Travel Bits: October 2020

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Next Travel Destinations....... when leisure travel resumes...

After months of not being able to travel due to the current pandemic, I must admit I missed travelling and am looking forward to my next trips when leisure travel is able to resume.

My last vacation before the closures and restriction of international borders was when I travelled to Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) in end-Jan 2020. While my last flight before the pandemic swept the world was in November 2019 when I travelled to Seattle (United States) on a business trip.

As and when international borders closures and restrictions are lifted, the destinations for my first leisure trips will be Tokyo and Taipei. I missed the food and the shopping in both of these cities.

Neon-lit giant billboards in Akihabara, Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, Japan (2017)

In Tokyo, I love dining on donburi (rice bowl dish); unadon (rice bowl topped with fillets of charcoal-grilled eel glazed with special sauce) and kaisendon (seafood rice bowl with slices of sashimi topped wth salmon roe) being my personal favourites. And the geeky side of me never failed to materialise when I shopped at Tokyo's famous Akihabara district. Here, I will stocked up on 1/700 scaled model kits of ships as well as anime figurines, nature and animal figurines and 1/6 scaled action figures. 

Kaisendon, topped with salmon, salmon roe and sea urchin, Ginza, Chuo Ward, Tokyo, Japan (2018)

Desert of fresh fruits and ice cream spread on a delicious waffle, Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan (2018)

In Taipei, the endless variety of street food never failed to make me put on weight because I simply loved these food. I could walk and eat non-stop, all day and all night. In Taipei's Beitou district, I love soaking in the hot spring baths followed by eating and more eating!

Tasty bowl of grilled chicken and rice, Ximending, Wanhua District, Taipei, Taiwan (2018)

Hot springs and more can be found in Beitou Valley, Beitou District, Taipei, Taiwan (2018)

Of course, there are a lot more to both Tokyo and Taipei than just dining, shopping and hot springs. These are all good reasons why I loved visiting Tokyo and Taipei. Both cities are my top travel destinations and I am looking forward to visiting again soon. 


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