Quick travel guides for nomads
Johnny Classic local favorite beach town with many beachside restaurants along the road. Not really a city.
Unawatuna is a local favorite spot for many and it’s easy to see why. Beautiful beaches with a chill vibe, not crowded, great sunset views, and cheap accommodation easily found right next to the beach.
Although you could stay several days, there’s probably very little to do other than sit on the beach and you may get bored. We did just a 1-day stop through here.
Skippable local beach city with a touristy “Dutch Fort”, close to better spots in south Sri Lanka.
This city isn’t a worthy tourist destination. No beautiful beaches, mostly all local areas and local food (good if you want cheap food). It’s for passing by when you’re going between other southern coastal cities in Sri Lanka.
The only thing here is to check out the Dutch Fort, take pictures around the walls. And maybe buy or pickup things that can only be found in a bigger city. There are much more markets here and options to choose from. A friend went here to find bigger repair shops for his broken mobile phone.
A 2-hour pitstop is more than enough for me.
Nice beach town known for having corals and turtles, and many Russians. And OK for surfing.
It’s a small beach town with a nice relaxed vibe without being pretentious. Plenty of water activities to do around here, and close to other towns for other excursions and activities. You can stay here a couple days or a couple weeks.
Hyper-stimulated and mega-dense, iconic capital city of Japan and Japanese pop culture.
Tokyo is perhaps the most known and recognized city in Asia by westerners. The other most recognized Asian countries (by westerners) are probably China and Korea. But what are their capital cities? Fewer people know the answers to that. It helps Tokyo is easy to spell and remember. Also that Japanese culture is also more familiar and previously introduced in Western media and other subcultures.
We know Tokyo is one of the biggest and most populated cities in the world. But what do you see when you actually get there?
A proper visit to Toyko should be 5-7 days. There are many areas to wander, tourist attractions, museums, parks, gardens, and activities to do.
Ultra-dense, ultra-modern technology yet traditional culture, super fun and safe country of polite perfectionist people.
Japanese is one of the most “known” and recognized Asian cultures by westerners. The other most “known” Asian cultures (by westerners) are probably China and Korea. It helps a lot that Japanese culture has been previously introduced in Western media and other subcultures. And that many westerners have tried Japanese foods. And so many people have heard many things about Japan already.
But what do you realize when you actually get there?
2 weeks is a good amount of time to pass through the main 3 destinations in Japan…Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. With maybe a day trip out to nearby destinations here and there.
The JR Pass most likely WON’T save you MONEY or TIME.
Then you’ll probably save money and time by NOT buying the pass. I mean it! Please do not be fooled by endless blogs and affiliate links encouraging you to buy the pass. It is not the safe option!
Swedish capital city sprawling across 14 islands, with many different vibes.
Surrounded by water and spread across multiple islands, Stockholm is also called “the Venice of the north” or “the Venice of Sweden”. Somewhat similar to Amsterdam (the other “Venice of the north) but whereas Amsterdam is much more compact and dense and with much narrower weblike waterways, Stockholm feels like larger islands with larger bodies of water between them. Stockholm is also cheaper than other Nordic country capital cities.
3 days would be enough to enjoy the main sights. Visiting different islands to check out squares, restaurants, museums, and city views across the water. Also experience varying lifestyles between the busier islands and the quieter ones. Enjoying some nature and landscape. See some interesting architecture in the buildings and metros, perhaps take a boat ride.
2nd biggest South Korean city with beaches and vibrant neighborhoods.
I don’t know why I thought Busan would be a small town but nope, it’s a big enough city of 3 million people. Has many many things to do and also carries a different vibe from Seoul. Although most people put only 2-3 days here, it’s easily a week’s worth of activities if not more. Touristically, it is NOT smaller than Seoul.
Seoul vs Busan ultimately comes down to what you prefer….bigger city with more nightlife (vibrant every night) vs coastal city with beaches. I would also add that Seoul has bigger historic sites (palaces & temples) and is colder (therefore more winter sports). And Busan feels less touristy than Seoul, less extreme weather (no freezing winters), better seafood, and friendlier people. I won’t say which is better. Both are worth visiting, but I’d ultimately stay longer in Seoul.
