Okayama worked best as a practical stop rather than a city we fell madly in love with. It has good train connections, easy access to Kurashiki, and one of the nicest low-effort cycling routes we did in Japan: the Kibi Plain route between Bizen-Ichinomiya and Soja
Tottori is not a city packed with endless sights, but it does have one very clear reason to visit: the dunes. Huge sand dunes rolling down towards the sea are not something you expect to find in Japan, and that alone makes Tottori feel different from anywhere else we visited.
North Sumatra was one of the most varied parts of our Indonesia trip. Within a relatively short distance, we went from trekking through rainforest looking for orangutans to climbing an…
Lake Toba was probably the place we connected with least during our time in North Sumatra.
That’s not to say it isn’t beautiful. It absolutely is. The enormous volcanic lake, green hills and traditional Batak villages make this one of the most distinctive landscapes in Indonesia. But after spending five nights on Samosir Island we came away with mixed feelings.
For some reason, the atmosphere just felt a little off to us. We also found people noticeably less friendly than elsewhere we’d travelled in Indonesia, where we’d become so used to incredibly warm and welcoming interactions.
We’re still glad we visited, though. Lake Toba gave us a completely different experience from Bukit Lawang and Berastagi and introduced us to the culture and traditions of the Batak people.
On our Northern Sumatra trip we spent one night in Berastagi, and there was one main reason for stopping here: to climb Mount Sibayak for sunrise.
After several days relaxing in Bukit Lawang, we travelled by taxi through the mountains to Berastagi. The drive itself was beautiful, taking us through the green landscapes of northern Sumatra before reaching the town.
The following morning, we were up long before sunrise and heading towards Mount Sibayak, an active volcano just outside Berastagi.
Most people come to Bukit Lawang for one reason: to trek into the Sumatran rainforest in search of orangutans.
That was the main reason we came too, but after spending a week here we discovered that Bukit Lawang is also a lovely place to simply stay for a while and relax in nature.
Set alongside the Bohorok River on the edge of Gunung Leuser National Park, the village is surrounded by dense green rainforest. Away from the orangutan trekking, there isn’t a huge list of things you need to see or do, and that’s part of the appeal. We spent our days walking along the river, exploring the village, eating at small restaurants and enjoying being surrounded by nature.
Solo, also known as Surakarta, is a city in Central Java that often gets overlooked by travellers heading to nearby Yogyakarta. We didn’t spend a huge amount of time here, but we had enough time to explore some of the city, visit one of its palaces and, of course, eat plenty of Javanese food.
Solo (or Surakarta) has a very different feel from Indonesia’s bigger tourist destinations. There are fewer international visitors, plenty of street food and a strong connection to traditional Javanese culture. If you’re travelling through Central Java, it’s an easy place to add to your route for a couple of days.
The former Taikyuji Station still feels half-forgotten, and the bamboo grove looks like something from a Studio Ghibli scene.
Kurayoshi has a lovely old town, some excellent coffee, a wonderfully odd pear museum and one of the most atmospheric abandoned railway walks we found in Japan.
Before travelling to China, we read countless articles warning about language barriers, blocked websites, complicated payment systems and the challenges of travelling without speaking Mandarin. By the time we boarded…