Bhutan, a Country of Fascinating Contrasts November 14th, 2017 • by Matt Holmes Bhutan is a rural, rustic, and beautiful country. While on your Bhutan adventure tour, at first glance it might not seem like much has changed in the last hundred years (apart from the fact that some Buddhist monks have cell phones). Yet, when you delve further into the culture and governance, they are actually doing… Read More »
History of the Nakasendo Trail November 1st, 2017 • by Bryan Haggerty The Nakasendo Trail dates to the Edo Period, an era in Japan’s history spanning from 1603 to 1868. It was characterized by economic growth, social stability, isolationism, and interest in arts and culture. In the early years, there was a need to develop a communication and transportation network so the shogunate (a government ruled by… Read More »
9 Ways to Travel More Responsibly October 25th, 2017 • by Matt Holmes Let’s face it: travel has an impact on the world, from plane CO2 emissions to the tonnage of hotel laundry. And while it’s hard to completely negate this, we strive to minimize our impact in other ways, because we want to explore the world. Here are some easy ways that you can travel more responsibly.… Read More »
Adventure Tour Packing List FAQs October 12th, 2017 • by Matt Holmes In every Trip Planner (which we seriously recommend all our walking tour guests read cover-to-cover) after all the fun information about the trip, we include a general Packing List. And while we try to make it as comprehensive and as clear as possible, questions do come up from time-to-time. So, we’d like to answer the… Read More »
How to Take a Japanese Bath, or Onsen Etiquette September 30th, 2017 • by Bryan Haggerty An onsen is a hot spring, and the Japanese love soaking in them. The Japanese archipelago sits at the convergence of four tectonic plates, making it an incredible location for geothermal activity. There are more than 25,000 natural hot springs in the country and around 3,000 spas where people can have a traditional onsen experience.… Read More »