Utsunomiya is the main city of Tochigi prefecture, a place that`s consistently voted one of the most boring prefectures of Japan. Many people are underwhelmed with this city and see it as just a gateway to Nikko, one of the most culturally rich places in Japan. Don`t wipe Utsunomiya from your itinerary though. This city…
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You carry your heavy backpack through the threshold of the front door, nonchalantly throw your bag on the floor and sit on the sofa. At first your surroundings feel reassuringly comfortable. You know where everything is, the toilet is clean and you can make yourself a cup of tea whenever you want. The first…
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When people ask me what my favourite country is, I always say Thailand. Thailand is such a diverse country and you just can’t compare the countryside in the North to the hedonistic partying that happens in the Southern Islands. It has something for everyone which was why I decided to visit it in my summer…
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With a city as big and sprawling as Tokyo it’s surprisingly hard to decide what sightseeing to do first! After a few days exploring quirky Akihabara, bustling Shibuya and historic Asusksa it was time for something different. My hostel was not far from Ueno; an area with a large park filled to the…
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‘Miss, your bag is 2kg over the limit. That’ll be £100’. As if! My flight to Japan wasn’t starting out as the relaxing journey that I had anticipated. Despite flying with Qatar, a respected Middle Eastern airline they were extremely strict with baggage allowances, giving Ryanair a run for their money. I was moving to…
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Imagine waiting for months to find out where you will be living. To give up your job and home and have no idea where you will live in the next month. That just happened to me and it was the most anxiety inducing time of my whole life! I am very spontaneous but I do…
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Sometimes distance is needed to gain perspective on where your life is going. A new place means fresh eyes to see situations clearly. I needed to get away. I’m currently at a crossroads in my life. I have a lot of decisions to make and I don’t want to make the same mistakes…
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I devour the words of other travel blogs. I love seeing what made people just like me take a permanent or temporary break from the treadmill of’ real life’ in exchange for a life of adventure and the unknown. There’s one similarity between all of these bloggers. They have always wanted to travel. My…
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I get many emails from readers asking advice about where to stay and what to do in destinations that I’ve visited. Just email me at stephanie@pearlsandpassports.com if you have a question and I will answer it. My question today was recieved from Caroline, a grad student who will be working in Singapore for the…
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Throughout my travels people had hyped up the South island so much I was actually scared that I would be disappointed. I’m glad to say that the South island actually took my breath away at every spot that I visited. The landscape is so diverse and untouched that it sometimes seemed too beautiful to be…
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