• Asia,  Japan,  Travel

    Hiking 3776m up Mount Fuji

    The image of Mount Fuji comes to my mind when I think of Japan. It is Japan’s highest mountain towering at 3 667 m. For centuries this mountain has been a sacred site for pilgrims and a source of inspiration for many artists as well as poets. For me, it is a reminder of how perseverance and determination can help conquer what seems impossible. When I decided to climb to the summit of Mount Fuji, I was a very inexperienced hiker. I had never before climbed to such a high altitude. Mount Fuji has 10 stations along the route to the top. The majority of tourists or sightseers ride a…

  • Asia,  South Korea,  Travel

    Korea’s Sex Park!

    Throughout my travels I have seen numerous parks. However, Korea’s Sex Park definitely tops my chart for its uniqueness. This interesting park, which is also named Jeju Loveland, is home to 140 erotic statues that express the theme of sexuality. It was built in 2004 by students from Seoul’s Hongik University. Now, it has become a very popular attraction for both locals and tourists. Considering that sex is not openly talked about in Korean society, this park is indeed very unique to Korea! Watch this short video and get a glimpse into this sex park! What has been the most unique park that you have visited? Related: Korea’s Penis Park

  • Australia,  Oceania,  Travel

    Cuddling Koalas and Feeding Kangaroos!

    While traveling in Queensland, Australia, we made a stopover in Brisbane. We specifically went to Brisbane to visit the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. It is the world’s first and largest koala sanctuary. It serves as a habitat for at least 130 koalas. At the sanctuary, observing and learning about the koalas was very educational. However, I was mostly eager to cuddle a koala. This rare opportunity to hold and cuddle a koala was very special. Surprisingly, I felt very comfortable holding the koala, even though I could feel its tiny claws. Within the sanctuary, there was also a 5-acre kangaroo reserve, where over 130 kangaroos roamed around freely. It was…

  • Asia,  South Korea,  Travel

    Why is this Korean Park full of Penises?

    In South Korea, sexuality is a topic that is not openly expressed. Thus, it might be quite alarming to learn that Korea has an entire park consisting of about 50 phallic statues. Situated along Korea’s east coast, approxiately 20 km south from Samcheok, lies a Penis Park. This unique park also known as Haesindang Park belongs to a small town called Sinnam. According to legend, a fisherman took a maid out to the sea and left her on a rock to harvest some seaweed. He promised he would return later and bring her back to shore. Tragically however, there was a very heavy rainstorm and the woman eventually drowned and…

  • Asia,  Indonesia,  Travel

    Surfing at Kuta Beach, Indonesia

    Kuta beach in Bali, Indonesia, is extremely touristy and crowded. The beach is teeming with locals and tourists, who are relaxing on the beach or most likely surfing. When we arrived at Kuta beach, we immediately decided to take a surfing lesson. Our surfing instructor taught us the basics of surfing and handed us both a surfboard. So, with my surfboard in hand, I walked into the water not knowing how this experience would turn out. I had no idea if I would like surfing, but I had to try. I was in the water for an hour, before I decided I was done with surfing. Let me say it…

  • Asia,  Jordan,  Travel

    Wadi Rum: Jordan’s Red Desert

    Some places are just so beautiful that words and pictures don’t do them justice. The desert of Wadi Rum is a perfect example. As we were riding the jeep through this Jordanian desert, I couldn’t help but feel capitivated by the red sand. This was the first time I had ever seen a desert with red sand. I felt incredibly happy! The tall cliffs scattered throughout the red desert, definitely added character to the landscape. Wadi Rum is a fairly isolated place. The only inhabitants, who permanently live here are Bedouin nomads and villagers. We stayed in this tent overnight, accompanied by Bedouins. We had a fun evening of listening…

  • Australia,  Oceania,  Travel

    Is it Worth Climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge?

    The Syndey Habour Bridge, is one of Australia’s most famous landmarks. It is nicknamed “The Coathanger” due to its arch-based design. It stands 134 metres above the Syndey harbour, and is the world’s largest (but not the longest) steel arch bridge. Tourists and locals have the opportunity to climb to the top of this bridge with an organization named Bridge Climb. We had only one day left in Australia and we were still on the fence of whether we should climb the bridge. It was a rainy day, and this adventure was extremely costly. It was about $220 per person for the climb. After some contemplating, we finally decided perhaps…

  • Europe,  Spain,  Travel

    Barcelona’s Chocolate Museum

    I had never heard of a chocolate museum, until I starting reading about Barcelona’s tourist attractions. A chocolate museum! How cool is that? Without any hesitation, I put Barcelona’s Museu de la Xocolata on our World Trip travel itinerary. At the chocolate museum, we spent an hour or so, learning about the origins of chocolate in Europe and looking at some awesome chocolate exhibits. I was truly impressed by the details and creativity of each of the exhibits. Below are some of the chocolate displays we saw during our visit. At the end of our tour, we treated ourselves to hot chocolate. We were given a spoon with our cup…

  • Asia,  Singapore,  Travel

    Clean and Green Singapore

    Even though we only visited Singapore for a few days, I was left with a great impression of this small island-country. Now when I think of Singapore the words: shopping, food, clean, and green immediately come to mind. Singapore is a mecca for shopping. There are countless plazas, malls, and shops. Ubiquitous signs for sales and discounts are displayed on sidewalks. When locals and tourists are not shopping, they seem to be relishing in Singapore’s other treasure, food. International cuisine is very easy to find in Singapore, one only needs to walk into a food court to find a handful of different cuisines. While we were in Singapore, we tried…