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Year: 2017

Wilderness Lodge pasture pano
Christmas in Picturesque New Zealand

Christmas in Picturesque New Zealand

New Zealand surprised me. Before going I did my research, watched videos, and looked at photos of stunning landscapes. None came even close to what we actually experienced. The mountains and countryside drives were simply stunning and beyond anything I imagined. The people seem rather chill and have an interesting sense of humor. Overall, the vibe is very relaxed and natural. Our time was spent on the South island mostly in Queenstown, Milford Sound, and Arthur’s Pass. These areas often…

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Lake Kawaguchiko
Day Trip to Lake Kawaguchiko for Best View of Mt. Fuji

Day Trip to Lake Kawaguchiko for Best View of Mt. Fuji

Lake Kawaguchiko is one of  the Five Lakes near the base of Mt. Fuji. I think it’s the best place to get great views of the mountain and spend a day. Last year I climbed Mt. Fuji and seeing the mountain from Lake Kawaguchiko was really cool. The lake is fairly large and there is a boat tour you can go on. There’s also biking, hiking, good eats, and spectacular views of Mount Fuji as the backdrop. If you only…

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Holland Village rooftop pano
Holland Village – Odd Dutch Town in Shanghai

Holland Village – Odd Dutch Town in Shanghai

Nestled between factories and Shanghai’s Pilot Free-Trade Zone is Holland Village. The place is one of several theme towns in Shanghai wherein developers replicated buildings and styling similar to the real places[1]. Another theme town is Thames Town. which looks remarkably similar to something you’d find in England. In the early 2000s, Shanghai government created a plan to develop nine or so suburban districts and assigned each project a theme. The idea was to expand Shanghai’s urban sprawl and reduce…

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door carving pano
Explore Gaoqiao West Street for the Authentic Vibe

Explore Gaoqiao West Street for the Authentic Vibe

Gaoqiao West Street is a pretty cool street to visit and part of Gaoqiao Old Town which dates back to the Southern Song Dynasty. Gaoqiao is located at the northern end of Pudong, on the east bank of the Huangpu River. Although still in Shanghai, the city vibe and amount of English drops off dramatically. It’s not a touristy place although quite accommodating and a good respite from the usual activities. I combined my visit with the weird Holland Village…

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Taikang Road pano
Stroll Around Tianzi Fang

Stroll Around Tianzi Fang

The Tianzi Fang (田子坊) neighborhood is a labyrinth of ally ways and old Shikumen style architecture which has been preserved and converted to shops. Although a bit touristy, the area is a fine example of old Shanghai and a lot of fun to walk around in. The area around Tianzi Fang also has much to do and explore such as shops, restaurants, charming neighborhoods and beautiful tree-lined streets. Tianzi Fang is a great place to wander about looking at shops…

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Taipei Weekend Lanterns
Taipei Weekend of Exploration and Discovery

Taipei Weekend of Exploration and Discovery

A bit rainy for our Taipei weekend visit but it turned out to be quite enjoyable. We had so much fun for just spending a couple days there. One of the highlights was climbing up Elephant Hill to get a nice view of the city and have a good hike. Yongkang Street is great and there are many interesting shops and restaurants. There are several popular night markets to buy food and stuff and we enjoyed most the one at…

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Gili Meno beach pano
Indonesia So Much Relax and Beautiful Scenery

Indonesia So Much Relax and Beautiful Scenery

First time we go to Indonesia and the biggest surprise to me is how spectacular the water and scenery was. Around every corner awaits a perfect photo opportunity.  I expected the beach and ocean to be nice but wow, it is way pretty colors of blue, green, turquoise, white, red, and all the others your eye can perceive. Everything during our stay was just right. Everyone was so friendly and nice and we always felt welcome. The food is spicy…

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Narita Omote Sando
Narita Is More Than An International Airport

Narita Is More Than An International Airport

Narita, Japan is way more than an airport. Of course for most of us that’s all we know because so many international flights transit there. If you have a long layover an overnight or two in Narita is a great way to relax before continuing on. Of course now that I know about this cool little town, I will try to at least stay overnight when possible. It’s really that much fun and a great way to add to your…

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Mount Fuji decent pano
Hike Up Mount Fuji

Hike Up Mount Fuji

Some years ago I was on my way to Kyoto, Japan traveling by train and out the window, we could see Mount Fuji off in the distance with its iconic snow-capped peak. I thought about how cool it would be to climb up there and put the idea away in my mental bucket list then forgot about it. Last year I again thought of climbing however I had missed the opportunity as the season was too late. But this year, September…

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Sheshan observatory rooftop pano
Fun and Easy Day Trip to Sheshan Park

Fun and Easy Day Trip to Sheshan Park

Sheshan Park 佘山 is a hill of about 100m high west of Shanghai, China. On top are an old Jesuit observatory (a museum now) and The Sheshan Basilica. The observatory complex was founded by French Mission Catholique in 1872. Sheshan Basilica is the largest Catholic cathedral in Southeast China and was built around 1863. Shanghai is flat as a pancake so this hill, although only 100m, sticks out. Sheshan Park makes for a fun day trip to go hike about, check…

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