was on immersing ourselves in Taipei’s urban charm.

We planned to follow the coastline for our journey, and fortunately, the train route aligned with our itinerary, making travel between destinations more convenient. Our initial stop? An overnight stay in the mountain town of Jiufen.

Upon our arrival, we were greeted with appalling weather—rain poured relentlessly, complicating the search for our accommodation amidst the labyrinthine of streets in the town center.

Nevertheless, once settled in, we ventured back out, joining the throng of day-trippers, eager to explore the picturesque hillside surroundings.

We even managed to squeeze in a cheeky cocktail!

Fortunately, the rain began to taper off and it was a pleasant surprise when the clouds cleared, revealing our proximity to the coastline.

The next morning, we hopped back on the train headed for Jiaoxi. I was excited about the hot springs there, especially after the cold mountain weather. We’ve been to hot springs in Asia before, where it’s common to have separate pools for men and women, and nudity is the norm. It was the same here, and though it felt a bit awkward, it was a great experience. Thankfully, no cameras were allowed, so there are no photos to worry about!

The town itself wasn’t particularly exciting, but we had another encounter that showed the kindness of Taiwanese people.

We’d stepped into a busy café for lunch, where locals were enjoying their meals and chatting away.

Due to the language barrier and the Chinese-only menu, we’d tried to communicate with the waitress without much success.

Thankfully, a kind young man offered to help, and we gladly accepted.

After we placed our order and settled at a table, the same man approached us again and said, “Enjoy your lunch, I’ve taken care of the bill,” before smiling and leaving.

Feeling rejuvenated from the hot springs and the unexpected act of generosity, we moved on to our next destination.

Our next stop was Hualien, serving as a gateway for a day tour to one of Taiwan’s main attractions, Taroko Gorge. Compared to other Asian countries we’ve visited, both accommodation and tours in Taiwan come with a heftier price tag. The £80 per person for the tour was a considerable chunk of our budget, making us hesitate. But after weighing the options, we decided to go for it.

Despite the less-than-ideal weather, the gorge had an almost Jurassic feel, and the small group of just four others and the friendly guide made it a worthwhile experience.

Islands have definitely been a highlight of this trip, and Taiwan was no exception.

Our next destination was Taitung, where we caught a ferry to Green Island, situated just off the southeast corner of Taiwan.

We were drawn to Green Island by its unique saltwater hot springs, one of only three in the world.

With it still being low season, we sought out local advice as many tourist facilities were either closed or operating with limited services, including the ferry.

However, this meant we had the advantage of exploring without the crowds of tourists that typically flock in from China and South Korea.

The ferry journey wasn’t without its challenges; we had to change boats due to the first one breaking down before departure, which left us feeling a bit uneasy.

The crossing itself was rougher than our journey to Con Dao. I spent the entire time with my eyes closed, trying to block out the sights, sounds, and smells of seasickness around me!

The weather that day though was unusually sunny and although we had been delayed for a couple of hours due to the breakdown we were treated with a great sunset

The next morning, we set off to explore the island on a circular route spanning about 38km. Most of the development was concentrated along the narrow strip between the sea and the hills. The coastline itself is incredibly dramatic, characterized by volcanic rock formations that create breathtaking shapes and landscapes.

The island had dedicated a significant area to a memorial park/museum commemorating the prison and its history, situated within the original prison complex. It’s been sobering to encounter so many sites throughout Asia dedicated to such brutal histories, and unfortunately, this site was no exception.

The rocky coastline also boasted a couple of fairly large caves available for exploration. One of them had served as a cremation site for over a thousand political prisoners who either perished or were executed on the island’s prison.

While the scenery was impressive, it was also another reminder of the island’s history.

The second cave was huge, can you spot Richard!

The main reason though for coming to the island was the hot springs, which were only open in the evenings.

It turned out to be the perfect time, as the weather grew colder, and sitting outside in the hot water became incredibly relaxing.

We are half way through our tour of Taiwan, Part 2 to follow……