Culture
Everything we write ourselves: time-bound notices worth acting on now, and guides worth keeping.
GuideSapporo
Otaru day trip from Sapporo: JR, Sankaku Market, the canal, Mt. Tengu and Yoichi
JR Rapid Airport reaches Otaru from Sapporo in as little as 32 minutes for ¥800, roughly every 30 minutes by day. Walk from Otaru Station through Sankaku Market, the canal and Sakaimachi Street to Minami-Otaru. Add a canal cruise (40 minutes; ¥1,800 by day, ¥2,000 at night), Mt. Tengu (¥2,000 winter return), or Nikka's Yoichi Distillery (book the free tour). Includes the 6–13 February 2027 Snow Light Path, luggage storage and the 23:08 last train. Fares and times were checked in September 2026.
- Itineraries
- Food
- Culture
GuideSingapore
Singapore four-day, three-night itinerary: Gardens by the Bay and Supertree light show, Chinatown and Kampong Glam, hawker-centre etiquette, Night Safari or Sentosa
A first-timer’s four-day, three-night Singapore itinerary, with one district per day and no backtracking: Day 1 the Gardens by the Bay conservatories and Garden Rhapsody; Day 2 Sri Mariamman Temple in Chinatown and hawker-centre tray-return rules; Day 3 either Bird Paradise plus Night Safari or Sentosa; Day 4 Sultan Mosque, Little India, Orchard Road and Jewel Rain Vortex. Compare where to stay, non-resident admission and opening hours. Official sites checked in September 2026.
- Itineraries
- Culture
- Nature
GuideSingapore
Your First Singapore Hawker Centre Visit: Finding Seats, Ordering and Returning Trays
A hawker centre is not a single restaurant with one counter. Check how each stall takes orders and where to collect food, divide up buying main dishes and drinks, then return trays according to the on-site sorting signs for an easy first meal.
- Food
- Culture
GuideHong Kong
Hong Kong's Star Ferry and Ding Ding Trams: A Leisurely Day of Harbour Crossings and Hong Kong Island Streets
Take the Star Ferry across the harbour, ride a tram through Hong Kong Island's streets, and walk between them. Understanding the piers, travel directions, and return journey turns everyday transport into comfortable travel experiences.
- Transport
- Itineraries
- Culture
GuideTokyo
Tokyo Museums on a Rainy Day: Choose Ueno or Roppongi and Check Permanent and Special Exhibitions Separately
Turn your rainy-day backup from a last-minute search for a shopping mall into a day built around exhibitions you enjoy. Choose Ueno or Roppongi first, then check closing days, special-exhibition tickets, and actual walking routes to make your indoor itinerary workable.
- Itineraries
- Culture
GuideBusan
Gyeongju Day Trip from Busan: KTX or Intercity Bus, Daereungwon–Bulguksa Bus Routes, Admission and Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond at Night
Busan–Gyeongju day return: KTX Busan→Gyeongju stations, 28–37min, then bus from Geoncheon-eup; Nopo's Busan East→downtown deluxe bus ~50min/₩7,700. Daereungwon (Cheonmachong ₩3,000)→Cheomseongdae→Gyochon/Hwangnidan-gil lunch→bus 10/11: Bulguksa (free)→12: Seokguram→downtown Donggung/Wolji at dusk (until 22:00). City bus ₩1,500; intercity +9% from 2026-10-01. Spring cherry/autumn foliage timing. Fares/times checked 9/2026: both terminals', city and temple official websites.
- Transport
- Itineraries
- Culture
GuideHong Kong
A Leisurely Day Walking Cheung Chau: Pier, Waterfront and Lanes—Plan Your Return Before Choosing a Side Route
Take a ferry from Hong Kong's urban areas for a change of pace. You do not need to cover all of Cheung Chau. Use the pier as your base, choose the waterfront, lanes or a farther side route to suit the weather and your energy, and keep the return ferry in your plans.
