Travelling
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Painted Desert: A Permanent Rainbow in the Desert
Painted Desert is located in Arizona in an area of the Badlands that makes up the Four Corners region (Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexican borders). Also part of Petrified Forest National Park, this area has some amazing geology that has settled into a striped pattern, creating a beautiful rainbow-like landscape. Geology This area has…
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Petrified Forest National Park: Trees Made of Stone
Petrified Forest National Park in the Arizona badlands is an awe-inspiringly beautiful landscape. Not only does it feature beautiful rock formations and stripey geography but also petrified wood. Lying on the ground all over the park, you can get up close and personal with trees of stone, many of which resemble rainbows. This article will…
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Mount Lemmon Highway: Views over the Sonoran Desert
Mount Lemmon, the tallest mountain in the Santa Catalinas just north of Tucson, Arizona, is an important location in terms of ecology, geology and astronomy. Hosting the Mount Lemmon observatory and its supporting town, people live on it year round. As a result, the Mount Lemmon Highway was built connecting the observatory and the city…
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Yakushima: The Southern Coast’s Rocky Beauty
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Hakata Dontaku: One of Japan’s Largest Festivals
Every year on 3 and 4 May, Fukuoka City hosts one of Japan’s largest festivals – Hakata Dontaku. The festival can trace its origins back over 800 years and has been held nearly continuously since. In recent years, over 2 million people come to Fukuoka just to watch the parade, which features over 35,000 dancers,…
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Kanazawa Curry – What is it?
The Ishikawa Prefecture sits in central/western Honshu (depending on how you divide the island). It’s capital, Kanazawa, is known for its rich tradition of handcrafted items, particularly gold leaf, and its preserved Edo-era atmosphere. In fact you can wonder around areas reminiscent of Kyoto’s Gion district without the crowds. However, something else the city is…
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Suihou Ogura Onsen: Unique even in Beppu!
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Ueno Farm: English Gnome Garden in Central Hokkaido
You would think that Hokkaido is one of the farthest places to be from the UK – and you would be right! However that doesn’t stop the Japanese interest in English gardens and gnomes in particular. In Asahikawa, Ueno Farm is the local example going one step further – it is gnome themed. Getting there…
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Manabe Garden: Hokkaido’s Oldest Conifer Garden
Located in Hokkaido’s Obihiro city is Manabe Garden, the site of the first Conifer garden in Japan. Among its collection includes rare plants, many of which were established even before Hokkaido’s modernisation process which started even before the beginning of the Meiji Period (1868-1912). Manabe Garden Manabe Garden (真鍋庭園, Manabe-teien) is a garden that consists…
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Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine: History and Learning in Fukuoka
Near Fukuoka city, Japan, stands the Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine. More than just a spiritual haven, it’s a tapestry woven with threads of history, art, and academic aspiration – a place where scholarly spirit meets serene landscapes. Legend and History of Dazaifu Tenmangu The story of Dazaifu Tenmangu begins in the Heian period (794-1185 CE) with…
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Coming of Age Day in Japan: What you should know
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Kurobuta: Kagoshima’s Special Tonkatsu (Pork Cutlet)
Kurobuta, or “black pork”, is a speciality lean pork cutlet, one of the signature dishes from Kagoshima Prefecture. Located in the southern part of Kyushu, Kagoshima Prefecture hosts a breed of pig known as the “Kagoshima Berkshire”, a species first imported from Berkshire, UK, in the 1860s. History During the Edo Period, very little “meat”…
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Historic Matsumoto: Castle Town of one of Japan’s Original Castles
Like many old castles in Japan, Matsumoto Castle (松本城) was surrounding by an old castle town, which today is known as the Historic Matsumoto Castle Town. This amazing area hosts not only the castle but many preserved streets, artisans, merchants, temples and more! If you make your way to Matsumoto, make sure you allot some…
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St Conan’s Kirk: Argyll’s Hidden Gem (Scotland)
As you head towards the Scottish Highlands and the Hebrides, you no doubt will have to pass through parts of Bute and Argyll – an absolutely beautiful area that is also defined by mountains, islands, lochs and more. There are also some amazing historical sites – Rest and Be Thankful, Ardchattan Priory, and McCaig’s Tower,…
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Shinsui Gorge: Beautiful Columnar (Lava) Jointing
Located in Kirishima city, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, Shinsui Gorge (known as ‘Shinsuikyo’ 神水峡 in Japanese) is a 20-metre gorge that has an intimate history with the surrounding volcanoes that the area is famous for. History of Shinsui Gorge Shinsui Gorge is in Kirishima Geopark, an area with over 20 active volcanoes in close proximity, known…
