Istanbul continues to be popular tourist destination, in spite of unexpectedly high costs for many of its restaurants and attractions. Still, it is a history powerhouse, and has some fantastic food. That’s a big part of why we will soon see a new flight added to the metropolis: AirAsia X Kuala Lumpur to Istanbul. Launching on […]
New San Diego Terminal 1 Open House
Airport fans, rejoice: the new San Diego Terminal 1 is expected to initiate operations next month. For those of us who are too impatient to wait for that first flight to land, the airport will be hosting an open house. As a former, albeit brief, resident of San Diego, I’m glad to be reminded of […]
Hotel Review: Nohga Hotel Kiyomizu Kyoto
A trip to Japan without including a visit to Tokyo is a rare one for me. Nevertheless, the most recent trip took me to Osaka and Kyoto (and Gifu, which has excellent persimmons). It was in Kyoto that I tried out a stay at the Nohga Hotel Kiyomizu Kyoto. Location A quick taxi ride — […]
Review: JR Tokyo Wide Pass
Are you a big fan of Tokyo, but sometimes feel like getting away from the unabashedly urban side of things? Then the JR Tokyo Wide Pass might have your name on it. Who Can Buy the Pass? Just like the JR Tohoku-South Hokkaido, and the JR East (Tohoku Area), rail passes, this one can only […]
Inaugural Flight: UA Tokyo Narita – Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Needing to get from Tokyo to Shenzhen, I opted for an unusual routing: first, the inaugural United Tokyo Narita to Kaohsiung on July 11th, then Kaohsiung to Hong Kong. Although this wasn’t the first time a U.S. carrier has had scheduled service to Kaohsiung, Taiwan’s second-largest city — Continental Micronesia served it until 1998, and […]
Hotel Review: Nohga Hotel Tokyo Ueno
Although I know my way around Tokyo’s most-visited neighborhoods better than many other cities, part of the reason is because I try to stay in a different district each time. To wit, last month, I got to know Akihabara (aka Akiba) a bit better, and this month, it was Ueno’s turn. On that note, let’s […]
Flight Review: Greater Bay Airlines, Hong Kong to Osaka Kansai
Although I tend to prioritize flights from which I could accrue miles, occasionally the rare hat trick of new airline (i.e. one I haven’t yet flown) + convenient times + competitive price manifests. As you probably guessed, this time the hat trick was performed by Hong Kong-based Greater Bay Airlines. Unoriginal name aside (will they […]
Hotel Review: Moxy Bangkok Ratchaprasong
If you’re looking to do heaps of eating and shopping while in the Thai capital, you might want to know more about Moxy Bangkok Ratchaprasong. Location Slightly set back from busy Ratchadamri Road, and just a few minutes walk from the perpetually occupied Sukhuvmit Road, the hotel is in the heart of Chit Lom, one […]
