Is there anybody in the history of the planet who went to Siem Reap but didn’t go to Angkor Wat? I suppose there was probably at least one maniac who did this at some point, but it certainly wasn’t me.
I mentioned that there are many, many temples in Chiang Mai. But the most famous one, Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, is actually just outside the city. It’s worth the trek.
There’s not a whole lot to do at Lotus Pond — a big man-made body of water surrounded by colourful temples and pagodas — other than marvel at all of the pretty buildings, but it’s still absolutely worth a visit.
Why? Well, I think I’ll let the pictures do the talking. It’s an impressive place to walk around.
If you’re a tourist in Tainan, Anping Fort is one of those places that you have to see. Don’t even fight it; just go.
The National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts in Taichung is free, so I sort of figured there wouldn’t be too much to see. I couldn’t have been more wrong; it’s a huge museum with a very impressive, varied collection of art. If you’re in Taichung, it’s a must-visit.
Though I think the Keelung night market is a compelling enough reason to visit Keelung on its own (the fact that it’s so easy to get here from Taipei makes this a no-brainer), you might want to do some other stuff while you’re here. I mean, you’re here already, you may as well.
Or you could just eat. That works too.
But if you want to walk off some of that food, there are a few interesting things around the city that you could check out.
I mentioned the Meiji Shrine in a recent post — one of the city’s many other shrines is the Nezu Shrine, and though it’s not nearly as popular, I’d say it’s equally worth visiting.
I almost didn’t even bother going to see the Great Wall of China. I figured it’s cold, it’s expensive, I’d have to wake up early, and wouldn’t it be easier to just… not go? I mean, it’s a wall. What’s the big whoop?
The whoop, as it turns out, is pretty big. The Great Wall might have been one of the most awe-inspiring things I’ve ever seen.
I’ve been almost entirely eschewing organized tours on this trip — partially because I like wandering around on my own, and partially because that stuff isn’t cheap. If you’re only travelling for a week or two, it makes complete sense to pay for stuff like that, because why not? You may as well cram as much as you can into the days that you have, and then worry about the money when you get home.
But when you’re travelling for several months, your budget is drastically different. Every cent counts, and if you’re taking pricey tours everywhere you go, that’ll add up fast.
Still, exceptions have to be made, and in Scotland — which is known just as much for its scenic countryside as anything else — I figured I’d be remiss if I stayed entirely in the city. Since renting a car was out of the question, a tour was really the only option.
I took somewhere in the ballpark of 500 photos while I was in Portugal (yeah, I’m that guy). Obviously, they’re not all worthy of their own post, but I figured I’d share a few noteworthy ones before officially moving on to the next country in this journey (spoiler alert: it’s Spain).