MissViaggio
in East Asia
September/October 2019
A Four-Weeks-Trip Through Asia
The adventure started pretty much when I decided to solo-travel for the first time. I had been through a rough breakup and felt like I had to do something good for myself. When pondering over potential travel destinations, the idea came up to visit one of my best childhood friends who lives in Seoul, South Korea. When we were young, I used to tell her I would come to visit one day, and then we would imagine exploring Seoul together. One of the best dreams ever! Now I had the chance to keep my promise. Gradually, I added more places to see, such as Hong Kong (which I had to swap for Taipei because of the ongoing protests in summer 2019), Singapore, and Japan - all countries that seemed safe for a female solo traveler.
In the months before my trip, I puzzled over the route, the flights, and accommodation. I decided to book (almost) all flights as well as the hotels for the first three destinations (Singapore, Hong Kong, and Jeju Islands) in advance. The main reason was to save me expenses and trouble. In Japan and South Korea where I planned to stay up to nine respectively eleven days, however, I wanted to play it by ear, which turned out to be the right choice for me.
3 Days in Singapore
For someone who has never been to Asia, Singapore is the best place to start a trip. The tiny nation state brings together people of all ethnicities and religions, creating a magical and dazzling atmosphere. Read more.
A Stopover in Taipei
My stopover in Taipei was born out of necessity. And though the weather did not cooperate, the mega-city enchanted me. The biggest plus was the ability to get fine gluten free food. Read more.
Japan
Japan was the second-last country I visited and I immediately fell in love. I cannot say exactly what excited me the most: the food, the people, the culture, or the nature. Maybe you can find out yourself. Read more.
South Korea
My Korean friends gave me lots of advice where to go and what to visit - more than I could possibly see in eleven days. So, I had to confine to four destinations - Daegu, Jeju Island, Busan, and Seoul. Read more.
