OSAKA – the commercial metropole; and a side trip to HIMEJI
Osaka is rather a cool’n’contemporary metropole than an ancient town – for the latter, you should include a side trip to Himeji.

HIROSHIMA – risen up from the ashes; and a side trip to MIYAJIMA
Hiroshima is one of the names inextricably connected to the first atomic attack in human history and therefore a must when visiting Japan. However, Hiroshima is also a great gateway for a trip to idyllic Miyajima.

Before visiting Hiroshima, I wasn’t able to imagine a place with a little over a million inhabitants plying their trades as if their city never had been practically erased and went down in history as one of the biggest humanitarian disasters.
What I found was a charming city – risen up from the atomic ashes of 1945.
This Way to the Whole Story ->most instagrammable – till death do us part: a rant
Yes, this is a rant on how Instagram deteriorates the art of photography to death. But it also makes the world a dangerous – and endangered – place.

I love good photography. That’s why I hate Instagram.
This Way to the Whole Story ->SIHANOUKVILLE – Cambodia’s most popular beach town
Sihanoukville is Cambodia’s most popular beach town. Actually, that’s the reason why it has a rather bad reputation – particularly among European tourists and travellers.

But I find that already this picture shows that Sihanoukville absolutely has its nice corners and can be the perfect gateway to various great locations.
This Way to the Whole Story ->KOH RONG & KOH RONG SAMLOEM – travelling from Heaven to Hell
Whether Koh Rong or its sister island Samloem – a makeshift beach bar in the middle of nowhere. I’m having a drink, overlooking the fine white sand leading into the turquoise ocean. It’s beautiful.

It’s Koh Rong.
This Way to the Whole Story ->Guide to ANURADHAPURA and MIHINTALE
Here comes my guide to Anuradhapura. Anu… what? Read my lips: Anuradhapura. It is one of Sri Lanka’s ancient capitals. A visit can easily be combined with a trip to Mihintale, a holy place of Sinhalese Buddhism.

Although it’s also famous for its ruins of an ancient Sri Lankan civilization, there are pleasingly few tourists around, but huge numbers of truly faithful.
This Way to the Whole Story ->Guide to POLONNARUWA, the ancient capital of Sri Lanka
Polonnaruwa was the second capital of Sri Lanka after the destruction of the ancient city of Anuradhapura in 993. Sidenote: I’d like to say that due to their length, these Sri Lankan names are very Social Media-unfriendly.

Apart from the Brahmanic monuments built by the Cholas, Polonnaruwa consists of the monumental ruins of the garden-city created by Parakramabahu I in the 12th century.
This Way to the Whole Story ->Guide to KANDY and a Temple Hike from Embekke to Pilimathalawa
During a visit to Kandy – geographically and metaphorically Sri Lanka’s navel – I’d like to guide you to the small town of Embekke from where you can take an idyllic temple hike to Pilimathalawa.

After having spent four days in Kandy, I ask myself: Why?
Honestly, I didn’t really get it. And after some additional online research, I’m definitely convinced that it is almost hysterically overrated.
This Way to the Whole Story ->The Highlands: Guide to NUWARA ELIYA and HAPUTALE
Let me guide you to Nuwara Eliya and Haputale in Sri Lanka’s Highlands, an earthly Garden Eden where the world-famous Ceylon Tea is growing.

While I was soaking in the dreamy landscape around Nuwara Eliya, the rolling hills covered with tea bushes, the skies opened and within minutes, everything was….soaked.
This Way to the Whole Story ->Guide to UDAWALAWE – on a Peaceful Safari
Whatever you like, you’ll find it in Sri Lanka: Whether it’s archeological sites, lush sceneries in the highlands, jungles, beaches – and animals, lots and lots of wild animals and endemic birds. You can observe them on Safaris – where the only kind of shootin’ is with your camera, of course. Although the most popular Safari-site is Yalla, the national park of Udawalawe doesn’t offer only the far cooler name, it grants also a much more idyllic and intimate experience – mainly with elephants, that are not in the room since they are roaming practically everywhere.
Here is a Guide.
