Author: QiQi

Travel

Road Trip in the Scottish Highlands: 5-Day Itinerary

by QiQiLeave a Comment on Road Trip in the Scottish Highlands: 5-Day Itinerary
Road Trip in the Scottish Highlands: 5-Day Itinerary

If you get the chance to take one road trip in the United Kingdom, this is definitely it.

Verdant green rolling hills, majestic mountains and dramatic landscapes, historic castle ruins and ancient megaliths — the Scottish Highlands has them all.

Here is my 5-day road trip itinerary to the Scottish Highlands.

Scotland Road Trip v2

Date: July 17th to 26th
Itinerary:

Day 1: Glasgow – Glen Coe Valley – Isle of Skye
Day 2: Isle of Skye
Day 3: Isle of Skye – Tarbert (Isle of Harris) – Stornoway (Isle of Lewis)
Day 4: Stornoway (Isle of Lewis) – Ullapool – Loch Ness
Day 5: Loch Ness – Inverness – Edinburgh

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Travel

Tokyo DisneySea Guide: 2-Day Itinerary

by QiQi2 Comments on Tokyo DisneySea Guide: 2-Day Itinerary
Tokyo DisneySea Guide: 2-Day Itinerary

There are two parks in Tokyo Disney Resort: Disneyland and DisneySea. Since we only budgeted 2 days for Disney on our Japan trip, we decided to spend both of the days exploring the one and only – Tokyo DisneySea. It is known to be the best Disney park in the world, raved by numerous Disney fans; and it does not disappoint!

During peak season, Tokyo DisneySea gets extremely packed with both tourists and local students and families. To help your DisneySea visit run as smoothly as possible, I summarized my experience visiting on two very busy days into this 2-Day Itinerary.

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Packing List

What to Pack for Sakura Season in Japan

by QiQi1 Comment on What to Pack for Sakura Season in Japan

Japan Packing List

THE TRIP

  • Destination:Japan (Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, Nara & Osaka)
  • Length: 12 days
  • Weather: 40-80° Fahrenheit / 4-26° Celsius / some sunny days, but mostly cloudy with some rain
  • Activities: Sightseeing & exploring, lots of walking & dining, two days of theme parks.
  • Detailed itinerary: Part 1, Part 2, DisneySea Guide

Continue reading “What to Pack for Sakura Season in Japan” →

Travel

12 Days in Japan, Part 1: Tokyo, Hakone

by QiQi4 Comments on 12 Days in Japan, Part 1: Tokyo, Hakone
12 Days in Japan, Part 1: Tokyo, Hakone

Visiting Japan during Sakura Season is both wonderful and stressful; hotel rooms are in extreme demand, with sky-high prices, and popular attractions are swarmed by visitors. Although planning ahead is a good idea when it comes to traveling, it’s more important to keep an open mind and be accommodative to any last-minute changes. After all, the full bloom only lasts for about a week, and the dates can be quite unpredictable based on temperature.

Hopefully, my itinerary will help you make plans and enjoy the most beautiful time of the year in Japan.

Date: March 28th to April 9th

Itinerary:

Day 1: Arrive in Tokyo
Day 2: Tokyo
Day 3: Tokyo
Day 4: Tokyo
Day 5: DisneySea
Day 6: DisneySea
Day 7: Train to Hakone
Day 8: Train to Kyoto
Day 9: Kyoto
Day 10: Day Trip to Nara
Day 11: Train to Osaka
Day 12: Osaka

Continue reading “12 Days in Japan, Part 1: Tokyo, Hakone” →

Packing List

What to Pack for a Spring/Fall Trip to Europe

by QiQiLeave a Comment on What to Pack for a Spring/Fall Trip to Europe

Spain & Italy Packing List

THE TRIP

  • Destination: Spain (Barcelona, Madrid, Granada) & Italy (Florence, Rome)
  • Length: 17 days
  • Weather: 50-80° Fahrenheit / 11-26° Celsius / mostly sunny, possible rain
  • Activities: Sightseeing & exploring, lots of walking & dining.
  • Detailed itinerary: Spain & Italy

Continue reading “What to Pack for a Spring/Fall Trip to Europe” →

Travel

One Week in Italy: Rome and Florence

by QiQi1 Comment on One Week in Italy: Rome and Florence
One Week in Italy: Rome and Florence

Of course, visiting only one country in Europe isn’t quite enough for one trip, so we continued our European adventure in Italy after leaving Spain!

Date: November 7th to 13th
Itinerary:

Day 1: Arrive in Florence
Day 2: Florence
Day 3: Florence
Day 4: Train to Rome at 10 am
Day 5: Rome
Day 6: Rome
Day 7: Vatican City

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Travel

10 Days in Spain: Barcelona, Madrid & Granada

by QiQi2 Comments on 10 Days in Spain: Barcelona, Madrid & Granada
10 Days in Spain: Barcelona, Madrid & Granada

 

Spain – I didn’t know very much about it, other than Tapas and Paella. When I saw a $400 Norwegian Air round trip from Los Angeles to Barcelona, I simply couldn’t say no to a spontaneous adventure!

Date: October 28th to November 6th
Itinerary:

Day 1: Arrive in Barcelona
Day 2: Barcelona
Day 3: Barcelona
Day 4: Barcelona
Day 5: Train to Madrid at 11 am
Day 6: Madrid
Day 7: Bus to Granada at 9 am
Day 8: Granada
Day 9: Alhambra, Bus to Madrid at 5 pm
Day 10: Madrid

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Travel

10 Days in Vietnam – Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hoi An & Da Nang

by QiQi1 Comment on 10 Days in Vietnam – Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hoi An & Da Nang
10 Days in Vietnam – Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hoi An & Da Nang

After watching Anthony Bourdain rave about Vietnam in Parts Unknown, we started thinking about taking a side trip from our upcoming China visit. Based on the time and weather, we decided to visit North and Central Vietnam from March 29th to April 8th.

Our travel itinerary:

Day 1: Arrive in Hanoi
Day 2: Hanoi
Day 3: Halong Bay cruise
Day 4: Halong Bay cruise, shuttle back to Hanoi
Day 5: Hanoi
Day 6: Fly to Hue at 8:50 am
Day 7: Train to Da Nang at 10:30 am, then shuttle to Hoi An
Day 8: Hoi An, My Son Sanctuary
Day 9: Shuttle to Da Nang
Day 10: Da Nang

Continue reading “10 Days in Vietnam – Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hoi An & Da Nang” →