Johnny

Boxer, dancer, tech guy...now living free and carefree around the world. I'm not traveling, I'm just going home to a new place.

Japan – quick travel guide

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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?

  1. That Japan is everything you thought it would be. Just like how Italy is very Italian. Japan is very Japanese. It’s very much a caricature of itself (in a good way).
  2. That Japan is even more than what you thought it would be. Many people think because they ate heard Jpop music, seen it in movies, and ate sushi, ramen, curry, teppan grill, etc…that they are familiar with Japan. But no! Just like how Mexico is more than just tacos, beaches, and mariachi music…Japan is so much more than how western pop culture portrays it.
  3. Japan is a comfortable blend of exotic yet familiar, modern yet traditional, fun yet safe place to travel. Foods are not too crazy. And things function more or less in a familiar western way. The people here are polite and helpful, and speak enough English to make even first time travelers feel comfortable.
  4. Very easy to get around in Japan. Lots of public transportation. The language although is not similar to English or other Western languages, can be pronounced easier than other Asian languages (since Japanese isn’t a tonal language), and is also written in legible latin characters.
  5. I highly recommend Japan for first-time travelers wanting a new

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.

  • 3 weeks would allow a much fuller image if you’re already enjoying what you see.
  • And a month would be great if you really want to experience the far ends (northeast and southwest).

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Don’t buy the JAPAN RAIL PASS

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The JR Pass most likely WON’T save you MONEY or TIME.

  • Visiting for 10 days or fewer, or 5 cities or fewer?
  • Using the bullet train only a fewer times?
  • Most staying in places longer than just 3 days at a 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!

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Stockholm – quick travel guide

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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.

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Busan – quick travel guide

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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.

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Sokcho – quick travel guide

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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.

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Taiwan – quick travel guide

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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.

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Taipei – quick travel guide

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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.

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Dubai – quick travel guide

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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:

  • Dubai definitely has a class system with many layers. All kinds of rich, middle, and poor (or service workers). And many people from many places (Europe and Asia mostly). And with seemingly, good social mobility.
  • Just about everybody speaks English.
  • The city has actually over-delivered upon its image for many people. I hear many stories of people who moved here for work, thinking they wouldn’t like it but ended up liking it. The standard of living is high (great infrastructure, very safe, cost is low considering the luxury life you have), and they liked meeting and having nice connections with people from all around the world.
  • Dubai is also a conveniently-located central point to Europe, Asia, Africa.

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.

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Canada – quick travel guide

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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.

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Bukhara – quick travel guide

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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.

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Tashkent – quick travel guide

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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.

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Uzbekistan – quick travel guide

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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.

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Almaty – quick travel guide

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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.

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Tbilisi – quick travel guide

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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.

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Worst Airlines – avoid flying with them if you can!

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Sharing the worst airline companies from all my travel experiences.

1. America

  • Alaska Air
  • Spirit

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.

2. South America

  • Copa Airlines – I had stuff stolen from my checked-in luggage. Some useless items like personal care lotions and what not, but also sentimental items like a custom-made shirt. Don’t bother buying baggage insurance because it doesn’t cover you in the event that your “luggage is damaged” or malfunctioning zipper. And guess what…that’s how they break into your luggage. So basically…the theft voids your insurance. Hahaha, what a joke of an insurance scam.

3. Europe

  • RyanAir & Wizzair – really shitty experience all around. Hidden fees for every essential thing (like carry-on luggage), check-in penalties if you don’t do online check-in way ahead of time, small cramped uncomfortable seats, no free water or food on plane.
  • AirSerbia – lots of delays.
  • LOT Airlines – delayed or cancelled flights. And their staff never has an answer or update to tell you. If you ever need to connect between Krakow and Warsaw…you might be wise to just take the train instead to avoid missing your connection.

4. Asia

  • VietJet & Vietnam Airlines – it’s a race to the bottom for these two. Aside from unfriendly staff and unprofessional way of dealing with issues that always seem to come up…the worst part is the flight delays. You can always expect 2-4hr delays. 6-12hrs is not unheard of. Just about everyone traveling in Vietnam has had a horror story with one of these two companies.

Wroclaw – quick travel guide

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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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Greece – quick travel guide

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The famous country of ancient mythical gods and present-day picturesque beaches.

Greece to me is a mix between Italy and Turkey. And in so many ways. Culturally, historically, architecturally, ethnically…it’s a mix of the Italian Mediterranean vibes of Turkish Arabian influences. Personalities of the people are also a bit similar to me…something between Italian warmth and Turkish fire/sassiness. Pricewise, it’s also in the middle of those 2.

I haven’t spent enough time to really know all about Greece but can suggest you look carefully at why you’re going. I think back in the days, Greece was considered as a cheaper beach alternative to Italy. Today…if you’re really looking for a cheap beach destination, maybe Montenegro or Albania is for you. Greece is indeed still cheaper than Italy in general but not like it used to be. But if you know that what you really seek is specifically Greek culture and greek things, then yes of course…go to Greece.

Greece needs a minimum of 5-7 days. So you can do a couple days in Athens (seeing historic stuff), then check out the beach life on some islands. If you wanted to do more, 10-15 days should be solid to see a variety of places.

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France – quick travel guide

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Learn about the most romantic country in the world. It’s sights and culture.

France reminds me a lot about Italy. In that it’s a place many people already know about, long before they get there. French culture is everywhere in pop culture and media. It’s repeatedly romanticized (and for good reason) and imitated, and inspired by.

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Sweden – quick travel guide

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Beautiful island country (over 200,000), blending modern minimalist technology with old fashion homesteading lifestyle.

To someone who isn’t familiar with Sweden or Nordic European countries…Sweden is ultra-modern and minimalist. In architecture, general design of how all Swedish things look. The culture is somewhat like a more futuristic Germany (as I would say is typical with nordic countries). Landscape-wise, the country is made of many little islands all connected to each other. Imagine like a mix of a more minimalist Germany and Netherlands put together.

The lifestyle is very much homesteading. If you ever wanted to have big city comforts but still be in touch with nature, growing your own food, biking everywhere, and being surrounded with trees and green, Sweden is the spot for you. I think outsiders imagine Sweden as a country of technology and minimalism, but it’s very much a nature place as well.

You could easily see a couple main cities in Sweden within 10 days. 5 days is minimum to get a vibe. Stay longer to enjoy different towns. I would say Swedish cities are not so drastically different from each other like in other countries (Rome vs Venice).

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Paris vs London – which city is better

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Deciding between these 2 popular capital cities?

I don’t blame you. Both have many to offer, and also share many similarities. However, there are still many distinctions that can set them apart.

Of course…I recommend you to visit both and see for yourself, but I’ll still make this guide in case you want to hear more opinions beforehand.

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