Koh Tao, Thailand — After spending two weeks in Phuket, I hopped on a ferry to explore the islands off the coast of southern Thailand. I started with Koh Phangan, which is infamous for its Full Moon and Half-Moon parties. Then, I eventually made my way to the island. I initially planned to focus on […]
Phuket Top Team, Thailand How would you like to train 3 times a day, devour $3 local dishes, receive inexpensive massages, relax at the beach, and repeat? If this sounds appealing to you, this is where you should visit. After a long road trip in Australia, I was back in Southeast Asia. However, this trip […]
Gold Coast, Australia — After Byron Bay, we kept driving north along Australia’s east coast. We had opportunities to make stops at various scenic beaches along the way, but I, unfortunately, had no chance to train. After a few days of sleeping and camping in our lovely van, we reached the Gold Coast. It was […]
Byron Bay, Australia — After Sydney, my friend and I drove up north making various stops along the east coast of Australia in Port Stephens and Port Macquarie. Each coastal city had its own unique color, but our ultimate destination was magical Byron Bay. After a few days of driving, we finally arrived in one […]
Sydney, Australia — Let the road trip begin! After Vietnam and Cambodia, I returned to the land of kangaroos and koalas. My friend and I rented a van for two weeks and planned to drive up the east coast of Australia, and our initial point was Sydney. Before picking up the camping van and spending the […]
Hanoi, Vietnam — After Kuala Lumpur and Malacca, I hopped on a flight to Hanoi, Vietnam. As a huge fan of Vietnamese food, I cannot describe how excited I was to finally explore Vietnam (Yes, I had pho and spring rolls every day). From what I have heard from other backpackers in hostels, Hanoi and […]
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — After spending four months in Melbourne, Australia, Southeast Asia was calling me again. I planned a brief trip to Malaysia and Vietnam before I returned to Australia for a road trip with my friend. The first stop was Kuala Lumpur, where pretty much every airplane in Southeast Asia passes by. Of […]
After nine months of backpacking and living in hostels in Asia, I decided to change things up and have a routine in my life for a while. With my Australian Working Holiday Visa in hand and no job secured, I arrived in Melbourne, Australia. Luckily, I found a full-time position as a bartender rather quickly […]
Bangkok, Thailand — After spending a couple of weeks in Europe, I returned to Southeast Asia. As much as I enjoyed Switzerland and the Czech Republic, I missed affordable and delicious street food and tropical weather in Southeast Asia. What else could I ask for when there are $3 pad thai and Jiu-Jitsu? In Bangkok, […]
Prague, Czech Republic —While visiting Switzerland, I decided to hop over to Prague, Czech Republic. Thanks to Korean Dramas, Prague is one of the most famous cities visited by Koreans as various romantic K-drama scenes were filmed in this city. As expected, you can easily spot tourists in Prague everywhere. With its beautiful medieval architectures […]
After spending 6 months in Asia, I planned an impromptu trip to Zurich. To be honest, I barely knew anything about Switzerland before my visit. However, I quickly fell in love with the scenic Swiss Alps and its variety of cheese offerings. Over the course of my 3 separate visits, I ended up spending over […]
Singapore— After relishing scenic views of islands and volcanoes in Indonesia, my friend and I arrived in Singapore. Among backpackers, Singapore is commonly referred as “two-day stopover country.” Most backpackers stay in Singapore to take a breather from the natural wonders of Southeast Asia and enjoy the westernized city. Since I was visiting Derek who […]
Jakarta, Indonesia — It might sound pretentious, but I may have gotten sick of white sand beaches and islands after spending a month in Bali and Lombok. To change things up, I relocated to another island in Indonesia, Java. There I had an opportunity to climb two active volcanoes. I arrived at Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, […]
BJJ Bali, Indonesia I am certain everyone has heard of Bali as a tropical paradise. So why not go? My buddy, Sebastian, and I booked our one-way flight from Macau without any hesitation. Despite our lack of knowledge of Indonesia, we ended up spending over a month. There I found Synergy fulfilling my dream of […]
Kowloon, Hong Kong — After spending about two months in South Korea, I decided to take my journey to new countries in Asia. My first stop was Hong Kong. There I had a chance to reconnect with Hayley who I met while training at Tri-Force Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Osaka, Japan. She personally invited me to […]
Seoul, Korea — Before starting a new adventure, I briefly returned to Seoul. In Seoul, I had an opportunity to reconnect and return a favor to my globetrotter friend, Evan, who I met at Blows MMA in Osaka, Japan. As we were both staying near the Hongdae / Sinchon district in Seoul, we decided to […]
Jeju Island, Korea — After returning from Gyeongju, I decided to travel to Jeju Island, which I personally believe is one of the most underrated tourist destinations in Korea. Thanks to low-fare airlines, I was able to book my one-way flight for ₩20,000 (~$18 USD) from Seoul, and the duration of the flight was just under an […]
Gyeongju, Korea — After Seoul, I traveled to Gyeongju, Korea. The city was a popular school trip destination when I was in elementary school in Korea, and I was excited to relive the memory with my old Korean friends. The city is full of Korean culture and historical attractions from Silla, the old Korean Kingdom. Despite its […]
Seoul, Korea — After Japan, I returned to my home country, South Korea. I was born and raised in Seoul until I moved to the United States in 2007. I was thrilled to be back in Seoul since I had not been back to Korea for ten years. In Seoul, I was staying in Gangnam, the neighborhood […]
Okinawa, Japan — After enjoying sunny days in Naha, I decided to take a bus to Chatan, Okinawa. The town is also known as Okinawa’s “Americanized” town due to its proximity to US Military bases and its popular entertainment complex, the Mihama American Village. In addition, Chatan is famous for its scenic beaches. While in Chatan, I […]
