To conclude our trip to Korea, let me cover our 2 days in Busan. Before the trip to Korea, we decided that 7 days was too much for a tiny Jeju, and we decided to spend a couple of days in Busan. In this post, I will share our one-day plus (one whole day and two halves) Busan itinerary.

For the final day of our 5 days itinerary, we decided not to rush through the island, but enjoy a slow, easy trip through the island. Our itinerary was quite straightforward: visit an ocean road, check wind turbines, checkout a Sanbangsan Canola Field, and head back to Jeju city to enjoy the eveing.

On the fourth day of our 5 days itinerary, we took a ferry to Udo Island. Afterward, we hiked Seongsan and enjoyed the view from the summit. Unfortunately, we missed the famous divers’ show but enjoyed the jetty & sea view. LAstly, we had dinner in Jeju City with my friend.

On the third day of our 5 days itinerary, we traveled to the Terrarosa cafe, checking out the cafe, surroundings, and the place itself. After that we went to the Folk Village, visited Snoopy Gardens, Lava Tube, and, lastly, Bunker des Lumieres. Lastly, we stopped at a hotel near the Seongsan Ilchulbong.

The hike to Hallasan Mountain started on a misty morning, creating an ethereal atmosphere as fog enveloped the landscape. Initially, the weather was calm, but heavy rain and strong winds soon turned the hike into a challenging adventure. Despite the poor visibility, the experience was memorable. After the hike, an attempt to visit a nearby temple led to a deserted location, teaching a lesson about trusting tourist maps. The visit to Eongtto waterfall was also underwhelming, as it was dry. However, lunch at a local Korean restaurant was a highlight, with outstanding food near the seaside. The day ended at the GoldOne Hotel & Suites, offering stunning views and a jacuzzi. The evening concluded with a visit to a craft brewery in Seogwipo, which was vibrant and lively.

Originally, we had plans to travel to Italy in November, but our plans drastically changed once I realized that I couldn’t apply for a visa due to my employment pass validity. Likely, I understood it early enough to shift the gears. I was searching for a country, where I don’t need a visa and still have places from my bucket list.

It was a big question for us where to go during the long weekend. I think we visited the majority of “long weekend” types of destinations, so our bucket list for the short vacations was rather empty. Likely, it was a notable place where we haven’t been - Yogyakarta. The number one attraction is Borobudur, an enormously huge, beautiful Buddhist temple. I knew Yogyakarta is on mountainous terrain, so it should have hiking, breathtaking scenery, etc. Thus, we quickly decided to dedicate our Labor Day weekend to exploring this destination.

This summer my wife and I did two short trips to Malaysia. The first trip was in July, and it was a quick trip to Johor Bahru to test a newly opened train between Singapore and Malaysia. The second trip was to a small, local holiday destination called Desaru Coast.

Hi there!

The last time I travelled to China was 10 years ago in 2013. It was a rather interesting experience, but a few things were notable to me. Firstly, the very high pollution in Beijing. It was hard to breathe! In Beijing, I started to think that a face mask isn’t such a bad idea. Secondly, the issues with communications. It was quite challenging to navigate in the city environment. Lastly, the traffic was quite overwhelming. Thus, I was keen to see the transformation in China.

Hi there!

This post is about books that I read in the first quarter of 2022.