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East Asia

27 stories

Temples, train rides and night markets across Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong: easy public transport, great food at every price, and a new season to chase on every trip.

JapanOld Tokyo in Summer: Asakusa’s Lantern Plant Market and a Walk Through YanakaOn my previous trips to Tokyo I spent most of my time in Shibuya and Shinjuku, staring up at screens…July 15, 2026South KoreaTwo Days in Gyeongju: Exploring Korea’s Open-Air Museum in SpringGyeongju had been on my list for years. It was the capital of the Silla kingdom for almost a thousand…April 29, 2026JapanDeer, Cherry Blossoms and the Great Buddha: A Spring Day Trip to NaraI had seen the photos a hundred times: wild deer wandering under pink cherry trees, giant wooden temples, bowing deer…April 10, 2026TaiwanTwo Days in Taichung: Rainbow Village, Gaomei Wetlands Sunset and Fengjia Night MarketTaichung is the city most visitors to Taiwan skip. Everyone rushes between Taipei and the south, and the middle of…March 19, 2026Hong KongHiking Dragon’s Back in Winter: From Shek O Peak Down to Big Wave BayWhen people in Saigon ask me why I keep going back to Hong Kong, they expect me to talk about…February 16, 2026JapanOtaru and Sapporo in Winter: Snowy Canals, Music Boxes and Soup CurryGrowing up in Vietnam, snow was something I only saw in films and Christmas cards. So when cheap winter flights…January 26, 2026JapanChasing Red Leaves in Kyoto: Tofukuji, Nanzenji, Eikando and ArashiyamaEvery year my social media fills up with photos of Kyoto temples drowning in red maple leaves, and every year…November 10, 2025South KoreaAutumn in Seoul: Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung’s Secret Garden and Bukchon on FootI have been to Seoul in winter and in spring, but everyone kept telling me that autumn is when the…October 28, 2025TaiwanA Day Trip from Taipei to Shifen and Jiufen: Sky Lanterns, Waterfalls and TeahousesAlmost everyone who visits Taipei ends up doing the same day trip: the hillside town of Jiufen and the railway…October 10, 2025Hong KongA Day Trip to Lantau Island: Ngong Ping 360, the Big Buddha and Tai O Fishing VillageMost people picture Hong Kong as neon signs, packed MTR trains and towers squeezed against the harbour. So it surprised…September 6, 2025
Ink drawing of Bill, the writer of Ink on the Map, seen from behind

Hi, I'm Bill

I live in Saigon and travel slowly around East and Southeast Asia, Australia and the US, writing down the practical bits: how to get there, what it costs and what is worth your time.

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