Julio & Sonia · Asia · 2026

Across Asia,
sin prisa.

Eleven weeks of old capitals, trains, planes, boats, tuk-tuks and automobiles. Temple paths, crowded markets and unexpected quiet. From Tokyo to Phuket.

Begin the journey ↓Angkor Wat · Siem Reap, Cambodia

The journey

A new start

After my retirement, we needed a reset before starting the next phase of our lives. This was the time for a long trip, while we were still healthy enough to handle it, and finally able to travel at our own pace. We made a long arc across East and Southeast Asia.

01

Japan ↗

Tokyo · Hakone · Takayama · Kiso-Fukushima · Kyoto · Hiroshima

03

Vietnam ↗

Hanoi · Ha Long Bay · Ninh Bình · Hoi An · Huế · Ho Chi Minh City

05

Laos ↗

Vientiane · Luang Prabang

A few moments

Highlights

Vermilion torii gate at Miyajima

01 / Japan

Japan: where we learned the pace of the trip

Japan was our first stop and set the pattern for what followed: major cities, smaller towns, trains that made complicated routes feel manageable, and enough time to stop between destinations. We traveled from Tokyo through Hakone, Takayama, Kiso-Fukushima and Kyoto, then continued west to Himeji, Hiroshima and Miyajima.

View the Japan journal →Miyajima · May 2026
Kayak crossing beneath a limestone island in Ha Long Bay

03 / Vietnam

Vietnam: seven very different stops

Vietnam took us from Hanoi and an overnight trip on Ha Long Bay to Ninh Bình, five nights in Hoi An, two in Huế and four in Ho Chi Minh City. The pace, food and landscape changed at every stop.

View the Vietnam journal →
Himeji Castle above white walls and green trees

A pause / Himeji

Himeji: well worth the stop

The White Heron Castle was well worth the stop. We made it all the way up!

The journey, complete

We did not try to see everything. Eleven weeks gave us time to stay longer, take detours and occasionally do very little.

The six country journals follow our complete route from Japan through Thailand, city by city and photograph by photograph.