Far East
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Japan Backpacking Route
The land of the rising sun continues to fascinate visitors with its unique cultural quirks and futuristic cities. Few countries are easier to get around with Japan’s bullet trains, making getting from A to B as straight-forward and fast as could be. Below, we’ll outline one possible Japan backpacking route taking in all of the most popular destinations, most of which have excellent rail links. Backpacking Japan – Route Info TIME NEEDED – 2-3 WEEKS This itinerary is suitable for anyone backpacking Japan in two weeks at a push, but three weeks would feel more relaxed and allow you to delve a little deeper into each destination. Conveniently, the popular…
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The Busiest Airports in China & the new Mega Airports
In this post, we’re going to to look at the busiest airports in China with demand for air travel, both domestic and international, having boomed in the country in recent years. China is busy building new airports or expanding and modernising existing ones too with the trend expected to continue once we finally move on from the Covid-19 pandemic. For this article, we have used data from 2019, the last year before the pandemic, to rank the airports below. Figures are rounded up or down to the nearest 100,000 in all circumstances. Passenger numbers relates to the annual total including both domestic and international travel and is according to CAAC…
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5 of the Best Places to live in South Korea & Cost of Living Guide
South Korea is one of Asia’s wealthiest countries and a popular destination for people looking to live abroad and save up some money, particularly those with English language skills given the abundance of teaching jobs. In this post, we’re going to look at some of the best and cheapest cities to live in South Korea. 5 of the Best Places to Live in South Korea Seoul Pretty much any rundown of the best cities to live in South Korea has to include the capital, so we may as well start in Seoul. Like all mega cities, it will divide opinion to some extent, but this vast metropolis with a metropolitan…
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The Fastest Trains in the World
Due to the environmental impact of flying, most would agree that high-speed rail has a big part to play in the future of both domestic and international travel. Trains are getting faster and more high-speed links are being built across the world. However the cost of using the fastest trains in the world remains high in most cases. The World’s Fastest Trains When you think of fast trains, you may be inclined to immediately think of the Far East and it is true that Japan and China largely lead the way when it comes to high speed rail with some outrageously fast bullet train services. Rail Speed Records Watch this…
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The Largest Subway Systems in the World
Today, we’re going to try to find the largest subway system in the world. As some of the world’s megacities continue to grow, there are many expanding subway, metro and underground systems catering to increasing numbers of passengers each year. That’s particularly the case in China which has expanded its five largest metro networks since the start of 2020 and dominates this countdown. The most complete set of data we could find measuring the length and annual ridership of global subway/metro networks was this Wikipedia article and the data comes from there and is accurate as of early July 2021. However it is worth noting that there are at times…
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5 Chinese Cities that are cheap to live in & offer a high Quality of Life
In this post we’ll look at some of the best and cheapest cities to live in China. Despite the country’s dramatic economic growth in the 21st Century, it is still mostly an affordable place to live. Away from Beijing and Shanghai, which are slightly more expensive, there are some vibrant cities which offer both a high quality of life and great value. Here are five of the best options for anyone looking for a balance between the two. 5 of the Best & Cheapest Cities to Live in China Guangzhou If you’re looking for the buzz of a growing Chinese megacity but aren’t willing to fork out a bit extra…
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5 Japanese Cities that are cheap to live in & offer a high Quality of Life
While it’s quite difficult to find legal paths to moving and settling in Japan permanently, there are many ways and schemes that enable you to experience life in Japan for a shorter period of time. The most famous is the JET programme and if you are planning to teach in Japan or will be based there for any other reason, this post should help you on the path to deciding where to go. It features some of the best and cheapest cities to live in Japan, with a focus on those places that are affordable while also offering a high quality of life. 5 of the Cheapest Cities to Live…
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The Most Visited Countries in Asia
As the world’s largest and most populated continent, Asia is an incredibly diverse place with a wide range of popular travel destinations. In this post we will run down the five most visited countries in Asia according to official UN figures for global tourism. The figures quoted are for 2018 as some countries have not published their data for 2019 yet. Top 5 Most Visited Countries in Asia 1. China – 62.9 million visits (in 2018) China is officially the most visited country in Asia and by some margin. Whilst emerging as a 21st Century superpower, China has invested hugely into its travel infrastructure. Cities such as Beijing and Shanghai…
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Seoul Local Tips – 5 Ideas for Activities & Things to Do
Featuring the thoughts of a resident in South Korea, here are five Seoul local tips for activities and interesting things to do. Ideal for anyone looking for some quick inspiration of how to pass time in the Korean capital. You may also enjoy our look at the best and cheapest cities to live in South Korea if you’re planning on moving to the country to live. by Michael Geer Why you should Visit Seoul Seoul is the capital of South Korea and one of the post populated metropoli on the planet! This sprawling city is loaded with sites both ancient and modern to explore. Here are five sites I think…
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5 Local Tips for Visiting Busan
This post contains five Busan local tips from a resident in the city. Read on for a little bit of quick inspiration as to what to do in South Korea’s second city. by Michael Geer Why you should Visit Busan Busan is an incredible city! Though not as large as Seoul, it possesses a vibrancy and vitality that Seoul often lacks. Here the weather is milder, the people friendlier, and the sites have that sweet, sandy charm only a beach city can claim. Here are five awesome things to enjoy in Busan! (In no particular order). Busan Local Tips – 5 things to Do 1. Haedong Yonggungsa Temple: The “water”…