abroad

A collection of articles about foreign travel experiences and stories told from the author's perspective.

ซาปา เมืองในหุบเขา วิวพระอาทิตย์ขึ้นเหนืออาคารและภูเขา

Sapa (EP.2)

We left Tam Dao early in the morning and arrived at the hotel in Sapa around 4 pm. The journey took over 5 hours, including stops for restroom breaks. Shops along the way overcharged, and due to the chaos, they often gave incorrect change and the prices were significantly higher than advertised. It's best to just use the restrooms if possible. Lá Đỏ Homestay & Coffee (Map: Click) is a beautiful accommodation with a view of the red train going to Fansifan, visible from the balcony. Rooms are reasonably priced between 1000-1500 baht. The accommodation and restaurant are great, and cat lovers will appreciate the many cats. Sapa town itself is also worth visiting.

5 February 2026

สถาปัตยกรรมยุโรปที่บานาฮิลล์ ฮานอย – ตามด๋าว EP1

Hanoi – Tam Dao EP1

Trip in early 2023 (10/1/2023 – 17/1/2023). This year we traveled to Vietnam by plane; the flight was short, only two hours. There were 8 of us on this trip. We used a tour company for transportation to various locations, but we still planned the rest of the trip independently. Review of Vietnam Airlines: A full-service airline. The seats were okay, not cramped, a 3-3 configuration. The food was average but tasty. Flights were on time. You can ask the flight attendants for beer. Tamdao – Hola Homestay: Booked through Booking.com. I give it full marks in almost every aspect. The accommodation was very clean, including the bathroom. The caretaker didn't speak English, but we used Google Translate to communicate. You can order food from the homestay…

24 January 2026

ถนนคนเดินมีหลังคาคลุมในฟุกุโอกะ มีร้านค้า Twinkle และร้านอื่น ๆ อีกมากมาย

Driving around Kyushu region – Fukuoka, Oita, Kumamoto, Nagasaki Road Trip 10 days EP. 8-9-10 (Final)

We checked out of the hotel late in the morning. After this, we had no plan because we had already made a 7-day trip with a plan throughout. The rest we let go. In the morning, we searched for places we wanted to go to at that time. We concluded that we wanted to go shopping at a local market, and we found the Sasebo Local Market. The parking lot, leaving the parking lot on the opposite side is a market that is about a kilometer away: させぼ四ヶ町商店街. The results last night were quite heavy, so this morning we were confused and dazed, almost funny that we didn't save the map. We just looked at the GPS from the photos. This market is on the way back to Fukuoka. It is quite a large market. Most importantly, it is very cheap. You can find shoes and other things here...

23 January 2025

วิวเมืองฟุกุโอกะ มีชิงช้าสวรรค์ขนาดใหญ่ แม่น้ำ และอาคารสไตล์ยุโรป

Driving around Kyushu region - Fukuoka, Oita, Kumamoto, Nagasaki Road Trip 10 days EP. 7

Woke up early to send a friend to the airport which is not far from our accommodation, about 10-15 minutes. After dropping him off, our plan today is to drive to Ohori Park and Huis ten Bosch. Ohori Park, we intended to have a chill Starbucks coffee at Ohori Park... and then we parked in the wrong place, didn't go to Starbuck, only got a coffee shop in the park. But we had to just let it go. It's actually good. It's like letting go of the joystick and letting go of this place. There's a space where we can let go, not chaotic, not messy, quiet, just sit still and float away. Most importantly, the weather is very cold. A cup of hot Americano can extend your life. Karatsu Castle 唐津城 Map: Karatsu Castle 唐津城 We stopped by to visit Karatsu Castle...

22 January 2025

Driving around Kyushu region - Fukuoka, Oita, Kumamoto, Nagasaki Road Trip 10 days EP. 6

Today is the 6th day of our trip. We returned to Fukuoka because tomorrow morning we will send three friends back home. The rest will continue our 10th day of traveling. Today we will travel around and in the city of Fukuoka. Tourist attractions: Momochi Seaside Park Momochi Seaside Park We headed from our accommodation to Momochi Seaside Park early in the morning because we were afraid that there would be a lot of people. When we arrived, there were hardly any people, so it was very convenient. We parked on the opposite side and walked a short distance. It is a beautiful beach with a gentle breeze and a cafe by the beach. However, we went early in the morning so it was not open yet. If anyone stays here, they should get the Feeling Bar by the beach. After that, we planned to go eat grilled seafood at Karatomari Ebisu Oyster Hut 唐泊恵比須かき小屋. But... when we got there, it was closed. So we had to find a new place to eat quickly because we were not prepared for the disappointment. After a while, we found a new place, but it was almost an hour away by car. There was no choice but to continue to the place to eat. Kaki House, Honmuri Kaki House, Honmuri…

