Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan often sneaks a place in our top 5 countries rankings. It was a bit of a left-field idea. We'd seen plenty of Instagram videos of people hiking in Kyrgyzstan, and it was on the way home from Japan. So we went, and wow, we're very pleased we did. The landscapes are stunning, from Alpine mountains that feel like Switzerland, to red rock canyons that feel like the Wild West, to rolling green hills that feel like Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan packs a lot in to a small space. It's hard to put our fingers on why we loved it. The people aren't particularly friendly, but still happy to welcome visitors. It felt like an adventure.
Highlights
Horse Trek,
Song Kul
Skazka Canyon
Ala KuL
Altyn-Arashan
Itinerary
Bishkek (2 nights)
2 hours
4 hours 30 minutes
Song Kul (2 night)
Bishkek (1 night)
2 hours
Ak Say (2 nights)
4 hours
Karakol (4 nights)
4 hours
Bishkek (2 nights)
Bishkek
Osaka is like the fun younger sister of Tokyo, and we absolutely loved it. It has a slight retro feel to it, and it's a lot smaller than Tokyo so you can explore it more easily.
Do
Shinsekai, Osaka castle, Kurumon Market, Round1 Stadium Spocha, Ebisu Tower Ferris Wheel, Hozenji Yokocho, Namba Yasaka Jinja, Jazz boat
Eat
Sakimoto Bakery (honey toast), Kyushu Ramen Kio Dotonbori, Wagyu IDATEN, Gyukatsu Tomita, Takoyaki Wanaka Sennichimae, Namba Okonomiyaki Ajinoya Honten, Rikuro’s Namba Main Branch (jiggly cheesecake)
Stay
Ocean Nipponbashi Higashi
Tips
Download Papago for translation. You need to have an international driving permit to rent a car. It's really easy to get from the post office, but you can't get it once you're out of the country. Bit of nightmare. We looked into a train pass, but I actually think it worked out cheaper to book individually.
If we had more time...
1. Okinawa