AT#887 - Travel to Kyushu Japan
Amateur Traveler Travel Podcast
Hear about a 7-day itinerary for the island of Kyushu, Japan as the Amateur Traveler talks to Adeline Kuroki, the owner of Saver and Soak travel company about her adopted home in southern Japan. Why should you go to Kyushu? Adeline says, "I think there's so many things to do there. Also, it's a great way to get off the beaten path away from a lot of other tourists. Japan. For good reason, it's definitely very popular. It's easy to fly into Tokyo and so many people want to go and visit Kyoto, Osaka, and a lot of those really popular areas that are really starting to suffer from a lot of...
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AT#886 - Travel to Northern Tasmania
Amateur Traveler Travel Podcast
Hear about travel to Northern Tasmania as the Amateur Traveler talks to Paula Barnes from trulyexpattravel.com about an unexpected visit to this popular region. https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-northern-tasmania/ Why should you go to Northern Tasmania? Paula says, "Firstly, it's because it's now classed as 1 of the 50 cities that is the City of Gastronomy. Australia has 2. We have 1 in Bendigo but we also now have 1 in Launceston and it's a foodie's paradise. It's also an amazing landscape and it's an adventure area. I thought this part of the world had Queenstown in New Zealand,...
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AT#885 - Travel to Poland (Warsaw, Krakow and Poznan)
Amateur Traveler Travel Podcast
Hear about travel to Poland as the Amateur Traveler talks to Sharon Kurtz from sharonkkurtz.com about her recent trip exploring the culture and food of Warsaw, Krakow, and Poznan. show notes - https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-poland-warsaw-krakow-and-poznan Sharon says, "It is a beautiful country. It's a blend of history that goes back to the tenth century. And then it has sad history, World War II, and then they were occupied by the Soviets and got their independence in 1989. And some people seem to have this feeling that they're gray and it's sad and dark, and nothing could be further...
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AT#884 - Dublin to Cork Road Trip in Southeastern Ireland
Amateur Traveler Travel Podcast
Hear about a week-long road trip from Dublin to Cork through southeastern Ireland as the Amateur Traveler talks to Amber Hagerty from AmberEverywhere.com about this out-of-the-way corner of Ireland. https://amateurtraveler.com/dublin-to-cork-road-trip-in-southeastern-ireland/ Day 1: Dublin to Wicklow Morning: Arrive in Dublin and explore the city. Visit Bar 1661 for the best Irish coffee and Trinity College to admire the campus. Afternoon: Indulge in some delicious ice cream at Murphy's on Wicklow Street in Temple Bar. Evening: Rent a car and drive south to Bray. Enjoy a stroll along the...
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AT#883 - Germany Road Trip to 9 UNESCO Cities
Amateur Traveler Travel Podcast
Hear about a German road trip to 9 UNESCO Cities as the Amateur Traveler talks to Renee Hannes from dreamplanexperience.com about her exploration of the land of her ancestors. https://amateurtraveler.com/germany-road-trip-to-9-unesco-cities/ Renee says, "I just returned from living in Berlin for 3 months. So had an opportunity to make a little bit of a longer trip and was there with my husband and dog and lived in Berlin and I had a good chance to be able to see the city and lots of other places around it. I had this long list of places on my to-do list. I think like most travelers, I become...
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AT#784 - Travel to Zaragoza, Spain (Repeat)
Amateur Traveler Travel Podcast
Hear about travel to Zaragoza as the Amateur Traveler talks to Cat Driver about this historic but under-visited region of Spain. https://amateurtraveler.com/things-to-do-in-zaragoza-spain/ Cat says, "Every time I have said to people that I lived in Spain and they asked me where and I say Zaragoza, I usually just get a blank stare and then I have to explain it. Zaragoza is between Barcelona and Madrid almost exactly. I was teaching English there. I decided on Zaragoza because it had everything I wanted. It was very local, not much English so I'd be forced to learn Spanish. The...
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AT#882 - Travel to the Island of Malta
Amateur Traveler Travel Podcast
Hear about travel to the island nation of Malta as Chris Christensen, the Amateur Traveler, tells about a recent week-long trip to the island at the center of the Mediterranean Sea. https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-the-island-of-malta/ Why should you visit Malta? Malta is an amazing island country with a rich history and spectacular scenery. The one-week itinerary for Malta includes the following highlights: Sunday: Take a harbor cruise around Valletta. Pick up a 7-day bus pass, if you are getting around by public transportation Explore Valletta a UNESCO city, and visit the Upper...
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AT#881 - Travel to Croatia's Istrian Peninsula
Amateur Traveler Travel Podcast
Hear about travel to Croatia's Istrian Peninsula as the Amateur Traveler talks to Olivia from inspiredbycroatia.com about her adopted country. https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-croatias-istrian-peninsula/ Why should you go to the Istrian Peninsula? Olivia says, "I think that Istria is still a little bit underrated. Personally, I like to Talk about it as this like a fairytale like region. It has quite a strong Italian heritage somewhat reminiscent of Tuscany, but with a Croatian flair It's filled with these emerald green hills dotted with medieval villages throughout the food there is...
