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!

Hey!

Heyoooo!

I’ve just arrived in Hoi An after spending two weeks in Da Nang. It was a good chunk of time to get settled, explore, and enjoy having a bit of a routine again.

I arrived in Da Nang on Friday, where I’ll be staying for two weeks to volunteer at a small school and café called Tipi, helping teach English. After a lot of moving around recently, it’s been nice to stay somewhere for a bit and have more of a routine.

After hearing great things about Phong Nha from other travellers, I decided to stop off there on my way south through Vietnam. Phong Nha is a small town in central Vietnam, best known for its massive national park and incredible cave systems - some of the largest and most impressive in the world.

After finishing the Ha Giang Loop, I caught an overnight sleeper bus back to Hanoi, arriving around 2am. It wasn’t the smoothest return - I was tired, slightly sick from a few too many drinks over the past few days, and running on little sleep.

The Ha Giang Loop is one of those things that every traveller I’ve met seems to recommend. I half expected it to be overhyped, but it ended up being one of the most memorable parts of my trip.