May 5, 2024
TAI MEI TUK
Tai Mei Tuk is a popular place for locals to enjoy all kinds of outdoor and water activities, located just an hour from Central Hong Kong.
February 7, 2024
FANLING
Exploring the ancient village remains from the 14th century, which are now enclosed by Fanling city.
February 2, 2024
HONG KONG FOGGY NIGHTS
Due to the unusally cold weather in Hong Kong, we got a few days of thick fog, which creates an earie atmosphere at night.
January 13, 2024
SAI KUNG HOI ARTS FESTIVAL
Probably the best tourism initiative I've seen in Hong Kong so far. Each year, for a couple of weeks local artists are invited to showcase their outdoor installations. The idea is to make remote villages in the scenic Sai Kung region more attractive for tourism. During the festival, additional ferries allow you to visit multiple small islands and experience the artworks surrounded by beautiful nature.
December 2, 2023
LIN MA HANG
Lin Ma Hang is a small village within the Sha Tau Kok area right at the border with Mainland China. The fence you can see in some of the photos is literally the only thing separating Hong Kong from China. Not far from the mostly abandoned village, there is an old lead and silver mine, which was in operation between 1915 and 1958. The site is supposed to be revitalized as a museum.
October 28, 2023
KAU WAH KENG TSUEN
A village with a 300 year history, nestled in a valley faces demolition, its low-rise buildings dwarfed by nearby high-rise public housing. I spotted a group of villagers sharing a meal together at a temple, a sign of close-knit community unlike what you'd find in neighbouring high-rises. An old school stands empty, a reminder of the village's once-larger population.
September 30, 2023
ROOFTOP CAMPING
My neighbours turned their rooftop terrace into a cool outdoor camping ground.
July 11, 2023
TAICHUNG
With almost 3 million residents Taichung is the second largest city in Taiwan. No visit would be complete without exploring the rainbow village. A local artist and former soldier started painting his home and surounding baracks to, in his own words, "bring joy to people". The 921 Earthquake Museum tells the story of the devastating 1999 earthquake that struck Taiwan. The museum was built around a destroyed school and features a room-sized structure that simulates the shaking of an earthquake.
July 9, 2023
FENQIHU
Surrounded by lush forests and mountains the small village Fenqihu offers delicious cronuts and a well-hidden but eye-catching Shinto shrine from the time of Japanese occupation.
July 8, 2023
ALISHAN NATIONAL PARK
Alishan's National Park is a mountaintop paradise of mist, mountains, and ancient trees and understandably one of Taiwan's most popular tourist destinations. The abandoned train tracks of the Mianyue Line lead to a collapsed tunnel destroyed by an earthquake.
July 7, 2023
ALISHAN TOWNSHIP
Alishan Township, in the center of Taiwan, is famous for its stunning mountains and smooth Oolong tea. Driving to Alishan via the narrow and winding roads of the Central Cross-Island Highway at an altitude of around 3000 meters was an incredible experience.
July 6, 2023
TAROKO GORGE
The Taroko Gorge in northeastern Taiwan is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with plenty of amazing hikes in and around the gorge.
July 5, 2023
HOUTONG CAT VILLAGE
A former coal mine town turned famous for its abundance of cats.
July 4, 2023
SHIFEN & JIUFEN
While the small village Shifen is known for releasing lanterns with wishes on them into the sky, Jiufen gained popularity for allegedly being the inspiration to Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away. Even while arriving around sunset, Jiufen's narrow alleyways were still crowded with tourists.
July 3, 2023
KEELUNG
Yehliu Geopark, nearby Keelung, is a landscape of honeycomb and mushroom rocks eroded by the sea. Another cool nearby spot on Taiwan's North Coast is the eerie Wanli UFO village. This cluster of abandoned Futuro and Venturo houses was built in the 1970s as a vacation resort, but they were never completed and have been left abandoned ever since. North of Keelung's city center, the colorful houses of Zhengbin Fishing Harbor are a great photo op. Just a few minutes away, you can go for a swim in one of Heping Island's tidal pools.
July 3, 2023
FUFU DINGSHAN SHELL AND CORAL TEMPLE
Stopped at the Fufu Dingshan Temple on the way to Keelung. The temple is quite unique since it decorated with thousands of seashells and corals. The temple claims that all parts are sourced from local merchants and donated by worshippers without impacting the environment.
June 30, 2023
TAIPEI RAINY DAYS
Torrential rain disrupting the day.
June 28, 2023
TAIPEI
Though it was scorching hot, I enjoyed my stay in Taiwan's capital. The Chinese and Japanese influences are definitely present everywhere in this city. Aside from the iconic sights like the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall or Taipei 101, there are hidden gems off the beaten path like the Treasure Hill Artist Village or the Ri Xing Type Foundry.
