I was woken up by the sound of a disembodied female voice speaking in heavily Korean-accented but clear English: ”This is an announcement of government support team. Your meal will be served shortly. Please do not open your door except …
Author: Simon Norton
Taiwan: life (almost) as normal during the pandemic
The above photo is Taipei from the Earth God Temple in Nanshijiao, but I’m writing this post in Korea, where I recently did a 14-day stint in government quarantine in order to enter the country (after having to leave Taipei …
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Two Cool Oregon Road Trips
When I visited home last year I finally had the chance to scan the rest of my old pre-digital pics, resulting in a series of photo posts of travels past. Here’s a bunch of pics from two day-trips we took …
Visiting a Maid Cafe in Akihabara, Tokyo
Akihabara: ground zero for the weird & whacky otaku Japan that exists mostly in the fantasies of nerds who love manga & anime or shitty J-pop music. It’s niche rather than representative, but it’s an interesting little corner of Tokyo …
Whale Watching in Kaikoura, New Zealand
Kaikoura’s a cute little town located on a gorgeous stretch of coastline an hour north of Christchurch on New Zealand’s South Island. It offers lovely scenery, a laid back atmosphere, and famous seafood (crayfish in particular), but the main draw …
A few pics of New Zealand’s stunning roads
One of the best things you can do in New Zealand is just simply drive somewhere a few hours away. This is especially true if you have your own wheels (though the bus rides are lovely too), and especially true …
Tokyo 2020 Olympics guide
The Tokyo 2020 Olympics will be the second summer games held in Japan’s capital, and the fourth in Asia (following Tokyo 1964, Seoul 1988, and Beijing 2008). Tokyo’s changed a lot since 1964 (and is surely a much easier city …
On Getting Stuck
Getting stuck somewhere isn’t usually what you have in mind when dreaming of seeing the world, but if you do much long-distance backpacking it’s bound to happen at some point – in fact, it’s all part of the fun. You …
Happy New Year & Updates from Taipei
…and that’s how they do New Year fireworks in Taipei. We were stood about a mile west of Taipei 101, just up the road from our friend’s bar. The crowds are like this along whichever roads have a view of …
Life in Taipei: 10 weeks in Sanchong
For the last 10 weeks since getting back to Taipei I’ve been staying in Sanchong, a rough & ready district of New Taipei across the Tamsui River to the west of Taipei proper. It’s actually on a large island, with …
A Taipei Day Out: from Bali to Tamsui by ferry
Tamsui is a nice little town at the mouth of the Tamsui River in New Taipei City, at the northern end of the Taipei Metro Red Line. It’s a popular spot to get out of the city for a day …
2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan
Hello from Taipei, where I recently arrived back after a month in Japan for the Rugby World Cup while running my website Rugby Guide Japan (archived here), and before that a month seeing family back home (though I likely won’t …
Rugby Guide Japan Archive
This is the main navigation page for my old website Rugby Guide Japan, which was a guide to help rugby fans visiting Japan for the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Following the end of the tournament I took the website down, …
Japan Sightseeing Guide
Tokyo obviously has more than plenty to see & do in its own right, and you can easily fill your free time between events (see here). But if you have a few days spare between, before, or after your events, …
Japan Transportation Guide
Transportation Within Tokyo You’ll mostly travel by train within Tokyo (and probably any other cities you visit), with the majority of Olympic venues easily walkable from their nearest train station (though there are a few outliers which will presumably have …
Japan Autumn Colours Guide for the Rugby World Cup
This post originally appeared on my Rugby Guide Japan website (which is archived here if you want to check it out), providing information for rugby fans attending 2019 Rugby World Cup matches in Japan. But obviously autumn is still autumn …
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Tokyo 2020: how to get online in Japan
Despite the high tech reputation (or perhaps due to it), first time visitors to Japan may be surprised to find things actually more analogue than they’re used to at home. Cash is king, and subway tickets are paper stubs; until …
Tokyo 2020 Olympics: useful links & resources
Where to Stay Use Hotels Combined to scan all the online booking engines for the best rates. For recommendations on specific areas to stay in see here Search for the best deals on hotels in Tokyo Airbnb is also a great option …
The Quest for Michelin Starred Ramen in Tokyo
An oft-quoted fact in media travel & food articles about Tokyo is that the Japanese capital has more Michelin stars than any other city on earth. This is often presented as something of a surprising statistic, but of course given …
Tokyo Quick Guide
Where to Stay for the Tokyo Olympics For the majority of events it’s best to stay somewhere in central Tokyo. Click on each area name to search it on Hotels Combined: All things considered, Shinjuku is probably the best call, …