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AT#880 - Travel to Tokyo Japan
Amateur Traveler Travel Podcast
Hear about travel to Tokyo as the Amateur Traveler talks to Matthew Jasek from The Nerd Tourist about one of his favorite, if nerdy, cities. https://amateurtraveler.com/otaku-guide-to-tokyo-japan/ Day 1: Arrival and Food Tour Afternoon: Arrive in Tokyo and check into your hotel. Evening: Join a food tour or find a local guide to visit a traditional Japanese restaurant. Explore the dining culture with the help of a guide who can navigate through nuances. Day 2: Tsukiji Outer Market and Senso-ji Morning: Visit Tsukiji Outer Market for a variety of food stalls. Try grilled eel and other...
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AT#879 - Travel to the Exumas, Bahamas
Amateur Traveler Travel Podcast
Hear about travel to the Exumas in the Bahamas as the Amateur Traveler talks to Tessie from TravelingTessie.com about these sundrenched islands she has fallen in love with. https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-the-exumas-bahamas/ Why should someone go to the Exumas? Tessie says, "It's a perfect destination if obviously, you enjoy the beach. But the beaches, they're very unique because they're really unspoiled. And there's not a lot of crowds. So if someone's interested in that, it's a really great destination for that, but it's also great for people with kids, for bachelorette couples, and...
info_outlineHear about travel to Tokyo as the Amateur Traveler talks to Matthew Jasek from The Nerd Tourist about one of his favorite, if nerdy, cities.
https://amateurtraveler.com/otaku-guide-to-tokyo-japan/
Day 1: Arrival and Food Tour
- Afternoon: Arrive in Tokyo and check into your hotel.
- Evening: Join a food tour or find a local guide to visit a traditional Japanese restaurant. Explore the dining culture with the help of a guide who can navigate through nuances.
Day 2: Tsukiji Outer Market and Senso-ji
- Morning: Visit Tsukiji Outer Market for a variety of food stalls. Try grilled eel and other local delicacies.
- Afternoon: Explore Senso-ji Temple. Take part in the tradition of shaking a metal container to get a fortune. Enjoy more street food around the area.
- Evening: Choose between visiting Odaiba for futuristic buildings and the Unicorn Gundam statue or exploring Shimokitazawa, a hip neighborhood known for vintage shops and live music.
Day 3: Shibuya Scramble, Harajuku, and Meiji Shrine
- Morning: Experience the famous Shibuya Scramble and visit the statue of Hachiko. Head to Harajuku Station.
- Afternoon: Explore Meiji Shrine and Takeshita Street in Harajuku. Enjoy crepes, Shiba Inu Cafe, and unique latte art at Cafe Reissue.
- Evening: Choose between visiting Ikebukuro for anime-related attractions or Nakano Broadway for traditional shopping and unique ramen.
Day 4: Nerd Day
- Option 1: Take a guided tour of Akihabara, the hub of nerd culture, exploring anime shops and arcades.
- Option 2: Visit real-life anime locations using online resources or guided tours. Consider Studio Ghibli Museum, Totoro no Mori, or Shirohige Cream Puff Factory.
- Evening: Experience Tokyo’s nightlife with activities like Mari Car go-karting or trying Monjayaki in Monja Street.
Day 5: Kamakura Trip
- Visit the Great Buddha of Kamakura
- Explore Zeniarai Benten Shrine and wash your money.
- Visit Hokokuji Temple Bamboo Forest Temple, and wander through the bamboo forest.
- Optionally, pay extra to drink tea at the little tea house in the back.
- Explore Kamakura’s main attractions like the Tsurugaoka Hachimangū Shrine.
- If in April, consider attending the Kamakura Festival (second to the third weekend).
- If in September (14th to 16th), experience Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Reitaisai Festival with horseback archery.
- Visit the grave site of Minamoto no Yoritomo, the first Shogun.
- Visit Jufuku-ji Temple, the grave of Hojo no Masako (the Nun Shogun).
Day 6: Enoshima Island Trip
- Travel to Fujiwara Station and take the Enoshima Electric Railway to the Shirahata Shrine.
- Visit Shirahata Shrine dedicated to Minamoto no Yoshitsune.
- Board the Enoshima Electric Railway and ride to Enoshima Island.
- Explore the long road leading to sea caves, shops, and the Dragon Bell.
- Visit the botanical garden with the sea candle lighthouse.
- Try the local delicacy Shirasu Don at one of the restaurants.
- Visit the Enoshima Shrine complex
Bonus Day:
Consider non-nerdy activities:
- Attend a tea ceremony.
- Rent a kimono and experience a traditional tea ceremony.
- Attend a sumo match or witness a sumo practice.
- Catch a baseball game.
- Take a vintage tram to Gotokuji, the temple that invented the beckoning cat statue.
- Join a tattoo-friendly Tokyo bathhouse tour.
Tips:
- Stay in Akihabara for a central location.
- Use apps like the Visit Japan app for customs information, TableCheck for reservations, and Line for communication.
- Prepare for a lot of walking.
There is always so much to see in and near Tokyo, for nerds and non-nerds alike.