In mid-May, I traveled to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Standing amid magnificent ruins, I touched the history of humanity and civilization stretching back millennia to prehistoric times. I also glimpsed the rich lives of people living in the present and their future. Jordan sharpens a visitor's sense of history and time, offering encounters with the Middle East rich in fascination.
"Getting sick on the road is just part of the deal."
Whenever I say that, people often laugh and tell me I must be physically weak.
Mumbai Monsoon: Reflections on Travel and Weather
I’ve never minded rain when traveling. There’s a certain calm beauty to unfamiliar lands glistening under a downpour, and witnessing the ingenious ways people adapt their lives seems, if anything, enriching.
Udon Thani isn't your typical Thai destination. Located in the Isaan region, the vast agricultural heartland of Northeast Thailand, this commercial city sits roughly 340 miles from the buzz of Bangkok.
Even when the COVID-19 pandemic kept us grounded, unable to embark on new adventures, my thoughts often drifted to travels—past journeys, future possibilities, and the threads connecting them all.
I usually consider myself a traveler on the move, rarely staying long in one place. I seldom linger even in a single city, and extended stays at the same accommodation are almost unheard of for me.
They say there's a "Stone Town" in India. A Stone Town? Even in a country as vast as India, could such a place, seemingly straight out of an RPG, truly exist? Would I need to find special items or meet wise sages just to reach it?
People sometimes ask for my favorite country or region. It's a sweeping question with no easy answer, of course. But there are certain lands that hold a strange fascination—before, during, and long after a visit.
My 2019 began unconventionally: exploring Vladivostok and Khabarovsk right after New Year's Day. It wasn't a quest for profound epiphanies or a deep dive into the aesthetics of a sub-zero world.
In the early days of summer, I found myself settling in for a stay in Sweden. This wasn't a spur-of-the-moment escape from Japan's sweltering heat, but rather a long journey conceived vaguely the previous winter.