June 24, 2023
YUEN YUEN INSTITUTE & WESTERN MONASTERY
A lesser known attraction in Hong Kong is the Yuen Yuen Institute. Established in 1950, it’s dedicated to all three eastern religions: Confucianism, Buddhism and Daoism. It serves as a temple and also offers funeral services, which can include burning large handmade paper objects like a car or smartphones to pass them to the afterlife. Right next door is the Western Monastery.
June 6, 2023
SUN YAT-SEN MUSEUM & JAMIA MOSQUE
Located in Central, the Kom Tong hall was converted into a museum dedicated to the life and legacy of Sun Yat-sen, the founding father of the Republic of China. The distinctly green mosque is just two blocks away from the museum. It was built in 1890 by a group of Muslim merchants from India.
May 26, 2023
CHEUNG CHAU BUN FESTIVAL
The Bun Festival originally started in the 18th century as a celebration of the end of the plague in Cheng Chau but was eventually transformed into one of Hong Kong's most famous festivals and an important celebration of the city's cultural heritage.
May 19, 2023
SHAM SHUI PO RESERVOIR
Completed in 1904 and rediscovered in 2020, the SSP reservoir is a prime example of how poorly Hong Kong handles the conservation of its historical buildings.
Apr 19, 2023
SUNGEI BULOH WETLAND
Who knew that saltwater crocodiles are native to Singapore?
Apr 7, 2023
MUSEUM OF ICE CREAM
Free ice cream & Instagrammers.
Apr 7, 2023
MOUNT FABER
A wild otter encounter in Mount Faber park + The Hive building at Nanyang Technical University.
Mar 24, 2023
SINGAPORE AT NIGHT
Exploring the city after midnight.
Mar 18, 2023
CONEY ISLAND
Cycling around Singapore’s North from Pasir Ris to Coney Island.
Mar 11, 2023
KRANJI RAIL CORRIDOR
The Rail Corridor is a 24 km long, flat hike from Tanjong Pagar in the south to Kranji in the north. Before the railway got decomissioned in 2011 it was used for trains travelling from Singapore to Malaysia.
Mar 5, 2023
GARDENS BY THE BAY
Probably the most visited tourist site in Singapore. Still makes a good motif.
Mar 4, 2023
HAW PAR VILLA
A weird but fascinating theme park depicting scenes from Chinese mythology, folklore and legends.
Mar 4, 2023
CHINATOWN
A stroll through Singapore’s Chinatown.
Jan 26, 2023
DEVENPORT
Auckland's charming ferry village with vibrant cafes, historic streets, and iconic views of the city skyline. Feels like a slice of paradise.
January 24, 2023
CHRISTCHURCH
Christchurch is a very walkable city with street art around every corner. It took me a while to find the 185 empty chair memorial, since it was moved to a new location. The memorial is commemorating the casualties of the 2011 earthquake, which I admittedly only vaguely remembered. It's worth a visit and in my opinion a uniquely adequate memorial. In my search for places of interest off the beaten track, I decided to check out the Rapanui rock on Sumner Beach (not a spelling error). Though the rock formation was underwhelming I enjoyed watching giant seagulls trying to crack open clams by dropping them from great height while fighting off other smaller birds waiting to steal their prey.
January 22, 2023
QUEENSTOWN
Queenstown is a great hub in the south of New Zealand with plenty of extreme activities to choose from. I opted for a less extreme but equally fun bike tour along the Kawarau River, all the way to the famous Kawarau suspension bridge, where you can see tourists plunge into the gorge on a bungee rope every few minutes. Compared to what people who have visited Queenstown 10 or more years ago it apparently sadly felt victim to overtourism, as I found the town's city centre to feel like any generic touristy place plastered with hotels and fast-food chains.
January 21, 2023
MILFORD SOUND
From Queenstown it's a 4-hour drive to Milford Sound. Instead of spending 8 hours in the car, I treated myself to a round-trip sightseeing flight. Not only does it cut the time to get to Milford Sound to 40 minutes, I also got lucky to sit next to the pilot and got to enjoy the amazing views over snowcapped mountains and the Tasman Sea.
January 20, 2023
ROUTEBURN TRACK
Another one of New Zealand's great walks. It was raining for most of the day, but I still enjoyed the out-and-back hike. Especially the last section leading up to Lake Harris walking through rugged mountaintops with heavy rain and strong winds gave me a satisfying feeling of going on an adventure, which is fitting since this is also the area where the Lord of the Rings' Isengard scenes were shot.
January 18, 2023
COPLAND TRACK
Unfortunately, I didn't manage to book a sleeping spot in one of the huts in time so I couldn't do the entire track. Instead, I did a full day out-and-back hike, which mainly followed the Copland River through lush rainforest.
