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How to Travel to Tibet Without a Tour
Many people often ask, “How can I travel to Tibet without a tour?” The process, while it seems difficult, is actually straightforward and a lot easier than you think. Tibet is generally defined as Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) located in western China. While this is true, Tibet, the cultural region, extends much further into China. One can visit additional parts of Tibet in Gansu, Sichuan, Qinghai, and Yunnan provinces. These provinces, plus TAR make up what is known as the three traditional regions of Tibet: Lhasa, Kham, and Amdo. Kham encompasses parts of northern Yunnan Province and western Sichuan Province. Amdo extends into parts of Sichuan Province, Qinghai Province, and Gansu Province. Lhasa…
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How to Spend a Layover in Macau
Dubbed the Las Vegas of Asia, Macau is one of the world’s top tourist destinations and just a short boat ride away from Hong Kong. This small and compact autonomous Chinese territory is the world’s most densely populated place and a great place to spend a layover given the small size and relative easy of getting around. This is how I spent my layover in Macau: Hong Kong to Macau I arrived in Hong Kong from Myanmar around 6:00pm and had a flight back to Tokyo around 4:30 the next day. Seeing how I had already been to Hong Kong, I decided to make a quick visit to Macau. From…
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Visiting Zhangjiajie (Avatar Mountains) in November
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, the place that served as the inspiration for the setting of the movie Avatar, is one of the most popular places in China and for good reason. If you’re in China and have time, take a flight over to Zhangjiajie (airport code DYG). From the airport, take a taxi for about an hour to the park. The park is rather big and most suggest you dedicate at least 3 days here; I did two and thought it was sufficient. The entry ticket will be 248/145 RMB depending if you visit during the high or low season. Within the park, you’ll need a lot of money for…
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Being Black in China
Many wonder what being Black in China is like. This is a tough and complex question, but it largely depends on a variety of factors. The city one is in, one’s nationality, skin color/physical features, gender, etc. City: In major cities like Beijing and Shanghai, the average local is educated and well-traveled enough to not really stare at you. Also, in major cities, Black foreigners are more common, which means many locals will probably have had some interaction with Black people at some point in their life. In smaller cities/provinces, Black people are rare of course; however, that doesn’t mean you will be mistreated. Locals in smaller cities will be…
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5 Places You Must Visit in South Korea
South Korea is one of my favorite countries of all time. I spent a little over 2 years here working and was able to see much of this beautiful country. While it is a relatively small country, it is packed with tons of things to see and do. Here are 5 places you must visit in South Korea in no particular order. 1) Seoul This is a no brainer. The capital and livest city in the world in my opinion. You could easily spend 4 or 5 days here. Seoul has everything: great restaurants, nightlife, history, culture, fashion, you name it. I doubt you’ll find too many people who do…
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Being Black in Korea
I spent 27 months in South Korea and loved every minute of it. Coming as a 21 year-old fresh out of college was the experience of a lifetime. Until this day, it remains as one of the best times in my life. I am often asked my experience being Black in Korea. While it is true that anti-blackness exists in Korea (as it does all over the world) it is not to the extent most people think. I recall very few instances of overt anti-blackness during my time here. It is important to note that my experience as a Black person may have been different from others based on my Japanese…
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How to Spend a Layover in Hong Kong
I had the best possible layover in Hong Kong, I arrived at 12:00AM from South Korea and my flight bound for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia was 12:00AM the next day, giving me a full 24 hours to explore Hong Kong. I stayed at the Chungking Mansions, which is the cheapest form of accommodation in Hong Kong, but even then, it was a bit pricey for the quality. Below, I’ll highlight how to spend a layover in Hong Kong. As long as you have about 8 hours, you should be able to comfortably see everything below. 1) Tian Tan Buddha (1-2 hours) Tian Tan Buddha is one of Hong Kong’s most iconic…
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Hiking Tokoro National Park
Hiking Taroko National Park is an absolute must in Taiwan, especially for those that love nature. It’s a bit of a journey getting there, but you can do a day trip if you’re short on time. Getting There First, you need to stop at Hualien or Sincheng station, which are the closest points to the park. You can either take a plane, bus, or train to get there. I took the train from Taipei station to Sincheng and paid around 440 NTD for the two-hour journey. I recommend you leave as early as possible to maximize your time at the park. From Sincheng, you will need to purchase a bus…