21 January 2025

Driving around Kyushu region - Fukuoka, Oita, Kumamoto, Nagasaki Road Trip 10 days EP. 5

Today's stop: Tosu Premium Outlets Map: Tosu Premium Outlets 鳥栖プレミアム・アウトレック We also stopped by the market last night this morning to find some things we still needed and to check out of the hotel. We headed to this outlet because we got off the wrong expressway, so we wasted more than an hour. Anyone who comes to this outlet must allow more than 3 hours to shop because parking is quite far and there are a lot of shops. There are many products with reduced prices (for some models). Accommodation in Fukuoka: AMP FLAT Tenjin Map: AMP FLAT Tenjin Reservation: Booking.com…

20 January 2025

Driving around Kyushu region – Fukuoka, Oita, Kumamoto, Nagasaki Road Trip 10 days EP. 4

Day 4, our whole day trip will include: Up to Mount Aso – Enter Kumamoto City – Take a photo with the Murphy statue – Check into the hotel in the city center, find some cold beer, places to visit, wake up early, check out from the accommodation, head up to Mount Aso. On the way up the mountain, the vibe is great, very beautiful. Follow the map, keep driving up, you will stop the car and park the first car. We can stop to buy souvenirs or gifts here (clean bathroom) or drive up to the second parking point near the crater. But before going up, there will be a sign indicating the current danger level, whether the road is closed or not. When you reach the second parking point before walking in, there will be a sign indicating the sulfur status, green, red. 高原の華, a roadside restaurant that we found on the way down from the mountain. The taste is good and delicious. The shop is a local home-style restaurant. The cooks are family-run. There are only a few menus. We ordered every menu. I have to say that everything is delicious…

19 January 2025

Driving around Kyushu region – Fukuoka, Oita, Kumamoto, Nagasaki Road Trip 10 days EP. 3

Day 3 Today's destination is a guest house behind Mt. Aso so that we can go up the mountain early the next morning. There are places to visit along the way such as the Suspension Bridge and Kuju Ski Resort, which we will try for the first time. Today, there are many places that are different from the plan and we did not go because yesterday's sake was really good. We also got lost and the road was closed due to snow. Places to visit Yamame 渓流ギ味 Tanaba (Grilled fish restaurant) Map: Yamame 料搆専門店渓流ギ味 Tanaba A roadside restaurant that we found by accident. It is right on the cliff with a beautiful view. The grilled fish menu has a sweet taste because it is very fresh. To order food, you have to order at the counter first and then sit and wait for the food to be served to you at the only table. There is no English menu, but there are pictures of some menus. Kokonoe Yume Otsuribashi (Suspension Bridge) Map: Kokonoe…

18 January 2025

Driving around Kyushu region – Fukuoka, Oita, Kumamoto, Nagasaki Road Trip 10 days EP. 2

Day 2 Beppu. On the second day, the main attractions are taking the cable car to experience the snow at Bebpu Ropeway - driving to see the golden mountain view at Asutemu Kenkou no mori - seeing the Classic Village at Yufuin Village Supermarket in the city. In the morning, the wheels start turning at 8:30. Our route will not be complicated. Focus on going straight and stopping along the way to save time. Each stop takes about 20-30 minutes to drive. In the morning, we quickly eat at Mosburger on the way to Bebpu Ropeway. It is a branch in a small, one-story miscellaneous goods store. Bebpu Ropeway costs…

17 January 2025

Driving around Kyushu region – Fukuoka, Oita, Kumamoto, Nagasaki Road Trip 10 days EP. 1

10-day road trip in January 2025. We started at Fukuoka Airport - Beppu - Oita - Kumamoto - Saga - Nagasaki - Fukuoka. In this trip, there were 7 friends in total. We rented a car for the whole trip. The challenge was that we would try not to take the expressway in Japan unless it was necessary. Because we wanted to experience the route and the surrounding communities as we went. We had enough time, so we were not in a rush. And we saved quite a bit on expressway fees. At first, we booked with Macau Airlines with a connecting flight in Macau. We booked about 10 months in advance, but the ticket was canceled, so we got Thai Airways...

16 January 2025