January 17, 2023
FOX GLACIER
After our got the security briefing, I started to realize, that I had accidentally booked the ice climbing instead of the ice hiking experience. It turned out to be an amazing, once in a lifetime experience. The heli dropped us off and our guide started searching for good climbing spots due to the glacier's ice constantly changing. We finally found a nice 5-meter ice wall on which we practiced our newly learned skills for a couple of hours before the heli picked us back up again.
January 15, 2023
PUNAKAIKI
Stopped for the pancake rocks on a scorching hot day and treated myself with some ice cream.
January 15, 2023
MOUNT ROBERT
I had to start the day early so I could squeeze in enough time for a hike around the Mount Robert circuit on the long 300-km-drive to Greymouth.
January 14, 2023
ABEL TASMAN NATIONAL PARK
A great 26 km hike with beautiful scenery.
January 13, 2023
MOTUEKA
On my way to Motueka I had a quick lunch stop at Mapua Wharf, which seems to be a posh destination for affluent locals and tourists. Having had no plans for the day, I strolled around Motueka, which is the last sizeable town before Abel Tasman National Park.
January 12, 2023
PICTON
Since I booked my New Zealand trip on short notice during peak season, I was only left with a midnight ferry taking me and my car from the North to the South island. I managed to get a few hours of sleep in a simple motel in Picton within walking distance from the ferry pier. The next morning, I had a tasty sandwich while overlooking the sleepy harbour as the first ferry of the day arrived.
Jan 11, 2023
WELLINGTON
Named the windiest capital city in the world, where culture and nature collide. Tired from the long drive through heavy rain, I was only left with one full day. The Museum of New Zealand is an excellent example of how to make museums interactive and fun, especially for kids.
Jan 10, 2023
NEW PLYMOUTH
Originally New Plymouth was supposed to be the starting point for my next hike, but the sprained ankle and bad weather forced me to reschedule. Instead I visited the stylish Len Lye Centre, a museum dedicated to the work of New Zealand-born artist Len Lye and had a stroll along the coast in the evening to see the Te Rewa Rewa Bridge, which to me looks a bit like a whale's skeleton.
Jan 9, 2023
TONGARIRO ALPINE CROSSING
The Tongariro Alpine Crossing aka Mordor from Lord of the Rings, is a very popular day hike. In cold and windy weather I pushed through a landscape of active volcanoes, emerald lakes and steaming craters, completing the 21km in 4 1/2 hours only to sprain my ankle on the last 300 meters.
Jan 8, 2023
WAITOMO CAVES
I booked the black water rafting tour, not really knowing what to expect. It turns out you cram yourself into a rubber tube and let the current take you deeper into the cave. Jumping off and underground waterfall into pitch black darkness is an adrenalin rush I probably won't ever forget. Obvioulsy I couldn't bring my camera with me so I took an online photo that best matches my memory. After showering and putting on some dry clothes, I explored the surrounding area along the Ruakuri walk.
Jan 7, 2023
HOBBITON
Hobbiton is a real-life movie set built for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies. I was lucky and got onto the first tour in the morning. It's a great photo op and the enthusiastic guide shared tons of trivia about the place. It is also a money printing machine for Peter Jackson and the farmer who still owns the respective land.
Jan 7, 2023
CAMBRIDGE
Cambridge is a dreamy little town that served as my hub for exploring the nearby attractions for a few days.
Jan 6, 2023
ROTORUA
Geothermal park of Rotorua is a must-see for most New Zealand tourists. The vibrant pools, crooked vegetation, and mist create an eerie atmosphere on a gloomy day. On my way back to Cambridge, I stopped at the Skyline luge tracks, which I basically had to myself thanks to the bad weather.
Jan 5, 2023
PIRONGIA FOREST
After an early 2-hour drive from Auckland to Cambridge, I immediately headed back out to nearby Pirongia Forest. The rainy weather made the already challenging trail even harder, and it took me a good 6 hours to complete it.
Jan 4, 2023
AUCKLAND
Arrived to cloudy weather in Auckland. Wandered aimlessly through the modern but somewhat generic city center. Suprised by the seeminlgy large number of Maori faces everywhere. Spent another day in Auckland at the end of my trip and visited the Auckland museum to see the works of Olaf Petersen. Saw lots of dinosaurs and Maori stuff too.
Dec 24, 2022
TAI TONG
Sweet gum woods in the Tai Lam country park near Yuen Long.
Dec 11, 2022
TUNG LUNG CHAU
A small outlying island in the east of Hong Kong island.
Oct 19, 2022
SAIGON
A short trip to Vietnam.
Jun 22, 2022
M+
Hong Kong’s new art and event space.
