Editor’s note: this concludes TRT writer Sam Spector’s amazing look into Uzbekistan. To read the rest, click on the links in the first paragraph below, or click here to visit his index page. When visiting Uzbekistan, most people visit the three main Silk Road cities: Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva, with maybe a day to fly…
Editor’s note: it is kind of fun to read someone else’s take on the exact same trip I took, which is exactly what you’ll get here from Jackie, my mom. While you can read my guides to Tokyo here, and the Kansai region here, I hope you’ll all enjoy her experience as well, especially what…
Editor’s note: with the third on a series of Uzbekistan, I can safely say that readers will add this Central Asian country to their bucket lists thanks solely to Sam Spector. You can click here to read about Bukhara and here to read about Tashkent. And for all of Sam’s amazing writing, click here to…
Since starting The Royal Tour, I’ve had the opportunity to visit more than 30 countries. Most of those, specifically in Europe, are very western in culture. Yes, there are some differences from life here in the U.S., but largely, Americans can navigate without too many issues. Japan, while a modern country with easily used infrastructure,…
Tokyo is obviously Japan’s premier gateway, and at about 40 million people in the metro area, is the largest city in the world. But this region, called Kansai, is Japan’s second largest (roughly 20 million) and maybe the most popular part of the country with tourists. Sitting to the southwest of Tokyo, roughly 2-3 hours…
Editor’s note: this is the second article of TRT writer Sam Spector’s journey to Uzbekistan. Click here to read the first, about Tashkent. If these two pieces don’t make you want to make this trip, nothing will! For more of Sam’s amazing adventures, click here to visit his index page. Outside of Uzbekistan, if people…
In a country full of beautiful places, this might be at the top of the list. It is early afternoon at Osaka Castle Park, one alternating between somewhat sunny and totally overcast, humid with rain expected in the evening. The park is green, the cherry blossoms are out in full force, and the castle dominates…
Several years ago, after my first trip to Japan, I wrote an article about how I thought Kyoto was overrated. (Click here to read it.) But fresh off my return trip to my previously least favorite city on the planet, Naples, which led to a redemption of sort, I was excited to go back to…
I’ve done this trip twice, once on each of my journeys to Japan. And both times, it has been among the highlights of my entire time in the country. After all, combining one of the coolest temples in a country full of cool temples with a chance to feed the sacred deer is a day…
I’m sure Kobe, Japan’s seventh largest city with a population around 1.5 million, has a lot of things going for it. I’m sure it has pretty parks, great museums, beautiful temples, and some solid history. I’m sure that if I spent a week or two here, I’d find some of those things and be able…