- Itineraries
- Culture
- Nature
GuideBangkok
Ayutthaya Day Trip from Bangkok: Choosing Between Two Train Stations, 300-Baht Seven-Site Pass, Temple Loop and Last Train Back
Bangkok–Ayutthaya day trip: Krung Thep Aphiwat Central vs Hua Lamphong trains, durations, early/late services; minivans vs tours. Temple loop: Mahathat, Ratchaburana, Phra Si Sanphet, Chaiwatthanaram, Yai Chai Mongkhon and Bang Pa-In Summer Palace. Fine Arts Dept. foreigner fees: 80 baht/temple, 300 baht/seven sites. Dress, thunderstorms, last train. Verified 9/2026 via official State Railway of Thailand, Fine Arts Dept. and Tourism Authority of Thailand sites.
- Transport
- Itineraries
- Culture
Intel
Taiwan winter events 2026-27: Christmasland, Taipei 101 New Year fireworks, Lunar New Year 2027, lantern festivals and cherry blossoms
Which Taiwan winter dates are confirmed for 2026-27 and which are still TBA: New Taipei's Christmasland, the Taipei New Year's Eve party and its MRT plan, the 4 to 10 February 2027 Lunar New Year break, the Taiwan Lantern Festival in Miaoli, the Pingxi, Taipei and Kaohsiung lantern festivals, Yangmingshan, Wuling and Alishan blossoms, and the weather to pack for. Checked on official sites, 13 September 2026.
- Seasonal
- Culture
Guide
Taiwan food guide: what to eat and how to order it, with Chinese names you can point at
Beef noodle soup, xiaolongbao, braised pork rice, oyster omelette, popcorn chicken, bubble tea sugar and ice levels, breakfast shops, douhua, mango ice season and vegetarian labels, plus how tick-sheet ordering, paying, self-serve tea and the receipt lottery work in Taiwan's small eateries.
- Food
- Culture
GuideTaipei
Taipei night markets: Shilin, Raohe, Ningxia, Tonghua and Nanjichang, with MRT exits, hours and the Michelin stalls
How to pick a Taipei night market and eat your way through it: the nearest MRT station and exit, official hours, what to order and how to say it, paying and queueing, when to beat the crowds, and the stalls the city lists as Michelin Bib Gourmand picks, checked in September 2026.
- Food
- Culture
- Nightlife
GuideTaipei
Beitou and Wulai Hot Springs: Public Baths, Thermal Valley and Bus 849
How to do Taipei's two hot-spring valleys on an EasyCard: Beitou's public outdoor bath (closed for rebuilding until late September 2026), the free Thermal Valley and Hot Spring Museum, then Wulai by MRT and bus 849, with the etiquette for swimsuit baths, nude baths and tattoos.
- Seasonal
- Culture
- Nature
GuideTaipei
Taipei 4-day itinerary for first-timers: Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, National Palace Museum, Jiufen and Taipei 101 by MRT
A day-by-day plan for four days in Taipei: which MRT station to get off at, opening hours and ticket prices checked on the official sites in September 2026, what to eat in each neighbourhood, and the swaps that save you a wasted Monday or a rained-out sunset.
- Itineraries
- Food
- Culture
GuideTainan
Tainan in Two Days: Old Town, Anping and a Beef-Soup Breakfast
A checked two-day Tainan itinerary for 2026: getting in from THSR Tainan Station or Kaohsiung with exact fares, day one in the old town, day two in Anping, the 98 tourist bus and city bus 2, scooter-rental rules, and how to eat beef soup the way locals do.
- Itineraries
- Food
- Culture
GuideKaohsiung
Kaohsiung in 3 Days: Pier-2, the Cijin Ferry, Lotus Pond, Night Markets and Fo Guang Shan
A three-day Kaohsiung plan checked on the official sites in September 2026: HSR to Zuoying and the metro from the airport, light rail and ferry fares, Pier-2, Hamasen and Cijin, Lotus Pond and the old city gates, Ruifeng or Liuhe night market, and bus E02 to the Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum, with closing days and a Meinong alternative.
- Itineraries
- Food
- Culture