I am in my final few days after nearly a month of volunteering at Somboon Legacy Foundation near Kanchanaburi, Thailand. The foundation is a completely hands-off ethical elephant sanctuary that focuses on giving retired elephants a safe and peaceful life, while also educating visitors about responsible tourism.

From Kandy, I arrived in Ella and stayed in another great hostel. On my first night the Esala Perahera festival was happening, with dancing and parades through the streets.

Sri Lanka time!!

After finishing up my hostel job, I caught a bus from Penang to Kuala Lumpur airport to meet Mum, Dad, and Caitlin. We hadn’t seen each other in months, so it was really nice to reunite! We spent the first night at an airport hotel which was a good chance to chill and catch up.

After a long journey from Koh Tao, I arrived in Georgetown, Penang, where I spent two weeks volunteering at a hostel and it turned out to be a great decision.

Helloooo, sorry it’s been a while since I’ve posted anything, time’s kind of run away from me recently!! I’ll be home in a couple of weeks which is wild, but I wanted to get a few of these written up before then - partly so you know what I’ve been up to, and partly so I can look back on them later.

After a long journey from Japan and a layover in Bangkok, I made it to Krabi - the first stop on this trip back with the Swede. The accommodation had great views of the mountains and the beach, which was a perfect way to settle in. Bill had just finished a Muay Thai camp, and on my first night we went to a local fight. I didn’t totally follow what was going on, but it was so fun to watch! The rest of our time there was spent eating good food, catching up, and swimming - either in the pool or the sea.

This is the last of the Japan blogs - it’s gone quickly, and these last few days were super fun!

Woke up in Kyoto on my birthday! We started the day at the Golden Pavilion(Kinkaku-ji) in Kyoto - a lakeside temple completely covered in gold leaf. It’s a well-known spot, but still feels peaceful when you see it in person. The reflection in the water was beautiful.

The next day, we were up at 5am to beat the crowds at Fushimi Inari, one of Kyoto’s most iconic spots. The shrine is famous for its thousands of bright orange torii gates that wind their way up a forested hillside. Even that early in the morning, a few people had the same idea, but it was still quiet enough to really take in the atmosphere. The path through the gates is peaceful and stretches further than you'd expect - really beautiful.

We left Tokyo on the Romance Car - a train with two-person seats and no armrests between them, which apparently earns it the name. It took us out to Hakone, a quiet mountain town known for its hot springs, hiking trails, and views of Mount Fuji (on a clear day, at least).

Hellooo, here is the first of the Japan blogs on Tokyo!