JAPAN. An Adjustable Guide for First-Timers

Are you planning on going to Japan for the first time?
Being all excited?
Wondering what to expect?
Having a million questions?
Well, I recently came back from my first big Japan adventure, and let me tell you: It was just overwhelming; in a good way! I had the chance to travel for three weeks. However, I know that not everybody has the opportunity to leave for so long. Therefore, based on my itinerary, I put together a travel guide – not only – for other first-timers to Japan. You can adjust it individually to your personal trip – for one, two, or three weeks in the Land of the Rising Sun.

日本へようこそ – Nihon e yōkoso – Welcome to Japan!

Geisha taking picture with a cellphone
Beautifully dressed for Japan.
This Way to the Whole Story ->

TOKYO – Guide to 10 Extraordinary Neighborhoods

Tokyo – my first encounter with Japanese everyday life and culture – left a good impression and prepared me for more to come – hence, let me guide you to ten of its most extraordinary neighborhoods.

School kids in Tokyo, Japan
A warm and fun welcome to Tokyo by these sweet ambassadors.

Tokyo – the first cut is the deepest. However, this one didn’t hurt at all.

This Way to the Whole Story ->

Holiday in CAMBODIA – a complete travel guide

I’ve put together a complete travel guide to Cambodia since, over the past years, the country is more and more becoming a popular holiday destination. Not an easy task after having been synonymous with murder and destruction for the longest time.

Two monks admiring the model of Angkor Wat at the Preah Vihear Preah Keo Morakot at Phnom Penh
Also, monks were prosecuted during the Khmer Rouge regime.

“…now you can go where people are one
Now you can go where they get things done
What you need my son:
Is a holiday in Cambodia
Where people dress in black
A holiday in Cambodia
Where you’ll kiss ass or crack…”

This Way to the Whole Story ->

KEP – Cambodia between crabs and rice fields

Kep – probably the most underestimated town in Cambodia – has it all. The rice fields in the backdrop of grand mountains, a crab market with all the exotic treats, and a nice little beach where Cambodian families are enjoying food, drinks, and each other’s company right on the sidewalks or in one of the simple cabanas.

One of the numberless fish hawkers on the famous Crab Market in Kep.
One of the numberless fish hawkers in the famous Crab Market in Kep.

After having been in distress when visiting Koh Rong Samloem in unfavorable weather conditions, I sought shelter for one night in Sihanoukville. The next morning, I took off to explore some of Cambodia’s countryside where everything feels just so settling.

This Way to the Whole Story ->

Guide to SIEM REAP – beyond ANGKOR WAT

So here comes my guide to Siem Reap – beyond Angkor Wat. A place that at first made me feel bad. And ignorant.

Because contrary to expectations, Angkor did not blow me away.

Angkor Wat in Siem Reap - a guide
The world-famous reflection can be captured as well at 7 a. m.

This lack of enchantment makes me feel like such a jaded snob who thinks to have seen it all. However, I remember how the temple site in Sukhothai dazzled me. Was the spell broken? Will I no temple ever mesmerize me again?

This Way to the Whole Story ->

THAILAND – all the must-see places

In this travel guide to some mesmerizing must-see places, I’m proving that Thailand is extremely easy to travel. This makes this enthralling country the perfect destination even for hesitant first-time solo travellers.

Wat Arun, one of Bangkok's most important temple complexes on the west bank of River Chao Phraya.
Wat Arun, one of Bangkok’s most important temple complexes on the west bank of River Chao Phraya.
This Way to the Whole Story ->

From the Sunken Kingdom of AYUTTHAYA to the Monkey Temple of LOPBURI

Only 90 kilometers north of Thailand’s capital Bangkok is the sunken Kingdom Ayutthaya where you immerse in the country’s glorious past before visiting the Monkey Temple of Lopburi.

From the Sunken Kingdom of AYUTTHAYA to the Monkey Temple of LOPBURI: Buddha head embedded in a Banyan tree at Wat Mahathat in Ayutthaya
The Mona Lisa of Thailand: Probably no other sight in Ayutthaya is photographed as often as this stone Buddha head embedded in a Banyan tree at Wat Mahathat.
This Way to the Whole Story ->