3 days to get a taste, 5-7 is more ideal to feel the vibe. Busan is bigger than you think and with more activities than you think.
Small beach city 3 hours drive northeast of Seoul.
Small city with a handful of tourist things to do and a see. At the very least, it’s a nice beach break from the usual city bustle of Seoul.
Underrated small country but well-developed, chill, English-friendly, and affordable.
A self-governing island country that was formerly a province of China but as of very recently (several decades ago) gained its independence. Taiwan is mostly recognized today as its own country, although not by all countries…for example some countries (such as Georgia) do not recognize the Taiwanese passport and don’t allow Taiwanese to enter their country.
In terms of tourism, Taiwan hasn’t marketed itself well on this part…which is great since it keeps costs down and authenticity high. The locals tell me the image of Taiwan is temples and night markets, to which I agree. It’s also an Asian island country that doesn’t have many beaches. Again…I think this feature has helped it stay lowkey and out of the tourism limelight.
I generally see Taiwan as a well developed island with smallish cities surrounded by lots of nature. Unlike other well-developed cities in Asia, Taiwan cities are not so big. A short 20 min drive and you’re back in nature, with mountains and coastline. It’s a great balance of modern urban life but also chill and lowkey.
Taiwan is also full of nice food, nice people, nice vibes. Without having been to China, I couldn’t help but see Taiwanese people as a generally more-friendly version of Chinese people. While Taiwanese and Chinese may be culturally and geographically similar, they most definitely see themselves as different and do have enough distinctions between each other.
As an American, I would also say that Taiwanese have a less favorable attitude towards mainland China and more favorable attitude towards America. (That’s for when comparing attitudes between Taiwanese and Chinese people.)
Driving from the top to the bottom of Taiwan takes 5-6 hours. The whole island is small, roughly the size of the Netherlands. You could see the capital city of Taipei in 3-4 days. Make it 7 days to visit 2-3 cities, 2 weeks for a more comprehensive highlight tour. If only as a short stay on your Asia tour, 5 days is a good amount of time to see Taipei and highlights of something else. But you could also stay 2 months and not get bored.
Taiwan’s capital city, full of food and city sights, with nature only a short drive away.
Awesome underrated city for travelers and expats. Very developed and English-friendly, yet cost of everything still low. Has everything you want (all big city conveniences), yet still small and cozy (easy to get around). Easy to get around the rest of the island country. Easy to fly to other Asia.
Also a nice cultural mix of Chinese, Japanese, British, and other international influences. I see Taipei as a great Western-friendly introduction to China (even though it’s not mainland China).
Great city that deserves a solid 5-7 days to explore.
Superficial fancy flashy city of 90% foreigners with ultra-modern architecture, luxury lifestyle, and lively nightlife.
As an American from Los Angeles, Dubai has never appealed to me. If anything the thought of superficial glam and surface-level glam has grossed me out. We already have superficial rich people in LA. We already have a luxury city of hotels and pretty commercial areas in a desert…it’s called Las Vegas.
“No thanks!” – was my immediate response.
But I couldn’t notice that I did have a handful of interesting friends who lived in Dubai. Ones that kept inviting me to stay at their place in Dubai. Since they were traveling often (as many people who live in Dubai are) and didn’t mind sharing their vacant apartment.
Once I finally arrived, I realized a few extra things:
Most locals would say Dubai is not so big. That you can see most tourist-things within 3 days. But others may suggest 5 days to really enjoy the lifestyle and check out the nice restaurants, arts, and nightlife.
Huge country somewhat similar to America (with English-speaking and lots of nature)…but friendlier people, cheaper costs, many things to do, French culture on the east coast, and its own unique vibe!
Canada may not seem high on your tourism list, and many see it as America’s less cool little brother…it does have several places worth visiting and offers its own cool vibe. A highly desirable country to live and visit. I did both…visiting there as a tourist but also living there for 3 months.
What stands out to me about Canada is that it seems very similar to America. But with friendlier people, slight differences on their English (on the east coast), much colder winters, and the French province of Quebec. The French part alone is super cool. If you’re in America, Montreal will feel like a super fast trip to Europe. Also Canada’s main sport is hockey, unlike America with football and basketball. Sports is a big thing in North America and seems like the only culture those countries have (hahaha)…since they aren’t old enough to have their own culture, and also since those countries were taken from the original native Americans (indigenous people) who actually came from there.
