Guide to UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Look around any mock itinerary in Korea and what do you see? Travel in Korea: Four days in Seoul, two days in Busan. Some may get crafty and add Jeju. Boring! Seoul definitely has a TON to offer, so I wouldn’t really fault any traveler for being so capital-centric. Alas, the Busan bit will forever baffle me, but I’ll spare you my anti-Busan rant. Instead, I’d like to introduce five towns to get off the beaten path in Korea. It will definitely get you off the Seoul-> (train to) Busan bandwagon.
Jeju Olle Trails have been the highlight of my last two years. With international travel being limited, I looked inwards to get my travel fix and was not disappointed. The Olle Trails quickly became hands down my favorite thing to do in Korea. Now having finished all 26 trails, I can finally compare them to each other and tell you which are the best. I’ll try to say enough to get you interested but not give away too much. And of course, this is just my opinion, and yours may differ.
Olle Trail 2 is really the one that set the tone to what I love about the Jeju Olle. You start in Gwangchigi Beach, one of the most crowded spots in all of Jeju. 10 minutes into your hike and you’re in an abandoned fish farm without a soul in sight. The calm lake reflects like a perfect mirror which leads to stunning pictures. There are plenty of surprises from view points to nice villages along the way. Make sure not to miss the fantastic Vietnamese restaurant “Tot Tot” at the end.
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International Driving Permit or International Driving License? What are they, do I need one, and why the hell is this so confusing? Read more
As many of you may know, I am a huge animal lover. My visit to Komodo National Park for example, was exclusively to view the Komodo dragon in its natural habitat. There is a growing consciousness for the humane treatment of animals in western countries, but this regard seems to be thrown out the window as soon as one steps on a plane. “I am just doing it for the experience” is an excuse travelers use too often to fulfill their curiosity and exempt themselves from the ethics. If you care about animals and the environment around you, here are five ‘attractions’ that you are better off avoiding.
America is enormous and there is no better way to experience it than with a road trip. Having some experience in this delightful All-American experience, I’d like to share some tips I learned along the way. In addition, if you are looking to be inspired to go on a trip yourself, here is a photo recap of my most recent 2,200 mile solo trip across the western US. I digress:
I am well aware of how good Google Maps is these days. Trust me, it fails. In Utah, it insisted that I ‘go straight’ into a private airfield with a gate blocking my path. When I rerouted to go around, it further insisted I ‘turn left’ where there was clearly no more road left. While I am not insinuating that a map is superior to our technological counterparts, it is definitely complimentary.
Pro Tip: Get the app OsmAnd (droid only) – It is like an offline Google Maps where you can download entire countries. It can also give you directions using your GPS signal, which requires no data usage at all. The free version allows for 5 countries to get you started, but personally, I found the paid version worth every penny.