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Kyoto Food
There are many types of food to explore in Kyoto and we love all of it. We had the gift of time, which allowed us to scope out many restaurants and make reservations for later dates. If you don’t have the time for that, you can either plan a day early in your visit where you go to these places and make reservations for later in your visit, or ask your hotel to reserve for you. You may want to be more spontaneous. We certainly found some great places by just walking in and ge
Next Stage Travel
Jan 1624 min read


Japan - The Basics
Things that make sense in Japan? We've got you covered: bathrooms, restaurant reservations, transportation, visas, phone cards and more. Isn't Japan Really Expensive? Not necessarily. Even when exchange rates were seriously not in the favor of US dollars, we found some key ways to keep expenses low. Use a business hotel : our choice has usually been Toyoko Inn , but there are several brands that are similar, such as Dormy Inn , Tokyu Stay and Daiwa Roynet . These are often a
Next Stage Travel
Jan 1611 min read


Food in Fukuoka
Some tips we include in other Japan blog locations hold true for Fukuoka, including: Food courts in the basement of large department stores like Daimaru and Mitsukoshi are local experiences you shouldn't miss, and great places to find lower-cost meals and food souvenirs. Reservations are often necessary and always appreciated. If a restaurant says they are full, and you see empty seats, don't take it personally. Many restaurants plan food purchases based on reservations. If y
Next Stage Travel
Jan 145 min read


Nagasaki: 9 Things To Do plus Food and Arita day trip
This is a great city for museums, shopping (including antiques!), rich history, and lovely walks. Jump to the Food recommendations here , Hotels here , and Arita day trip here . We were based near the JR station which has many malls all around it and easy transport by bus or tram everywhere in the city. If you arrive at the port (on a cruise) or are near the port, there is a bus stop very close that gives excellent instructions in English and offers an all-day pass for 600 ye
Next Stage Travel
Jan 1413 min read
Driving a car in Japan
Public transit in Japan is fantastic, and we have taken at least 10 trips to Japan without needing to drive. But on our trip to Kyushu, several of the places we wanted to visit were rural and did not have much public transit (bus or train) infrastructure. Reserving a car I tried to rent a car online directly from several of the major car rental companies. Toyota, Nissan and Times (formerly Mazda rent-a-car) all wanted Japanese addresses and/or ID numbers. So I ended up renti
Next Stage Travel
Jan 144 min read


Kagoshima: 6 Things to do Plus Hotels and Food
One of the bigger cities on Kyushu with over half a million people, Kagoshima is a nice place to spend a few days. Jump to our Food , Hotel , or Shopping sections on this page. Sengan-en This is one of the final residences and gardens used by the Shimadzu clan at the end of the Edo period and after the Meiji restoration in 1868. Both the house and gardens are spectacular. It’s easy to spend several hours here even though the gardens are relatively compact, between eating lu
Next Stage Travel
Jan 147 min read


Kyushu: Things to Do and Places to Eat throughout Kyushu
On this page you can jump to sections on Kumamoto , Yakushima , Yufuin , Beppu , Takachiho (Gorge) and Mt. Aso , and Obi Castle Town in Nichinan There are separate pages for Kagoshima things to do and food , Fukuoka things to do , Food in Fukuoka , and Nagasaki To Do and Eat . Also, note that we mostly used trains and buses to get from place to place. We did, however, rent a car when going from Beppu to Takachiho to Obi Castle Town in Nichinan to Kagoshima, and then when w
Next Stage Travel
Jan 1419 min read


9 Things to do in Fukuoka
Fukuoka, the capital of Fukuoka prefecture, is the biggest city on Kyushu. There’s a lot to see, do and eat. We spent a total of 5 days in Fukuoka and still didn’t see everything we wanted to. For details on restaurants in Fukuoka, check out our post " Food in Fukuoka " 1) Dazaifu Tenmangu This large temple complex and the Kyushu National Museum (below) are located in the town of Dazaifu, a suburb of Fukuoka. This temple is dedicated to learning and education so many people
Next Stage Travel
Jan 146 min read
Food in Hoi An and Hue
By the time we got to Hoi An, we’d been in Vietnam for 3 weeks, and Thailand for 10 days. The increased cost of food in Hoi An was a little surprise. Six dollars for dinner?! $2 for a cup of coffee? That’s crazy. Hoi An is a resort town and the prices match if you buy tourist food. There are three categories of food–at least in our minds. Market Food : at the night markets, there are stands selling lots of fried things and things on skewers. A lot of this food is geared to
Next Stage Travel
Jan 124 min read


Food in Hanoi
Food in Hanoi, Vietnam We've got you, foodies! We searched out all the standards in Hanoi, plus some extras we learned about from hotel staff. We were so lucky to have inside tips from a local food maven. It was better than a street food tour! Finally, we have our list of sweet treats in Hanoi! General rules: The more rustic your seating and the chef's tools, the better the food will be. This means you'll need to sit on the sidewalk on little plastic stools at little plast
Next Stage Travel
Jan 1223 min read


Recipes
Here are a few choice items representative of our travels. We love to cook, but this collection is unique in that all items were discovered in another country and then tested in our home kitchen. Israel Wasabi Sorbet from Uri Buri in Acre/Akko 1 Tbs wasabi powder whisked into 1 cup of cold water. (This will give a significant bite. We have tried it with half as much wasabi and it is also good.) 2/3 cup sugar syrup (we typically do a 50/50 water/sugar syrup) 2 tsp rice vineg
Next Stage Travel
Jan 124 min read


Food in Sapporo
NIJO MARKET AREA Nijo Market is a great place to see local fresh seafood and other Hokkaido products, as well as eat some of those items....
Next Stage Travel
Oct 3, 202514 min read


Noboribetsu
Noboribetsu is an onsen town about an hour south of Sapporo along the coast. It borders the Shikotsu-Toya National Park. The onsen...
Next Stage Travel
Oct 3, 20253 min read


11 Things to do in Sapporo, Japan
Day trips from Sapporo is a separate blog post. Shopping Perhaps because Sapporo is snowy for much of the year, there is a great deal of...
Next Stage Travel
Oct 3, 20259 min read


Day Trips from Sapporo, Japan
1) Yoichi/Otaru How to get there from Sapporo You can take the train (Airport Rapid Express) or bus (Chuo Bus) to Yoichi and/or Otaru. ...
Next Stage Travel
Oct 3, 20253 min read


Medical Korea: Prescription Glasses and Contacts
#medical korea #Korea glasses Perhaps you've seen the viral videos with easy and cheap prescription glasses services in South Korea. Is...
Next Stage Travel
Oct 3, 20252 min read


Food in Seoul
The food in Korea is varied and delicious! Worried about spice levels? We got you covered. Anything Sarah can handle, you can. Below we...
Next Stage Travel
Oct 3, 20259 min read


Korea: The Basics
Check out our blog posts for specifics on Dermatology Korea , Things to Do in Seoul , Food , and Buying Eyeglasses and Contacts . Seoul...
Next Stage Travel
Oct 3, 20252 min read


Medical Korea: Dermatology, Korean Facial
#medical korea #dermatology #korean facial #allergy test Wondering how to take advantage of the high-quality low-price medical care in...
Next Stage Travel
Oct 3, 20257 min read
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