You can do a short tour on the east coast covering 2 nearby powerhouses, Montreal and Toronto within 1 week. Can add 1-2 extra days for Quebec City (which is more than just “tiny Montreal”). And another 3-4 days for Vancouver if you want to venture into the west coast. Then add more days to that if you want to visit national parks and nature stuff.
Small city with a nice vibrant old town, many small streets and alleyways. Also more history here than in Samarkand. Feels like the Uzbekistan version of Istanbul.
Bukhara is a great place to be. Feels more local and authentic than Samarkand, also more history than Samarkand. The main open spaces are packed tighter together and feel much less commercial than in Samarkand. Everything is closer together and much more walkable, you won’t even need a Yandex. So definitely, Bukhara will feel more fun. And also, it’s cheaper here.
2-3 days is a good amount to enjoy.
Main capital and boring “big city” of Uzbekistan. Usually a stopping point for the more touristy cities like Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva.
Despite it being a big city, Tashkent is still quite cheap by western standards. Go here to rest or if you need big city comforts. It’s not packed with all the touristy things and culture like the other Silk Road cities (Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva) but it’s the best one if you had to live or stay longer in Uzbekistan.
2 days is probably too long and should be spent elsewhere as much as you can. That’s what most people would say. Because there’s very little tourist-wise in Tashkent.
Conservative but friendly country of the historic Silk Road, with lots of desert and big picturesque mosques.
One of the 4 “Turkic” STANS…Kazahkstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. I’d say Uzbekistan is the best known tourist destinations. Due to its picturesque colorful mosques. Its conservative culture makes it not as big city fun as Kazahkstan (not much of nightlife or fancy things), not as small town charmy as Kyrgyzstan. And though it isn’t worth staying a long time but it’s very much worth seeing.
Each major city and town on the historic Silk Road can be seen within 2 days (3 if you want to spend time inside each site and museum). And since there’s 4 major towns…Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva. You can see all major sites within 8 to 12 days. And best of all, Uzbekistan is very cheap.
Big green city set in a forest in the mountains. (I call it the Mexico City of Kazahkstan.)
Almaty is absolutely the vibe in Kazahkstan. It has everything. Many Kazahks will tell you this is the best place to go. Why? Because the city life is there…all the bars, restaurants, clubs, shopping, activities. But also…the nature is here as well. The whole city is covered in green trees, bushes, and shrubbery everywhere. Feels like you’re walking in a giant park. Yes, the city is hotter temperature than Astana, but you could walk 30km outside all under tree shade if you wanted. A park-like setting is always just outside your door. All the famous lakes (Kolsay, Kaindy, etc), Charyn Canyon, all the nature tours…is also by Almaty.
So whatever you do. Come to Almaty. You can get a good sense of it in 3-5 days. But you also could spend a whole 2 weeks here and not get bored.
Most vibrant city in the Caucasus region, a favorite hip spot for diehard expats.
Georgia is a mountainous country in the Caucasus region, right between southern Europe and the Middle East. Such a distinct culture (with their own cool-looking alphabet), amazing food and a really nice vibe.
Although Tbilisi itself is pretty flat. I do recommend you do at least a few day tours out of the city to get a feel for the amazing mountain terrain. Georgia is so much more than Tbilisi! I really enjoyed wandering around town with local friends and also meeting other foreigners. I met many Russians, Ukrainians and Kazakh people here.
Stay 3-5 days to visit the main sights, neighborhoods, food, and nearby daytrips. But you could also stay longer to soak in the vibe. It’s cheap here! You can get a huge apartment for very little, cheap food, cheap massages, etc.
Sharing the worst airline companies from all my travel experiences.
Low prices, but super small uncomfortable seats. And that’s not the worst part…it’s the horrible trashy people who fly with them. Lots of ghetto folks who are unruly and uncivilized. No fun to be around. Lots of trash talking and even fights on the plane are not unheard of. I haven’t had any bad experiences with Virgin Airlines but have heard many complaints about them, too.
A nice medium-size city. Feels small and walkable yet also big enough to have everything, and also several areas for you to explore.
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