Here's a concise overview of Singapore. The Republic of Singapore is an island nation and city-state located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. For those unfamiliar with the region, I have included this map: Its modern history began in 1819 when Stamford Raffles founded it as a trading post for the British Empire. Singapore was occupied by Japan in 1942 and returned to British rule in 1945. It achieved self-governance in 1959 and joined the federation of Malaysia in

We arrived in Singapore around 8 AM after a 17-hour flight from LAX. Singapore Airlines Business Class was impressive. The food and service were excellent, and the lay-flat beds have a unique design where you fold down the seat back to create the bed. It was comfortable for me, but my 6'4" husband found it a bit short, though he slept well despite the person snoring behind him. The flight left LA at 11 PM, and I was worried about staying up late for supper service, but the ex

Japan has lots of islands. We took a ferry to Honshu and then traveled by high-speed train to Hiroshima.   Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park and the Peace Memorial Museum serve as solemn reminders of the atomic blast that devastated the city on August 6, 1945. Within the park lies the skeletal remains of a building now called the Atomic Bomb Dome , which was originally the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall built in 1914. The structure has been preserved as it was

A ferry transported us to the small island of Naoshima, which has become a hub for contemporary art and architecture. The Benesse Art Site was established through the collaboration of an industrialist and a mayor, aiming to highlight this small island in the Seto Inland Sea by developing a venue where contemporary art and a beachfront hotel merge, allowing guests to experience staying in a museum. On our Nat Geo trip, this hotel stood out as the best in terms of design and

Taking a ferry is a very pleasant way to get to your next destination. We proceeded to Mount Koya and the Iya Valley by ferry across to Shikoku, the smallest of Japan’s main islands. First we will talk about highlights from the Iya Valley. We attended a dance performance in the town of Tokushima at the Awa Odori Kaikan Museum . Dance has been a significant aspect of the local culture for 400 years. The dancers were graceful and athletic, and although they weren't on par wi

We then traveled to Tokyo via bullet train for the final four days of our Intro to Asia tour. We checked into The Okura Tokyo , a stunning hotel rebuilt in 2019, situated across from the US Embassy. After experiencing subpar accommodations (in my opinion) with National Geographic, we finally enjoyed a lovely, spacious, and elegant corner room on the 29th floor with a view of Tokyo. I was quite satisfied and didn't feel the need to request a third room, as I sometimes do. In

We arrived in Kyoto from Singapore a day before the National Geographic Inside Japan tour to acclimate and explore on our own. Before discussing Kyoto, I must mention the ordeal of getting through Osaka Airport. Our Singapore Airlines flight was excellent as usual, but the immigration process in Osaka was chaotic. We spent two hours in a line moving at a snail's pace, seemingly due to more visitors than available officers. There is a “ Visit Japan Web QR code ” we could hav