The Bamboo Traveler
Exploring the history and culture of the world's most fascinating places Free Japan Travel GuideWelcome to the Bamboo Traveler
Welcome to The Bamboo Traveler, a travel blog dedicated to helping you dig deeply into the history, heritage, and culture of a place. Whether it’s through the pages of your passport or the pages of a book, I’ll help you travel the world and uncover the history, culture, food, architecture, and natural beauty of some of the world’s most fascinating places.
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15 Ridiculously Beautiful Places to Visit in the Philippines
Are you trying to decide where to go in the Philippines? You’ve probably heard of the more famous destinations like Boracay, El Nido, and Coron. But you’re not sure what other stops to add to your itinerary. In this blog post, I’m going to share with you the 15 most beautiful and amazing places to visit in the Philippines. I've divided these 15 places into 5 categories based on the geography of the Philippines. Just jump to the area you're most interested in or read all the way straight through. North - North Luzon West - Palawan Center - The Visayas South - Mindanao East...
The 4 BEST Day Trips from Tokyo
Looking to take one or more day trips from Tokyo, but don’t know where to go? It can be confusing. Lots of blogs list 10 to even 25 cities to visit from Tokyo. But let’s be honest. They’re not all equally worthwhile, especially if you're visiting Japan for the first...
Galapagos Packing List for Those Who Want to Pack Light
Planning a trip to the Galapagos, but you’re not sure what to pack? In this packing list guide, I’m going to share with you EXACTLY what you need to pack for the Galapagos for all seasons. This includes BOTH land-based AND cruise-based itineraries. I did both types...
How to Extend Your Visa in Ecuador (New Rules for 2023)
Your initial visa is up and you want to stay longer in Ecuador. How do you go about extending your visa? How much is it going to cost you? Where can you do it? What documents do you need? When do you need to apply for your extension? In this guide, I’m going to share...
The Ultimate Quito Food Tour
Are you looking to do a food tour during your trip to Quito? Want to try some street food while in Ecuador? But you’re not sure which tour and whether any of them are worth the money and time. In this Ecuador travel guide, I’m going to help you make your decision by...
The BEST Ever Guide to the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route
One of the most unique travel experiences for me in Japan was traveling from Kanazawa to Matsumoto via the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route. I could have taken a boring old train between these two cities, but by taking the Alpine Route, I was able to travel at over 2,000...
Is a Japan Rail Pass Worth It in 2023?
"Is a Japan Rail Pass worth it?" This might be the most important question you are asking yourself right now as you prepare for your trip to Japan in 2023. In this post, I'm going to show you whether a Japan Rail Pass is worth buying. Using the itinerary from my first...
Explore Recent Book Challenge Posts

15 Books on Singapore That’ll Give You Serious Wanderlust
Travel to Singapore from the comfort of your armchair with these 12 books on Singapore.
26 Books on Vietnam That’ll Give You Serious Wanderlust
If you’re like me and you love to read up on the place you’re traveling to, then you’ll find yourself overwhelmed by all the choices of books on Vietnam. I swear the number of English-language books on this country could fill a small public library. What does it say...
35 Books on Ukraine: Fiction & Nonfiction
“In many ways, the current conflict is an old-fashioned imperial war conducted by Russian elites who see themselves as heirs and continuators of the great-power expansionist traditions of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union. On Ukraine’s part it is first and...
48 Must-Read Books on Hong Kong
"This is what I fear the most: The skyscrapers remain intact, the countryside hikes still beautiful, and our harbor rippling with night lights; you can still go to work and tweet dumb shit and outwardly you can’t tell that anything is wrong, but the only ones left are...