Category Asia
Japan Part 3: Miyajima Island
Our next destination would be the nearby island of Itsukushima. It is more popularly known as Miyajima “Shrine Island” and is famous for its large Tori Gate Shrine – Itsukushima Shrine. To get there would involve a train, a boat and a walk to our Ryokan (a Japanese style Inn). It was decided that we […]
Japan Part 2 : Hiroshima
Bullet Club It was time for Karen and I to join the Japanese Bullet Club. We had been on Maglev trains in China but this time it was the real deal – The Nozomi (のぞみ, “Wish”) , the fastest train running on the Shinkansen Lines with top speeds over 300km/h. Getting all excited we made […]
Japan Part 1: 24 Hours in Osaka
Prologue We departed Hong Kong for our next destination. It would turn out to be a short hop across the East China Sea to the Land of the Rising Sun – Japan (Nippon in Kanji). Our port of departure was not on land but actually an artificial island in Osaka Bay – Kansai International Airport. […]
Return to Canton
It had been three and a half years after our last trip to Hong Kong. Then it was a gateway to China where we stayed a month. This time it would be a stop-over on the way to Japan for Easter. The last trip involved meeting up with friends who were passing through. This time we […]
What about the children?
2 years ago Karen and I spent 6 magical weeks exploring the West Coast of India, from New Delhi all the way down to Kerala. We enjoyed elephant rides, boat trips and palace visits and ate probably some of the best food that has ever been put in front of us. We also witnessed a […]
Hello From The Other Side!!
There used to be small flags on the tables in this room – but each side kept knocking the other side’s flags down. So we then removed the flags! On hearing those words Karen and I realized the enormity of our situation, standing about 6 feet deep inside North Korea and surrounded by armed soldiers. How […]
Seoul…I hear you calling. Oh baby please…
The great migration to Europe was upon us once more. Christmas presents were wrapped,fridges and freezers were emptied, back packs filled and it was off we go for a few weeks, just as the sun was starting to keek out from behind the clouds over Sydney. We would not be getting 3 flights in the […]
Tears In Rain…
Last year Karen and I spent a few amazing weeks in Nepal. Our initial objective was just to go there to do a bit of trekking but we discovered so much more. We spent days getting lost amongst Kathmandu’s labyrinthine streets, discovering temples both hidden and looming before heading to quieter streets in Bhaktapur – […]
Indonesia Highlights
Our month in Indonesia was a bit of a roller coaster ride, there were servals highs and unfortunately a few ‘not so’ high moments. We both fell in love with the Gili Islands, each of the three islands had its own character and charm. The temples and volcanos in Java were spectacular. Our experience in […]
“You no like, you go to Kuta!”
What’s tired, hungry, miserable and stinks of sulphur? Us on the ferry back to Bali. Karen had done a quick wardrobe change in the back of the van while John waited to use the facilities on the boat – big mistake! John was no longer after this. Getting to Bali by ferry is easy from […]
Ghost Miners
While we were in the Ijen Crater we came into contact with one of the most brutal forms of employment we have seen – The Sulphur Miners of Ijen. The Ijen Crater is one big sulphur mine. Over 300 miners work here. Between the hours of 2am and 4am they descend into the very bowels […]
Fire and Brimstone
Some moments stick in your head forever. Karen and I found ourselves alone,in the dark, surrounded by noxious Sulphuric Gas – 3km down inside the crater of a volcano. We had lost our guide, and everyone else. Wretching and coughing and struggling to see from the sudden increased waves of the gas – it was […]
Mount Bromo
Leaving Yogyakarta was a nightmare. 12 Hours in the back of a car, but it should not have been like this. We had stayed in a luxury hotel as a treat. There was a travel desk that were so helpful in booking onward travel to Malang for us. This was so great because it’s tough […]
Borobo-busy!!
If the temples in Java are brothers, then Borobodur is the Big Brother to Prambanan. Borobodur a buddhist temple dating from the 8th Century is a truly remarkable place, so unique. Which was the downside.. it would be busy. But we here at JKRoaming thrive on adversity. To get here we needed to charter a […]
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