We embarked on our first safari to Masai Mara. We took a small propeller plane to reach there; we were the second stop. However, when the plane landed on a dirt runway for the first stop, we got a flat tire. Who knew airplanes can get blow outs? Fortunately, they had a spare tire. We disembarked, the pilot and his crew jacked up the plane, and in under half an hour, we were back on our way to our destination. We were greeted by a driver from the Offbeat Ndoto Camp, where we w

We took a bullet train to Tokyo from Hiroshima for the last four days of our Japan tour. We stayed at The Okura Tokyo , which is a beautiful hotel that was rebuilt in 2019 and is located opposite the US Embassy. After what I considered to be mediocre accommodations with National Geographic, we were delighted to have a lovely, spacious, and elegant corner room on the 29th floor with a big view of Tokyo. I was very pleased and didn't feel the need to ask for a third room, as I

In the Iya Valley, we stayed at a ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn called Hotel Hikyonyu , which featured an onsen , an on-site hot spring bath. The onsen was very relaxing, but the inn itself was simple and not exactly the 4 or 5-star lodging we prefer. In lieu of marble bathrooms, we had prefab "lego-land" bathrooms. At least here, we were able to procure a couple of extra futons for more padding and the room was not cold, so we slept better. National Geographic didn't s

We checked into Andaz Singapore  and were fortunate to get an early check-in. I had contacted the hotel prior to arrival when I realized how early in the day we would be landing in Singapore to request an early check in if possible, and they were happy to accomodate us. Don't you love it when you ask for something and it actually happens? When we travel, we tend to stay in 5-star hotels and prefer ones that are contemporary and chic. Especially, after a long flight, you rea

Mount Koya is the central hub of the Shingon Buddhist sect. Buddhism consists of three primary schools: Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana, each with numerous sects, subsects, and movements. The core tenets of Buddhism focus on understanding suffering, identifying its causes, and pursuing a path to liberation through mindfulness, compassion, and ethical behavior, all aimed at achieving nirvana (enlightenment).   We wandered through an enchanting cemetery nestled among tower